Hi~
 

Hi I'm Michelle. 42, single mom of two (19 year old daughter and 9 year old son) dating a really great guy, thinking of moving in together soon. I have two cats and a shih-tzu. I work in Social Services managing Supported Living facilities.

I have been overweight since I discovered alcohol in college. I gained the Freshman 10 X 2, gaining about 20 lbs in a few months. I never took that weight off and when I got pregnant with my daughter I gained 100lbs with pregnancy. Over the course of 10 years I lost a lot of that, weighing 190 something when I got pregant with my son. I gained 40lbs with that pregnancy and never got below 215 since he was born.

Funny thing was as beautiful 150lbs 5 ft 9 teenager my dad would tell me I was getting fat. "Better not get too fat. Boys don't like fat girls". "Are you suurrrre you want to eat that?" Even though I wasn't truly fat I was convinced that I was hugely grotesque. I must be, Daddy said so.

I've struggled with my weight for years being serious about losing about 3 times. The first time I got down to 175 using Phen fen in the 90's, 215 in my twenties by working out, and got down to 230 last year with WW and 3FC's.

In the last year, I gained up to 270 and was getting too big for the 3x at Walmart and my size 24 jeans "shrank in the dryer" and I had to lay down to zip them up, I decided enough was enough and came back here. I have since lost 6 lbs, by portion control, tracking what I eat on Daily Plate and increasing my activity.

I really really want to get to 175-180 again. I want to look good and feel even better. I love this place and really feel loved and supported here!! I love all the inspirational stories of people who've lost 100+ lbs. (CFMama and Rockin Robin are my inspiration!) If they can do it...I can too!:hug:

Hi everyone! My name is Ariel, I'm 22, and I've been happily married to my noble-hearted husband for over two years - and together for over six! I'm a communist, atheist, tabletop role-playing, natural living bohemian with a penchant for the occult and the victorian era. My house is decorated in catholic saints and dinosaurs.

My husband and I have no pets and no kids, but we've been unsuccessfully trying to conceive for the past two and a half years. My husband has male factor infertility, and I was recently diagnosed with PCOS, so I hope losing all this excess weight will help me control my PCOS and up my chances of natural conception and a healthy pregnancy!

I've been overweight since the second grade. I managed to lose 135 pounds when I was fifteen-sixteen (in a very unhealthy way), dropping from my all time high weight of 280 to a much slimmer 145. I gained back about 40 pounds over the next two years slowly, and then when I was 18 I was in a car accident that seriously injured my neck, back, and hip. I got severely depressed from the pain and gained 80 pounds in three months. Since then I've been a little up and down (I got down to about 210 for my wedding) but I've mostly stayed in the 250-260 range. I weighed in at 241 pounds this morning which means I've lost NINE POUNDS since I started counting calories again! I plan to eventually weigh in at about 125.

Right now I'm a full time student on my way to becoming a certified nurse-midwife, and I work about 30 hours a week at my local organic co-op. I'm also an assistant for a local doula, so I'm on call virtually 24/7 to attend childbirth!

Hi to all the Newbies.

I orginally started here I think in 2005 and for six months was living the life and lost I'm thinking 25lbs but then found out I was pregnant for the 3rd time, we'd only been trying a month. I'm now the proud mother of 3 boys, ages 8, 5 and 3. They are all smart, handsome and healthy boys who come with their different challenges that we haven't quite figured out yet but it's mostly speech (this is a small thing and they are pretty much all caught up with early intervention) and sensory issues and I have a full spectrum here with them each having different issues, lucky me. I've been married to the same man for 8 years and have been happily married, but the last 6 months have been a work in progress. Let's just say I now have a step daughter who is younger than my youngest son. I won't get into it but I've made my choices in life and while they are stressful I'm more than willing to give it a go to be happy again.
Up until four months ago I had lost 40lbs after restarting this journey Dec 2008, almost 2 years after my youngest. It's been a struggle to get back here but after putting 30lbs of those pounds back on as of last week, I'm ready to get back on track again. I'm sick of what I let stress do to me and I'm determined to get control again.

I will never leave this board again, I'll get it right this time.

So, yeah, I'm Donna and I'm 34yo and I live in the Great White North..that's the Yukon!

Hi. My name is Traci and I'm afraid compared to y'all I'm boring. I really, really want to be lesbian-ish or communist or something really unique but 3fc is all about honesty, so I guess I'll just be plain me. But I swear I'm going to tell someone somewhere very soon that I'm lesbian-ish just so I can use the word!

