[loulou]

Hello all! I'm happy to be here, and I'll tell a bit of my story: I have always had heart problems... I'm 38 and actually have had a pacemaker for 5 years... Before the pacemaker I was fit and healthy. I was running 5 and 10k's lifting some weights and felt great. I'm 5'5 and weighed between 126-130 and was a size 4. The year before the pacemaker my health started going downhill. I couldn't exercise anymore, and the weight started coming back on. At that point it was just back up in the 130's-140.... No big deal...still a size 6.... Over the next few years that weight just kept creeping back up on me until April 26, 2009 when I weighed 160 pounds at my dr's office! That day I decided to make some changes. I started just being more aware of what I ate and walking... Since then I've actually started Weight Watchers and am now running almost 3 miles at least 4 times per week. My weight this Sunday was 148.... It's taken me 2 and a half months to lose that 12 pounds, and it has come from dedication and HARD work.... I've been very frustrated with this weight loss journey. I lost 7 pounds in the first 10 days, and then the scale froze. It didn't move for WEEKS.... It was very frustrating. I started WW 3 weeks ago and lost 3 pounds the first week and 1 pound each week for the last 2 weeks. I started Alli last Saturday in the hope that it will help me lose 2 pounds per week. I'm working hard and have been on a low fat diet for almost a month..... I hope this will push me more towards my goal weight of 135...

[mandalinn82]

Hey there, Loulou!

We have a few forums you might want to check out...you can see the Weight Watchers forum, for those on that plan...you might also consider the 30-somethings, for those in that age range.

I'd also encourage you to look at our "Featherweights" forum, for those who are at weights relatively close to their goals. That group faces some unique challenges...including, as you've seen, slightly slower weight loss. When you're very close to a healthy weight, your body just isn't going to drop the big numbers every week...it's almost biologically impossible. In fact, the fact that you've lost 5 lbs in 3 weeks on Weight Watchers is, well, pretty astounding, and AWESOME progress! And 12 lbs in 10 weeks - well, that's a good rate also. So you may need to modify your expectations on how long losing this weight might take you.

The good thing is, to lose weight and keep it off, you have to make changes for life anyway. So just keep on your plan, and no matter HOW long it takes you to get to your goal, you will get there (even if it's slower than you'd like to see in an ideal world).

So look around, jump in, and get going...can't wait to get to know you better!

[Onederchic]

Hi and welcome to 3FC.

Hugs
Michelle

[loulou]

Thanks for the sweet welcomes..... I have had to learn to happily accept small changes.... When I first started this I actually thought I would lose 25 pounds in 2 months or so.... Boy, was I wrong!!