Just checking in -- I have been doing okay with my New Healthy You, really making an effort to make each new change. I have not done so well on exercise, though, which was talked about in Week 3, as I have really been struggling with foot pain that has made walking for exercise difficult. It's plantar fasciitis, which I understand is quite common -- anybody else here ever struggled with this? Any athletic shoe recommendations?

Really enjoyed this week's emphasis on taking care of yourself, getting enough sleep, etc. Sleep is so important to health, but it's so easy to shortchange yourself. Women especially!

Week 7 has been about building muscle -- both physical and emotional. Share your Week 7 successes and challenges here....

It's been six weeks -- share your progress, successes, and challenges in our Week 6 thread. :)

Welcome to Week 5 -- share your progress in our Week 5 thread!

It's Week 4 of the New Healthy You Program! This week is all about variety -- changing things up to keep yourself on track and motivated. Post your progress and share your successes and challenges in our Week 4 thread.

So glad to see so many new participants! :-) suznew98, as far as a starting point...I've found that thinking about starting is sometimes the hardest part, I think because we tend to focus on the whole picture, ALL the things we have to do and how far we're going to have to come to reach the goal. I have learned that the best thing to do is just...something. Making even one positive choice for the day is better than doing nothing. Start small. Pass up one second helping. Replace one soda with a glass of water. Take a 10-minute walk. I have found that even making one positive choice makes me feel energized and empowered, and more likely to make more good choices, which add up over time. Pray, too -- for strength and willpower, yes, but also for patience, because healthy weight loss is a slow process, but one that will pay off!

I like MarysPrincess's suggestions below, too, to start the day with God, and also check in with your doctor, especially if you have any health issues. And keep posting here, to let us know how you are doing! :-)

Hi, suznew98! A good starting point is to make small steps toward your goal. Praying and Bible reading really help me every morning to focus on God and His will for me. Another thing you might try is weighing and measuring your food portions. Start slow with the exercise routine. And go to a doctor at least to check in every few months. Hope this helps! God bless!

I am overwhelmed with the idea of change. Getting healthy, losing weight. I have been here in the place so many other times and failed. But I want to give my best effort this time because I am too young to be this unhealthy. Someone please give me a good starting point!

Welcome to Week 3 -- share your exercise goals and strategies in our Week 3 thread here in the forums. :-)

Hey, everyone! Just checking in at the end of week 2. I know I got started late, but I am willing to do almost anything to let go of the weight and to become healthy. My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ helps me every day, but I also know I need support from people who are going through the same basic thing I am-a problem with food addiction and from what I've read, self-hatred. God wants us all to love ourselves the way He made us, and He wants us to be healthy, joyous and free from food addiction so that we can be channels of love and grace to the world. I hope we all can help each other through this program. God bless and have a wonderful week in Jesus!

Hi, I'm new to the "Club". Just got the Week 2 newsletter yesterday, and started on my goals and eating healthy today. I am about 5' 3/4" and weigh about 165-170 pounds, too much even for my medium frame. I have been an emotional eater all my life. I am from Louisiana. My goals are to let go of at least another 30 pounds before year's end, to learn to take better care of myself physically, emotionally, and spiritually every day, and to let go of the stressors that keep me from focusing on God daily. :)

Just got back from being at my Mom's for about 2 weeks. Started on program the first week, but then my dad passed away very suddenly, so everything went a little hay-wire! Am hoping now that I am home that I can get started new tomorrow. I think I am ready now to get serious about it. I need to combine weeks 1 and 2 now, so will set my goals and then try to eat healthy. Need prayer to hand this over to God. I have been struggling with my weight for years, losing and re-gaining. Time to get it off and keep it off!!

It's been almost 3 weeks since I started on my first goal (doing devotions every day) and I am doing very well with it. It feels great and I can tell a difference in my overall attitude because of it. I started the weight-loss program last Thursday and I struggle on and off, but am doing okay. I have lost 3 pounds already! Today I have struggled a lot with being hungry. It's so nice to read everyone's comments and get ideas and tips from people going through the same thing as me.

