I'm new here

Hi all,
I'm brand new here.   I'm hoping that this might be a forum that provides support during the weight loss journey... because honestly, I feel like I'm at wits end :(

I'm a mom to a 4.5 year old daughter, who is the love of my life.   My hubby and I run a small business out of our home, that seems to keep us pretty busy.

I'm morbidly obese.  I weigh 276 pounds.   I've had a myriad of health problems over the last couple of years (multiple surgeries) which have left me laid up for long periods of time... which haven't helped my attempts to lose weight.

I have to do something.... I hurt so bad all the time, I can barely walk any distance.  My calves and feet hurt every day.  I've had 6 knee surgeries and I *know* it would feel much better if I could just shed a lot of pounds.... I just never seem to be able to :(

I'm on armour thyroid medication (thryoid went nuts during pregnancy) and while my thryoid symptoms are much less than they were... it's not helping with the weight loss.

It seems like the only thing that helps is getting consistent exercise, but exercise makes the pain even worse.   I don't have access to a pool, so the treadmill or ellipitical is all I've got.

I'm just so depressed, and hoping to find a community that helps folks stay accountable with each other and provides support when the scale doesn't move the way we'd like it to.

Oh GIRL, I feel ya here.  I started out over 300 lbs and have lost 100 in the past year doing low carb.  I know how the health issues can interfere with weight loss.. and how frustrating it is to try to work around.

I absolutely know what you're saying about walking and foot pain and calf pain and how difficult it is to exercise... and to that I say, start VERY slowly and push through it.  I don't care if you only get off 3 minutes at a time... 1 minute... ANYTHING - just push through the pain.

Sweetie... I started with the lifecycle.  I'd do 3 - 5 minutes, get off of it and double over out of breath - I really felt like I was going to drop right there............. but I didn't.  Now I do 1 - 2 HOURS on the eliptical and treadmill for my cardio but it had to start somewhere.  What does not kill us makes us stronger.  I'm not pushing exercise for the weight loss... I'm pushing it for your general well-being.  It WIL:L help with the pain.  I know it doesn't seem like this right now, but I know what it's like to DREAD taking the 15 steps to the bathroom, and now I jog up and down my porch steps... big difference.

Do you know where your blood sugar is right now?  It might be a good idea to check that out and study your options.  One doesn't have to go hungry to lose weight, but we all have to make changes.. permanent, life saving changes.

Hang out here - it's safe, no one will judge and everyone will offer the benefit of their experiences.  Like I always say, we may not all be in the same boat, but we're all rowing in the same direction.

Good luck and God be with you!
Lori
 

WELCOME!!  You have certainly come to the right place.  This is a very supportive, encouraging bunch and we seem to all follow different plans, experience the ups and downs (literally) and learn from one another.

I too am about your weight (only much older, 61) and have major problems with my knees....need knee replacement but doc won't do it til I lose 50lb.  I certainly identify with your issues about walking.  I have found that my joints hurt at least 50% less just by getting rid of the sugar and white flour in my diet.  Something about it that just doesn't agree with me and causes more problems.  Lori was right...do just a couple of minutes of what you're able to at first and increase it slowly.

So glad you have gotten serious about this while you're still young.  As the weight comes off, it's amazing how much more energy you'll have to keep up with your little one.  Whatever method you choose to start, we're here to support you.  Don't try to do it all at once....baby steps work.  Make sure you're eating lots of fruits (if you don't have a blood sugar problem) and veggies and drinking tons of water.  It's a start.  Get rid of the negative thinking (was one of my biggest problems) and celebrate the positive steps you're taking.

We do have a post every day where you can be accountable to what you're eating....I find this most helpful even if it hasn't been a good day.  Glad to have you aboard!!

jiggle, that old Chinese saying:  "the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" needs to be your mantra right now.

We have all been where you are - some still are very early in the journey to health. The weight loss process is (and should be) very slow.  That is why it is called "hard'. But as you express, being fat is likewise hard! Choose your version of hard here!

Just pick a couple things you are focusing on for your first step.  Small things...3 minutes on an elliptical or outside do 10 minutes. Personally, I am all about being outside - it does not feel like work to me to be outside.  Being out in the rain is one of my favorite things - get a cheap poncho, a hat or umbrella and start doing some Fred Astair.  Your baby girl will LOVE being out in the rain. You guys ain't sugar...you will not melt. Lightening and ice storms are the only conditions that will stop me from being outside.

Post here what your bad habits are and allow us to jump in and lend 2 cents on how to deal with it.

Practice makes perfect - and you are NOT going to BE perfect for a while. So do not whine that you did it two weeks and "cannot do it" when really all you did was eat a few ho-hos or french fries. That is one transgression in your human experience, not the end of the world. Just admit it, try to analyze why you did it, learn from it and go on with your plan.

