[carboncat]

Hello everyone! I'm CarbonCat, and I'm a writer in Washington, DC. I've recently moved here after 12 years in NYC to start a new job. I love my job, love my dear old friend I moved in with, and love my new gym! However, I don't love my body. I used to teach aerobics when I was in college, and I weighed 125 pounds. However, I also had an eating disorder, alternately binging/purging and restricting.

I'm now 40 (41 in two weeks!) and weighed in in early March at 200 pounds. I gained a lot of weight on psych meds, which helped me get over my eating disorder but wreaked havoc on my body. Five years ago, I went through an awful breakup, and because I was heartbroken and scared to date again, I became very reclusive and drowned my sorrows in food. I was 165 lbs at the time, and in decent shape from yoga and belly dance. Obviously that's not the case anymore.

One year ago, I injured my shoulder badly, and couldn't lift my arm over my head. My shoulder became frozen, which necessitated six months of physical therapy. I fell into a deep depression, and because I'm a writer and was working from home, I pretty much just stayed on the couch and cried, ate, and wrote.

Things are looking up now, though. I have a great new teaching job, I'm not isolating myself (as much) anymore, and I'm very committed to working out again. The passion I used to have for exercise has come back. I've lost four pounds since March 15, which isn't a lot, but it's very encouraging! I hope to get my body back to the point where I feel comfortable taking dance classes again. I used to be in a tribal-style belly dance company in NYC, and I really, really miss it.

But for now, it's the gym, and I'm going five days a week. When I saw 200 on the scale, that was it -- I knew I had to make a change. My favorite workouts are Zumba and Bodypump. Today I did yoga for the first time since my injury, and I feel such a sense of pride. Can't wait to go back! Other classes I've tried include spinning, core barre (which is fun but only offered twice a week), and Metabolic Effect (hated it; it's similar to the Insanity workout but with weights.) I've also downloaded the Couch-to-5k podcasts and have just started doing them on the treadmill.

My first goal is to get back down to 165, where I was when my ex and I broke up. My next goal is to see the scale read below 150. My ultimate goal is 125, but if that proves to be too much, I'll be happy at 140! I'm vegetarian and eat fairly well; lots of fruits and veggies, Amy's frozen items for convenience, whole grains only, and the occasional chocolate (my weakness.) I don't eat out very often at all; I used to, and that was one of the things that packed the weight on. Because it's so easy to eat out in NYC, and my apartment kitchen was so small, I almost never cooked. I don't have children, and I've been divorced and living alone for 11 years (until December, when I moved in with my friend), so it always seemed kind of pointless to cook for myself. Learning to cook healthy meals from scratch is going to be one of my big challenges.

I'm excited to meet others here and encourage each other to lose weight healthfully. It's especially important for me to have others to check in with on this journey, since I have an eating disorder history. And hey, can anyone recommend good workouts on Netflix streaming, especially dance ones? My roommate has a Roku and projector, and we have a pretty big living room, so I'd love suggestions for making use of these things!

Sorry to write a novel! Happy to meet you! xox

[toastedsmoke]

Welcome!!! It's great to meet you. It seems you're already well on your way! I think learning to cook healthy meals is a challenge for everyone starting this journey but its part of the fun. Since being on this journey, i've become obsessed with cookbooks and recipes and the Food Network and trying to figure out ways to make healthier meals. It's strange because prior to this journey, I'd never particularly enjoyed cooking although I of course enjoyed eating all too well.

Re: workout videos. I don't have Netflix anymore since i moved away from the States but I'm big into working out at home (other than running and elliptical at the gym- I did C25k om a treadmill too). I'm more of a kickboxing workout video girl myself but I've tried out most of the 10 minute solutions dance workouts (they're ok, not too challenging), Beto's Zumba DVDs (good and challenging, I'd think a fun at home workout if you love Zumba) and Beach Body's Hip Hop Abs programme (it's a good programme, a little cheesy IMHO but pretty fun and challenging).

Congratulations on your new life, your new plan and of course a new year in the next couple of weeks! Here's to success in all your goals. Looking forward to seeing you around the boards!!!

[LilacGirl]

Hello! Welcome!

I've been meaning to look for some good workouts on Netflix streaming myself.

I would encourage you to try dance classes now. I used to feel that I didn't want to start taking ballet classes again until I was thinner... or until I could do the splits or whatever. Even though my eating habits haven't been good for a while I feel that going to ballet regularly has at least kept me from gaining weight. Also maybe even more importantly I have met some really nice and interesting people and it gets me out of the house. I've been in adult dance classes where there have been all sizes and everyone was always very accepting of everyone else.

I hope you have a great week!