I started with a food life style change. I didn't have a choice because I'm dibetic. I eat between 1200 and 1500 calories a day and no more than 45 carb grams per meal. It's not a diet but I'm still losing.

As far as exersice goes I have problems too because I also have fibromyalgia. I'm about to join a water arobics class because it's painless but you still get a work out. I'm also looking into yoga because I heard its good for the fibromyalgia. I also park as far away from any stores as I can because every step counts. I try walking for exercise but usually knee and back pain stop me.

Good luck

I agree that you should probably start by cutting down what you are eating. I started a meal plan last week and I have lost weight. I eat 6meals per day and it is acutally real food..you are not eating salads all day long but it is a lot healthier than I was eating before. I also joined ZUMBA...I was out of breath too but with exercise..the more you do it the better you get and you will not have as much trouble breathing.. the 1st day, I thought I was going to die but I didnt and I am going back again this week and everyweek until I get back in shape.

I am completely committed now. It did take me a while to get to this point of committment however now that I am here...I try to stay focused.

Perfect example, I was upset about something that happened at work on Friday..My first thought was to go and have icecream but instead I went to the rec cen and worked out on the treadmill for 15min and bike for 15min...

One Decision At A Time, One Day At A Time.

The Meal Plan i am on is called Beyond the Calories and if you are interested I would be more than happy to share with you or visit and review the plan at http://www.dailystrength.org/groups/beyond-the-calories

Thank you guys! I was starting to feel discouraged. But i see that i am not alone. Themrshs. Could you send me the pdf for this plan? My email is martinez3121@yahoo.com :-)

Sure I will be more than happy to send you the plan. My starting weight was the same as yours so I definitely understand.

Let me know once you get it. :-)

Speak to your doctor before doing anything I recommend.

If you are ready to lose weight with no drama or excuses then here is a great way to kick it off. First, ensure you are on a quality multivitamin to ensure you are getting the nutrients your body needs. 2nd. Put yourself on a 1600 calorie per day diet. How you divide your calories is up to you, but I suggest a protein/veggie diet. You will want to make sure you are eating breakfast. If you do not eat breakfast, you are more likely to get the late night munchies. Avoid fried foods, red meat, limit your salt and sugar intake! I'm here to tell you a grilled fish salad can be quite delicious.

Exercise.

Start out with an easy "at your own pace" walk. Make it 30 minutes for the first week. As it gets easier, bump it to 45. There are those who would blast this thought process saying it'll do nothing to get your cardio going. They're right. This start is simply to get your legs functional again. When you can complete an hour of an "at your own pace" walk, kick it up a notch. Push yourself a bit faster than your previous walks, but cut your overall walk time back to 30 minutes. Rinse lather repeat until you are back to an hour. If there are abnormal foot/leg pains a brace of some kind may be appropriate. I wear an ankle brace on my right food when I exercise.

Once your legs are functional and capable of an actual cardio session it's time to start jogging. If you have foot problems like I do where impact cardio is not possible, get a gym membership and hit the elliptical machine. Your first trip on the elliptical will be scary. Before each attempt on it, be sure you are properly stretching your muscles. I'm just telling you right now, the first part of your elliptical machine run, your leg muscles will burn. You will want to quit. Push past the first 10 minutes, this will ease up. You enter a phase where the sweat pours, your muscles toughen and you even get bursts of speed here and there. Make your first attempt 30 minutes if you can, but stop at 20 if you must.

To give you an idea, I too have alot of weight to lose. I'm 29. In january, my starting weight was 317lbs. 3 months later i'm 270lbs. I've been pretty much following the above regime. My first trip on the elliptical machine was last week. I wanted to give up 5 minutes into it. I kept pushing, got easier and I made it to 30 minutes. I can do 40 minutes now and I'm feeling about ready to make my next attempt 45 minutes.

Please understand though that if you are in a place where you have emotional issues you are not dealing with, trying to stick to 1600 calories will not be possible for you. It'll make all your work outs futile in losing weight. Before I started, I thought of food as entertainment, friendship, love, and even medication. I'm having to adjust my view of food from what I used to see. Now it is merely sustenance.

WHOOT WHOOT! This is exciting! It's ok to start slow! we all started slow at one point. Your body will adapt to the work load and then build up so you can do more! This is a great first step keep at it!