New member!
 

Hey everybody! I'm also in college and looking to lose some weight! I just joined this site tonight because after eating almost an entire bag of chocolate I decided it was time I get some support and have some accountability. Basically, my highest weight was 156 lbs (not too bad) and I'm currently down to 132.2 lbs, but it's taken a couple years to get this far. My ultimate goal is to be a fit and toned 120 lbs. Now, I don't have much to lose and didn't have a lot to lose from the outset, but clearly it's been a long road if it's taken me years to lose 14 lbs. I'm notorious for getting down to about the weight I'm at now, plateau, and then gain back the lost weight. So now I'm in this for good, I've decided that I'm going to lose the extra fat and keep it off. Most importantly, I want to start living a more active lifestyle. I'm doing this so far by walking a lot more (I just moved to New York City) and playing soccer. Also, I really want to meet some people on here that can help support me and who I plan on supporting as well. I just started a blog that I'm planning on keeping up with so please visit it (the link should be in my profile) and leave any comments, advice, or what have you! Good luck to everyone else as well!:carrot:

I am a first timer and can't believe I am using a website but I really need the support to stay active and eat right. I will be 51 next month and am horribly out of shape. Some of this is due to recent cancer treatment but a lot of it is due to bad habits and feeling like I don't have the energy to do the work. I would love it if someone would stay in touch and keep me on track. Happy to help you also any way I can.

Wow it's great to read your stories, makes me feel I belong here :)

I hit 31 this year and I'm discovering it's not as easy to be slim as it used to be. I'm naturally tall so I carry any weight pretty well, but I could never be called 'thin'. I've got broad shoulders which I can't do anything about, and a belly which I can.

I have a stressful job and have had a particularly difficult time of it lately; when I'm stressed I don't eat or sleep or find time for doing things for myself (gym etc.). I've been lacking in energy and motivation for, well, life really.

I want to get back on track and now I feel a bit better about work I think it's the right time. I need to start eating (at the moment I struggle to eat one meal a day - really not good...) and start doing more exercise, and I hope this site can help motivate me to do that.

I am a size 10/12, 5ft 9inches, weight 135lb. Sounds about right but it's all in the wrong places! (small boobs, big belly).

I think I should join in with my story...I'm 3kiddos and I have 3kiddos. I'm 29 years old. While in highschool I had no issue with weight, I was about 135. I ate healthy food at home and was very active working and hanging out with friends. Well then I went off to college and got to eat whatever, and I did eat whatever. I started dating and all of the dating consisted of going out to eat.

Before you know I discoverd Italian food and hamburgers and french fries. I probably gained 20 pounds the first 2 years of college by the time I got married at 20 I was up to 167. I just rationalized it and didn't worry about. When I got to the point where I was heavier than my husband at 172 I decided I needed to do something. I got a treadmill and started walking, slowly I lost some weight, back down to 167.

Then I got preggo with baby #1, I ate like food was going out of style while preggo. Had the baby looked like a blimb and started the excerise and starving myself eating broccoli and slimfast shakes.....got preggo when my baby was 5 months old.....eat like crazy had baby #2. I knew I had to get under control. I excerised and started researching healthy eating......got down to 145, then baby #3.

After baby number three I worked my but off, literally, I got down to 138 by eating right and exercising. Then I got lax, got up to 154, and here I am trying to get to 138/135...currently at 147.4...and working it down..

I've learned some lessons along the way. I can't have junk food, not even for treat, it will ruin my efforts and bring the cravings back. I've got to eat as much unprocessed foods as I can. Prepackaged foods are okay only for emergency situations but I can't live on those things forever. I have had to read labels and measure my foods and THINK carefully about what I'm putting in my mouth. I'm just praying I reach my goal and stay there. It's really a life style change... this culture makes it so hard to stay slim...it's an everyday fight. My friends and family are tired about me preaching about it but I've got to do this for me.....sz 4 tastes better than anything!

Oh, how I love to see all the newbies :dance: .... :welcome: one and all....

I'm 51 :faint: I never thought I'd be in the best shape of my life at this age, I run, I bike, I weight train, I do Yoga... So everyone who feels old, DON'T!! .... but I still can't lose the last 15 OYE!

