WISH Newbie, Here!!

[KigerKat]

Hey guys! I usually frequent the budget boards, but I kinda started to wander over here the past couple of days.

I'm 32 years old, and I am finally coming to the realization that I need to lose weight. I guess I've really known for a while, but I think I'm finally starting to get serious about it. I would like to lose about 50-60 pounds, and I know it's not going to be easy. Everyone here is so supportive, and I think that's what I really need right now.

My doctor recently diagnosed me with high blood pressure, and even on bp meds it's still kinda high (130/80). My doctor had a scan done of my kidneys to see if there was anything wrong there that could be affecting my bp, and thank God they're fine. But he did see that my liver is not well - called it "fatty liver". Totally reversible, I just need to get my weight down.

I stopped drinking caffiene (going on 6 weeks now) and I am also off birth control (doc said that can raise bp). I have also stopped eating out so much at work, which has been difficult because it's much more fun to hang out with co-workers for a bit and get out of the office.

DH and I would like to have our first child before we are 35, and I know there are so many risks being pregnant in the condition I am in now. I would like to get my wieght down, off the bp meds and get my liver back on track before we start trying. Type 2 diabetes also runs in my family, so that is also a dark cloud looming in my future if I don't do anything now!

I need to know where to begin. I don't feel comfortable going to WW meetings or taking any drugs to help me lose weight. I want to do it with diet and exercise - it's just getting the motivation to keep it up.

My sister is a huge inspiration to me. For years, I had always been the thinner of us until my wedding in 2007. She was going to have to fly from Chicago and her biggest fear was having to purchase 2 seats or use a seatbelt extender because of her size. That alone motivated her to drop down to about half of what she was. She started out with WW, but she's way more outgoing than I am.

Just looking for some advice on where to begin here! Thanks, everyone!!

 

[Maherae]

to WISH, KigerKat!

This is a great place for a new beginning! You'll see that there is a monthly exercise challenge thread: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2044134 where YOU decide how many minutes you would like to commit to have exercised by the end of the month and report your weekly progress.
Then there is the Biggest Loser Season 7 thread: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2045627, again, you can join in any time. There's also a sticky at the top of the board with more information. Lots of other threads..just scan them, find one that's of interest to you, and JOIN in!! Anne

 

[deekaypee]

Welcome to WISH, Kigerkat!

I don't have a lot of WISH advice other than what Anne suggest. Join a thread--we're all very friendly. I've found that my WISH friends help keep me accountable in ways I couldn't imagine.

And FWIW, it sounds like you've got a great deal going for you: some really good reasons to lose weight, some goals like having kids, your DS as inspiration, and a great deal of willpower. Kudos for cutting the caffeine. That's an especially hard one for me.

Oh, an anecdotally: I dropped 50 pounds a few years back (and keep dropping that last 10 or so ) and what I found useful was setting my goals into small chunks. Rather than focusing on my 50 pounds, I focused on that first 5. Then the next 5. Rather than saying I wanted to exercise an hour every day, I focused on the first 15, then 20. The big picture is just too abstract and scary for me.

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

Welcome to WISH!

You can do this. You are ready! Seems like you are on the right path. You want to do this now. Since you have the desire there is nothing in your way.

Make a plan to take small steps and try to think of things in the positive. Don't use that "D" word. Rather, go for the healthy life choices. Make better eating choices, more veggies and such. Get to moving more. There are all sorts of tools out but the best tool is friends helping each other. We are here for each other and you will find that the more you encourage others you will be encouraging yourself too.

Make a plan for each day with something that you know you can do, Before long you will be sliding downward to a healthier you!

 

[ohMom]

looks like great advice you have already gotten! it's great to have you as a part of our WISH group!

don't forget water....water, water,water......

 

[KigerKat]

Thank you so much for the nice welcome!! I think I will join the Biggest Loser, but I have to weigh myself first...kinda scary!!

And I also want to join the monthly exercise challenge, but I'm not sure what a good goal would be with only 10 days left in the month. Maybe I'll just see what I can do and then give myself a good goal for Feb!

I have been drinking a lot more water than I'm used to lately...I've got my resort mug right here at my desk, and I fill it up at least 5-6 times a day. Drinking water at home is another story...I LOVE milk, juice and the occasional caffeine free cherry coke. But this takes baby steps, right?

I saw another post from another newbie that signed up for Sparkpeople, but I'm not really sure what that is. I started the sign up process, but then thought I might want to explore the website a little more first.

Thanks again!! I think checking in here will be good for me and having all this great support will only help me in achieving my goals!!

 

[NeverlandClub23]

Welcome!! We could always use more people here

My biggest tip for weight loss (I've lost 30 lbs. in the past year and a half) is to not set yourself up for failure. Don't expect yourself never to slip up or to lose 30 lbs. in a month. Just keep at it a little at a time. You'll have great days and you'll have days that you just want to give up. At first I didn't even try to change the way I ate. I just aimed for 30 minutes of exercise a day, usually walking. After a month of that I worked on eating healthy lunches, continuing my 30 minutes of activity per day. Then I worked on dinners, snacks, increasing my activity level, and so on. I also started doing 5 push ups a day, then the next week 6 push ups a day. Everything I did was baby steps cause I knew if I just jumped in I would give up in a couple of weeks.

Just do what feels right for you. Like some people can eat "bad" things in moderation. I can't. If I eat one Oreo, I want 10 more (and I would eat 10 more). I'd rather have a SF jello pudding cup then just one Oreo, but everyone is different.

Good luck and we're all here for you!!

 

[Zoesmama03]

Welcome. I'm Melissa and working on getting more involved here a gain and back on track. I walked on treadmill on Tuesday and took walk yesterday to the bus stop to wait for my daughter. Today I will walk down there again its good exercise the bus stop is out at main road a good half mile or more.

I miss my online Weight Watchers but wasn't journaling the last month I had it anyway. I'd like to restart but I recently relocated and have to get settled in a place and working steady job first as right now I'm unemployed and broke. But would like to rejoin a gym too so might do that and get active then start refining calories on monitored plan. Of course ideally I'd like to not have to monitor anything since I believe its the easiest way to keep it off if you aren't going to be changing anything.