I really am 43 - 44 in February (jeez, when did I get so old???) and I've been married for 22 years. DH says at least 11 of those years have been bliss, so we keep going because we bat over .500. :-) We have two beautiful daughters - one a junior in college and one a senior in high school. And a rescue dog of undocumented type. Slightly psychotic if you want to know the truth, but I love him anyway.

Three years ago DH had a health scare and we both decided it was time to be less fat. I lost about 60 pounds, he lost 130+. Two years ago the manufacturing plant where we both worked in management closed and I went back to school to become a nurse. DH became a tri-athlete, I became a stressed college student. He looks great. I re-gained 38 pounds.

So... now I'm a mental health nurse and it's time to get the weight back off and finish the job. I WILL get this accomplished this year. I AM fully on-plan and happy to be there.

3fc helped me last time and it's helping me again. It was great to read all your stories - even if I did feel a little plain in the process. :-)

Hi everyone! My name is Jen and I am 22, California born and raised. I have struggled with my weight my entire life. My insecurities started as a young child, stopping me from going to many many activities that I felt I was not good enough for. I think it all started when someone called me "fatso" in kindergarten...

Anyway lol, my goal weight is 145, leaving me with 104 pounds that I'm getting off me once and for all. I want to find the love of my life and really start living life to the fullest. I wish I could be one of those people that are perfectly content accepting themselves the way they are. But, I just can't be happy with the way I look. Therefore, I need to change.

I am moving to Nashville this summer and I want to move being happy and healthy and ready to find me a Southern charmer! :)

I'm Christine. I can't remember how long I've been here (take a peek at my thingy over there <--- ) I'm 38 years old, married to a very sweet, very fit fellow. We have two kids, 11 and 9. I lost 75 pounds pre-pregnancy (WW), but managed to gain it (and more) back after my second child. :(

Anyway, after seeing photos of me taken on vacation in 2007(?), I decided enough was enough and made a conscious effort to eat better and get more active. I'm not following any plan or even counting calories, which is why the weight is coming off so slowly. I'm okay with that, though, because it IS coming off. I do tend to plateau for long periods of time, though.

My favourite exercise activities are cross-country skiing, Zumba, and my treadmill.

Hi everyone,

I'm 28, grad student, single, live alone and I've been at 3FC since summer '08. I lost weight for the first time the summer of '06, by cutting back on protions and walking. I lost a lot of weight over that summer (I think probably too quickly, I didn't have a scale, but I remember barely eating and feeling completly tortured!). I fell off the wagon that fall, and gained it all back quickly.

Then summer of '08, I lost about 15 lbs, but fell off the wagon again that fall (pattern?).

Then, I came back mid-summer of '09 and have been here ever since, on the wagon, working hard. I started out calorie counting, but struggled with that, so went back to intuitive eating, using the knowledge from calorie counting to make sure I get enough calories. It's slow weight loss, but this is the only time I've managed to stick with it once summer was over, so I feel good about that.

I want to be at a healthy weight by the time I'm thirty. My main problem is binging and eating alone, so my main focus now is to not binge. If I don't do that, I've had a sucessful day. I've been binge-free for 82 days now! I go to the chicks in control forum a lot.

I don't post as much as I'd like, here and there, but I read every day!

I'm Stephy, 22 years old from New York City. I'm glad we're re-introducing ourselves because I had never gotten around to writing a bio before so I'll sneak a mini one in now ;)

I'm currently a full time student, majoring in Childhood Education, and working a not-so-pleasant minimum wage job at a supermarket. My boyfriend and I are currently eating healthier together, he's a great cook so I'm a lucky gal! I have to plan my meals a day ahead because of my schedule, and I constantly track on The Daily Plate. I'm currently taking winter express courses which are two 12 week courses crammed into a 6 week time slot (basically the same amount of work in half the time) and I'm in class from 12 noon until 10pm Mondays and Wednesdays. Next semester I'm taking 18 credits, so I'm trying to instill healthy habits NOW so I can just naturally prepare my meals to bring to school the night before instead of procrastinating and bringing a sodium-ridden frozen meal with me. Every other day of the week I work until midnight surrounded by high fructose corn syrup and friends tempting me with bad foods! I haven't given in yet :P

I started my journey last summer, but veered off track for a few months around October. I gained 10 pounds back, but recently lost it this month so I'm back to my grand total of a 30 pound weight loss. I have a long ways to go, and I probably wouldn't have even made it this far without the support of you chickies :]

My biggest downfall currently is exercise, I -want- to do it but either I can't fit it into my schedule or my back bothers me. I feel really great afterward, so I need to push myself and maybe even make an exercise schedule that I absolutely have to follow.