Today is my first day so I have a lot of catching up to do! I have struggled with my weight since the age of 12 and at the age of 54 I decided that I am tired of my weight being an issue I have to contend with everyday. I have several health issues and it occured to me that many of them would disappear or ease up if I lost my extra weight. I am hoping to live until my 90's like most of the women in my family. I want to enjoy the years I have left and part of that is to not hate looking at myself in the mirror every morning. I have read some very inspirational stories about using prayer for help; I had never considered my weight to be worthy of God's time and concern. But then I thought about all the "minor" things I have wanted to help my daughter achieve just because she is my child and I love her so much. Why would I expect any less from God, who is my Father and who loves me more than I am capable of loving? Prayer and belief in myself are my new life changing tools. I look forward to reading about other's journies this year.

I just signed up today. I'm so ready to do something about changeing my life. I've tried on my own but just can't seem to stick to it. I am a member of tops club and that helps but i think i need to look at the spiritual growth that i need in my life and i think this is what i need. I'm asking for your prayers and encourgement in this.

OK, we're almost at the end of Week 1...how's everybody doing?

I stepped on the scale this morning and found I have lost two pounds this week. I know it's probably just water weight loss from cutting back on my sodium, but hey, it's progress. :) Have noticed my blood pressure decreasing a little each day, which is probably also an effect of eating less salt.

To everyone participating in our New Healthy You Club -- welcome! Week One of our 12-week program began January 11. Share your goals in our special Week One thread here in the New Healthy You forum.

Well, I already posted a comment under the article for Week 1, but I know it's going to take a whole lot of discipline on my part. So, I know I need to find new ways of fixing food and there are plenty of things I need to eliminate, probably pushing some things--like the baked goods I still have from Christmas time--onto other people so that I can get it out of my apartment! I'm living on my own as a widow, so I hope I can keep it up. All I know is that I'm uncomfortable in a lot of my pants and I can't afford to keep getting new material and having more pants made for me--because of being disabled and being in a wheelchair, I need specially-made pants. I like the fact that Guideposts is hosting such a forum like this, because it involves prayer, so that really is a great thing. Thanks for being here!

Happy Birthday, to me! This program comes at a perfect time! What a great birthday present to give myself, a brand new start!

I've been doing pretty well this past week just trying to eat less junk and add more veggies and fruits and water to my meals. I also started trying to do a little something each day as far as exercise goes.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what the program holds for us tomorrow!

Since I first posted on here I have actually been doing pretty well with my first goal (to do devotions and spend time in prayer every morning). I have kept it a priority every day! I am so glad that I made this my first goal. I can honestly say that my attitude and my outlook has improved, which I think will help when I start on my next goal. By reading all of these posts it helps to know that I am not alone and that we can help each other through all of this.

I am excited to start this program. Three years ago I quit smoking and started living healthy and lost 40 lbs. I have gained back 45 lbs in the past year. I am not so concerned with the numbers, I just want to be comfortable with what I look like again. I want to feel confident when I speak to strangers or walk into a store or have to go to my son's school for a function. That is what I remember the most about when I lost the weight, was how good and confident I felt about myself. I have set goals to start running again and to stop turning to food to feel good. I am ready for this change and I think this club is what I need to stick to it once my goals are met.

Wow -- just came back to this forum after one week on my "new year" program, and I'm so excited to see so many new members posting here!! This forum has been so helpful to me, so I hope it will be for you all, as well. We need all the support we can get. :-)

It sounds like you all have some good goals and strategies in mind -- Shinterer, I think a one-pound-a-week goal is great, very reasonable. I also like tj0877's plan to do the plan with friends. A support system is so crucial to weight loss. One of the reasons I enjoy coming here. :)

Cheinbaugh -- so true that you have to believe you are worthy and capable of change. You are! :) Cover story in the latest issue of Guideposts mag talks a lot about this, and I could definitely relate. Weight loss and healthy choices can be hard but they are worth it, because YOU are worth it.

flmomof4 -- You CAN get that drive back! Small changes, which will add up to big results. And the wonderful thing about this Club is the emphasis on positive thinking. As you change the way you think, and get rid of negative thoughts, it will start to change the way you view yourself. When you look in the mirror you won't just see someone who's "large," you'll see a person who's powerful and motivated and taking control of her weight and her life. I have a long way to go (about 60 more pounds) before I reach my goal, but I can honestly say that even after only losing a couple of pounds I really felt happier when I looked in the mirror, because I'd gained so much confidence from making healthy changes.

