Hello All,

Today is the first day of my weight loss challenge. I'm 26 years old and I would love to live a long healthy life. I want to shop at the mall (more that one store!), I want to buy underwear that cost less than $15 for one pair, I want to walk up my stairs and have it not feel like a chore and I want to love looking at myself in the mirror. I currently weight 317lbs and my goal weight is 140lbs. Although to be honest I would just love to be under 200lbs. I have always been overweight and have tried to lose weight many many many times. Last night I was watching TV and stopped on a TV show called "I eat 33,000 calories a day." I watched about 10 minutes of that program and started crying. I can't let food takeover my life and I don't want to die because of something I could have controlled.

I have also been scared of getting medical problems. My father was recently diagnosed with diabetes and I was recently diagnosed with severe asthma. I'm really ready for a change and I'm happy that I found this site to help keep me motivated.

Thanks for listening.
- Brandy

Ohhh, Brandy honey, you're gonna do it this time.
I firmly believe that at some point... you just hit a wall... and you realize that you will never be happy or healthy, or live the way you want to if something doesn't change... and that's what it takes to TRULY decide that "this damned weight is COMING OFF!"
It sounds like you've hit that wall, and I'm so excited for you to begin!

What are you gonna do to start out? Are you a calorie-counter, or a weight-watchers type person, or...?

Please please please stick around, I wanna be updated on how you're doing!!! And in the meantime, we're all here for support on days when you feel like binging on junk (because we all do occasionally), on days when you JUST don't want to exercise, and on days when you've lost more than you'd ever thought you would, and you need someone to brag to!

Welcome honey, keep at it, we're here with ya!

Hey Brandy!

Welcome! I just joined in october and the people on here are just fantastic! Good luck with your journey, well all be here every step of it!

I had to giggle at this! I am just getting started too and looked at my undies and jeans when I went shopping a few weeks ago and wondered when they started looking like curtains.

We'll just have to hang in there and work our way to healthier lives with low cost undies.

Hi, and welcome! I back up Jelbb's "you-just-hit-a-wall"-theory. There are so many nice people here who love to give support and advice. Please stick around, make a plan, start Very good luck. All of us can do this together!

I'm going to try and to WW Core program. I'm not enrolled in WW currently but I have all my old information. I really like it when I did it before because I felt like I could eat almost anything I wanted. I really want to learn how to eat healthy and cook healthy. I love love love to cook but I also love to use butter and cream. That obviously does not help when I'm trying to be healthy I also need to clean out my cabinets and rid my house of snacky food that does not need to be there!

welcome brandyc! i started on here almost one year ago, left for awhile, and came back in october. this is a great site with lots of support, advice, information, and inspiration! good luck!

Hmm. You know, the butter and cream are REALLY overpowering things... like salt. Your body gets used to the flavour and texture of those two things, and you don't even really taste the food anymore, you know??
Maybe it wouldn't be a terrible idea to try cooking ENTIRELY WITHOUT those two things for like.. two weeks straight or something, then slowly put a little bit back in?
Like weaning yourself off sugar in coffee! I used to be a double-cream-double-sugar chica in my coffee, but I went to straight black coffee for about a month... now when I put in HALF a packet of sweetener, it's almost TOO sweet, and two whole sugars is DIGUSTINGLY sweet!

And, cleaning out those cabinets is a good idea. It's a good idea to recognize trigger foods... foods that make you start eating and keep eating... for me, that's mashed potatoes, or Smartfood popcorn. To keep myself from eating a whole bag of Smartfood, I have to eventually pour water or dishsoap into it, because I will PULL THE BAG OUT OF THE GARBAGE and keep eating it after I've decided to stop.

Ohhhh dear.

YAY for Weight Watchers, tho! Once you've been doing something like points or calorie counting for long enough, you just start to KNOW how many points things are off the top of your head, and you can mentally calculate it out. It's awesomely helpful. And, with Weight Watchers (or calorie counting) you can eat whatever you want in portioned amounts.

Woo hoo!!

Welcome! I think I read on one of the WW boards that the core program is going away, but since you are doing it at home, that shouldn't matter!

I think the biggest thing is small changes. If you go from one lifestyle to a totally different lifestyle when you wake up the next day, you might get frustrated. Maybe try to just avoid the butter or cream? Or start keeping track of everything you are eating and meausring it? Small steps!

Welcome! Hope you like 3FC as much as I do!

OMG....i'm so happy that I'm not the only person who has done that.

Welcome....I am also a prodical chick...i've been gone for 6 months and just started back this week. This place is great, and the support is unwavering. You can ALWAYS find someone who knows exactly what your going thru.

I also watched that "I eat 33,000 calories" show last night, broke my heart and actually made me get of the couch and go for a walk.

Hey there sweetheart!

Reading your post made me nearly cry, because you remind me so much of myself. I also have asthma, and my father recently got out of the hospital and is now living with me (since February)

My mother is over 300 pounds, and I was nearly there as well. I know at times it seems hopeless, and like you're all alone and it's just so hard, but I have everlasting faith in you. I know you can do it and I know together we'll lose weight and finally be able to walk into those stores and slip on those cute pants we've always wanted. I know it's so disheartening when you try on a pair and they don't fit, I've cried several times, but now I look at that pair of pants and I tell myself "I'm going to fit into those" I won't let a pair of pants beat me, I know they won't beat you either!

You're stronger than you could ever imagine! Don't forget it!

I to believe that one some point you just snap and tell yourself that you've had enough. Almost like a mini-breakdown of some sort. And until you experience that, you'll never successfuly lose weight. In my experience anyways.
But, Brandy!
Stick around, this website is incredible when it comes to motivation and support.

I'm just really starting to get serious, too. We can do it!

congrats on your first step towards a healthier lifestyle we're glad to have you, and remember, we're ALL here for you whenever you need it! Good luck! see ya around the forum!

Hi Brandy!

I'm starting today, too. I've been overweight for as long as weight counted, and I'm tired of being trapped in what i now refer to as "prison". Anyway, I'm rooting for you.