I can't believe I read this whole thread! It took me some time - a couple days, with interruptions -, but I'm done.
It was great to read everyone's stories, they're motivating.
My own story is pretty boring. I've always been more or less chubby, and I've always had a tummy. My mother is a fitness junkie and she seems to have some sort of fat-phobia, so she's always let me know that I should eat less and move more.
So I, of course, did nothing about it. At least until I was about 14 and stepped on the scale in school and saw that I weighed 59 kg (~130 lb).
I somehow cut out rice, pasta, potatoes and bread and ate more veggies instead, managed to lose some weight without a huge effort, and was happy again.
I've never been as thin as my friends (with one exception
but that friend doesn't live close to me, so I don't see her often and she doesn't count), and because I'd grown up "fat" (
) I just accepted that I'd never be thin and that was that.
My lowest weight was 53 kg (117 lb, my goal weight) some years ago. I still didn't feel "thin" then, and I still had a tummy, but when I look at pictures from back then I really didn't look back.
In the last 5 or so years I've slowly but steadily gained weight, and now I'm at 62 - 60 kg (136.7 - 132.3 lb, depending on the time of the day, etc.), most of my clothes don't fit me anymore
, I don't feel comfortable with my body, I'm extremely self-conscious (more than before, hah), etc.
So now I'm motivated to get rid of the extra weight. I want to be happy with myself. I want to stop feeling ugly and gross.
I joined a gym, and I'm working on an exercise routine. I still want to research all of this better - both exercising and nutrition, but for now I'll just try to spend more calories and eat less.
I still don't really
believe that I'll ever be thin. Or at least not yet.
But I'll be happy about every kilo I lose.