So excited to see so many new people here -- please post and let us know how you're doing! I've done okay since the first of the year. Lost one pound. Which I consider a miracle when I think of how many holiday goodies have been in the house. :-)

I know about where you are coming from icare. I too need to lose 40 lbs. and am anxious to get some directions and a guide. I have let myself go so much that i don't know how to even start trying to look better. And the other part is ; i have just changed churches and i think that was the wisest decision i have made in a very long time. My new church is filling a real need in my life and somehow i care now. Odd how that works.

My main goal is just to get where I can play with my youngest more comfortably again. I want to not dread looking into a mirror. I want to be able to bend over and tie my shoes without difficulty. I want to be able to sit in a public chair without feeling squished, or dreading that I may not be able to go on a ride with my kids because I might not fit in the seat. I want to b able to eat my breakfast without having a sugar crash by midmorning and I want to not be so tired that I have to take a nap every afternoon!
My youngest just turned 4 and when he was born I breached the dreaded 200 mark and gained a powerful drive to lose weight and have the energy I would need to run after another little one. I did so well for a year, losing over 60 pounds, past my half-way mark. Then, I quit nursing and reached a plateau that I just couldn't seem to come off of and I got discouraged. Questions wound their way around in my head, was it just nursing that had made the weightloss possible? Could I not lose weight without nursing? Is my body just not capable of weightloss on its own? All that hard work just went down the drain and little by little I gained back all that I had lost until today I have once again passed that dreaded number and then gone quite a bit beyond it. All last year I tried to once again grab onto that drive to become healthy and all last year I'd succeed for a day, maybe a week, just to fail yet again. This holiday season I realized that I can't live like this any more, my knees hurt climbing stairs, my feet hurt after just a mile walk, so much so that I have to find some other mode of exercise for a few days afterwards. I can't go on living like this! So, as a new year dawns, I once again press forward to change my lifestyle. I hope that through this program I can regain that drive that I had not so long ago. Maybe with God's help and yours...I can. I pray that I can go beyond what I did 3 years ago and never again feel as I do right now, large, and ugly, and ever amazed that my loving husband can stick with me while I look as I do.

I am so ready to make a change in my life, both body,mind and spirit. I feel like I have just completely fallen apart. A lot of stuff has happened in the last year or so and I have just not been taking care of myself. I need to lose 40 lbs. I have had several health problems and I know that losing the weight will help. I also am going thru a change in churches which has left me lost spitirually. I know that I can accomplish anything with God's help and believe me I need His help. I am 54 years old from Ohio, married with one daughter (20)

I can't wait to start! I am actually starting today with 2 old high school friends and I am excited about positive life changes and becoming healthier!

Greetings,
I have been a guidepost reader for years...45 y/o now...married for 23 years...great marriage and 2 great sons (16 & 18)! I battle cholesterol and weight. Once was athletic...frustrating to see how I've let myself go. Work in public school administration. Love it! Hoping a support forum will help me meet my goals of weight loss and feeling better. My goal is simple. One pound down every week!

I am a firm believer in Jesus Christ and His gifts of faith, hope, and love. I know the power of His strength and a positive attitude. I look forward to meeting 2010 head-on with this program for health of body, mind, and spirit. I wish everyone well, and look forward to reaching our goals together.

I am new to this kind of support and still trying to learn my way around the website and figure out how this club will work for me. I am 54, 5'4" and weigh 170... it's time for a change. I have successfully lost 15 lbs or so only twice before in my life - vacations have managed to stop each of those two healthy cycles. I would love to figure out how to incorporate faith into my weight loss attempts. I also need to work on believing that I am worthy and capable of change.

This is a first for me but i will start as i sit here and wait for the New Year to ring in. I am pushing 200 lbs. and am so out of shape. I am retired but have a part time job i can start next week but i have gotten so lazy ; i'm not sure i can handle it. I do nothing much all day everyday. No exercise;little if any housework. I eat, sleep and gain weight. It has been so long since i have taken care of myself that i don't know how to start. I am so anxious for Jan. 11 to come so we can start the program. I need it so much...Hurry and get here ; Jan.11...

