Hello, I realize I am VERY late to the party, but I hope I can still come in. I am so glad I found this forum, and if all I can do is read your posts, even that will help me, but I would love to become part of your wonderful supportive group. I just wish I had found your forum at the beginning of the month, not at this late date. This is just the kind of thing I have been needing/looking for. I hope you will be continuing next month and that I may join you. With school starting up, I will be less likely to make time for myself but I will need to do so even more so I don't fall back into my old bad habits.
A little about me - I am a 71 year old teacher in California - second career so no decent retirement ever, but I am so thankful I have a paying job. I figured I might as well get something good out of this terrible situation we are all in and finally work on losing the weight I had been thinking about doing for so long (plus I knew if I didn't I would just eat more and I didn't want to go there!).
I am down 25 pounds now from my worst, but I want to go down at least 50 more, and it is getting harder and harder to stay motivated. 10 more and I will be able to put my wedding ring back on (they had to take it off me 2 years ago in the hospital when I broke my arm my first day on Maui) and 11 more and I will go from obese to simply overweight.
One physical activity I can say I am grateful for is I am soooo glad my old Jane Fonda step aerobics video - yes, I said video - still works, knock on wood, and that I still have a video player. Although I am not fond of any exercise (I hate it when Jeannie says every day, "Exercise should be fun!") this is really good for me. Years ago - the day after I started a weight loss effort, in fact - I very badly broke an ankle - 6 pins, a screw, and a plate. Between having a bad result from that and favoring that ankle and so climbing every step for 15 years with my other leg, overtaxing my the other hip, and so messing up both legs, I really benefit from stepping. In fact, I have gone from going up the steps in our house one at a time to walking up the steps most days like a normal person (or at least a normal 71-year-old).
I also love swimming, although our ocean in Northern California is too cold for me at my age (didn't bother me as I child - I just thought that was what the ocean was like) - it was 59 today. I am so jealous of you east coasters. And I used to like (street) biking, but I no longer have a bike (and when school starts I won't have time for a nice 15 mile ride in any case).
Well, enough about me. Hello and I hope you all are doing well.