I'm new here, too. My story begins when I was a child; my mom didn't know how to cook, and fed us junk all the time (sugary cereals, pop tarts, rice-a-roni, hamburger helper, little debbie cakes in the lunch bag, etc.), plus we were really poor, so when we (rarely) went out for dinner, it was to fast food joints like McDonald's or Taco Bell. I developed a wicked sweet tooth, and a severe obsession with carbs. One time in high school, a cousin and I bought a dozen from Dunkin Donuts and each ate half over the course of one afternoon. I moved out of my mom's house at 17, but not knowing how to cook, I ate mostly french fries, ramen noodles, mac'n'cheese, and frozen burritos.

The thing was, I had a very high metabolism then. I weighed under 115 during high school, and most of that was muscle (I rode my bike everywhere, and had a job in a hardware store with lots of lifting). I had a visible 4-pack until I was 22. People used to tell me, when they saw me eating a chocolate bar as big as my head, that my eating junk would catch up with me, but I scoffed and said "how is what I eat NOW going to affect me later in life??"

Oh, the folly of youth. What I didn't realize is that they were right -- but not in the way I thought they meant. Weighing between 105-115 lbs. for most of my life, I had grown accustomed to eating everything in sight, from a whole pint of Ben and Jerry's in a single sitting, to two orders of Nachos BellGrande for lunch. It was the HABITS (not the calories from that Symphony Bar) that have followed me and caused me trouble.

At 109 lbs., when I was about 22, I moved to North Carolina (part of the deep-fried South) from California. There's not a whole lot people do in my town for fun except eat and drink. So in addition to my bad eating habits, I also started drinking fairly heavily. By the time I had been in NC for three years, I had gained 27 lbs., due to the drinking and the metabolism slowdown that occurs between 22-25. At Thanksgiving, I stepped on my aunt's scale and it registered 136. I was shocked, having not weighed myself in a long time, and thought it must be broken, but she assured me it was not. I bought a scale of my own.

So at 25, I was trying to diet for the first time. I cut out second servings, and managed to lose 7 lbs. in a couple of months just by doing that, but that wasn't enough for me. I became fascinated with CRON (and all things longevity) for a time, and on a 1000-1200 diet, I got down to 112, but it was unsustainable for me... too little calories and I was HUNGRY! I went off CRON, and ate my way right back up to 129.

At 26, I tried a low-carb diet, which didn't really work for me, since I don't eat meat, and there isn't much variety that way. I went off low carb, joined a gym and ate a lot of salads, and managed to get down to 119 for my wedding last June. I generally eat fairly healthily (no refined carbs, no meat except seafood, little fried food, lots of fiber, etc.).

In the past 4 months, though, I have gained the same 10 lbs. back again. I want to be back in the comfort level of 105-113 where I spent most of my life except for the past two fat years. I am going to start trying for real to lose weight and keep it off.

Hi. my name is Lu and I am new to this site. I was invited to this site by Meowee. So thank you Meowee for the invitation.
I weigh in 143.5 and I want to go down to my first goal weigh in 125 lbs. This week, I planned out my exercise routine and what I will be eating daily. I have to have a schedule because if not I lose focus on what I have to do.
I hope to get to know each of you.

[I]"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then is not an act, but a habit."

Change requires determination, energy and aspiration, the ability to intentionally bring into being something we want. It requires starting over even when we blow it or get discourage.[/I]

This is from my introduction:

Quick background:

I have always been SKINNY, all my life. Even after having 2 kids, I was the woman who bounced back in a few months to her pre-pregnancy weight. (Loose skin and stretch marks, however, have been my nemesis!)

About 5 years ago, I started taking some meds that caused me to gain a lot of weight, and even when I stopped taking them I found I couldn't lose it. When I went to the doctor to have my cholesterol checked, they did my BMI and I was in the "overweight" category. I was shocked. I guess I didn't realize, you know? I mean, I knew I had gained some weight, but.. I also should mention that I am only 5'0 so what sounds like a small number to some was actually a lot on me. 5 pounds on my frame is 2 jeans sizes.

