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| Wed, 06-08-2005 - 12:38pm |
hi everyone,
I'm new to this particulary board. I found the title interesting since I have at least 125lbs. to lose. I am not certain where to begin though. I was recently diagnosed with hypertension and I have high cholesterol. Since most of the elders in my family, including my mother, has had heart attacks, I am frightened that this will be my fate. I am only in my late 30's and am really saddened that I have these problems. The doctor has put me on hypertensive and cholesterol lowering medications and when I asked how long I need to be on these she of course could not give me definitive answer. The medications are just too expensive (even with my insurance they're $30 per 30 day supply for each med.). I have taken a vow, however. It's my goal to get off these medications. So I've begun eating more vegetables and fruit, eating whole wheat cereals or oatmeal for breakfast (before I usually skipped b'fast, drinking more water, and eating 5-6 small meals per day and I just purchased an elliptical machine. The funny thing about this weight lose regime, is that I have to learn to eat more. More of times during the day, more healthier foods, and breakfast. This is an uphill battle for me but for now I'm determined. But how do I keep my determination? I am scared that I will fail just like my other weight loss attempts and wind up weighing more than I do now. Which is something I can't afford to do but I'm scared just the same. My question is, how do any of you guys keep your motivation? I find it so hard to get up in the mornings to exercise but I know it will help me.
Thanks for listening.
d. sabb

Make sure you are also getting enough protein.
Instead of looking at how much you WANT to lose which is discouraging to all of us, tell yourself that you are going to lose 10% of your body weight. That's a doable amount and researchers have found that 10% to 15% is an amount people can stick with. Just 10% can make a huge difference in health issues too. So, say if you weigh 250 pounds you only need to lose 25 to make changes in your health and you may see enough of a change that your doctor can take you off some of the medications.
Susanne
First off, let me say welcome to the board. You have definitely come to the right place if you are looking for encouragement, motivation, and support. Everyone here knows how hard it is to follow through with their eating plans, and I'm sure that every single one of us has had at least 1 failed diet attempt, but we have decided to do something about it. That's why we're here. I myself have lost 50 lbs before, only to gain it all back. I started my weight loss again in April, did good for a month, then fell off track for 4 weeks. I gained 5 of my lost lbs back, but instead of letting it get me down, I got back on track. That's the key. There are going to be slip-ups along the way; the key is to just not let them derail your plans completely. It sounds like you are off to a wonderful start with your diet and motivation. Exercise is also very good for you, weight wise, and heart wise, so if you slowly add that in and stick with your diet, you should see health improvements fairly quickly, even if it takes you a while to lose the weight.
You said you don't know where to start with your 125 lbs you have to lose--why not start with 5 or 10 lbs? If you have a smaller goal, it doesn't take nearly as long to see the finish line, and when you reach it, you feel accomplishment and motivation to keep going. Good luck and keep us updated on your progress!
Staci
Hi there and welcome to the board.
Hi and welcome to the board!
This may sound crazy, but it helps me keep my motivation to do my aerobics and stay away from the "junk food" that my DH insisted he have. I had 2 pair of jeans in my closet from my skinnier days that I have hung up in my apartment. One pair hangs on the back of the closet in my bedroom and the other hangs on the laundry room door which is approximately 3 feet from my refrigerator. There is no way to get in or out of the kitchen without seeing these jeans.
My next door neighbor visits frequently and once asked why the same pair of jeans was always hanging there. I simply told him they were my "skinny jeans" and that they would hang there until I could wear them and be able to breath at the same time. He thought it such a great idea, that he's done the same thing in his apartment. We live in a duplex so our apartments are set up the same.
When those jeans fit, my younger sister will send up 2 pair of her jeans that are too big for her. And that will help me on my next step.
Hope this will atleast give you some ideas!
Terri
I am looking to lose about 200 lbs so I can get into a healthy weight range to start trying for a baby. While I'm not on meds for any health conditions (yet anyway) I have a very important goal in mind. I find that it helps to visit this board and the South Beach Diet board as places to learn, vent, and find support. Having a large amount of weight to lose makes us some pretty special people with unique challenges and concerns that the average person who is looking to drop a few pounds does not have to deal with. I find it best to think in terms of mini goals as was suggested in an earlier post. I am also following the South Beach Diet and have found it to be a very healthful way of eating. My starting weight 3 weeks ago was 383.4 and as of the last weigh in I was 371 (I'm trying to stay off the scale and rely more on how I'm feeling as an indicator of success). I exercise daily and drink a lot of water too. My husband is very supportive as well which helps to keep me motivated.
You can do this, especially since you have some serious goals. Hang in there and keep us updated!
Hey,
I have 135lbs to lose, so I feel your pain. I'm sure I have some of the same medical conditions, but since I'm still only 21, I'm changing my lifestyle now. Alot of people try different diets, but the South Beach Diet is what I'm on now because it was developed by a cardiologist who specifically designed it to help those with heart conditions and those with diabetes or prediabetes. It's not low carb, and it's not low fat....it teaches you how to eat the right carbs and fats to help your heart. Alot of people don't have to take blood pressure meds, etc. after they've been on this awhile because it helps so much. You should look into it....the first 2 weeks are the toughest because you're not allowed carbs. It purges your system of bad stuff, then you re-introduce everything. (Sorry if you already knew all this.)
Not trying to push it, just have done alot of research into safe, healthy, effective diets for the long run, and besides Weight Watchers, this is the best I think. Hope this helps, and welcome to the board!
*Huggles*
~Maureen
Hi,
Just wanted to add something about excercising. I hate excercising too. I always find many excuses to skip it. But I read this somewhere and it is helping me right now to continue with excercising:
Forget about motivation. Think about consistancy. Just be consistant in your excercise routine and do it even if you are not motivated. At the beginning, it is all about consistancy. Once you lose some weight and start to see results, motivation will kick in. You will be motivated to continue.
At least this is working for me. Welcome to the board and good luck.
Mary
247/236/165