My wardrobe!! I know that seems kind of material, but I think that most cute clothes out there are for thin women.

[QUOTE=kaplods;1862663] most of the staff focused so much on her weight as being the cause of her problems QUOTE]

Isn't it weird how schools keep shifting their focus of whats important? A few years back it was all about praising and rewarding kids for every scribble and fart and eliminating competition from sports to raise self-esteem. Now its all about weight. I got a note home from school that said my son is in the normal weight range for his age and height but that he is "In danger of becoming overweight" and that I should consult with his pediatrician to determine how best to treat his "condition". What the heck is that supposed to mean? I have to take him to the doctor because he has the potential of becoming overweight at some point? Doesn't EVERYONE, technically, have some danger of becoming overweight if they don't eat right and exercise? He's 9 years old and weighs 89 pounds at 4 feet 11. He is not overweight and doesn't even look chubby. I checked him out and couldn't find a soft spot anywhere. I am so mad... I actually have to have my doctor sign this note and return it to school to show that I consulted with him!!

[QUOTE=Marseille;1862935]WTF???? I hope I can afford private school when I have kids!!! Assuming that he's going to a public school that is. IF he's going to a private school then that is even more nuts! I would definitely go in and talk to that teacher.

I don't think of losing weight as an easy fix to my problems, but I do hope that losing the weight will, as many of you have already said, give me confidence that I'm not constantly thinking about what others think of me. For example, every trip to the GROCERY store. Whenever I step into the EXERCISE room at our apartment complex and other (fit) people are running on the treadmill & so on... not to mention how many times I am ignored in group social situations and torn as to whether I like or dislike it.

And even if I lose weight, I know these things won't even fix themselves, so I'm already trying to feel more positive about myself. It's just hard to change a line of thought you've had since you were a kid... ah, and then, I wasn't even that fat. I guess that's always how it goes huh? You think you're _so_fat, and hindsight makes you oh-so-aware of how good you had it.

I totally agree. For the first time in 22 years of being with my husband I come first in my life. I love him and my children dearly but if he wants to go out I pick the restaurant that has something I can eat too. I go workout when it is good for me not when it is good for everyone else. I no longer feel guilty about it and they seem to be more independent because of the change.
I am much more confident and I have become a shameless flirt. I think my husband enjoys all the attention I am getting. He is very proud of what I have accomplished. It definitely has changed our sex lives. Can't get enough.

I'm one of those people who think all their problems will be fixed. I've always thought it since I was in 2nd grade. I know it won't. But I think it's something with how I've guarded my personality to protect myself from the taunting. I think it will help me open up more to people and not be on the edges of life as much. I know I feel so much more relaxed now that I am loosing. I know no one else can see my weight loss but I know it and it's making me feel a little more comfortable and don't care to act crazy.

I wonder if she became so depressed because she lost the weight, what's wrong was still there, and now she had NOTHING to blame except herself. When your marriage is rocky, you have no friends, you don't like your job, whatever...it's so easy to say the weight is the issue. If the weight isn't the issue then you have to face the fact that some part of you is the issue. That's depressing! I think the only way to avoid this is to realize that what's wrong in our lives, marriages, jobs, families, etc...really doesn't revolve around our weight. Those are things that need to be fixed all by themselves.

I'm in agreement with Tricia - perhaps she did think that her problems will be solved if she lost the weight. The reality is that while she may be thinner, she's not necessarily going to be happier. If she's got some major issues that she has to deal with aside from her weight, then...yeah.

The thing is, it's impossible for us to know what someone else is thinking or feeling unless we're standing in their shoes. We don't know what else is happening in her life - she could have had a relationship break up, a sick child, lost a parent; all completely independent of her weight loss.

Being honest, getting to goal scares me a bit. I don't know what I'll look like and at this stage, whether I've chosen a goal that's achievable. But I'm going to enjoy the ride and I know that my personality is going to be the same as it is now.