One last thing- I've heard of "Diet Buddies" before but do any of you have "Exercise Buddies"? To help stick to your plan and for support?

<3

I'm Emily, I'm 23, and I live in Atlanta, GA - my favorite place on earth, after Los Angeles. I'm a freelance writer and odd job taker (I drive around kids, tutor English, etc.), and am generally on the whole "trying to figure out life post college" path.

I've been married for three and a half years now to my high school sweetheart. No kids yet, but we do have a fantastic puppy named Sammy and a troublemaker cat named Zoe.

I've been heavy most of my life and because of that learned to accept myself and love myself the way I was. The number on the scale sometimes got to me, but it never defined me - yeah, I was fat, but I was pretty and smart and all sorts of other things too. But when my husband and I moved back to Atlanta in August after a miserable year in Phoenix, something clicked. I was happy after a year of being depressed and disappointed with myself and my environment, and I started to make positive choices: my apartment had a gym, so I went, I drank one coke instead of three, and I realized that I needed, and wanted, to treat myself better. In September, I bought a scale and started counting calories, and now five months in, I'm down 50 pounds. My biggest goal now is to be healthy enough to have a healthy pregnancy and start TTC.

Hi! :wave:

I'm Knobhdy. Not literally, of course. I have been on 3FC for several years now. I have been going down since last December (2008),:goodscale and so far have lost 26 pounds since then. For most of that time it was very slow loss, though.

I rebooted my exercise plan this January, and I am looking forward to getting under the overweight line before my birthday.
Currently I am counting calories, aiming for 1500 - 1600 a day. Exercising to exercise videos 3 days out of every 4, doing push-ups 3 - 4 times a week, and getting at least 2 days of martial arts practice each week. :lifter:

For me it is all about sticking with it and consistency. The more days "on" that I have the more days "on" I will have. The thing that makes me the most hopefully about this round of losing, is that when I slacked off this Spring, Summer and Fall, I did not gain any weight. I kept losing, albeit very slowly. That in and of itself is a victory for me. :yay:

I'm April , I'm 24 living in Maine at the moment (we move a lot) I have two kids ages 8 and 6. I live with my looooooong term boyfriend of 10 years. I'm a stay at home Mom or like I think of it 24hour Zoo coordinator :P
As a kid I've thought as myself as chubby then moved to Cali and started walking everywhere so I wasn’t for a while. Then I moved to Texas with my boyfriend, got pregnant and was stuck doing the domestic thing got bored, ate while I was bored and never really stopped lol. I never really had a grasp on my self image when I was skinny I thought I was fat and when I was fat I was in denial, when I wasn’t in denial I was depressed and overwhelmed about what I had let myself become.
New year, new you seems to be what I'm aspiring to do. I started the year with a better understanding of my problems and a REALISTIC strategy of getting them fixed. I have to keep reminding myself I didn’t get fat in a short period of time and it will take a while to take it off. My means of doing this is calorie counting and exercise. This is it, the time for change is now !! :)

I'm Rachael. I'm 33 and have a husband and a daughter. I'm getting ready to graduate from college and I really feel like this is my year to turn EVERYTHING around. I don't really know what else to say. ha.

I'm Daphine, 45 yrs old and moving forward with life. I live in Atlanta and I'm married to a wonderful, supportive and giving man, that's 12yrs younger than me. Yea, I know, I robbed the cradle. We have a little girl that we adore. I'm expecting to be a HOTTIE when this is over aside from being healthy. I feel very optimistic about my weight loss being permanent this go around because I have a plan for maintaining the weight loss. I set goals to be measured every 45 days for sure but I peek along the way to see how my progress is going.

My biggest challenge has always been getting to a point of being close to goal and too many compliments freak me out and I quit. Then before I know it the weight is back again with friends. I've been getting compliments and support from my husband and 3FC so it won't be so overwhelming for me. I guess it triggered a fear in me and I would gain the weight back because I couldn't face the fear of people liking me after losing the weight. Well now that that's settled I can complete the journey and maintain the loss for 80 more years. Yea that means I will live until I'm 125.

