I want to lose weight to meet the perfect guy. I don't have a particular guy in mind right now. However I feel that it's necessary to lose the weight to have my ideal. I myself prefer regular build or slender guys and I want to look perfect! When I was a teenager I weighed 100 lbs more than I do now. However I am still overweight and I want to lose 60 lbs or so.

My story is I got down to 174 before the holidays, then I shot back up to 185. Now that it's over I've lost the weight quickly. I haven't done that much so I'm surprised, albeit pleasantly! Last week I lost 9 lbs. I ate potatoes all week and still lost weight! I thought it was bizarre since carbs always caused me to gain. I also took a couple of long walks but not more than a couple.

I'm afraid I might gain it back again since i lost it so quick! I can't do that because I want to lose the weight fast. I'd like to lose the rest in the next 4 months or so. I'm not sure if that's possible but I'm doubting the whole "losing 2 lbs a week" theory simply because i lose a lot more than that without trying much.

Another part of my story is that I was diagnosed with noninflammatory necrotizing myositis. What this means is that my immune system has attacked by muscle cells. When I initially got the diagnosis I lost somewhere between 30 and 40 lbs which I realize now was probably mostly my muscle mass. However I'm on meds now and it's controlled. I've gotten a lot better but I still can't do ANY strength training. I'm frustrated because I can't tone up my arms and chest because of the weakness.

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Losing the weight isn't going to make you a better person. Losing the weight won't magically make men flock to you. You need to learn to love yourself for that to happen, and you can do that before you lose weight (and you SHOULD).

I say it all the time on the forums: Hating yourself thin is no way to get there.

Now on to your weight loss questions:

It's possible most of your "gain" over Christmas was water weight since it came off so quickly and the actual weight of the food you ate, not fat. Considering your condition though, how fast do you usually lost weight? What are you doing to lose weight?

Rarely does anyone actually lose two pounds per week consistently. I lost at a rate of 1.8 pounds per week when I was losing weight, but I never consistently lost weight. Some weeks I might lose four pounds followed by a week of nothing, etc.

Regarding the strength training: is it that you can't do the strength training because of your condition, or because you have lost muscle mass?

I don't hate myself but I can't deny the evidence that men are a lot more interested in me now that I've some lost weight...even if I'm not slender. I was always pretty much no one could ever see that when I had more weight.

Another reason I want to get very slender is simply because of the condition. My upper arm & chest strength is very diminished and I have a hard time doing things with my upper body. That's another reason I have the 110 lbs goal. I'm unclear as to whether or not it's possible for me to get significantly stronger.

I've been losing weight pretty fast when I try. There was a big stall where I couldn't lose anything for about a month and a half. When I do lose I usually lose at least 5 lbs a week. However sometimes I just can't lose weight. I just get too hungry.

It's very possible it was water weight. I'm still glad it's gone though. When I'm trying to lose weight, I will usually walk a couple of hours per day a couple times per week. I don't eat within 4 hours of bed time, and i slow down on drinking soda(diet). I try to make sure to get small amounts of protein and fat(to keep me full) throughout the day and have a large amount of vegetables for dinner.

I want to have a husband and kids very soon. I'm 22 and I want to meet the right guy within a couple of years so that I can have a family. I want a guy who holds himself to high standards and so I believe I should also hold myself to high standards. And I don't just mean weight!

You can meet a guy while fat though, it's not like you're only going to meet some creepy pervert or something. I'm engaged to a guy that I met before I lost the weight and I had high standards. I rejected a lot of guys before him because I had men after me. It's confidence! If you're confident, your weight plays a very small role in who you can attract.

You're also 22 though, you're still very young! Don't fret!


Can I ask what you're doing specifically to lose weight? Are you on a certain eating plan? It sounds like you might be restricting yourself too much, losing weight quickly and then getting hungry (because you restrict yourself) and eating more.

Or you could just be one of those people that doesn't lose in a linear fashion. You might be losing at an average of 1 or 2 pounds per week, but your body doesn't let go of the weight that way. Like I said, mine would rarely show the same amount lost per week.

Hey I edited my post in with these details about what I usually do.

It's very possible it was water weight. I'm still glad it's gone though. When I'm trying to lose weight, I will usually walk a couple of hours per day a couple times per week. I don't eat within 4 hours of bed time, and i slow down on drinking soda(diet). I try to make sure to get small amounts of protein and fat(to keep me full) throughout the day and have a large amount of vegetables for dinner. I'm not that restrictive though. I still eat pizza and stuff like that sometimes. I don't think I "binge" but I do sometimes overeat certain things...cough pizza cough. I also have a weakness for sweets but I don't usually have them in the house.

*I'm not on any particular eating plan. I avoid excess carbs (like a huge plate of pasta). If I end up screwing up one day, I just shrug it off and try to better. All and all it is going well but the whole losing and gaining weight in the blink of an eye is a little weird!

And here is another secret,there is no perfect guy. If such a person did exist he wouldn't care what you weigh.