I've been trying to lose weight ever since I was 15. I was around 180lbs at that time. I ended up losing a lot of weight somehow. I was 155lbs when I found out I was pregnant. After giving birth, I weighed 168lbs. 3 years later I'm at a horific 190. THIS is the biggest I've ever been, and hate myself.

I am type-1 diabetic (Insulin Dependant), and I am a compulsive Eater. I eat ANYTHING as long as it's there! My doctor said if I don't lose weight ASAP, I might not be around very long. That scares me.

My new goal was to lose as much weight as posible. With my height 5'4" I want be 125lbs-that is my ULTIMATE goal, but anything is better than what it is now.

I am facing a forclosure, so I have NO money to join a gym, or weight loss program. What can I do to achieve maximum results?

Hi Krissie!

Well I'm glad you're here!

Best thing about weight loss is...IT DOESN'T COST MONEY!!!! You can do this without a dime I am a calorie counter. There are great sites you can check (I use a calorie counter from free dieting dot com) to see how many calories you should be consuming in order to lose weight! You CAN do this!

For exercise, start by going for walks around your community. I also have several DVD workouts that are cheap (less than $10 from WalMart). You can also do jump rope or jumping jacks and a ton of resistance exercised using just your own body weight (lounges, squats, sit ups, etc.).

Start with mini goals, like lose 5 pounds by such a date. This will help you stay motivated. Keeping in touch with us here at 3FC will also help you stick to your goals.

And above all...remember why you want to lose weight!

Good Luck!

Hi, Krissie!

I think the first thing to do is to try to get a handle on the compulsive eating situation. I'm also prone to binges, especially when it comes to chocolates, crackers, and bread. I've learned that I simply can't keep those kinds of foods in the house, at least not often and only in very small quantities. To make sure I don't feel deprived, though, I don't overly restrict consumption of those things when I'm in public places, where I know I won't binge (like at work or at friends' houses).

Who else do you live with? Are you able to control what groceries come into the house? If there are other adults living in the house who might object to changes you'd like to make, can you sit down and have a heart-to-heart? It really helps to prevent food items that trigger binges from coming into the house in the first place. If you're still fighting the urge to snack even when you're not all that hungry, try some low-calorie snacks. (Frozen grapes are my current favorite!)

In terms of exercise, there's a lot you can do at home, as Tori mentioned. It's also great if you can find a way to interject exercise into normal parts of your daily routine. For example, maybe you could start walking to work or you could make physical activity a part of your family together time? You could start out by going for walks or bike rides with your child, or maybe having a "dance" time or something fun like that.

Also, as Tori mentioned, I think keeping up with other people at 3fc is a great way to keep on plan. It's important to stay honest about your progress, even when you fall down and go off plan. It's too easy to fall off the wagon, decide not to deal with it, and let things get away from you. So stay accountable by talking to people here (or at home) or maybe keeping a food/exercise journal.

Sorry for the novel! I hope that some of this helped a bit. Good luck with everything, and feel free to pm me if you want! Let us know how it goes.

I'm 5ft4 too and my ultimate goal is 125, but like you said anything is better then where were at now. I also have a problem with compulsive/emotional eating, its almost like a drug to me. I have a picture of myself on the fridge from three years ago when I was at 130.. it sometimes stops me when I open the fridge for a binge. I have just started actively trying to lose weight on October 1st. There are a couple of things Ive been doing that I think help.
1. I drink lots of water! I try to get 64 oz in a day (or 4 bottles of water.) I didnt go into it saying I was going to eliminate soda.. but when Im drinking all that water Im not thirsty and my stomach is full so I rarely grab a pop.

2. Ive never been a breakfast person, but Ive been trying to get a bowl of cereal or oatmeal down every morning, it really helps me from overeating at lunch.

And really thats all Ive got so far, I havent began excercising yet, but Im sure that will really help.

I do know youtube has alot of workout dvd videos... you dont have to buy the dvds because the workouts are right there on youtube.

I just wanted to add that I've used some of the bellydancing workouts on youtube and really enjoyed them. Good cardio, plus it really helps you to become more aware of where different core muscles are and how to move them.