I'm Marge, 45, living in Brooklyn with long-time bf and overly spoiled cat Chloe.

I was heavy since I was a little kid, getting up to over 300 lbs as a young teenager. When I was about 16, I lost 100 lbs doing WW, then over the next twenty years, to synopsize it quickly, I went up and down (down when I'd go back to WW, then later Jenny Craig, then up after I'd quit the diets and go back to devil may care way of overeating). At one point I reached my ultimate high of 330. A few years back, I realized for health reasons I just had to get this under control. I'd already worked with counselors on the emotional/binge eating issues, I had to seriously tackle the bad eating habits and start creating some exercise habits. I pulled out my JC/WW information, started walking, and kept plugging at it, losing slowly, with one year when I basically maintained.

I started going to the gym once I got around 260, and I love it.

I've been dealing with some high stress issues right now, looking for a job, and I've been backsliding some, but I'm working on keeping my head about me and stop reaching for food to make me feel better. Coming to 3FC makes me feel better and helps me focus, reminds me to hang in there and keep chipping away.

I really enjoyed reading this thread, thanks for starting it, Sandi

Hello all, I've really enjoyed meeting you all and reading all your stories.

My name is toastedsmoke and I'm 23 years old. The last year has been pretty eventful for me, last January ('09) I was at my heaviest weight ever of 275 lbs (which shocked me into getting started and ever since my weight has kind of been in the forefront of my mind rather than something I ignore and don't think about). Also, I finished my Masters' degree, had a quarter life crisis when I realized that I was overqualified and under-experienced and that did not a good job hunt make, became a calorie-counting devotee, decided that academia was the life that suited me, applied for PhD programs, and then decided to move for work. Out of the Country. To another continent. Africa, where I proceeded to gain and lose the same 5-10 lbs over the subsequent months as well as lose complete control of what I put in my mouth.

Last year 3fc was really influential in motivating me and encouraging me and inspiring me to be serious about getting healthy. This year, I want to be in onederland by my birthday in June and at goal by Christmas. But to do that I have to get serious. I was a chubby baby, a plump child, and a fat adolescent, but that doesn't mean I have to be an obese adult. I've been off-plan for a couple of months and I'm trying not to let "tomorrowing" get in the way of getting back on. I can't calorie count (my preferred method) that effectively anymore, but I can make wiser decisions about what and how much goes into my mouth, as well as actually use my gym membership and exercise dvds.

My name is Valerie I live in Jasper Alabama and I have been a member here since 2006 I have tried many times throughout the years to lose the weight and have gotten to within one or two pounds of getting into the 100s then I sabotauge myself and gain the weight back. I guess I am scared of getting into the 100s and then going back up into the 200s. This time I am going at things differently I am not trying any crazy diets I am just eating "real" food and watching portion sizes. It has been about a month and I am already feeling better so I believe this is my time.

Hi everyone, great thread! I love reading everybody else's stories. It always amazes me how much we all have in common, even when on the surface our lives are so different. That's one of the things I love about 3FCs.

So, I'm 34 and live in NW England with my husband of almost 8 years and 3 cats. I'm a writer and teacher, passionate about local and family history. We moved to this part of the country for work more than five years ago, and we're far from both of our families (well, as far as you can be in England, which is about as far as my friends in the US would drive to the mall ;) ). I get to travel a lot for work, which is wonderful, but also challenging when it comes to making good choices. I've always been heavy, but was a sporty teenager, which kept it at bay (although I do recall going through a SlimFast phase at around 15, which ended abruptly when a flask of milkshake exploded all over my schoolbag in the middle of a class...). Through college, grad school and now real life, I've just gradually gained more and more weight. I was here about 7 or 8 years ago (on a different board), and when I decided to get serious again, this was the first place I came. I'm so glad I did!

Hi everyone, I am 59 years of age, widowed 5 years and (somewhat) unattatched at the moment. I have a thirty year old daughter. I have been an artist all my life... mostly as a singer, song writer, actor, milliner,and soap maker. I enjoy,gardening, studying about herbs for skin care and health, nutrition,and alterative healing.
I started putting weight on at the age of 6. My weight has gone up and down...but mostly up, for as long as I can remember. It has been a learning curve, but I think I'm finally getting a grip. I have decided that this weight is no longer acceptable to me, and I plan on reaching my goal of 140 lbs by Yuletide next year. I can't believe what a great source of hope and support, and inspiration I have found here at 3fc.

