[careymm]

Hi everyone, just spending the past few hours reading the many posts....all I can say is WOW!!! There are so many stories of inspiration and psoitive attitudes, something I'm really not used to when it comes to the thought of dieting. I've tried everything, or so it seems, and nothing seems to work. I'm thinking it's cause I've tried it all on my own untill now. Personally I don't know any of you, but I can relate to almost every single one of you and finally realize I'm not the only one out there who feels like I do right now. I've been bigger all my life, always thought I was meant to be that way since most of my family is the same. I've got two small kids now and I want to be around and enjoy them as long as possible and I know lossing weight is one way to accomplish that goal. I watch all the "shows" my favorivte is The Biggest Loser, and that is what I'm wanting to be. My goal is to lose atleast 100 pounds, but to start I'll be happy with one and then two and so on. I'm open to any advice, words of encouragement or just anyone who's looking to be a friend as I begin the journey to my new life of getting healthy and not shopping in specialty shops...don't think I've ever been the lucky one to go into just any store at the mall and buy something that fit. I'm a stay at home mom and all my friends are working moms who don't have weight issues and it's hard to be around them now that they are smaller and more active. My husband is athletic his ball team is all couples except for us and another goal is to be able to get out on the field and off the sidelines. I'm looking forward to this new begining and more than that looking forward to getting to know more of you on a friendlier basis....feel free to contact me anytime. Thanks for reading and for all of you have inspired me on my first day on here thank you for making it seem achievable

[RowdyBliss]

Careymm, welcome!



This is an excellent site, and I hope it will be as good a resource for information and encouragement as it has been for me and the friends I've made here. We're all here with different weight goals, but we're united in our quest for a healthier weight and lifestyle - so you are in VERY good company!

As far as total life change - I think that is a terrific attitude towards getting towards your goals of living healthier, living happier and living actively. So many folks want the "quick fix," but the reality of it is that the quick fixes, although dramatic, never EVER last. Slow and steady is, in my humble opinion, the best way to win this race... develop healthy habits slowly over the long-term so that we can learn a new lifestyle that we can actually be happy with for the rest of our lives.

In fact - I'm going to cross-post a quote I posted earlier today re: that very same concept:

"Connections are made slowly; sometimes they grow underground," writes Marge Piercy in her book Circles in the Water. "You cannot tell always by looking what is happening. More than half a tree is spread out in the soil under your feet."

Isn't that a fascinating concept? To me, we are like the trees... our new lifestyles like new saplings... and only half of the wonderful work we are doing is visible to the world! The other half of it - the stuff the world doesn't see, the incredibly difficult but oh-so-worthwhile inner changes - are the roots, the very life-giving part of us. While it is important for us to nurture the parts of us the world sees... it is so much more important to nurture the parts of ourselves that the world does NOT see, the foundations of our new way of living, and that which keeps us rooted and allows us to flourish. The rest of us - the part the world sees - will follow in due time.

I tend to hang out in "Chicks Up for a Challenge" within the Support Groups because I love setting mini goals with a wonderful bunch of ladies over there - we cheer each other on, and we sustain each other when one of us feels discouraged. Please feel free to come check it out!

Again, welcome, good luck, and I hope we see more of you around here!

[Misti in Seattle]

Hi Careymm and So glad you are here, and I wish you all the best on your weight loss. You have it right... watch it go down one pound at a time! Hope you join us in the numbered threads... that is where most of the chat takes place. Also you might want to check out the exercise thread, set yourself a goal... just a small one at first is good so you are not overwhelmed... and help us add up the minutes!!!

I look forward to getting to know you.

[AmmiUK]

Hi Carey and Yes it is amazing isn't it to realise that there are so many other women in the same boat we are in. Ones who know what it's like to be so big, to want to lose the weight but never quite being able to do it before. I have been on many diets over the last 20 years, and even if they worked I would give up early in the diet and gain back what I had lost. This time around I have everybody here to talk to and share my journey with. It makes a huge difference and I am sure you will find the same. I look forward to cheering you when those lbs start coming off.

Hugs,

Ammi