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Introducing myself.... HI everyone!
I posted this under the expert forums by mistake, I meant to post it here in the community forums. I have cut and pasted from the other forum:
Hi everyone! I just found this forum about 2-3 nights ago and I am sure glad that I did! This is a great site and I am learning so much here.
About me, I am a 41 year old mom of 4 kids and a yes, life is busy busy busy! My oldest daughter is quite overweight (she is 14 years old, 5' 6", 215 lbs) and this is what started the weight-loss journey for both of us. We started getting serious about weight-loss in January and have joined a program through our local hospital but getting extra help online is fantastic. At the start of this journey I was the exact same weight and height as my daughter. However, I have lost about 17 pounds and she hasn't lost very much (if any) yet, but over all she does look more toned. It is very very frustrating for her and for me as her mom also. I almost feel guilty that I am the one loosing the weight and not her. For the most part we are doing very similar exercises -- we go for 45-60 minute powerwalks when the weather is good or we do an hour on the Wii Fit Plus (focusing on the aerobics for at least 30 minutes) or doing the Wii Active Personal Trainer.
We are seeing the dietician this week Thursday so hopefully this will shed some light on what is going on with my daughter. But, in the meantime I am very happy that I found this site!
Hi everyone! I just found this forum about 2-3 nights ago and I am sure glad that I did! This is a great site and I am learning so much here.
About me, I am a 41 year old mom of 4 kids and a yes, life is busy busy busy! My oldest daughter is quite overweight (she is 14 years old, 5' 6", 215 lbs) and this is what started the weight-loss journey for both of us. We started getting serious about weight-loss in January and have joined a program through our local hospital but getting extra help online is fantastic. At the start of this journey I was the exact same weight and height as my daughter. However, I have lost about 17 pounds and she hasn't lost very much (if any) yet, but over all she does look more toned. It is very very frustrating for her and for me as her mom also. I almost feel guilty that I am the one loosing the weight and not her. For the most part we are doing very similar exercises -- we go for 45-60 minute powerwalks when the weather is good or we do an hour on the Wii Fit Plus (focusing on the aerobics for at least 30 minutes) or doing the Wii Active Personal Trainer.
We are seeing the dietician this week Thursday so hopefully this will shed some light on what is going on with my daughter. But, in the meantime I am very happy that I found this site!
Totally awesome that you girls are making this a family change, even if it is only the girls. We still haven't gotten over the fun/horror of reading the nutritional info in the stores ourselves! It's almost a game to see who guesses the goodness/badness of something at the stores.I know that my son who is 8 is having fun with some of the new things we are doing in the kitchen. He's not a veggie fan & he's picky about fruits, but we are including him in food preparation & we tell him about the different ways the good stuff is good for you. ^_^
Very true about the grocery stores Barb, and I find that the one we shop at the most even puts all the junk food and pop right in the front too yet. I have learned to walk straight to the healthier side and work my way around and I also have my list split up into categories so that helps as well.
My hubby is much happier today since he sees that he and our son, who also has no weight issues, are still getting their usual foods and its just myself and our daughters eating healthier! We are definitely eating lots of fresh fruits and veggies, less meats then before, less breads then before, more whole grains, less sodium and sugars. All this along with regular exercise should help our oldest with her weight loss goals and keep our youngest two slim and trim!
My hubby is much happier today since he sees that he and our son, who also has no weight issues, are still getting their usual foods and its just myself and our daughters eating healthier! We are definitely eating lots of fresh fruits and veggies, less meats then before, less breads then before, more whole grains, less sodium and sugars. All this along with regular exercise should help our oldest with her weight loss goals and keep our youngest two slim and trim!
COMMUNITY LEADER
I'm happy to see that your younger daughters are joining you on this journey. It's always a good idea to provide the healthier foods for them when they are younger, so they grow up used to eating healthy meals, rather than eating junk most of the time, then have to make drastic changes when they get older and find that weight becomes a health issue.
One rule of thumb when you are shopping, is to do the majority of your shopping around the outside edges of your store. If you think of how most grocery stores are laid out, you will see that the healthiest foods are usually at the outside (produce, meats, dairy) and the closer you get to the center of the store, the more unhealthy the food becomes (cookies, candies, prepared foods).
Another point to remember -- the closer you keep your food to fresh, the better it is. If you can't get fresh, then frozen is the next best. If you must go to canned, make sure you opt for the low/no salt varieties.
My hubby is kind of like yours -- he's never had a weight issue, so can't understand how *I* can have trouble losing when his weight just falls off. He also doesn't understand my thyroid issues and how that affects weight loss/gain, so I've given up trying to explain it.
