[dreamadream]

Hello :-)

I'm not entirely sure how to start this introduction.
Well, my name is Monica. I'm 22 years old (but I will be 23 on the 27th of October). I weigh about 195lbs. According to my Wii Fit and online BMI calculators, I have a BMI of 35. My ultimate weight loss goal is to be 125lbs. I would love if I could get that done in six months, but I know it is unrealistic. * sigh * Being realistic is so difficult! heh I'm trying though. For instance, I want to break up my ultimate goal into 7 mini goals of 10lbs each and give myself about a month to a month and a half to reach each. So, hopefully, if I can stay motivated and disciplined for a year, I will have reached my ultimate goal in about a year. * crosses fingers *

I'm actually one week into my weight loss journey. My roomie and I are losing weight together and we have been biking daily. I'm also on a diet, although I'm not sure if I'm doing it right, heh. Is it better to cut out all of the fat from my diet? Should I cut out a certain type of food completely, or is all food okay if I keep my calories in a certain range? How important is it to eliminate carbs and/or sugar? One thing I've learned during this past week is I actually have bad eating habits and a much larger sweet tooth than I expected. I also enjoy the act of eating and I catch myself wanting to eat when I'm down or bored. It has been hard to keep myself from giving into the urge. I do feel like I'm slipping a little each day in that regard. It is hard to keep myself from snacking randomly and even harder to keep myself from gorging on food when I am eating a meal. It is very easy to rationalize why I can eat something - especially if I tell myself that I'm still within my calorie limit that I need to lose weight. Speaking of calorie limit, I've started a livestrong account and I'm using their daily plate application to track the calories I take in and expend. How does livestrong compare to FitDay? Is one better? I've noticed a few people have FitDay accounts but I don't think I've noticed any livestrong accounts.

Anyway, I'm so excited, yet so scared to continue this weight loss journey. I've struggled with my weight for a long time now. It has taken me a long time to actually find the motivation to lose weight. At times I feel like I can not lose weight, like somehow my weight is an indelible part of me. Other times I wonder what my life would be like if I do lose the weight. I wonder if I will be okay with that life. At this point, I kind of hide behind my weight. In a way, I use my weight as a weapon against other people and experiences. I am afraid of rejection and afraid of failure. I do not worry as much as I know I would about others accepting me or finding me interesting because I use my weight to keep them at bay. Perhaps it is other things that are keeping them at bay - like my demeanor - but my weight still feels like a soft, fatty armor that shields me from the stabs of the world. I am afraid of what I will be and what could be with out, but at the same time those very things excite me. I'm trying to cling to the excitement. Couple that with all the inspiration I get from seeing the progress of people on this forum for the few days that I lurked, and I hope I can actually get this done!

Thanks for taking the time to read this,
~Monica

[srmb60]

Good morning and welcome to 3FC. We're glad you've stopped lurking and joined in.

The nice thing about calorie counting is that you don't have to cut anything out. You can have it, but you have to count it. Calorie counting has taught me sooo much about food.
I do use fitday. I like it because I can link it here. If a poster ever has questions about their diet, they can just direct folks to have a look at their fitday. Nice and convenient.

I'm going to suggest that you head over to the calorie counting threads. There's lots of good information, nice posters and a chat thread. I think you'll like it there.

[Onederchic]

Welcome to 3FC and good luck with your goals.

Hugs
Michelle

[bargoo]

Welcome and good luck. I am a calorie counter, too. I have tried all the others and prefer calorie counting for it's flexibility And it is something I can carry over to maintenance to maintain my loss.

[gardenerjoy]

Welcome! I think you'll find that the answer to most of your questions is "yes" (well, except the cut out fat one -- if you actually succeeded at that, you'd get really sick). There's probably someone at this site who has lost weight with every strategy you asked about. The real question, of course, is which strategy is going to work for you and only you can answer that one. It might take some experimentation and thought. You seem very thoughtful, so I'm sure you'll work it out over time. Just don't give up if when experiment fails -- try something else.

I cut out junky proccessed foods and expect that to be a permanent change. If I become tempted again, I'll re-read David Kessler's book The End of Overeating and probably be cured.

Like you, I felt I had to deal with some behavioral issues and I found Judith Beck's books to be most helpful with that.

Good job on recognizing that a strict time limit on your goal is unrealistic and unhelpful. Really, you want to feel good about losing the weight no matter how long it takes! That's great that you have a partner and that you're exercising daily.

Seems like you've already got your mind set on it- now you're well on your way! AWESOME!!