Hello! I am a single mother to an almost 17 year old girl, a full time college student studying psychology and behavioral medicine, working in a research lab, applying for graduate school, facing the GRE® (Graduate Record Examinations®) and focusing on my health and wellness.

I work part time as a massage therapist. I follow a mostly plant-based diet (I give in to dairy on occasion but nothing else, otherwise I could claim the status of "Vegan" ). I work out at the YMCA and am always looking for other San Diego people to connect with. :carrot:

I've recently recommitted to losing weight, getting fit and healthier to improve my overall happiness and well-being.

I want to lose over 100 pounds. I'm focusing on making actual positive lifestyle changes and creating (or reinstating) positive habits. Therefore, i'm not so intent on an actual number. I do think being under 200 pounds and a size 14 or 12 would feel so amazing though! For now, I'm hoping for that and to reevaluate at that point. ;)

3FC is helping me with focus and accountability. I am looking for ways to make it happen in my real life too, seeking out buddies, classes, activities and so on which can support my health and an active lifestyle.

I've been blessed to not have the negative physical conditions which often accompany being 300+ pounds; I have excellent blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. My goal is to continue to exercise, eat healthy, nutritious plant-based food and further decrease my risk of serious illness in the future.

I hope to get to know many of you better! :carrot:

Hi, I am Judy from Alberta. I am 50, happily married for almost 25 years, and we have two grown sons, a dog and a cat. I work as an Accounting Technician. It is boring, but pays the bills. I like traveling, camping, reading, surfing the internet, and some reality TV (and Lost!).

I have been overweight since childhood. I've lost weight successfully a few times. Most recently in 2000/2001 I lost 65 pounds on Weight Watchers and was doing really well at keeping it off for a few years until I injured my ankle & foot which put exercising on hold for quite a while. I got on a pity party, and the rest is history. I gained it all back plus about 15 extra pounds. I felt like CRAP! So, fast forward to April 2009.

I halfheartedly started to try counting points again and lost a few pounds. That summer I turned 50. It hit home that I was wasting my life being fat. If I didn't smarten up my whole life was going to pass me by while I was fat. And feeling crappy. I didn't want to return to WW for yet another attempt so I just started counting calories. And I got involved in 3FC, which has made so much difference. I still struggle with getting back into regular exercise. I can't believe I have lost nearly 50 pounds. :carrot: I don't count calories most of the time now. I guess I am kind of doing it intuitively. Whenever I need to buckle down though, I do start counting again.

hi, I'm kat and I'm a 32 yo new nurse from florida.

I've been overweight since I was a kid but didnt become obese till I was 19. I had been a dancer during H.S. (modern/jazz) and was in a car accident and broke my back. I lost some flexibility but, mainly, I just got out of the habit. plus my freshman 15 was more like the freshman 40. Quittingsmoking added another 30 pounds. Then, I recently went to nursing school and managed to gain 60 lbs in 13 months while learning how to help other people live healthier lives?!

I struggle with impatience on this journey but am trying to change my expectations. it is annoying to see a number on the scale and know that it is both a weight loss AND a higher weight than you were a year ago. But I'm taking it one day at a time and know that, soon, the numbers on the scale will startlooking pretty good to me!

Oh! AND i'M GOING HERE: http://www.biggestloserresort.com/
In October so I am trying to lose as much weight as possible before I go so that i can participate in the more challenging hikes :)

My name is Rebecca. I lived in Japan for 4 years and just got back to the USA recently. I was overweight from around age 6, obese by 11 until age 24 when I started my weightloss. Slowly but surely I'm edging close to my goal. I credit never missing a day of at least 30min of brisk walking + eating a high fiber, low meat diet of lots of cabbage, beans, and assorted vegetables.

Hello!
Well I am Lackie and I have been on this journey for a while. That a while is like 2 years. Mostly just like 3 months of that seriously. This time is different because it took HBP to get me to change my habits and I am training for 5ks to help my friend with her medication costs for MS. I think it's a huge motivator. :)

Hi There,

I call myself time2Bme. I'm not entirely comfortable with identifying myself on the internet either, so I'll leave it at that.

I am in my early 40's, happily married with a 11yrs old daughter. I was always a skinny kid, who gained a lot of weight in my early 20's. I managed to get it off and keep it off for several years. I discovered emotional eating in my late 20's and have been basically struggling with my weight ever since. While I've had some slim times, I have gained back the weight, and then some.

