My name is joanne. I am soon to be 34 and at the moment i weigh around 256 pnds, i am 5'4 and have a stocky build with what i call a flabby gut and legs.
i have just started a new lifestyle change in eating by eating more salads and cutting down my portion sizes but i am doing it in increments because i know if i just jump right in i will get frustrated and stop altogether.

I have started working out, sorta. i am doing the just my size yoga with megan garcia daily right now and have an order in for plus size pilates.
i also have orders in for turbo jam, and kili's hula cardio workout and will also be ordering dancing off the inches:tummy tone party zone.unfortunately i won't be receiving them til middle july. today i bought yoga zone: beginners and meditation.
i have huge concerns about the cardio aspect of my working out because i am obese. walking outside is a no-no due to a condition i have that keeps me in the house alot .any suggestions for start out dvd's would be great because i need variety in my workouts.

My goal for now is to start daily 7 day workouts, one day yoga and the next day pilates and so on. In that same week i will have 2 days cardio.
since it has been a long time and i am on the extreme side of obese i know my body can only handle me taking it slow at first.
i will work my way up to a daily cardio routine.
I am hoping that ,barring illness, i will be doing cardio in the morning daily and a yoga/pilates at night by end of december this year.

My goal for weight loss is to lose 20-30 pnds by the end of the year. i will be happy for any at this point but i am aiming for 30 pnds. i would like to reach my goal weight by december 2009 but i would be happy just to be able to go shopping in regular size clothing for once in my life. i have been fat all my life and have always shopped in plus sizes where the clothes are ugly. at least here they are.

My biggest problem will be motivation. i always cut myself down and end up failing because i don't believe it will change anything even if i do exercise and diet. i don't know how to keep myself going once i start and any help and suggestions about that would be deeply appreciated also.

Thank you for reading about me, boring as it may be.
Hope to talk to many of you.

bye.

I was just reading an article about yoga being very theraputic for people with binge/bulemic/or anorexic eating disorders....people who are very compulsive....I think your on a really good track with yoga and meditation...helps you focus....get away from negative thoughts...etc....

Well, STOP cutting yourself down woman! Don't you realize how much power there is in the words you speak? Seriously....our thoughts and words have so much power..take for instance...when someone says something negative to someone else...have you ever heard that it takes SEVEN posative things to eliminate the negative effect of ONE negative comment? So, start this journey of a LIFETIME by being your own best friend....if you slip...have a bad day with food...don't beat yourself up...tell yourself what you would tell your best friend! To get back on the wagon... and that you are worth the effort and the time and the patience to be alive and well and in a healthy body!!! That you didn't get this size overnight...and you will not shrink to a healthy size quickly either! Posative thoughts...patience....thats my best advice to you....and great job trying!!!!! Thats the most important first step!
You take care!

I think the yoga and pilates will be great. Probably the Turbo Jam as well. I just bought that off eBay myself and will see what I think.

I would suggest also looking into some kind of strength training DVD or program as well. That combined with cardio will help.

Don't get into that "motivation" thing... bunches of us lose motivation and just keep on keepin' on anyway. You can't count on motivation to always be there... for people who are overweight like us, goal weight can be some time in the future. So, you need to make good clean eating and exercise a HABIT. Something that you just DO, like brushing your teeth.

Important stuff: You almost certainly will have days you skip working out for whatever reason or days that you won't eat properly. It doesn't mean you've ruined everything, consider such times a "blip" and then get back on track as soon as possible. Next hour, same day, next day, next meal, just as soon as you can. Always move forward, don't obsess about screw-ups.

BTW, your weight loss goals seem very realistic. In addition to the exercise, be careful with the eating. Salads are great... make sure you are getting enough protein though. And don't cut calories too drastically.

The other thing I'd suggest is do NOT rely solely on a scale for signs of progress. Take girth measurements... and also take them around some less likely places, like your wrist for instance. Sometimes changes take a long time to see on a large body. I start seeing measurement changes at my wrists before anyplace else.

