Hello everyone! I've been away from 3FC for a long time.. and it's showing on my waistline. Because I watch my little sister (she's 7 1/2 and I'm 25) every weekend, I thought it would be fun for us to get season passes to the local amusement park. I've only brought her once!

Things were going well and we were having fun. However, I found myself avoiding certain rides for fear of not fitting! Then we went on this spinning/swaying boat ride and I was horribly embarassed when I almost didn't make it. I looked across from me as a family of four shared 2 seat belts; I couldn't squeeze my little sister in with mine.... then the dreaded lap bar. The kid couldn't get it to click down and started to say something when I stopped him, forced it down myself, and said, "I'm fine." LOL. I think he thought it wise to move on to the next row. After the ride I was terrified to try to go on anything else. ... heck, I've avoided the bumper cars for years for fear of not fitting, but this is just sad.

Ever since then I've been avoiding the place like the plague. To make it all feel worse, I've agreed to go with my mom and little sister to Disney World in December. My Mom has cancer and has for a few years now... she doesn't have much energy these days but it is something she always promised my little sister we would do... so we are going. The thing is, I know that a large part of why my Mom wants me to go (aside from the family fun thing) is because she knows she won't have energy to do as much and I will be the one to take my sister out to the theme parks and such part of the time. Think of all those rides... eek!

Don't even get me started on the plane ride there... I love planes but the last time I flew (20lbs lighter than now) I couldn't buckle up. I couldn't bear asking for one of those extenders... luckily I was in a window seat and so I was able to conceal the fact that my buckle wasn't clicked in place (terrible I know!). I barely fit in the seat though and had to turn at a weird angle so I didn't feel like I was crushing the guy next to me.

Clearly this is a time for change and action... but I'm just feeling so overwhelmed about it. You lose twenty and gain thirty... I feel like I'm drowning inside myself and don't even know where to begin to look to find myself again.

Hmmm.... well thanks for reading. I needed a good vent. LOL.

Welcome back, Kae! I'm glad you decided to get back on this journey. You can do this! By December, you'll be excited about going to Disney and enjoying all of the rides while running with your sister.

Welcome back. There's plenty of time to make amazing changes to your life by December. The important part is just starting.

Welcome back! I know how you feel about amusement rides. That is part of my reasoning for starting this journey. We get season passes to our park every year and I was at the point to where all the buckles would "just fit". It was embarrassing and I worried everytime whether I would fit or not. Well one day, I took my kids along with a friend of mine who is quite a bit larger than me and she was refused on a ride because of her size. She was devastated and I hurt both for her and myself because I knew I would be there soon. We've been back to the park since then but always hang out at the water park. Partly because it is HOT and partly because even with a 56 pound loss, I am still scared! I know I will fit now but it's just the thought. I have a trip coming up in November where I will be on a plane and going to Universal Studios so I keep that in the back of my mind when I feel like slipping. Good Luck to you and you can get quite a bit accomplished between now and then!!

Kae

You sound just like me! I haven't been to an amusement park in years for the very same reasons. Last time I flew I weighed 212 pounds, so I've been avoiding that as well.

But December is a do-able goal. You can do it Kae!

Kae, I am soooo with you on this. I turned 50 this year and my birthday present was to be a weekend trip to Hershey Park (near where I grew up and a beloved place for me). I was last there a couple years ago and while I managed to fit in every ride I wanted to go on (like you it took some pushing on bars on my part) I was so embarrassed to ask for an extender so I could ride the Comet. So I really wanted to be thinner for this year's trip - but couldn't get my fat *** in motion to actually do anything toward that goal.

Then two things happened - the trip got canceled for this year because of other circumstances so I have till next May to get thin; and we got a nice scale at work which I promptly got on and nearly died from shock. How in the heck did I manage to get up to 275 pounds? OMG!

Same belly and thighs I'd been looking at for years but seeing that number was a real wake up call. So I joined 3FC and read up on current healthy eating thoughts and set some goals.

I'm not going to be a tall thin blonde by next May (and you won't be by December either) but by December you can fit comfortably in an airplane seat and the rides at Disney. Maybe not sharing a belt with your little sister but not needing any extenders or worrying about a bar fitting too tight and popping open.