I never really had to watch what I ate or anything, so it was very difficult for me to learn about nutrition labels, calorie counting, fat grams, fiber/protein, etc. and exercising.. forget it! I hate it! lol.

Well, long story short, I was able to lose 23 pounds over the course of about 18 months and get down to my healthy weight of 112. (Yes, I know, sounds small! But seriously, that's MY healthy weight, I swear!)

THEN, I started dating my now-husband. This is a man who likes his meat and potatoes, but please hold ALL other vegetables. No wheat please, and definitely lots of sugar in the coffee. You get the picture. Add in sports events with all its soda and hot dogs, etc. and pretty soon, my weight loss victory was completely in the ruins. I didn't gain it ALL back, but quite a bit of it.

In the last year of so, I have lost and regained the same 10 pounds. I am SO sick of this roller coaster ride! I want OFF!

So here I am... water-drinking, body-moving, leafy-green-eating, step-counting, the whole nine yards. I don't WANT to feel sluggish anymore. I don't WANT to feel irritable and cranky anymore . I don't WANT to feel tired all the time.

This time, I have to do it. I am 31 years old.. I have so many years still to look as hot as I feel! Right?!

Besides, I have a whole CLOSET full of clothes that don't fit and I'm way too cheap to buy new ones. lol. I've been wearing the same 2 pairs of jeans for the last 6 months. Anyone else ever have to do that? It sucks!

So, nice to meet you all! I look forward to getting to know you all better and to hopefully get some support from you, as well as offer my own!

Welcome and good luck!

Thanks! :)

Here's my story:

At the end of the school year for 07/08 I weighed 140lbs. People said that was a healthy weight for my height but I did not feel healthy at all. So I went on a strictly vegan diet and lost 25lbs over the summer.

When I came back to school this year teachers, councelors, and students started commenting about how thin I looked and how it didn't look healthy. I was called into the councilors office and they wanted to talk to me about my diet and how I lost so much weight. I told them that I was very active, horseback riding, rock climbing and biking were my activites. People kept on bugging me about my weight, so I decided that I would put some on to appease people.

It wasn't long before I hit 130, and then after that I hit my current weight of 145. Now I'm frustrated. I'm nowhere near as fit as I was, my rockclimbing skills have declined and horseback riding isn't nearly as fun because I get out of breath.

I'm starting to diet on the anti-estrogenic diet now and I'm hoping that I can drop off the weight that I gained back off again.

I'm new here, so this is my post to introduce myself and my story =]

My Story
 

I have never been overweight but my eating habits have been very poor all of my adult life. I went to university weighing about 127 lbs and came home at 144 and yo yo'ed between 128-144 for several years. This summer it dawned on me that being a healthcare professional I'm always preaching the benefits of healthy living but not practicing it in my own life and honestly I felt hypocritical. Making the right food choices and making time to exercise is difficult especially when you have a busy life and are inundated as we all are daily with ads and displays of unhealthy options. The struggle to make healthy lifestyle choices is something I have in common with my patients and I was just fortunate I was still young and hadn't had the opportunity to do as much damage to myself as they had. I made the decision to improve my habits.

I have discovered a love of whole fresh foods and embraced clean eating. I had been a runner on and off since university but had knee problems that made running for longer than 3 months at a time impossible. On the advise of a physical therapist I lost 10 pounds and began knee strengthening exercises and have been able to run without much pain for the past four months. I hope I am able to maintain the changes I have made for the rest of my life and look forward to being further inspired by all courageous people on this forum.

Hi,
ive really enjoyed reading this thread and hearing everyones stories.
Im 27, newlywed and live in Australia.
I have previously always mainted a very low bodyweight (b/w 100-110lbs) and i am 5'4 however this year i have put on 25lbs in a matter of months due to my sedentary job and bingeing (depression as i am unhappy with my job and some aspects of my life). I am EXTREMELY uncomfortable with my body at the moment and dont feel at all sexy or attractive. My short term goal is 121lbs and 115 after that. I want to achieve this goal by excercise and calorie control and not by starvation which never really works anyway.
Currently i am looking for a new job and hope that i will be successful in that regard soon so that i am happy in all areas of my life!

i spent many years as a competitive swimmer so i dont really enjoy exercise but these days use my cross trainer daily and also take one of my 3 british bulldogs for a walk which we both love!

