.... and the one with the "pretty face" for that matter.

Hi everyone. I'm Natalie.

I scoured this site years ago in college and found the forums helpful but wasn't really in the right mindset to change my lifestyle.

Here I am, three years later and I'm tired of being fat. There, I said it. I'm not chubby. I'm fat. Tears well up in my eyes saying (well typing) it, but I need to say it for my sake.

I gained more than the freshman 15 in college- I gained 45 in total. Yes- totally my fault. I ate like crap and didn't work out my first 2 years.

To me- the good news is- I've pretty much maintained this weight 225-230 for about 4 years (yes- large amount of weight on my frame but at least it's been a constant). My mother has the same frame as me, "boyfriend" body (no hips, no ***, straight long torso/broad shoulders, Lindsey Lohan like if I weighed 110 pounds) and averages from 160-165. So I KNOW I have it in me to be smaller than what I am now.

So why am I here? Tears again. I need assistance. I want to lose the weight, I eat great but I lack the motivation. I look at before & after pictures of these women and think "that's amazing" but when I factor in my lifestyle to everything- I don't see how I can be successful like them. I wake at 5:30 every morning- get to work around 7:30. Sit at a desk all day and come home tired around 5pm where sometimes I have the energy to work out but a majority of the time I don't.

I know once I get on track of being in a routine of eating properly and exercising (at least) 4 times a week, I'll start seeing improvements and be motivated that way- but it seems I'm having a hard time getting to that point.

I live in Seattle (originally from Texas- hence the love for food) which is like the land of healthy people... and being 227, I feel like the fattest person here.

I'm sure a lot of you are like me- you know you're beautiful but you just don't feel it anymore. I haven't felt like "me" in a while lately and I'm tired of it. You'd think that would be motivation enough for me but for some reason I have a hurdle.

I have a goal in 2009 (hey, I'm proactive, what can I say?) to run a marathon. I never said full or half but my friends know of it and always ask me how my jogging/running is going. To be honest- I've done cardio one day this week because I've been so tired from work that I've had no energy to work out any other day.

All in all- I'm tired of being just the funny one with the pretty face. Is there anyone around my age/height/weight (25/5'7/227) who's looking for a partner in this battle?

um, actually,i live in seattle...and im fatter then you!
lol

yes it is a very healthy city. i had some room mates move in to my house from san fran a couple years ago, and i asked if they were hungry. i brought out some avocados, hummas, and pita bread...they thought it was so funny that everyone had been offering them such healthy snacks...
i dont think they knew how many calories where in an avocado (or hummus!)

Hey Natalie!

Well good for you for posting to get some help! 3FC is a great place for support for weight loss.

The main thing is, you need to eat less and move more. "DUH" I know you know that already! So the trick is, you have to figure out how to make it happen. Many, many people get up early, sit all day, and then are tired after work. There are three options: 1. Get up even earlier so you can do your workout; 2. exercise at work--say, find a workout place during lunch, or even just go for a walk or jog (if you still do that) during lunch; and 3. exercise after work--say, find a fitness center that you can stop at on your way home and get it out of the way. (For some people, it's better to do it that way than going home, because then they don't want to go out again.)

Other options: work out in the evening at home--get yourself a machine, or some workout videos, etc.

Food: You need a plan, especially when you're starting out. That means, having some choices of what you can eat at each meal and snack, and making sure they are at hand. None of this run-out-the-door-and-stop-for-a-latte stuff! (And yes, I do know Seattle, coffee capital of the nation. )

So I want to encourage you to think about what changes you can make to get off the weight gaining spiral! Maybe set the marathon idea aside--you need to get your weight down first! Make that your primary goal...

C'mon now, you can do this! You know you can! Look at the other things you've done!

Jay

Hi Natalie. I agree with everythying JayEll states.

What I will add is that you can work the exercise into your weight loss program slowly and at a later date. Maybe you could try going 2 - 3 weeks of just eating on plan. Once you pull that off you'll be feeling very positive and convinced you can add the gym in, too.

The keys for me at least are:

- Planning my menu in advance. I plan every meal for one week and go to the grocery store and buy only the necessary items. I do not plan my snacks, but I keep a wide range of snacks in stock to choose from that compliment my meals.

- Keep NOTHING in stock at home that is bad for me. Two nights ago I wanted to eat trash so badly. But, there was NOTHING in the house for me to eat. I finally settled for 2 spoons of peanut butter. It was a lot of fat and calories, but at least it was the good kind of fat. Now, if I had chips & dip in the house I would have eaten far more than the 190 calories I consumed.

