My name is Stephanie and I'm new to this weightloss journey...so here's my story!
I am SO messed up psychologically, seriously. I remember I was around 5 years old and it was my first year of school @ HeadStart. (Now, mind you I'm a TRUE meat and potatoes girl...I mean that literally. Also have been, since I can remember.) This is where I had my first "traumatization", I guess you can say. One day, we had Beef Stew & Beets for Lunch at school. Now, at home, I would only ever eat the meat and potatoes out of my stew. I never liked the veggies. So, I proceded to do the same thing at school. (I also made sure to inform my teacher that I didn't eat Beef Stew & Beets, aside from the meat and potatoes.) Well, lunchtime was over and I still had everything on my plate, minus the meat & potatoes, of course. So, my teacher informs me that I have to stay in the cafeteria until I finished eating all of my stew. So, I sat there for what, to me, felt like hours until I choked down the rest of my food. Finally I was allowed to put up my tray. I made it as far as the trash cans by the tray window and up came my lovely lunch of stew. Needless to say, I haven't eaten Beef Stew & Beets to this day. So, from then on, I have associated B.S., Beets and any other food item not appealing to me w/ throwing up if I eat it.
So, I kind of feel that this is where it may have all started. I used to eat my mom's dinner beforehand. But it seemed like after all this, I stopped eating it less and less when it was veggies or beans. I started bribing my big sister w/ eating my beans for me and I'd give her my dessert. Once she got hipped to this (lol), I started throwing my beans in the trash and covering the evidence w/ paper towels. This went on for a WHILE, until FATE stepped in and mommy caught me in the act! Let's just say after that day, I associated throwing my beans away w/ a belt coming towards my butt and legs. And on top of the whipping, still having to eat a new plate of beans afterwards. *sheesh!* So, from then on, unless it was my mom's cooking, if it didn't look or smell appealing, I did not eat it. Also, I stopped eating at school b/c of this too. Unless it was Friday when we had something like Hamburgers or Pizza (something noone can really mess up), I didn't eat. So, for YEARS I went with like 1, a few times 2 meals a day if I woke up in time for cereal. And once, I got to junior high & high school, I didn't even eat then. I sold my lunch to big hungry (or greedy) jocks or weedheads (can i say that?) who would pay me for mine. All the time thinking that since I didn't really eat, I'd lose some of my chunky thighs and tummy.....ummm NOT!
Okay, enough about my sad love/hate history with food and on to the present.
I am now 27 yrs old and need to lose 200+ pounds and I am passed READY to tackle this thing. Diets never really worked for me b/c I have a select few veggies that I actually eat. SAD and PATHETIC, I know, but the truth. Veggies I DO eat: corn, green beans, sweet peas (if i have to) I'm learning to eat lettuce and tomatoes (outside of a burger or taco), too. Let's just say I'm a work in progress, but DETERMINED. After cutting my hair and going natural, I realized that I have always been blinded by society's take on what beauty is. I have taken the blinders off and am ready to tackle my weight for a these reasons: 1) I LOVE me too much to keep harming myself b/c Me, Myself, and I is all I have in the end, so I need to take care of ME physically. 2) I'm too young for some of these physical ailments I'm having. 3) Because if I'm blessed to ever get married & have children, I need to set a better example for my family. 4) I need to be around long enough to see my goals and dreams come to fruition. and finally 5) Because I want to prove to myself that I CAN do something once I set my mind to it.
My first SMALL step, which for me was HUGE, was to stop drinking Sodas. And let me just say that, on average, a 12-pack may last me like three days...definitely NO more than four. I'd also go days, sometimes a week, w/o drinking ANY water. For the past FIVE days I have not consumed ONE Soda and I've had AT LEAST 64 ounces of water each day. Now I started out doing the Detox of the Fat Smash diet, along w/ this but had a setback when I felt like I was about to seriously die. I know that it was b/c of getting used to not being fed caffeine on the daily, but with the detox it was TOO much. So, since I've gotten used to no caffeine, I'm planning to start my 9-day detox again tomorrow. Hopefully, I can make it though this time around.
Sorry about the long rambling, but thanks for listening! I'm open to hear any suggestions or tips to consider while taking this journey.
Hey, I'm 26 and started a diet, so we are in the same boat. It's been a miracle, but I've gone 2 weeks without a regular pop or chips which are my BIG downfalls, so you can totally do it!
Stephanie, despite your early childhood beet trauma, you don't sound psychologically messed up at all! We're all at the weight we're at for so many reasons. It's what we do about it now that determines the metal of what we're made. And you're ready to make serious changes...that tells me you're made of strong stuff!
Walking away from the sodas and replacing them with water is an excellent start! I am so proud of you! It's small steps like that, replacing foods and behaviors with healthier choices, that will make the biggest differences for you. Giant drastic actions, like the cleansing diet, for me, have never, ever been helpful, and they usually do more damage than good to my mental state.
So, your first step was awesome and you will start seeing the results from that very soon. I suggest you find more small things that would be relatively simple to implement for you. Do you exercise? If not, perhaps you can just start walking a little everyday. Maybe just 5-10 minutes a day and work up to 30. You'll be surprised how quickly you can increase your minutes.
Another thing you can do is to get your mind in a winning mode. If you dwell on the 200 lbs. you need to lose, then you are in danger of defining yourself by that number. Goals are excellent tools that help keep us focused and motivated, but break it down into manageable stages.
One thing I've learned is that those of us battling body issues seem to attack our challenges in an all or nothing method. The reality of it is that not being perfect at any given time is not failure, it is merely a choice in the moment. Some days we make a choice that doesn't support our goals. That doesn't mean we have failed completely. We just accept the consequence of the choice, that it slows our progress at the moment, and we go back to making the choices that support moving toward our goal. After all, we didn't get so big after a single meal or single soda. It was a long series of choices that brought us here.
So welcome to our group, Stephanie. There are a lot of really wise, supportive women here. Do you see what a wonderful thing your 200 lbs did for you? It found you some really good friends!
I am 25 and also have 200 pounds to lose. I am not eating sugar or flour which were present at every meal before so I know how you are feeling about the soda. I'm on day 5.
You can do it, I too have 200 pounds to loose. I have managed 60, but it is hard to get over things from my past as well. My weight and emotional well being is webbed together. Childhood traumas and then some, so I totally get where you're coming from. I think we all do.
The emotional part of loosing weight is SUCH a big part of it. You can and will do it!! Set small goals to achieve like you have with no sodapop..and build from there!
I'm 46 and hate veggies with a passion. Not sure why, I just do. Just wanted to tell you that to let you know you aren't some freak and are not alone I can go months without eating something green and good for me.
Thanks to everyone for the nice, warm, fuzzy, and encouraging welcoming! I look forward to interacting with and getting to know everyone. I've started out good so far today, so we'll see how this Fat Smash goes. I'm going to take it slow and if it's not for me, then I'll just diet my own way. Pretty much seems like all he's mainly trying to teach us to do is remember portion control, healthy food choices, and physical activity in our daily routine. So, if I just remember that, I should be good. Still don't like most veggies, but I can stick to the ones I do like. And I LOVE chicken, so I can do grilled boneless, skinless chicken all day, everyday! Thanks again guys....I'll be around later today. Going get off the computer for a bit. Catch ya later on!
This *NEW* Chicadee had an Epiphany