Hi, all! I just found this board - actually I found it first through the "before and after" photos section. Amazing inspiration!!

I am so glad to find this forum, as I need all the help I can get staying on track. Coming here and finding others in similar situations is really, really helpful. My friends are mostly either a) naturally thin, b) super-athletic and don't have to worry about extra pounds or c) not ready to improve their lifestyles.

My story, briefly: I was always thin, but of course I never really thought so at the time. Not necessarily a healthy thin, as in I never was athletic AT ALL. Before my 30s, I was always around 120, ranging from 118 to 128 or so. Then wham-o, got hit with a wicked metabolism shift.

In the last couple of years I have packed on almost 30 lbs - and that isn't muscle weight, as I wasn't exercising regularly. I am small-boned so it *really* shows up on me.

So - time to get serious for the long term.

I had done South Beach in the past with great success, but it wasn't working out when I tried it again recently. So I added calorie-counting (still mostly a South Beach diet). AND really getting into exercising after months and months of not really doing anything regularly. I started doing a weight-lifting Body Pump-type class, yoga and jogging or walking (@ 10% incline) on a treadmill.

[ETA: As of October 2009, I am doing C25K!!]

My focus is very much on long-term health and maintenance and I am trying really hard not to obsess about the number on the evil scale. :devil:

I seriously need to lose 15 lbs and in my dreams 20-30. Those pounds are mostly in my belly now, which is NOT healthy.

So here's to kicking the butt of those evil few extra pounds!!
Go, featherweights (love that name)!!!

My Story...

Until the age of 22 I was super fit and a mere 98-102lbs at most. With a background in ballet, modern dance and jazz I never really had to do too much to keep fit. BEFORE getting married the gym was part of my life once or twice a day Monday-Friday and rarely I would go on a weekend. I could eat as much as any man I knew and not gain an ounce.

THEN...I got married at 21 and stopped going to the gym. In the first year we were married I would gain and lose 5 lbs religiously until I got pregnant into the second year of our marriage. I gained a healthy 26lbs while pregnant and had a beautiful baby boy. Three beautiful baby boys and ten years of marriage later I am at the same weight I was when pregnant with my first son.

I don't look bad. THANK GOD to my parents for having good genes! BUT my BMI is 27. My doctor says I should lose at least 15lbs. I need to be between 102 and 111 for my height. I am making a HUGE lifestyle change.

I am for the first time, SINCE I GOT MARRIED, making time to eat regularly, making time to workout, making an effort to know how many calories are going in versus going out. I feel that as a Mom and Wife many of us put ourselves last. I don't want to become a statistic and I want to take control now before I merge into the obese BMI area.

I am glad I was directed here to the "featherweights" because I FINALLY feel I can talk to someone about where I am at health wise and speak about how I got here and not make those mistakes again! Reading your stories makes me feel very normal and very much like I have a group of women who understand me!!! This is a wonderful feeling to feel like I can belong and that by helping each other we can be our best selves!!!

very glad to see this thread. i always feel awkward talking to people about losing 20 pounds when there are so many out there fighting with 100+.

In 2005 I was 140. I wasn't happy, but I wasn't particularly unhappy. I could still make myself feel sexy. I met my recent ex of 2 1/2 years that summer and the end of last year I weighed in at 170. Not vastly overweight, but I had to wear frumpy shirts to work to hide my body. I've lost approx 10 pounds though I yo-yo between 160 and 165.

I have bipolar, leaning toward depression, as well as ADD and undiagnosed anxiety-induced OCD, so even cleaning up my apartment is almost painful - I can't get up motivation to do *anything* these days. I recently started new medications, including Adderall XR, so I hope that will help me curb my horrendous appetite. I have had really unhealthy eating habits, but I'm currently experimenting with a variety of healthy alternatives to help my break out of the old ways.

Thanks for having such a great group! :carrot:

Hi, I'm Joan, and pleased to be a "Featherweight" LOL. I sure don't feel like one.