Best of luck to your whole family.
One rule of thumb when you are shopping, is to do the majority of your shopping around the outside edges of your store. If you think of how most grocery stores are laid out, you will see that the healthiest foods are usually at the outside (produce, meats, dairy) and the closer you get to the center of the store, the more unhealthy the food becomes (cookies, candies, prepared foods).
Another point to remember -- the closer you keep your food to fresh, the better it is. If you can't get fresh, then frozen is the next best. If you must go to canned, make sure you opt for the low/no salt varieties.
My hubby is kind of like yours -- he's never had a weight issue, so can't understand how *I* can have trouble losing when his weight just falls off. He also doesn't understand my thyroid issues and how that affects weight loss/gain, so I've given up trying to explain it.
Best of luck to your whole family.
Yes, we did get good info from the dietician and a big eye opener about the simple carbs! I knew it was bad for you but never realized quite how bad. But, on the good note she also explained all the good things that whole grains do for you and my daughter has really taken it to heart. We did groceries together today and reading labels was actually almost fun learning interesting things about foods! She explained the "rule of 15" for carbs: 15 grams is equal to a slice of bread. Today in our label reading we were shocked how many foods have 15 or more carbs per serving!
Hubby is in a grumpy mood today b/c of all the healthy foods in the house and his "poor me, what am I going to eat?" attitude and we didn't even change any of his foods at all! Hahaha get used to it! ;) Once he sees our daughter melting away the inches he will fully realize that this is all worth it! He isn't being unsupportive really, just having a hard time with the changes in the household in general since our youngest 2 girls are joining my oldest and I in the lifestyle changes. It does affect the entire household but they will get used to it soon enough and it will become our "new normal".
Hubby is in a grumpy mood today b/c of all the healthy foods in the house and his "poor me, what am I going to eat?" attitude and we didn't even change any of his foods at all! Hahaha get used to it! ;) Once he sees our daughter melting away the inches he will fully realize that this is all worth it! He isn't being unsupportive really, just having a hard time with the changes in the household in general since our youngest 2 girls are joining my oldest and I in the lifestyle changes. It does affect the entire household but they will get used to it soon enough and it will become our "new normal".
Did you get good information from the specialist?
Ah yes, the simple carbs... I think that does it for us a lot of us! =/ Hopefully the measurements will bear good news for the two of you. Not sure how fast those inces should melt away; I'm just starting to watch my own now as well. The last time I was inch watching I was preggers, so I wasn't counting belly fat at all.
I think it's really good that you can stick up to your husband, even if he doesn't mean bad. You are right. I think some people just don't think about it when they don't have the same problem.
Ah yes, the simple carbs... I think that does it for us a lot of us! =/ Hopefully the measurements will bear good news for the two of you. Not sure how fast those inces should melt away; I'm just starting to watch my own now as well. The last time I was inch watching I was preggers, so I wasn't counting belly fat at all.
I think it's really good that you can stick up to your husband, even if he doesn't mean bad. You are right. I think some people just don't think about it when they don't have the same problem.
Thanks kittengamer, very good points. I have to keep my husband in check with his comments b/c negative comments = feeling bad = eating more for comfort. My husband means well and does not mean to be hurtful but a man who works off the weight on a daily basis (he's a journeyman electrician) just does not get it.
Good to know about the teens and lean muscle mass! That makes me excited for her! I really hope that once we solve a few issues (I imagine its the simple carbs that are her worst culprit) that the weight drops off fast. She is actually very fit and 9 times out of 10 she beats my score on the Wii Fit by a country mile!
I will be getting a notebook and jotting down measurements as well. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next while and at least if the weigh scale is the same but measurements are less that will be some great motivation that we are on the right track as well.
Good to know about the teens and lean muscle mass! That makes me excited for her! I really hope that once we solve a few issues (I imagine its the simple carbs that are her worst culprit) that the weight drops off fast. She is actually very fit and 9 times out of 10 she beats my score on the Wii Fit by a country mile!
I will be getting a notebook and jotting down measurements as well. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next while and at least if the weigh scale is the same but measurements are less that will be some great motivation that we are on the right track as well.
I wish you both the best of luck! You already have the two best things going for you; you are trying & you not doing it alone.
Another suggestion: measure key body areas as well as weight. I believe that teens build up lean muscle faster than adults & I know from experience that can make the scale say you aren't doing any better when you really are. So take weekly measurements of anywhere there is excess poundage. ^_^
Oh & don't feel guilty about losing weight, even if she doesn't at first. Guilt can impede with your weight loss. You are there supporting her & caring for her. That makes you an awesome mom. I should know. I have an obese dad & sister & my dad just berates my sister for her weight... =/ You could certainly set an example for him.