Karen -- I can SO relate to your feelings about "200"...actually, the first time I got on the scale and I had surpassed the 200 mark was what got me motivated to lose. While I had known my weight was out of control, something about that number made it hit home that I needed to make a major change.

I can relate to your snacking habits, too. I am definitely a stress eater. Tend to do fine during the day when I am eating actual meals, but when evening comes and it's time to wind down, I keep finding myself in the kitchen looking for snack after snack. Light microwave popcorn has been a lifesaver. And water! I always have my big 32-ounce water jug at my side so I can sip that instead of reaching for another snack.

You're right that negativity is not good for health and weight loss -- I like that the New Healthy You approach focuses on positive thinking, because if there's one thing you need when you're making these changes, it's a positive outlook. (Hard to have "willpower" when you're thinking negatively!) I like your plan to start each day with devotions and prayer. :-)

Welcome to the "Club!"

Liveto120 -- congratulations on taking the initial steps to get healthy! It's so good to hear that you love yourself and believe that you are worthy of the positive changes you are making. It will be hard but you are worth it! It can be challenging to learn to cook healthy meals, and, as you said, more expensive. I have found that more and more discount stores are offering reduced-fat or fat-free products at prices comparable to the "regular" versions. I do most of my food shopping at discount stores like ALDI and Save-a-Lot, and ALDI especially is getting good about having light products available, in addition to a wide selection of fresh fruits and veggies. Walmart, as well.

Congrats on starting your New Healthy You journey -- please post again and let us know how you are doing! I'm hoping to jump-start my efforts in the New Year. I've had good success in the past few months but I still have a lot of pounds left to lose, so I'll be checking back and posting often.

This is my first time visiting this site and it looks like a great tool. My name is Karen and I am from Michigan. I want to change in all of the areas listed above (lose weight, get fit, create and maintain a positive attitude, and grow closer to God). I am 5'7" tall and I weigh 193 pounds. I have never hit 200 and I am hoping to keep it that way. I'm pretty sure my negative thoughts are at the base of all of my problems. I have struggled with self-esteem, weight, and self-confidence most of my life, but after going through a very painful divorce (he left for another woman) a couple of years ago, it has been quite difficult. I guess you could say I gave up. Anyway, I want to turn things around and become a healthier person - body, mind, and soul. I'm thinking my first goal is simply to get up in the morning with enough time to do devotions and spend time in prayer.

I am a habitual snacker and I would love tips on how to overcome these powerful cravings. Also, tips on finding motivation would be great.

Thank you,
Karen

I like that this is anonymous. Maybe I can tell the truth somewhere. I weigh 320, 5'7". It is time to get healthy. I felt healthy at 170 but that seems impossible right now. So, my first goal is simple to get under 300. I am starting a fast from sugar, bread and red meat on Jan. 4. I start exercising in a pool 2 times a week on Thursday. I love myself and think I am worthy. I am lazy about cooking, though. Hate to do it. Like to eat stuff that is easy to heat up. Not much money to buy healthy. I want to live to 120. I am 54 now. Been over 200 for 24 years. Wow, it feels good to say the truth about my weight. Yucky that it is.

Congrats, Teresa! It sounds like you are doing all the right things -- healthy diet and moderate amount of exercise. Keep up the great work! (This forum is a good place to come for a willpower or motivation boost.)

This is such a tough time of year to lose weight. Party season, and everyone wants you to try their special treats. I'm trying to get through the season without depriving myself of once-a-year goodies, but without pigging out, either. Anybody have any winning strategies to share?

i am new here. I have already lost 35 of the 60 pound goal i set for myself. I am eating healthier and working out 3 times a week in a bootcamp style workout at a local christian school. I found this through an article in the dec 2009 magazine. Glad to have found another encouragement tool I can use on this journey.

If your New Healthy You goal is weight loss...this is a challenging season we're entering this month! Any strategies you are planning to use to avoid diet pitfalls? One of mine is not to allow any Christmas cookies in the house -- my mother-in-law is an avid baker, though, so what I am going to do is have my husband keep any cookies she gives him in Tupperware containers in the garage so I can't just mindlessly reach for them. (Too extreme?)

