Losing Post MP Weight

I hate to sound like a whiner, there are many people having a lot more difficulty than me, but I would really like to see if there are others that have this particular problem and maybe we can work on it together.

The better part of my adult life I existed on 1 meal a day, dinner, and maintained about 115 pounds. After passing 37 I gained about 4 pounds every year and accepted it as life. When I had reached 145 pounds in 1999 just before the onset of menopause I had a blast of metabolistic activity. I went from an 8 down to a 2 in a matter of a few weeks. I had kinda cut my carb intake and increased my broccoli. I didn't cut out the beer and I was going out dancing 2-3 times a week for a couple months.

Gradually over the next 6 years, the weight slowly creeped back. This past year, although I have been out working on the property, putting up a couple structures, I found I was tipping the scale at over 150 something. I refuse to weigh myself again. I had nothing to wear except stretch pants and large t-shirts and looked to freecycle for bags of size 12 clothes.

My attitude became very bad in that I had decided I was tired of getting into losing relationships so I punished myself for the past 2+ years by not having a social life, etc.

I have recently decided to rejoin the human race and give life another chance but when I look in the mirror, after taking off that big t-shirt, what I see is very alarming and I think I need to get rid of it. There is a massive spare tire there and excessively large other things spreading from the knees up to and including the shoulders which I know has to be crowding my lungs and heart. I realize how I see myself may be very different than how others look at me, but I am not an anarexic teenager. I just know what I used to be and what I am now.

Healthwise I am carrying around more weight than I should so am trying to make a plan. #1, get off the beer (even lite beer) and start exercising.

I am not a runner, but have a treadmill and an ablounger to work with at home. I cannot jog due to my lung capacity being reduced by smoking for 33 years (I quit in 2002) So I set the treadmill up for speed that is manageable without tripping and falling, inclined up with a goal of 2-3 miles. Then I do 200 ab scrunches.

My 2 problems are, keeping off the beer and keeping to a schedule of exercising, I think that is called self-dicipline.

I did the menopause, which is mostly over at 53, without drugs or doctors. Only gained a second hair on my lip and most of my hair is still brunette. No more wrinkles than reasonably expected.

My goal is to get the weight down to at least a size 8 and increase my lung capacity and heart rate for better health with exercise. I would also like to learn more about the use of common herbs for better health and well being.

Would anyone care to join me here? Sure would like some company.....and some help please.

Molly