I love the food pyramid and sensible advice on this web page. The pyramid is now taped to my fridge and I've made a commitment to healthy food and no-extender rollercoaster rides! If a 50 year old junk food addict can do it I know you can too!

Vlad

I feel your pain. I just flew to New York. Luckily I sat between my husband and my son, but I have to fly again in September by myself. I just go ahead and ask for the extender. It's not like my weight is some big secret.

I would love to take my son to Six Flags this year. But I know I couldn't ride any rides with him. Now I don't love rides, but that's not the point.

I hate it when the weight starts making choices for me.

Welcome aboard, I I'm in the same boat, I can't wait until I don't have to use a seat belt extender when I'm flying

Welcome back. I too understand how you feel. For many years I didn't fit in seats in airplanes or parks and other places. But, you're here now and you can make some wonderful progress towards having a better time in December. Just take it a day at a time....remember - that you can help decide on the rides too - when you go to Disney World.

Thanks for the responses! It's giving me a bit more focus! Today I'm off to a decent start I think. It's beautiful outside today. Maybe I'll go for a bike ride or walk after work tonight... Thanks again!

Welcome back!

You can make good progress by December for sure. But you know what? Disney actually is probably one of the best places to go for larger individuals. I went there at around 230 and fit on all the rides. A couple were tight, but most were just fine.
(the plane ride was another story....)

I have experienced something very similar to this, in that I live fairly close to the best amusement park in the nation (CEDAR POINT!!) and I used to have a season pass, but never got to ride the two best rides in the park (Millenium Force and the Top Thrill Dragster) because I was too big. I'll never forget how it felt to have to try the sample seat in front of all of my friends and be told that I couldn't ride. I was close, but there was a strap that was supposed to tuck in your legs, and it was just about an inch or so from being able to latch it. That was probably one of the most embarrassing moments of my life.

But, as fiberlover said, the rides at Disney World are generally much easier for larger people to get onto because they are not really "thrill rides" (i.e. really big, scary roller coasters) but "theme rides," which are less intense, presumably so children can ride them. I went to Disney World both last summer and the summer before at 270 lbs (and I'm also going this summer, hopefully at less! ), and never had any trouble getting onto the rides. Granted, I am 5'8" and carry my weight fairly well (I was a size 18 at 270), but even so, I think it should be totally doable for you to get onto the rides by December, if you stick to your plan and such. Best of luck to you! I am a Disney NUT, so I can assure you that it will be worth it!

Ps. When I lose enough weight, I am going back to Cedar Point to ride that d*mn Millenium Force! Hehe.

Kae
Welcome back

First, YES you can make a lot of progress by December!

Secondly, even if you don't lose an ounce by then...Disney is VERY size friendly. We went to Disneyland last September, and I didn't have any trouble at all. I fit on every ride I wanted to go on...no problems. At that time, I was 250-ish, and in a size 22-ish...I'm 5'0.

Disney parks are very different from your average amusement park..in every way. I want to go back SOOO badly!!

My Mama has cancer too...I'm so sorry...it's very hard!

Linda

Kae, welcome back!! It sounds wonderful that you will be able to share those experiences with your mom and sister. December is VERY do-able. I mean, anything is do-able, really But Decembers so do-able in terms of significant weight-loss and fitness for energy Isnt that great!!

Your post really hit a note with me. I was away from 3FC for some time. I had initially lost about 50 lbs and was starting to look and feel awesome - even clothes were fitting. It was a very exciting time. Then over the span of a year, I gained about 35-40lbs back! So here I am again, starting over to lose the weight I gained. It feels heart-breaking and discouraging sometimes, and I just want to be where I was at SOON, you know. So I keep telling myself that with a little bit of time, I will be. Thats the great thing about weight loss - with a little bit of time, you can see great changes

Hi, everyone - I'm new to 3FC and stopped by this board today and had to reply...

Star2be, let me know when you plan that trip back to Cedar Point, and I'll come too - I had the EXACT same experience with the sample seat a few years ago! Same rides, same problem. Although my worse story was a year later when I was chaperoning a trip of 8th graders at Kings Dominion in VA - I was hanging out with some of my students going on the Outer Limits coaster, which I'd ridden before, but they had to hold up the whole boarding process to try to squeeze me in, and eventually we all gave up. The kids didn't say anything to me, but I can only imagine the gossip later.

Oh well, I moved and don't work there anymore anyway!