Another suggestion: measure key body areas as well as weight. I believe that teens build up lean muscle faster than adults & I know from experience that can make the scale say you aren't doing any better when you really are. So take weekly measurements of anywhere there is excess poundage. ^_^
Oh & don't feel guilty about losing weight, even if she doesn't at first. Guilt can impede with your weight loss. You are there supporting her & caring for her. That makes you an awesome mom. I should know. I have an obese dad & sister & my dad just berates my sister for her weight... =/ You could certainly set an example for him.
Thanks for the welcome kidsaremylife and Barb!
Barb, thanks for the tips and the suggestion of the dvd. My daughter and I love the Yoga so we will certainly look for that dvd.
We are seeing a specialist at the hospital tomorrow with my daughter so here's hoping they are able to shed some light on her weight loss issues.
Barb, thanks for the tips and the suggestion of the dvd. My daughter and I love the Yoga so we will certainly look for that dvd.
We are seeing a specialist at the hospital tomorrow with my daughter so here's hoping they are able to shed some light on her weight loss issues.
COMMUNITY LEADER
Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your weight loss.
Can you give us an idea of what your daughter's food intake is? I might recommend that she keep a food diary in which to record every bite/sip that she takes as that will provide clues as to areas in which she may need to cut back on calories or some that she may need to increase. - MedHelp has a great food diary or she can just carry a notebook with her to record what she takes in; I personally bought a "day planner" that I carry with me since I don't always have access to the computer during my work day.
I love the Wii Fit Plus - I might recommend that your daughter try the yoga part as much or more so than the aerobics. Yoga is great for toning and will help lose weight at well. And of course, don't forget that strength training is very important to weight loss. Of course, the balance games are great as well - they all use calories and help to build muscle.
I might also recommend another dvd -- it was suggested by a member of this forum some time ago and it's my all time favorite. It's "Biggest Loser, Yoga for Weight Loss" -- I was doing it regularly and lost almost 10 pounds then "life" took over and I didn't have time to do it every day; needless to say I gained back those pounds and have now only lost 5 of them again.........I found the dvd at Walmart for only $10 and it could be something that you and your daughter could do together. This dvd will literally "kick your butt".........You might also be able to borrow this dvd and/or others from your local library; and you can also download or watch exercise videos online.
So I guess the food diary and exercise -- make sure you both change around your exercise/calorie intake on a regular basis in order to keep your body from getting used to certain things. Once you body gets used to something, it's no longer a challenge; whether it be the exercise or the food intake.
All of that said, you might want to check with her primary care physician to make sure she doesn't have a medical issue that would cause her to gain and/or be unable to lose weight. Some of these could be thyroid, insulin resistance, PCOS. I personally am hypothyroid and it's hard to express the frustration of doing things right and not being able to see the scale go down.
Best of luck to you both and hope to see you here often.
Can you give us an idea of what your daughter's food intake is? I might recommend that she keep a food diary in which to record every bite/sip that she takes as that will provide clues as to areas in which she may need to cut back on calories or some that she may need to increase. - MedHelp has a great food diary or she can just carry a notebook with her to record what she takes in; I personally bought a "day planner" that I carry with me since I don't always have access to the computer during my work day.
I love the Wii Fit Plus - I might recommend that your daughter try the yoga part as much or more so than the aerobics. Yoga is great for toning and will help lose weight at well. And of course, don't forget that strength training is very important to weight loss. Of course, the balance games are great as well - they all use calories and help to build muscle.
I might also recommend another dvd -- it was suggested by a member of this forum some time ago and it's my all time favorite. It's "Biggest Loser, Yoga for Weight Loss" -- I was doing it regularly and lost almost 10 pounds then "life" took over and I didn't have time to do it every day; needless to say I gained back those pounds and have now only lost 5 of them again.........I found the dvd at Walmart for only $10 and it could be something that you and your daughter could do together. This dvd will literally "kick your butt".........You might also be able to borrow this dvd and/or others from your local library; and you can also download or watch exercise videos online.
So I guess the food diary and exercise -- make sure you both change around your exercise/calorie intake on a regular basis in order to keep your body from getting used to certain things. Once you body gets used to something, it's no longer a challenge; whether it be the exercise or the food intake.
All of that said, you might want to check with her primary care physician to make sure she doesn't have a medical issue that would cause her to gain and/or be unable to lose weight. Some of these could be thyroid, insulin resistance, PCOS. I personally am hypothyroid and it's hard to express the frustration of doing things right and not being able to see the scale go down.
Best of luck to you both and hope to see you here often.
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