Consider doing progress photos and consider measuring things like resting heart rate, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, flexibility, etc... Notice every small improvement, even if it's just that you feel better after a workout or fit in a chair better, because seeing these small signs of progress will help keep you going and realizing that change IS happening!

Good luck and hard work!

Thank you both for responding.
I am trying to work on the diet but money is an issue, a major one.

i am truly scared to take my measurements because of what the numbers might be. I have been noticing improvements in the way i move with the Yoga.

unfortunately i have been fighting depression since i was 13, so the negative comments and cut downs have been a way of life for a long long time.

Thanks for the words of encouragement from both of you and goodl uck on your own endevours

Well, money is definitely an issue when it comes to buying quality veggies and meats... but think of the good things you can buy that are relatively inexpensive, like grains and beans and legumes and stuff like that.

Likewise... if you don't spend some on improving your health, you might find yourself spending considerably on things like prescription meds and whatnot. So make your best compromises.

Exercise will help with depression, also better food intake. And while you may have done a lot of negative self talk in the past... that's done with, you have control over your future and you can cut it out. It will take some work, but you can do it!

So hang in there and make good use of the forums!

The problem is where i live things can cost twice or three times as much, even bread and milk, as it does in a city due to how much it costs to truck it here. I live in a mining town in canada that's situated quite a distance from the 'big' city and farms. also the fresh food is never actually fresh. most times it's already on it's way to going bad and is seriously bruised up. I am on a fixed income and can barely afford fresh items so paying 2 to 3 times as much for something that is going to rot in a day or two is a waste of money. when i do find something i do tend to get it but like i said money is always an issue.

Unfortunately i wouldn't be spending money on any prescription meds because i can't afford them. if it wasn't for the piggy bank full of quite a long time collected change, i wouldn't be able to afford the exercise dvd's i am getting. right now portion control, more salads and lots of exercise are the only things available to me for a healthier lifestyle.

Hopefully it will be enough to get at least half the weight off. I will worry about the rest when i get there.

Thnaks for the suggestions and the encouragment.

joanne....i can't think of a better way to help somewhat with depression then to stop the negative comments and cut downs to yourself now! today is the best time to stop being your own worst enemy.....treat yourself like a friend girlie girl...
Smaller portions and moving more sounds like an excellent plan! have a super week this week!

I understand about the "fresh" foods being not so fresh... it's similar in my town. I've just learned to pick the best I can and consume quickly. Or buy frozen. Just do the best you can and remember you don't have to eat perfectly to lose weight, just consume fewer calories than you burn.

Keep up the exercise and don't worry if things go slowly, just keep reminding yourself daily that you are choosing a healthier lifestyle.

Hi Joanne! 30 lbs in a year is a wonderful and realistic goal, and it can be done if you work hard! It sounds like you and I share some similarities: I'm 5' 5" and started out at 250 lbs a year ago. Now my weight is around 180 lbs, and being active is so much easier! And Cynthia's right - the exercise will definitely help regulate your moods. I suffer from clinical depression myself, and I notice my attitude is much better.

The yoga and pilates are great! They'll help keep you nice and flexible. I LOVE my Turbo Jam videos, but be warned - you might not be able to make it through a full workout at first. I couldn't. But if you can't, that's ok! Just do what you can each day and build up to a full workout.

Sorry to hear you can't get more fresh fruits and veggies, but just do what you can and count your calories. You'll soon figure out what works for you eating wise.

It won't always be easy, but it will be worth it! Just remember you deserve a healthier, happier you! And we're all just a computer screen away if you need encouragement.

Thanks for the replies.
Due to certain health issues related in my other post i am unable at this time to start any cardio routine but once/if i get a full clear i will be starting the learn part of the learn and burn.
i will probably start to do the turbo sculpt too once i start the full learn and burn workout.
For now i am watching the diet and trying to do my yoga when i can.

I know for a fact i won't be able to make it through, LOL. i won't even be able to handle the full walk away the pounds workout and that's a 1 mile get started program. It's frustrating that i can't at least try though. not until i get an all clear. nothing is more discouraging then your body workiing AGAINST you and it already does that in another way i didn't need more.

Thanks, with everything that's going on i am going to need some encouragement.