I guess since I've been posting here the past few days I need to add my bio here.

I'm 38 (39 on August 10) and weigh 310 pounds, my highest ever. I am married to Hunter, 4 years my junior (Get 'em young and train 'em right!) and we have a beautiful daughter, Gem, who is 2 and a half and knows how to do everything herself (or so SHE thinks -- it's not so bad until she tries to squirm/push out of your arms in the pool). It took us YEARS to get pregnant -- I have PCOS. So Gem is our Blessing Baby (not that any child isn't, but she's rather special to us) and she was born on Easter Sunday, too!

I am a web coordinator for a federal agency in Washington DC. Not the main web people for the overall site, but one of the main people for one huge section of it. So I sit on the computer all day at work. THen I go home, and after dinner and Gem-time, I sit in front of the computer at home and play online computer games (Everquest, if you've heard of it). My total commute time is about three hours a day. /sigh So I'm on my Butt a lot of the time!

I've been overweight since puberty. A few pounds here, a few pounds there. And now here I am, breaking the scale at over 300. My problem, especially with the PCOS, is that I need to move. The doctor basically told me point blank that it wouldn't really matter how little I ate, that unless I exercised the weight wouldn't come off. I was exercising pretty frequently a few years ago, but when Gem was six months old I fell with her in my arms and hurt my ankle something fierce. Lack of exercise and the subsequent weight gain has aggravated the tendonitis in that foot and my ankle/knee problems in general. But every bit of movement helps. I'm determined to make some lifestyle changes -- move more and eat more healthily, to start.

Now, granted, I don't eat the most healthy diet in the world. What cheeses me off, though, is that I see those little skinny people eating as much or more than I do. Not fair! But what is fair. My body is my body. Theirs is different. Their lifestyle is different. No more self-pity.

My basic plan is to count calories. I'm using FitDay to track it. To maintain this weight, I need about 3000 calories a day. So I'm aiming for 2000 - 2500. If the math works out (and I know it's not really as simple as all that), I should lose 1-2 pounds a week. This board is my main "support" forum. I don't have the time to go to a meeting, or a gym or something like that. I get home with Gem at 6, and she gets ready for bed around 7:30. Some nights it's just me, 'cause Hunter works retail (he's an optician). So it gets hard sometimes to stay on plan.

I'm looking for permanent change, so I want slow and steady. Good habits take a while to establish themselves. Besides, we're hoping to get pregnant again, and I don't want to be doing drastic things to my body when I'm trying to prepare it for a new life.

Other hobbies:

• I sing in my church choir (hence "synger" -- I'm a lyric soprano)
  
• We play tabletop fantasy role-playing games with friends each weekend (like Dungeons and Dragons -- it's sort of like extemporaneous theater, except you sit around a table talking it all out rather than getting up and acting it out)
  
• We love history. I enjoy reading about it, Hunter and I love the History Channel, and we try to stay involved with the Society for Creative Anachronism, a medieval reenactment/education/fun group that's really active in this area.
  
• As I mentioned, we're involved in computer gaming, too.
  
• I'm trying to do more gardening.
  

This is rather rambly, but I haven't had the requisite first cup of coffee yet. (I checked the boards first! /chuckle) Talk to you all later.

Yep just bruised and sore but healthy (and big) as a horse :p

Kim, so glad you're okay!!

Synger, glad you've joined us! My birthday is August 10 too!

Kim I'm glad you're ok too!! Car accidents are the WORST.

Synger - so glad you've joined us, thanks for telling us more about yourself :)

Hello Everyone!

I've been posting here for quite a while, and have found this to be a wonderful place full of nice people who encourage and inspire and care for each other.

I am 47, married for 27 years to my DH Steve. I have 3 children ~ Jason 25, Sara 22 and Jennifer 21. Sara is the mommy to my little grandson Corbin 6. Sara, Jason and Corbin live in Houston, so I only get to see them once or twice a year (when I get to be with them, I am in Grandma heaven).

I have been battling the bulge for most of my adult life, with the weight creeping up over the years. I had kind of given up and stoped trying ~ tired of yo-yoing, but started again in the fall of 1999 because of health concerns. By the summer of 2000, I had lost almost 40 pounds and was almost half way to goal. Then I went on vacation, went back to work, and have never gotten back the original drive. So, the weight crept back up again. I reached my highest this spring (partly due to another health problem). I started the new year with high hopes and good attitude, but one thing after another has gone wrong, and made the journey to better health harder. Now, I am driven by pain, and feeling tired of feeling bad ~ I just want to feel better. So, I am back to coutning calories, measuring everything and have been going to Curves. I have to do this this time!!

Thank you all for helping me along on my journey!

Gayle

Oh, I wanted to add a comment here in regards to Angie's situation with the adoption people and the weight thing ~ I think that it is not that they do not think that a large person would not be a good parent, but that they want the parents to be in good health so that they will be around for long time for the children who will become part of their family. (I was in her shoes once ~ my Sara and Jennifer are adopted from Korea.)

That's right, Gayle. The weight was just one part of the check-up we got in order to complete our application. We also had to be healthy in about 100 other ways. Weight was the only part of the test my husband and I "failed" and instead of rejecting us, the agency gave us the chance to change that.

Gayle, did you adopt your angels from Eastern?

Hello from Arizona
 

Hi
My name is Joanne, I am 38 years old. I have been married to the love of my life Cameron for 20 years, we have three children, Santeo 19, Camie Jo 15 and Riley 8.
My current weight is 286?, or was two weeks ago, as I have not been to my group weigh in. I am a member of TOPS, but follow a low carb way of eating which so far does not seem successful. I've been doing this for two weeks now but my home scale does not seem to move.
My main reason for this WOE is because of my diabetes, which I have to say has improved because of it. I do walk daily for at least 2 miles, and am drinking my 64 oz's of water, more also on the extremely hot days.
I just graduate this past spring from the local community college with an AA degree in Early Childhood Education. It is my goal to continue on to obtain a Bachelors and then a Master degree in Elementary Ed.
As you can tell, I want to lose at least 130 pounds. I know I can do this because I am determined this time and I have nothing to lose but pounds.
I thank you for letting me be a part of this thread and I look forward to chatting with you all more. See you lighter friends