Also, we are hosting Christmas dinner this year, having 12 people over, so I am planning to give away as many of the leftovers as I can when people leave for the evening, especially dessert leftovers. At Thanksgiving we came home from our family dinner with two 9-inch pie pans full of leftover assorted pie slices, and it was tough to resist snacking on them. (On more than one occasion, the pecan pie won.)

If you've got a strategy in mind, please share...I need as many as I can get. LOL!

Wishing all the members of the New Healthy You Club a Happy Thanksgiving!!

My goal for tomorrow is just not to pig out on everything I see. I'm going to relax and have fun and eat things I like, but not stuff myself with foods that aren't even very "special," if you know what I mean. Like dinner rolls, stuffing, etc. I am diabetic so I do have to watch my carb intake anyway and limit those kind of things. I am really looking forward to the turkey (which is healthy), and a small slice of pecan pie, which I only make once a year. And I'm bringing my big water jug, so I do not mindlessly fill up on appetizers before the turkey rolls out. :-)

Welcome, Mary and lavernchristino!

Mary, I think the most important thing you can do is just get started. Because of your physical limitations you will have to start small...but even a little physical activity is better than none. There are some great videos and articles on this site by a woman named Leslie Sansone. (Go to the guideposts.com home page and type her name in the search box on the right for a list.) She does an all-walking workout, and always emphasizes that even getting up and moving for five minutes will improve your health and your fitness. You will slowly build up until you can do more. At my highest weight ever, I struggled with the feeling that I was so "far gone" with my health and weight that there was nothing I could do about it. But I decided to do small things...walking a little, then walking more, etc. I kept reminding myself that it took a long time to put the weight on, so it was going to take a long time to take it off. Small steps do add up -- so don't get discouraged! And keep coming here for inspiration and motivation.

Lavernchristino -- wow. Your schedule really sounds like it is tough on your body, especially the sleep interruptions. Getting a good night's sleep is so critical to weight loss, because when you feel tired, you just want to reach for the junk food. (And you had mentioned you eat when you're stressed.) I don't know what to advise about that, except to try to get as much uninterrupted sleep time in as possible...if possible. And eliminate as many other sources of stress in your life as you can. Remember that your weight is about your health -- it is important, and YOU are important, and you have to make yourself and your health a priority. Small steps, work in exercise where you can, follow your diabetic diet as best you can...and if you get discouraged, don't let that make you give up!

A warm welcome to both of you, and please keep posting and let us know how you're doing. And Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello,
I am 55years old and disabled. I am 5'3 and weigh 240. I want to loose over a 100 pounds but just dont know how. I have been disabled for over 10 years, I cannot walk long distances, sit or stand for over 10 minutes. I have 6 rods and 6 pins in my back that prevent me from doing very much ( it is extremely hard to even cook meals, vaccum, or even play with grand children). I try to eat healthy but I am on a very limited income---$600/mo so buying a lot of healthy foods is out of my budget. I tried this month to buy only healthy foods and ran out of money before the 15th of the month. Anyways.....if anyone has any suggestion of what i might do to shed these pounds I would be eternally grateful. May God Richly Bless You, Mary Olguin

I'm new! I want and need to get a healthier me. I weigh 252 pounds and am 5'7" tall. I'm a diabetic and take insulin. I don't eat properly. For instance I eat around 11:00am but I'm up at 6:30am feeding the animals who keep me awake every two hours at night. Then after dinner I seem to eat emotionally until it's time to go to bed which is usually around 9:30pm. I eat all the wrong things. But I'm encouraged to see that there are foods that I can eat that won't put on weigh. I need help is all I can basically say right now. I take care of my dad who'[s 86 and he has Alzheimer's and help my son probably two or more days per week with my granddaughter. So badly I want to tell him that I don't want to help. Please forgive for my ramblings.

Just thought I'd check in, since I hadn't posted in a while -- hope everyone is staying on track with their New Healthy You goals!

