As for the questions

1. What are your goals? I know a lot of you already put your weight goals and time-to-completeion. Please reiterate that here.

2. What is your motivation?

3. How are you keeping yourself accountable?

1.  I would like to lose 23-25 pounds by April

2.  My motivation is to fit in the clothes in my closet. I might be going on a trip to Vegas or San Francisco with my husband in April and I'd like to be able to wear pretty clothes

3.  I hope that being part of this group will help keep me accountable.

Hi Everyone.

1. What are your goals?

  My goal is to lose 20 lbs. That would put me at about 145, which is still higher than I should be as I'm only 5'2". However, I know I would feel really good at that weight. I would like to lose the 20 lbs by June.

2. What is your motivation?

  My motivation is my life and my family. I'm 52 years old and gave birth to twins two years ago. I definitely need more energy. Also, I was diagnosed with pulmonary sarcoidosis in August after a lung biopsy. Sarcoidosis is an inflammitory and auto-immune disease and I am hoping that by adopting a more healthy lifestyle, I can slow or stop the progression.

3. How are you keeping yourself accountable?

  1. I am tracking my food via MyPlate on www.Livestrong.com.
  2. I just started the C25k yesterday.
  3. I also am using a FitBit to monitor my steps - aiming for a minimum of 10,000 steps per day, which takes a lot of effort as I have a desk job and could easily spend 9 hours sitting.

The year before I got pregnant, I was able to lose 25 lbs with the help of a trainer. I managed to eat extremely well during the pregnancy and didn't end up with additional weight, but it has crept back on me in the past couple of years. I don't have the money for a trainer this time around and also, with the kids and working full time, my schedule is much, much tighter - so getting to the gym or out for walks/runs will take more effort than it ever has. I've never been a runner, so doing a real "run" seems rather scary. I'm determined to get healthy this for me and for my family.

So here it is the 17th of January, about 2 weeks since the original post, and I wonder how everyone's doing.  What's working and what's not?  What are you doing about it?  And, maybe most important, what do you need help/support with?

So, I'll jump in:
1/5 182 lbs.

1/17 179.2 lbs.

I have to keep reminding myself that the weight didn't go on overnight and it's unrealistic to assume it will come off overnight (but it would be nice if it did, wouldn't it?).

What's working - writing down everything I eat & keeping track of calories. I use an app called myfitnesspal to do this.  It's kind of impossible to unknowingly overeat when you're honestly tracking everything.  At this point, this is an important tool in reaching my goal.  I will keep doing this.

What's not really working - sticking to my exercise schedule.  I need to improve at this.  We did have a bit of a family crisis last week that has legitimately thrown my schedule for a bit of a loop, but there were days that I could have fit my workout in and I didn't.  The crazy part of this is that I feel better & less stressed when I stick to my scheduled runs & yoga, but I am less likely to workout when stressed.  Not sure what I am going to do to make exercise less "optional".  A buddy would help. Text or email to be accountable to someone else.  Classic case of taking care of everyone & everything else first & then seeing if I can fit myself in.

I would love to join you all. I have 5 pounds a month to lose for the next 15 months. I find it's much easier to set small 5 pound goals per month. I write them on a calender my goal 5 pounds and mark it off as I go. But my main main goal is to have energy and feel wonderful.  I had a acheived my goal weight in 2007 after a year of hard work and ended up getting pregnant. SUPRISE!  We were told after our daughter in 1992 we could not have anymore. So basically I am starting the journey all over again but this time with fitness as my main goal and not actual pant size or numers.

My daughter and I registered for the Disney run in AUG I am doing the 5k she is doing is doing the 10k. Now it would be great if I was able to do the 10 k but since I have never been huge on excercise I am trying not set unabtainable goals and to set more things that I can accomplish and feel great doing it.

To start out I need some good fast paced walking shoes with good support and cushion my this curvy gal. Any suggestions?

Any help on how to start out with this goal? and any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks So much!

Jamie

Hi all. My name is Mary. I am new to this community but not new to trying to lose weight and gain back control of my life. My highest recorded weight was 290 I have lost 88 pounds to date. I can always use more accountability.

To answer the questions:

1. What are your goals? To be a normal weight, to be active again. To reach my goal weight of 150.

2. What is your motivation? Health and of course vanity. I love the options you have at a smaler size

3. How are you keeping yourself accountable? i use facebook support and accountability groups, i use my fitnes pal and I blog.

Here's to us.

Started my weightloss with a Dr in sept  2012 beause I was  becoming very unhealthy and needed to change it or Die.  I also started my C25K at that time also.  Ran my first 5k last Nov, and My Mom got very sick so had to take a break. I am back at it with one exception, a minor R knee ACL tear and fracture so I will be walking my 3 mi instead of jogging.  I have a 5K coming up in March, the hot chocolate challenge,that I am hoping to run,but  may be walking. I figure with chocolate at the end of the race I will be REALLY motivated to improve my time :-)  I have currently lost 68lbs since sept and my first goal is 100, so more than 1/2 way.  My bloodwork has shown I have vastly improved my health and am no longer prediabetic, my motivation.  My weight loss has currently hit a wall and I am getting frusttrated but trying to power through without giving up.  I was sad that the thread of C25K runners I started with kind of stopped at Christmas and hoping to find some new inspiration here.  I keep myself accountable with my monthly Dr visits and by posting my activity. I have 2 1/2 more weeks in my brace walking runs then an MRI to make sure my knee has healed then fingers crossed I can get back to running.  I'm not having any pain in my knee unless I twist it so i am hopefull.

Hope I am not too late to join this group. I rarely come to this website as I usually read their newsletter and delete it. But the recent newsletter had a link to this discussion group and it caught my eye. I am glad I found this group.

I used to be 5' 10" but recent check-up at the doctor's showed my height as 5' 9". Is it possible to actually lose an inch from your height?!? Sadly, my weight has been steadily creeping up. I started running in 2007 and the last I ran was the NYC marathon in 2011.I stopped running after that due to loss of my mother at that time.

Like andie_cath I will be 50 in 1 ½ years from now. Last I checked my weight was somewhere between 187-189 lbs. I would like to weigh 150 lbs though realistically I will be happy if I can lose 30 some pounds and come down to 155 lbs. My goal is to get back to running and run a 5K in near future, a ½ marathon during mid-year and finish a full-marathon by year-end.

I have a desk job and come home and plop myself on the couch and watch TV. I want to soak up the motivation from this group to break this habit to get moving, start exercising, lose weight and live healthy.

Looking forward to sharing our experiences.