I've hit the age where it has started to affect my health. I feel like life is passing me by and I'm chronically afraid of failing at this weight loss game. I am tired of being tired and uncomfortable in my own skin.

I am so hopeful that 3fc will help me stay motivated. While I believe in the need for support groups, I'm also a private person. This site is the perfect combination of support and anonymity.

It has been very nice reading about all of you and your struggles. 3Fatchicks kind of feels like coming home. :)

I'm Jennelle. I've struggled with my weight for my whole life. I've been here awhile...probably ten years! I joined while I was in the throes of a pretty severe eating disorder. I hung out mostly on the 100+ board, then on the eating disorders board. Eventually, the board itself became a big fat trigger for me and I dropped off it for about two years.

In November of 2008, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. It's not the genetic kind, but it is hormone-receptive (?) and directly related to her obesity. I went home to help my sister care for her for that first month after diagnosis and that was the catalyst for me; I knew I never wanted my daughter to have to care for me that way. When I came home that January, I joined WW Online and made a pact to lose a pound a week for 52 weeks, and then I just shut up and buckled down and did it - no excuses for the first time in my life!

So far, I've lost about 60 lbs. My life has been a little chaotic for the past few months, but I've managed to keep off what I've lost. I'm pretty proud of myself for that. :)

Hi everyone!
My name is Melissa, and I'm 23 years old from Louisiana. I've been married for a year and a half to the most amazing man in the world. We have two beautiful little boys- Jordan will be 3 this coming Friday and Gage is almost 18 months old.

I've been overweight since I was young. I've gained around 50lbs since high school.

Last year was pretty stressful for me.

Jordan was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder [mild to moderate]. He has therapy 6 days a week, so bringing him to every different therapy has become my day job. Along with caring for Gage, which was pretty exhausting this past year because of how young he was. It is getting easier [and harder because I have to chase him around], as he sleeps through the night more often than not these days. More sleep = happy me.

I also started taking some night classes at a technical college to become a medical assistant. I will be finished in April of this year =)

All of that added with being a new wife made for a busy year. And that brought me to my highest weight, 275.

I've finally had enough. For the first time I'm excited about making these changes. My husband and I just signed up at a gym, and we are working the WW plan. I KNOW I can do this. It just takes effort on my part, which I finally feel ready to give.

3FC is a really wonderful tool and full of information that is really helping me navigate this journey.

Good morning all :)
My name is Kathy and I've been a regular here off & on (under different names for about 4 years).
I'm a total yo-yo dieter. My highest know weight was 288 - my lowest 165.

I'm jay41 and have been here since december of 2007. I started losing weight in October 2007 after receiving a major wakeup call on the metro when I discovered nobody would sit next to me because I'm fat.

I lost 60 pounds in the first 6 months of 2008 and then fell off the wagon. I caught Lymes Disease and used that as an excuse to eat whatever I wanted. I went through 10 months of regaining weight -- gained back almost 20 pounds. I fessed up to my issues and came back to 3fc in May 2009. Since then I've been on plan, exercise almost every day, eating whole foods.

I'm a 43 year old lesbian, a computer scientist for the US government, and travel the world on business. I put on most of my weight in my early 20s and went into my 30s at 275 pounds. When I got to my 40s I added 11 pounds. It got scary when I went to walmart and couldn't find clothes.

After losing almost 100 pounds I feel more vibrant than I have in years! I get more looks from the guys (and girls) than I can remember getting in 20 years. I feel strong, and have more energy and stamina than my co-workers in their early 30s.

I feel I wasted most of my 20s, all of my 30s, and the beginning of my 40s because I was too fat to do anything. I will continue on this journey and into maintaining...life will not pass me by anymore!

I am Becky - 41 and from Iowa. I live here with my son and DH. I have a daughter as well that lives out of state. Lived here most of my life! I have 2 dogs and one cat!!

Started my journey in May of last year. I am glad to be where I am today but man I can't wait to cross that finish line! lol

I am Wanda and I live in Texas. I weighed 115 when I met my husband 25 years ago! Needless to say, I started gaining not long after we met and really ballooned when I was pregnant with my son 23 years ago. I never was able to lose the baby fat. 3 years later I had my daughter and even though I did better with my weight, only gained 30 pounds, I was still carrying the weight of my first pregnancy.