I've been having trouble with mine recently. I had a cold or the flu in mid-October (mild case, hardly even a fever) but ever since I have had this nagging cough that has really run me down. It is so hard to eat healthy when you're feeling sick. So many "comfort foods" seem so right -- soup, casseroles, stuff that's easy to make but that can have a ton of salt and carbs. I have also realized how important it is to get a good night's sleep when you're trying to lose, because the cough interrupted my sleep several nights. Being tired just makes you reach for the junk, and it makes you less likely to exercise!

So, slowly the cough is improving and I am getting back on track. I managed not to gain any weight, but I feel like my progress has stalled. My goal for today is to get out there and walk, which I'm sure will feel good!

Hey there everybody! How is everyone doing on their New Healthy You???

I got into the "180s" last week, which was a major thing for me -- felt great after many years of being over 200 pounds, and many months in the 190s. I just came out of a challenging weekend, traveling to and from a family wedding. There were a lot of food temptations but I didn't really go crazy (except for our last meal before coming home!) and I got out there and danced at the wedding as much as I could. I'm finding it's not so embarrassing to dance anymore! I still have a long way to go on this journey, but many relatives I hadn't seen in a long time noticed I had lost weight, which was a nice boost and an incentive to keep losing for the next big event, whenever that is.

We're entering into a challenging time of year for weight loss, so I am very glad that this community is here to provide inspiration and support. (I plan on coming here a lot when the urge to raid the Thanksgiving leftovers strikes!)

Also, I just got done reading and commenting on Tammie Temple's latest blog post -- she's down to a size 10! Way to go, Tammie! :-)

Hope everyone is having a good week! I have lost another pound since walking my 5K on Saturday. It was a lot of fun. Cool to be out there doing something healthy, and helping raise money for a good cause (Susan G. Komen for the Cure).

Hey -- how is everybody doing on their New Healthy You goals? I'm actually doing great! As of this week I've lost four pounds since I started NHY, and my blood pressure and blood sugar readings have been down as well. I have been working out a lot, getting ready for the 5K I am doing this coming Saturday. (We're just hoping it doesn't rain!)

I had a couple of yo-yo weeks in there, and a looooong plateau where I wasn't exercising as much as I should have been, but I feel like I've come through the barrier by getting myself into a regular exercise routine. I definitely feel a lot better on days that I work out, so I'm trying to keep that feeling going!

Hey, all...thought I'd check in. I am doing well this week. Down three pounds and staying on track. I'm excited about the premiere of The Biggest Loser tonight, too -- that always gives me some motivation!

Hope everyone had a fabulous (relaxing) Labor Day weekend! While mine involved a lot of food challenges, I pretty much stayed on track and did not gain any weight over the holiday. Rededicating myself to my New Healthy You plan, now that all the "food" holidays are over with for a little while....

Hope everyone is having a great Tuesday -- and great first of the month! The beginning of a new month always gives me a little motivation boost, especially now that I'm working toward my new weight loss mini-goals of the 5K on September 26, and my class reunion on December 19. (Aaaargh!)

How's everyone doing on their New Healthy You? Do you find you start losing your motivation in the fall, as the weather turns cooler, or does that motivate you? (I'm a warm weather girl, so the change of seasons generally has a negative effect on me -- struggling to keep a positive outlook and a high energy level as it's turning cooler!)

Can't wait to do the 5K, either! It's so cool to be able to do something that's good for you, and that raises money to help other people. :)

Oh, boy, did I get some motivation to stick to my plan this morning. I know that looking better, feeling better, being healthier, having less trouble with diabetes, and all of that should be motivation enough, but...I just found out this morning that my high school class is trying to plan a reunion for this winter. (It's a very small class so an informal gathering -- probably will be a party at somebody's house.) I have not seen any of these folks in 15 years, and the last time I did, I was at my ideal weight. Quite motivational!!!! I probably have about 16 weeks to make progress, though the exact reunion date is not decided on yet. I know I can't get all the way "there" to my ideal goal weight in that time, but I can at least make a dent in it, I hope!

I have the same problem of trying to eat just one helping. I am doing much better at it and trying to walk at least 3 miles a day. Hard at times but am trying to have will power. Not easy when you live by yourself. hopefully the 5 k walk with Allison will help me. Looking forward to it on Sept. 26th and walking with my daughter-in-law. Lets go Allison