[ubergirl]

Don't worry! When I started, I needed to lose 120 to get to a reasonable goal-- actually 135 to get inside the top end of a normal BMI. It's true, it seemed totally unmanageable.

But in truth, shedding the first fifty pounds or so was surprisingly easy. When you've got a lot to lose, the weight comes off quickly, and at first it's just so easy to see results. If you stay on plan you just keep dropping pounds and sizes and it's really fun.... there were times when I would drop a size in only two weeks. That's just such a great feeling, so there's a lot of incentive to keep going.

Welcome and go for it. I swear, it's not as bad as you think.

[Quail]

Hi!

I'm typically a vegan but lately have added occasional sustainable fish back into my diet. I still refrain from milk, all other meat, etc.

Nice to meat someone who is opting out of the industrial meat business. I was starting to think about eating cheese again until I discovered the veal farm that's by my work. It's a very sad place. Since veal is a direct result of the dairy industry, that served as a great wake-up call and suddenly cheese didn't sound very good anymore.

The other posters are right- vegan doesn't mean skinny, but it certainly CAN help you lose weight if done correctly.

I've yo-yoed back and forth with my weight... for the past several months I've really felt like I'm on the right path and I've seen some very nice results. I got a calorie counter app for my phone and it has been a HUGE source of support- I enter my daily weight, exercise, and food and seeing everything laid out really helps me make better decisions. I don't know if something like that might work for you, but I sure love it.

Best of luck to you! I have well over 100 pounds to lose. Everyone is right- it is very possible to do it if you just look at it as being one pound at a time instead of a huge amount.

[ValRock]

Totally do-able! I remember standing back where you are now looking down at this thing and thinking "I will never get there!" But... whoa, I'm almost there!

Looking back... there were days that I struggled. There were days that I wanted to give up. But I never regret NOT eating something at the end of the day. I certainly don't look back and think "OMG I wish I would have had a huge bowl of icecream on XXX day." I do remember events and good times with people... but what I ate or didn't eat is no longer this huge obstacle to overcome. I'd rather stay on plan and feel good about the things I've had to eat today then lose my mind and feel the immense guilt that goes with that.

It's a choice. It gets easier (at least for me it has) but it's just a choice to keep taking each day as it comes and stay true to your commitment to be healthy. At times the progress may be slower than I'd like but it's still progress. I can spend the rest of my life being fat and miserable about it or I can spend the rest of my life doing something about it. Like a previous poster stated so well... the time is going to pass anyway .

[Arctic Mama]

Oh goodness, we all have been there. Trust me when I say nobody wants to be a member of the 100 pound club, unless getting to the club involved losing weight down to it! But the beauty of this group is that we DO understand, and all of us are working our way down the scale to where we want to be. Some go fast, others go slow; some lose consistently, others lose in spurts; some low carb, some count calories, still others use meal plans and whatever else works for them. We are young, old, from across the economic spectrum, the spread of the globe, and our experiences are as varied as can be. The one uniting factor is that we are ALL here to change and better our health throu posing this extra weight.


You can do it, we all can. Commit to losing, work toward your goal, and you will see results! We're all here, in the trenches and working alongside you in our own journey down the scale. YOU CAN SUCCEED AT WEIGHTLOSS, ONE POUND AT A TIME!