mhoffe

Hi All

I've just been reading some of the post and feel I've found a good spot to be. Turning forty next week and have been struggling with weight since I was 21. Currently 195 lbs at 5' 6". I was up to 215 lbs. in March with high stress and decided to quit job and regroup ...so here I am.

Stress has been a factor always in my life. One failed marriage then regrouped at 30 years old and went down to 149 lbs and looked great then remarried and life feel apart again (understatement) and now hitting 40, separated from second husband (although we remained good friends) and trying to rebuild my life and regain health again.

Fit day is helping me figure out where I'm going wrong on the scale, alot of soul searching is helping with the rest.

Raising 2 teenage girls (15 & 17 yr old) and my 6 yr old daughter as well basically on my own. Great kids but they take so much energy and patience I feel mostly deflated and discouraged and have to battle everyday to keep on track. Kids eat well, exercise and have good weights...I feel like I need to keep on track for them too..keep going in healthy direction. As a Mom want to set good example and they know I've actually handled our family stresses pretty good considering. I involve them in healthy cooking working out together and l walks to the health food store. Teens are actually registered at our local Y and have been apprenticing as junior fitness instructors since last summer. Middle daughter is crazy dedicated rugby player.

I guess my goal is not only to regain my health but to help them maintain theirs. But i need to start focusing on me first to get there (thats my weakness, doing for everyone else...leaving myself last). So I am not dieting anymore I have changed my whole lifestyle for the better this time. No looking back...only forward!

Michele
"Be the change"

almeeker

Boy do you and I have a lot in common. I'm 42, married with 3 DD's, mine are a little younger than yours, 9, 8 and 5, but daughters of any age are still female eh? I too have long put the needs of everyone else before mine, changing that has probably been as hard as resisting the screaming of the cookie dough in the refrigerator. But my mom who is an ER nurse said something to me that was very profound and helpful. She said that when you meet a healthy mom, you meet a healthy family and conversely when you meet an unhealthy mom, you meet an unhealthy family. Although I'm sure there are exceptions to that observation, it is true 95-99% of the time, because somehow or another a mom is in charge of the overall health and well-being of a family. So I think you are on the right track and have identified your children as at least one source of motivation. Maybe you can find a physical activity to do as a family, walking, dancing, running, biking, skiing, etc etc. I know that when the kids are non-stop bugging me to do something I'm more likely to schedule it. I think this fall the girls and I are going to take a martial arts class together, fitness + self defense, win-win.

For the rest of it, just take it one day at a time with baby steps, and be prepared to face some bumps along the way. When I decided to begin this journey I decided that since DH and I both have weight issues, as do our extended families, what was good for me is good for the whole family. Which in turn means that I do not make separate meals for dieters vs. non-dieters, we all eat the same meals (although admittedly often I leave some of the extra carbs off my plate). My kids are doing fine with that although every so often they still lament the "no junk food in the house" policy I've established. I always answer the same way, "one of these days you'll thank me, although clearly it's not going to be today". I get a bit of eye rolling, and some pouting when I absolutely refuse to buy them junk out of the vending machine or lap the drive-thru for french fries because they smell good, but they are coming around, albeit slowly. Very very occasionally they do get some junky food, like cake and ice cream for birthday parties, I might even buy chips and make a pizza party out of it, but it's for rare occasions only, not for every day.

One funny story that's come out of this is that the day after DH's birthday it was like 99 degrees here with outrageous humidity. DH was out of town for business and we had 1/2 of his German chocolate birthday cake left, which of course was covered with homemade coconut/caramel/pecan icing. by dinner time it was just too hot to cook, so I said "let's just have cake and ice cream for dinner". My kids were shocked, absolutely speechless, but they agreed. What is really funny is that they still talk about the day mom lost her mind for a moment and let them have pure sugar for dinner. What they don't remember is that the ice cream was frozen yogurt and had about 90 calories/serving, and that the cake was the "lite" version of the recipe.

mhoffe

Thanks for the encouragement...and a good life. My kids think I'm off my rocker most days anyhow. Lol

Your stats are amazing...good for you...just the inspiration I need to move forward.

I started Jillian Michael workout DVD 6 days ago to get some cardio in...it was so crazy the first time I just bawled the rest of the day feeling like a failure. But I persevered and on day 7 now I'm moving thru the workout much better...even the damned jumping jacks! Since girls have been off school they do workout each day as well.

Today I'm going to try a water aerobics class at our local outdoor pool. I was brave enough to buy a bathing suit and go swimming yesterday with 6 yr old, so I thought why not try the class. All I can lose is some pride but hopefully inches too!

Have a good day!

Michele

almeeker

Ah, we do have a lot in common. When my kids are being a little rotten in public I often threaten to break out in song and dance, so you choose, public humiliation or good behavior? They know for a fact that I'm not bluffing.