- Going to the gym directly after work. Once I'm home I am home. I CANNOT force myself back out of the house to the gym. So, I have told myself that I MUST go to the gym in order to go home. It's a necessary. And, it works. Last night I sat in the car at the gym parking lot telling myself how badly I did not want to be there. I sat for about 3 minutes and finally grabbed my gear and made my way into the gym. You know what? Toward the end of my workout I actually didn't want to leave!!! It was the toughest workout I've given myself to date and I was loving it. And, I have to tell you, I was EXHAUSTED before I walked in that joint. By the time I left I had mountains of energy. Then I crashed around 10 pm, haha. I slept like a baby.

I'm not sure if any of that will help you, but they are my tried and true tips. Good luck to you! I hope to be seeing you around.

Hey
I am not in the exact situation you are...I don't work I am a stay at home mom. But finding the time with a toddler under toe to exercise is harder then it seems. I tried to do it well he was awake but every sit up I got a bay either crawling on my tummy or smacking me in the face. I couldn't use equipment because he could get his little fingers in the wrong place and hurt himself. I battled with giving up my time on his naps...this was my time to nap or relax to give it up for working out was hard. first day i decided to only exercise his first nap....well now I exercise for both naps 30-45 on my trampoline and weights. I feel better, I don't need a nap anymore and I fell less drained then i did before. so if you decide to try it out after work no matter how tired or grumpy you feel about 2 min in you'll feel awesome and start looking forward to that time...i know I do.

sorry for rambling lol

Welcome to 3FC! You have found a great place for support on this journey. Yes, you have barriers, BUT even more than that you have a vision and a dream. It will take creativity, but even more, consistency to reach your goals. Small changes will add up eventually. Stick around and post often. I know we will hear success stories from you soon!

thanks for everyone's input. I really do appreciate it.

So I know different things (counting calories specific, weight watchers, ie other diet plans) have worked for different people... what have you all found most effective??

I did Weight Watchers after my freshman year in college ( I lost 10 lbs in 10 weeks, not bad considering I was a waitress and traveled for 3 weeks in there) and it worked okay. I still have my calorie slider and I constantly watch my calories, fat & fiber.

Like Amberelise- I don't keep anything "bad" at home. The worse thing I probably have are frozen Lean Cuisines with all their preservative goodness & white rice.

A downfall I have is going out to dinner with friends on the weekends. I'm very social and I'm one of those people where food is a social thing. So yes, the obvious thing would be not to go out to avoid the temptations, but in reality this is an issue for me. Lucky for my friends- they're all in pretty good health.

So thanks to everyone who gave some input =)

Hi NattieJo!

For me, calorie-counting seems to be working for me, plain and simple. I don't plan all of my menus ahead of time, because I am not the primary cook in my household. But before I eat I always decide how much I am going to eat. For example the other night my mom made lasagna from scratch. I logged on to FitDay (more about that later!) and figured out that 1 cup of lasagna was a certain number of calories, and I measured it out and ate that amount! No seconds! It is hard to restrain myself when my mom and sister are pigging out on the stuff, but I felt so much better afterwards!

Now, about Fitday... it is a website (fitday.com) that you sign up for, and basically it is an online food journal. It helps you keep track of the fat/cals/carbs/whatever in everything you eat. Now along with using FitDay I make sure to measure or weigh everything I eat. I don't eyeball anything because I am notorious for thinking I'm eating 1/2 a cup and turns out it was a cup, or that sort of thing.

It sounds like you are very busy and very exhausted when you get home from work. As strange as it sounds, exercise really energizes me! I take my dog for a walk every day. If it's mid-afternoon and I feel like taking a nap, I go on a walk, and I swear when I get home, I am not sleepy anymore. It has also helped me sleep more soundly so I am getting better rest all around.

Now I have found that calorie counting is very compatible with going out to eat. I do that a fair amount and as long as you are smart about it, it can fit into your diet. Most restaurants have nutrition information online. Before I go out to eat I always figure out how many calories I have to "spend" on that meal. I go online and pick out a dish (or a few) that fall within my calorie range and I decide before I even step through the doors of the restaurant what I am going to eat! It's not hard at all, and you'd be surprised how many delicious dishes you can eat-- even non-diet dishes-- that aren't as many calories.

Well, I hope this helps! Good luck to you!