[Sugarball]

First name: Paula

Geographical location: Illinois

Age: 49

Marital Status:Married

Children/Ages: two girls, ages 17 and 11

Occupation: mom and housewife

Pets:3 dogs, Toby, Brandi and Max, 1 cat named Angel, 2 parakeets Zoey and Cloey and one goldfish and a bunch of guppies.

Hobbies/Interests: I like just being outside working in the yard/garden and i enjoy swimming and fishing and walking river banks looking for fossils and neat rocks.

Height:5'9"

Eye/Hair Color:Hazel eyes/ and brown hair with gray creeping in around the edges.

Starting Date of Weightloss Journey: Today, July 29,2003

Starting Weight:280

Present Weight:280

Goal Weight: 150 sounds incredible, but will be happy just to get down under 200, haven't been there since grade school.

Biggest hurdle to overcome in weightloss: I am my biggest hurdle to over come, I eat when I'm sad and lonely and depressed, I crave sweets and carbs, and it seems like since I quit smoking that I'm never satisfied.

Following any specific plan:Lowfat, lowcarb, 1600 a day diabetic diet.

What is different this time in your weight loss efforts than in the past: I have type 2 diabetes and had a heart attack alittle over a year ago. I feel really bad physically and depressed, because I just can't seem to get control of myself and get motivated. I'm scared that if I don't get a handle on my eating, and get motivated to move, I won't be here to do it.

Anything else you would like to share with us: I would love to have friends who know how I'm feeling about myself and would like to share encouragement and help motivate each other, or who would just like to talk about weight loss and excerise. So feel free to email me.

E-mail:[email protected]

[Br00klyn]

I just started (well re-started) my weight loss journey yesterday as well... and thats the first step, right?! These forums are so inspirational and motivational - its absolutely unbelievable...

I agree with you, Im looking to finally be 160 - 170 lbs but I'll be thrilled once I get under 200 (god its been WAY too long!)...

Anyways, Welcome and look forward to encouraging each other...

PM me anytime..

Hugs,
Celina

[Sheila53]

Welcome! You've come to a great place where you will get support and discover that people really do understand what you're going through.

Are you exercising at all? I really encourage you to, as the commercial says, just do it. Buy a video or tape and do something at home, go for a walk, go to the gym, or whatever you want to do, but the hardest part is making yourself do it the first time. We're all here to urge you on, and we get very excited to hear about someone's progress, from taking that first step to reaching reaching goal weight and everything in between.

I'm just a year older than you, and what motivated me was health issues. I don't want to have that first heart attack--and I'm sure you don't want to have another!

Regarding your depression, many here have gone through the same thing. What helped me (besides medication) was 1) exercise, and 2) volunteer work. I didn't want to isolate anymore and I started volunteering at an animal shelter. That snowballed for me--I became a volunteer of the year, then was offered a job, then I started my own non-profit group. I don't think I ever would have done that if I hadn't been depressed so maybe depression was a good thing for me!

I look forward to hearing more from you--again, welcome!

[karefree2]

Welcome. I am 48, married, a son (20), 4 dogs, about the same weight loss goals. I don't have your health problems (that I am aware of anyway) but if I don't get a handle on this now I can see them in my future. We both have things that should motivate us to take care of ourselves along with the rest of the wonderful members of our little club. I think it just comes down to what we want for ourselves. We make choices all day, every day about what we want. Do we want that bag of chips and that container of dip or do we want veggies? Chocolate or an apple? Do we want to lay prone of the sofa and watch a re-run or take a walk? Do we want that taste in our mouths a lot or do we want health and wellness and time with our loved ones? I know I have been making bad choices for a long, long time. I am trying now, as another member of this board suggested, to make better choices for the majority of the time. If I have a piece of chocolate I try to make my next choice a better one and not let that one piece of chocolate throw me into a "poor, poor pitiful me" eating party. If I DO party I am trying to get back on track as quickly as possible. If I can just make better choices 51% or more of the time I am better off than I was making poor choices for the majority of the time which is what I have been doing for 48 years and is why I am overweight to begin with.

You have found a great place to get support and advice. The people here and very friendly and inspirational. They are also very non-judgemental. We are all,( unfortunatel for us that the tribe exists), members of the same tribe.

Again, welcome.