[ChallengeMe]

Hi y'all.

I've never seen a community this large before. It is kind of overwhelming to say the least.

I will start with a brief intro. I am a 32 y.o. female. I've been overweight since I was 4. I became very obese in high school and progressively gained from there.

As a teenager I was on Weight Watchers multiple times and went to the Diet Center for a brief period of time. I also did Richard Simmons “Deal A Meal” and “Sweating to the Oldies”. Nothing held because I was not emotionally ready to be thin. I have worked through the emotional issues and lost 47 lbs. recently.

I have held the weight loss steady for about 6 months and need to get started again. A recent trip to my Endocrinologist confirmed this for me.

I have type 2 diabetes, PCOS, and hypothyroidism to name a few of my challenges.

I guess my biggest issues aren't necessary typical. I enjoy exercise and have had a membership at the same gym for 6 years. I know about portion control, and basically don't follow any traditional diet, but count carb choices according to my Dietician's guidelines.

The two things that I am looking for here are:

• Emotional support. I need to hear that I can do this when I get discouraged. I need to be with other people who know what it is like to weigh over 300 lbs. and the emotional damage and health challenges that come with it.
• Healthy recipes that fit with my Diabetes. Tips on what foods to take with me that are fast. I work full-time, go to school full-time and have a 4 year old SD. I'm not a great cook and I hate having to measure and cook to just eat once (though sometimes necessary). I need to be able to fix things that my fiancé will actually eat.

I think that is enough info for now.

[Misti in Seattle]

Hi Challenge, and

You have come to a great place for support and encouragement...this bunch is GREAT!!

Please join us in the numbered threads here. Currently that is #993 but it changes daily and often as the thread moves so fast and is updated to keep it easily usable!

We also have a great exercise group. You're just in time for the brand new "Fall into exercise in September" thread, where we each set our own goal for how many minutes of exercise we will do and spend the month trying to make our goal. It's NOT a contest... each sets a goal they are personally comfortable with.

Hope to see you around here often!

in Seattle

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=92535

[NotTheCheat]

ChallengeMe – Welcome! It looks like you have done really well so far, especially given your obstacles. The 300+ section is a great place for people our size because we understand what it is like to live in such large bodies. Also I think there is a shift in thinking because it really becomes about being able to live your life. When I was at my highest I knew that if I didn’t do something soon I was pretty close to immobility. That is a very different motivator from someone needing to lose 30 pounds. Not that they don’t need support too, it’s just different.

I am 33 and have also been obese since I was a small child. I was sent to WW camp, did WW at home and generally dieted most of my life. It caused some really deep emotional scarring that I am still working on healing. I basically decided to give up on dieting about 4 years ago because I couldn’t take the pain of it anymore. In that process I started to heal a lot of the emotional issues and so then when I had my realization about my health last year I was able to approach things in a different and my healthier way.

This site is a great place to find support. There is also a section here “Dieting with Obstacles” with forums for people with diabetes and PCOS. I know those conditions add another level of challenge when trying to find the right plan.

Definitely feel free to jump right into the numbered threads.