I have tried all kinds of diets! Some have helped, but I never got below 166 which I did on nutrisystem. Unfortunately nutrisystem was too low fat and I developed gall stones and had to have my gall bladder removed. I got so sick eating their food I feel nauseated just thinking about it now! I have joined WW for a gagillion times! I stuck with it for a year and a half and only lost 30 pounds. Our wonderful leader quit and so did I. And as always, gained the weight back!

My real eye opener this time, happened at a health fair our company had. I went with a coworker who is tall and overweight, but not like me. I'm short and fat. The people in all the booths looked at me with disgust! My friend got all kinds of goodies they were giving away. Me, I had to ask for them, after a couple, I didn't bother...my feelings were hurt. When we got back to our office she was pulling out all her treasures and asked me, where were mine? I had to say, I didn't get many. That has really stuck with me! And it wasn't the last time either! Fat people really are treated different than skinny people! I too have felt the embarrassment of no one wanting to sit by me..... Fat people have feelings too! I have a coworker that uses the phrase, "fat, dumb and happy" alot, and I hate it! Being fat does not make one dumb or happy! Sorry, didn't mean to rant! But all these feelings are what is making me want to stick with it for the long haul this time! I want to show people who I really am! And I'm NOT dumb.... or happy... I don't want to be the invisible, overlooked, fat, ugly duckling any more!

Hey everyone, I'm gloo, which is actually a nickname people call me in real life. :) I'm 42, originally from New England and transplanted to the Bay Area in 2001. I live here with my boyfriend of many years, my 15-year old stepdaughter (his child from a previous relationship), and our two adorable and amazing border collie/lab/terriers. By day I'm an executive admin, by night I am a freelance writer and insanely obsessive musical enthusiast. Outside of music and writing, I am passionate about animal rescue, art and pop culture. In the winter I'm an avid crocheter (is that what someone who crochets is called?).

I've been in and out of 3fc for years, but when I came back this time I'd forgotten all my login info so I stated anew. I've been fat, I've been thin, I've been all over the board weight-wise. I lost a good deal of poundage before I moved out to CA, then gained it back and put on the majority of the rest of my excess weight over the past 8 years. In that time span I've lost 20 pounds here or there, but nothing significant.

I like the thought of exercise, detest starting it, and love the feeling I have when I'm done with it. My biggest struggle is actually time, as we have a really weird schedule due to my boyfriend's work hours. My greatest challenge is finding the right time of day to put aside that important hour or so for myself.

We re-adopted a vegetarian lifestyle a little over a month ago, and so far I'm happily meat-free. We're eating more healthily then I can ever remember in my adult life, and fruits and vegetables have simply become our standard fare. I feel so much better these days, and most notably have rediscovered the pleasure of cooking. Since I'm still adapting to life as a vegetarian, I'm having a great time trying out new stuff and developing my arsenal of go to recipes.

I'm really not giving myself the choice to fail this time around. At 42 and this overweight it's only going to get harder as time goes by, so this HAS to be it for me. I'm trying to just accept that as fact.

This community is a godsend, and you all consistently inspire me with your stories and suggestions and provide me a place to visit for support and understanding. Although I don't know many of you quite well, I want you to know that your words are powerful nonetheless. You all hold a very dear place in my heart.

Keep posting your stories, kids! It's great to learn more about each and every one of you.

Happy Sunday! :)

Hi! My name is Lyn, I am 40 years old and the mother of five children.

I have been working on my weight and health since August 2007 when I weighed 278 pounds. I've been pretty successful at keeping off a good chunk of weight, but have been stalled in the same range for quite some time now. No rush, it'll come.

I write a blog about my weight loss and there are progress pictures on it. The link is in my siggy. I love blogging for the accountability!

I guess I'll start posting again :lol: Life gets busy & while I have been on plan (and have hit my goal!) I haven't been logging on here as much!

My name is Tanee & I'm from New Orleans. I am married to my high school sweetheart and have 3 children who are 8, 5, and 3...the oldest has pdd-nos (why I've been busy, different meds = adjustment problems at school).

I have just been plodding along trying to figure out the balance I need to maintain. I started in May 2008...it's become a way of life for me and not just a diet. Weight Watchers and 3FC has been a lifesaver!

Welcome to all of the newbies that have popped up since my absence ;)

Hi Chicks....