Welcome!!!!!

Welcome! I'm new here as well, but not new to losing weight. I've been doing Weigh****cher's for 2.5 years now and have had a lot of success. There will be lots of ups and downs with weight loss. For me I haven't been losing steadily each week like some people do. My losses seem to come in spurts, even though I'm sticking to the plan faithfully. I would rather it come off steadily, but as long as I do my part, the rest is up to my body. But I definitely can't complain. My life has completely changed, for the better, since losing this weight. I'm so much more active and social. I'm finally the person I've always been- just now allowing others to see it!

Good luck to you! You CAN do this, just believe in yourself and give yourself TIME. It didn't come on overnight, and it's not going to come off overnight either!
~Wendy

Thank you all for such a warm welcome!    I feel like I left out so many personal tidbits!  Things like... My name is Karen :)  and I'm 41... will be 42 next month *gulp*.   at any rate, I'm going to attempt to answer questions asked.

Lori, my blood sugar hovers pretty low (60-70 fasting.... 80s an hour after eating).   My mom is a type II diabetic, so I'm pretty nervous about those things. 

Sherri, my daughter has a long list of food allergies, so I've become very educated on foods and their effects on the body.   Wheat is one that I've tried to completely eliminate (it was much easier when my daughter was still allergic to it) as it's got quite an inflammatory effect on the body.  (which is essentially the same as all white flours... since all flour is wheat, just bleached or not) and I never noticed any remarkable results, but it definitely didn't make me feel any worse!   When you say you cut out sugar, is that all forms?  As in, do you also cut out natural forms of sugar?  Honey, fruits, etc?   I swore off all artificial sweeteners in January and was amazed at how much better I felt (after I got through the horrid week of wicked withdrawls) and now stick to pure forms of sugar (natural honey for baking, stevia in liquids, fruits, nectars, etc.)

Neecee -  funny you mention the rain :)  I HATE the rain LOL!  Absolutely hate it.  Although, that is probably because that is pretty much all it's done all summer.   Our summers (in Alaska) are suppose to be FABULOUS and we've had a total of 3 days all summer that have gone over 70 degrees.... and that being 73 as the highest.  *sigh*   So I'm pretty grouchy about the weather in general.   I might have to give it a try though..... rain through the eyes of a child is a whole lot different (other than she hates the rain too LOL... we'll just have to do it and see what happens).  
As far my bad habits.... I'm going to have to say that it's just eating too much :(  I eat a pretty clean diet.  As I said earlier, I learned more about food and how it effects the body than any one person should when my daughter was diagnosed with food allergies.   Since I can't buy anything boxed  (she's allergic to some off the wall things that are hidden in everything) I have to prepare eveything from scratch, so we eat a pretty clean, healthy diet.   Lots of fruits and veggies.  BUT... I have moments where I get depressed and will bury my sorrows in a pint of ben & jerry's.   It seems to be the binges, of things that are never kept in the house that are my downfall.   You throw a binge a week or so into the mix and it equates to my current weight.   I get frustrated that losing weight is so much harder since I developed the thyroid issues... it's maddening :(  I feel like I have to work 3 times as hard to lose a pound (I'm sure it's not really the case, it just feels that way).   Which causes me to be depressed, which causes me to eat badly.

I've tried every plan out there.  I've tried low carb (I end up with blood sugar that plummets.... I hit 39 one day and it scared the day lights out of me).   I've tried WW.  I think the plan works, but I have mental issues   The minute I have to "count" anything, I become OBSESSIVE about it.   I'm then paranoid to eat ANYTHING and find myself eating empty calories at the end of the day to meet my minimum points.    Like I said... I have issues :(

Wow... sorry for writing a novel here!    But thanks so much for the warm welcome and I look forward to "hanging out" with you wonderful ladies :)   and welcome any tips/advice you have to offer.

Thanks for the novel! As for having to work hard, I think it was Mary said it best - that is something that you may have to accept about YOUR body. Many of us have weight loss resistant bodies. Just verifying for you that perhaps your body may truly be a hard one to work with.

I feel that some are born that way, others got that way after becoming obese, and some are due to older age.

Welcome!

You most definitely came to the right board.  This is a great bunch of people.  Sorry to hear you're having such a hard time.  But at least you got the right mind frame wanting to exercise.  That right there is a big step I personally think.  Now you just have to work it like Lori said.  I know what your saying about the aches and pains.  It seems the longer you wait, the more aches and pains attacks your body!  I swear that is how it's working for me.  On top of my problems my arm got hurt a while back, now this past month or so my knee has been hurting.  Its like a never ending cycle.  So I guess what I'm saying (and I'm saying this to myself at the same time..:)  ), is Lori is right, little by little.  Push yourself no matter how much you do. 

Good luck and we are here for ya.