Wanda51

Okay last month I went to the doctors and died inside when I saw the scale read 410. After a couple of weeks of crying and being depressed I decided to stop being a wuss. I looked at my life and saw that working on the computer and eating all the time wasn't helping. I hate going out because walking only a few moments kills my lower back. Then my grandbaby (7 years old) laid down with me and said that I was young (51) and not fat. You gotta love kids! She told me that when she got older she would push me around in a wheelchair if I couldn't walk. That did it! No way was I going to have my precious grand child pushing me around. So I started FitDay. I keep my calories at 1800 and keep an eye on my calories. I eat 5-6 small meals or snacks a day that are healthy for me. I went shopping today WITHOUT using one of those scooters for the first time in months. I had to take it slow but it felt good once I got home and let my back rest. I go to the doctors Tuesday and hope I lost at least a few pounds. I'll be happy with 1 or 2. I do leg lifts on my bed, someone told me about pushups against the wall, and I lean back against my chair and slowly sit back up as if I'm doing sit ups. I figure any exercise is better than nothing. I made a promise to myself that by the time my grand daughter is 10, I'm going be fit enough to take her to Disney World and ride on the rides with her.

Rubystars

Remember at that weight whatever exercise you do, go easy on your joints. 1800 is a great calorie level for you right now I think.

I have a similar story about going to the doctor and realizing I was heavier than I expected to be. I lost 50 pounds already and nobody at work seems to notice anything different. That's what happens when you're really, really overweight. I started at 310 a few months ago and I'm around 260 right now. Keep positive, be patient, and forgive yourself if you have a higher calorie day for one reason or another. Weight loss is slow but it will happen if you're eating right and moving.

Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. You can really fill up on those without a big calorie penalty and they will help you get that full, satisfied feeling you're looking for.

Kohlrabi is one of the best vegetables I've tried. You can literally do anything with it, and it has a sweet crunchy taste, and it's not expensive. It's a stem vegetable related to broccoli and cabbage.

Another thing that I've tried (but it has a lot of salt, so I don't recommend this every day, and if you're on a low salt diet, this is off limits) is La Choy Chow Mein. The cans hardly have any calories at all and you can bulk them up by adding more vegetables to them.

That's another thing I recommend. If you buy a commercial can of soup like progresso light or something like that, you can heat it up in a pot and add some more water and more vegetables to it.

I've added in things like bok choy, sweet potato, baby corn, carrots, tomatoes, onion, etc. whatever you like.

Radishes are awesome for this too, and you can use them to substitute for potatoes in most recipes. Like if you roast radishes in the oven they lose a lot of their bite but they still taste good and the calories on them are almost nil.

Also you might want to get a food scale. I have an Ozeri food scale I got from Amazon and it has good reviews and has worked well for me too. It's a lot more accurate than trying to estimate the calories in fruits and vegetables.

almeeker

Welcome aboard honey, it sounds like you've already flipped the switch on a healthier you, congratulations on making that first step. I get motivation from my kids, because like you I want to be here for them for a very long time to come. I love the reward of going to Disney, that's a huge incentive! We went last year and the kids had a blast. We've told them we're all going back once they are tall enough to ride all the rides, so maybe I'll see you there.

taubele

Welcome, welcome!! Sounds like you're off to a great start already, you've got all the motivation that you need! I think going to Disney with your grandchildren is just the perfect prize. Keep it in mind on good days, bad days, ugly days, hard days, and you WILL make it!

Wanda51

Thank you all. It helps to have people say "good job" instead of commenting on my weight. To be honest I don't know how it got out of hand. But I do know that I'm keeping my fat grams below 50, my carb grams below 200 and watching my sodium. I eat a LOT of salad and even found small things to enjoy. Like sugar free chocolate jello (yummy), Extra gum (extra yummy), Special K Cracker chips (better than regular chips), and instead of eating mashed potatoes I eat mashed cauliflower. I also make sure I eat fruits and veggies and yogurt. This morning I had a cheese omelet with bacon and 2 slices of toast. I used egg substitute, 2% cheese, already cooked bacon and Wonder Smart Wheat bread. All that was only 300 calories and it was a lot of food. And the support for strangers helps a lot. It makes up for all the people who has laughed at me about my weight. I know it's going to take some time but I know the longer I work at it the longer I'll have with my wonderful Grand daughter. Thank you all for your support.

wildbeanerz

Hi Wanda... Welcome! I love that you are have such a great goal (Disney). That is what it is all about. Life, love, family & having the time to spend with them in a quality way. 7-1/2 months ago I weighed in at 331.2 and today 279.8. You can do it too and it sounds like you are on the right track. As the weight comes off you will find more energy and flexibility and stamina to do more & more exercise. Your daily life will benefit. I find myself with more energy like yesterday standing outside while my friend smoked a cigarette I couldn't just stand there, I pulled weeds instead. In two smoke breaks I weeded both flower beds (about 50 feet long). Before I would have just sat on the step with my friend.