My name is Beverly. Joy is my middle name. I am 57 years young & live in the midwest. I am a storyteller, puppeteer and writer. I have been married for 32 years, have a son, daughter in law and wonderful grandson. (almost 3)

As some of us here have said...I too have had weight issues - seems like forever. I came to 3fc a couple of years ago and even got just into onederland. 2009 was one of the most stressful years I can remember in a long while and some of the weight returned. But, I will never stop trying to find my way to better health. Seems it is always a winding and twisting journey.

It's been nice to learn a bit more about all of you. After all we are all in this together. Thanks to everyone for their help in this journey.

hey all!
 

My name is amber alicia. i am 28 yrs old. i have 2 children (ages 11 and 4). we live in northern cali, (east bay to be exact). right now i am just coming back down from another 'flirting session' with the 300lb mark. my highest weight was 320, about 10 years ago. since then i have been pretty steady at 275. most recently i got up to 292. i am just over 5ft6 - so that makes me a pretty big girl. i've been overweight my entire life (i can remember being called fat as far back as kindergarten) i eat purely out of boredom and for comfort.

i recently decided to do something about my weight (for the last time!) this past january. my 4yr old daughter (who is as sharp as a tac) looked up at me when we were standing in the kitchen one day. she says to me 'mommy - your tummy is way too big'. *ugh* i was devastated.

so i am not on that 100lb journey! my goal is to hit 175 hopefully by next year. i haven't set a date. i do better with mini-goals. so my first mini-goal is to hit 250lbs by 7/1/10. that is my birthday weekend, and the bf is taking me to vegas!

i'm so excited to see that there are other people out there on the same wavelength as i am. hope to chat with you all soon! :carrot:

My name is Joni. I live in Michigan with my husband and four kids. I'm back on 3FC after a few years away. I've got a whole person to lose, so I'm going one step at a time.

My name is Lori and am from Northern California. I am almost 35 and have been married to my awesome, super supportive hubby for almost 4 years. We are both teachers and we have no kids, but our cats are our babies.

I joined 3fc a long time ago, when I was gaining weight, in hopes I could put a stop to it. I was in a bad place and kept gaining until the end of 2004, when I started slowly taking the weight off. I am in a much happier place now, however I am better at mainaining than losing for some reason. I think it's due to not believing that I can do it. So I hover and hover around half way to goal and freak myself out when I get too close. I saw 211 on the scale a few months back (I was dehydrated, so it was a fluke, I think my true weight was about 214) and it freaked me out, so I stopped.

My goal is to break through the barrier that is my mind (LOL) and just get this done. I need to quit being scared of what will happen when I get below 200, what will happen when I get to goal, etc. Lately I've been trying to tell myself that right now is the only thing that matters. The only thing that matters is the choice I make right now in this moment. This works on many levels. It helps stop the worry about the future and how I will handle the weight loss, it works in helping me believe that I can do this, and it works in helping me make heathy choices now instead of putting it off until tomorrow.

Physically, I know how to lose weight. I am just mental, LOL!

Hi! My name is Krista. I just heard about this forum the other day and am excited about all the warmness I've found here so far. I came to the 100+ section because it is such a daunting number and need all the support I can get. :)

I never had weight problem growing up. In highschool I put on a touch of weight but was still in the 'normal' range for my height. First year of college I lost 30 lbs and weighed 128 which was too small for me and my body didn't hold it. I finally evened out at about 135 and was happy with that. A few years later I started gaining weight and put on over 100 lbs in less than a year. When it finally got to where I couldn't walk across campus and couldn't get to classes we went to several doctors and found out I had a mass the size of a softball in my chest attached to my heart. After open heart surgery I was diagnosed with Lymphoma. After chemo, radiation and a year on steriods I was finally well but still fat. I let that be an excuse for too long I didn't have to stay fat. I lost about 30 lbs and got right to 200 lbs but I hated my career and job so much that I gained almost 80 lbs.

10 years later and after making every excuse under the sun I'm sick and tired of being fat!! I have no desire to quit yet and that's a big deal to me... in the past after losing 30 lbs I got comfy and stopped trying then gaining and now I'm heading towards the 50 lb mark and ready to lose more more more!! :) I won't quit this time!!

Hi I Beth, mother of two, married 13 years. I have done this twice before and this last year hit my highest weight ever. My dh is working out with me this times. He wants to get back in shape and that helps. It's been almost 2 weeks and were going strong.

Looking forward to meeting new friends. This board helped me a lot when I did this before.