How long does it take.

[DDH]

OMG, I went to one of those places to check calories and such and it had one of those BMI calculator things. GOOD GOD, I was like 36.6, I'm a freaking heart attack waiting to happen.

You know what, I am just going to do as you guys say. Keep track of what I eat, keep riding my bike, maybe after school starts back up I will start trying to incorperate some strenght training and core work and just no worry about the rest.

I'm 5'5 and 220, and 42. I have an 11 year old son who needs me to be around. If I can quit smoking, which will be 3 months on the 12th, then I can surley do this.
My biggest problem is going to be keeping up with and figuring my calorie intake. More discipline.

Like I said, I am not looking to be some skinny mini, I just want to look fit and be healthy. Without a 36.6 bmi. OMG

[Bikingmomof3]

OMG, I went to one of those places to check calories and such and it had one of those BMI calculator things. GOOD GOD, I was like 36.6, I'm a freaking heart attack waiting to happen.

You know what, I am just going to do as you guys say. Keep track of what I eat, keep riding my bike, maybe after school starts back up I will start trying to incorperate some strenght training and core work and just no worry about the rest.

I'm 5'5 and 220, and 42. I have an 11 year old son who needs me to be around. If I can quit smoking, which will be 3 months on the 12th, then I can surley do this.
My biggest problem is going to be keeping up with and figuring my calorie intake. More discipline.

Like I said, I am not looking to be some skinny mini, I just want to look fit and be healthy. Without a 36.6 bmi. OMG

Do not freak out. I was 217, and I am 5'4. I shed it all, without a "diet" and I did it at home. Did it take awhile, yep. Did I and do I still watch what I eat and exercise daily, yep. It can indeed be done for free. As I mentioned earlier, I eat 6 small, healthy foods a day (okay, I do have cake and other yummies on occassion). Yes, even the dreaded "carbs". Our bodies need so many things just to function, even fat! It makes me sad when I hear of people eliminating entire food groups because solme super skinny celeb endorses a the new "diet of the week".

Watch your portions. From experience I can tell you my biggest mistake was not consuming enough calories-yes, not consuming enough. I held a misconception that to lose weight I needed to eat less. For me, I needed to eat more food, and better food choices. Write it down. Whenever you eat, write it down. It really helped me even out my proteins, carbs, make certain I get all my vitamins and minerals and keep my salt low.

Women should not drop below 1200 calories a day, unless a doctor has told them otherwise. 1200 calories is about the minimum a women's body needs to function.

Again, I was 217 pounds. I now wear a size 6, perfect blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. I am very happy with where I am, except I am continuing to build lean muscle. BMI is a tricky thing, because one can have a low body fat % and still show a higher BMI, because muscle weighs more than fat. Keep that in mind. Also, your muscles love water, so drink lots of it and keep them happy.

BTW, I am a SAHM of 3 teen boys who eat all the time. We all began a healthier life style 1 1/2 years ago and usually we do not want sweets.

You can do it, but only if it is what you want. No one can decide for you. It is all up to you. I personally could care less what you look like. If you are a decent person, that is all that matters to me.

[RoadRaven]

Hi there
I really have nothing new to say, the girls here have covered so many things... and I'll just summarise what has been said to reiterate it...

Aerobic activity 3-4 times a week for at least 25 minutes (that means lift your heart rate, but not so much you cant speak) will help you lose weight slowly, but effectively

Exercise in the morning when you can, because exercise kick-starts your metabolism and so you burn mmore calories all day

Do weight-bearing exercise as well (like walking to town) to keep your bones strong)

Eat right, eat anough - def don't starve yourself - when you don't eat enough your body says "famine" and next time you eat your body will try and store more in preparation for the next famine (which is why fad dieters often put weight back on so very quickly.

Your goal is the same as ours - get fit and feel better - and hopefully change body shape and weight along the way

It does take longer to lose weight at our age (I am 41 this month) and our bodies are a different shape because of our changing hormones than they were at 20.

I have been cycling for 2 years this October. After 1 year of cycling, I had lost no weight but I had dropped two dress sizes.

I was 110kg when I started cycling.
I weighed myself about two weeks ago (I don't have scales in the house, so weigh myself intermittently, every few months) and I am 101 kg. It has taken nearly two years but I am starting to lose the weight.

BUT - remember, before I started losing weight, my weight shifted and my body shape changed... this is the best way to lose weight/change your shape.

It takes patience, but your priorities change from "how much do I weigh?" to "whoa! I am so fit and I feel awesome!".

Rant to us anytime, most women here will have felt this way at some time or another, and if you want people to listen, the women here do that so well.

Kia Kaha! Kia Manawanui!
Be strong - have faith in yourself

Raven