Here's my story, which I just posted in the general "introductions" (hope that's ok, mods, just learning the ropes here):

Hello, I'm Joan, I'm new, and I'm excited to join the forum.

I am 5'5" and have hit 156-57, which is shocking for me personally. Not saying it isn't a perfectly ok weight for someone else, but for me it's just too much. I've piled on 20-25 pounds in the last two years. Reason? EATING! Reason for eating? Oh, probably too much work and stress, not enough sleep and time to myself. And now my stomach feels hopelessly stretched out and hungry. It's almost a game now, how much I can eat. It's horrible.

I'm down to one pair of stretchy pants, which I HATE! I want new clothes, but refuse to buy the size I need. I'm becoming withdrawn, avoiding going out in public, letting my grooming slide. (My poor husband!) I've gotten very sedentary, too, forgoing the long walks I used to enjoy. Am I gaining weight because I'm bummed, or bummed because I'm gaining weight? Bit of both, but now definitely more the latter. I used to be fit and cute!

I actually am blessed with a very nice life, nothing deeper going on and nothing major to blame, knock wood, just in a terrible, undisciplined rut. I suppose it doesn't help that I'm in my 40s.

Every day I vow to knock it off, then by 3 p.m. I'm binging. I just ate three slices of leftover pizza, and it's only 4 pm. Didn't even enjoy it all that much.

I feel I'm on the verge of REALLY going to a scary weight. I do know how to diet, have done it successfully before, but have never needed to knock off more than 5-10 pounds, so it didn't feel like the HUGE task it does now.

My immediate need is for a suggestion for DAY ONE. How do you get past that first horrible day, when you feel all blubbery, unmotivated and HUNGRY? I'd greatly appreciate any specific tips or tricks. Once a few pounds come off, I know I'll get motivated, but every day I try to take that first step and I always blow it!

As a newbie, I apologize if I sound whiny or weak or offensive in any way. It's not a huge amount of weight I need to lose, but I need to lose it--I feel heavy and sluggish, and it bothers me. I need my old energy back.

Oh, and how do you get one of those cool ruler thingys?

thanks!

Healthy Eating needs to be a priority
 

Hi Joan (and Everyone else),

Coincidentally, Joan, you and I are nearly the same size. I'm 5'5" and 156 pounds (I think.) I'm also new on here. To answer your last question, to get one of those cool ruler thingys we have to send 20 e-mails and be online some amount of time -- it prevents spam. I better get cracking. I might as well start here. Before I start, though, I wanted to say, Joan, it sounds like you're going through a tough time and not feeling so hot and I hope this forum and this website provides you some support and I hope it is a good first step (for both of us!). Also I know you feel really huge right now but, as I explain below, 156 does feel big but we really aren't that far out of normal. I wear a size 10-12. What always worries me is gaining more weight. Your post said you were down to one pair of pants and I suspect you don't feel like doing this, but I would recommend you go out and get your hair done and buy an outfit that makes you feel good -- it seems like you're not feeling too good about yourself and that might help. (Have you seen that show What Not To Wear? It's taken me a while to figure out how to dress for a 5'5" 156 but there are some outfits that look good.) Also think about all the wonderful things about yourself. Someone once recommend that I make a list of all my good points when I get down on myself and it has worked well for me. Our weight is just a part of who we are. I'm worried that you might be on a downward spiral and I hope not. My goal is always to not gain any more weight and worry about losing weight later. So let's see where this website takes us Joan!


So here's my story:
Unlike Joan, I've been around 152-156 since I was 18 years old (I was probably 142 before that.) So sadly for over 20 years I've wanted to lose 20 pounds. (I am glad there is the featherweight forum because I do feel guilty complaining when I hear about how much weight other people have to lose.) I went on a successful diet once when I was about 20 and got down to 136 and gained it back pretty quickly and then 4 years ago I got down to 147 when I was training for a triathlon. The weight came back pretty quickly. Sometimes I think maybe I am suppose to just weigh around 150 and then sometimes, like now, I feel like I'm starting to slip and get closer to 157 or so. My goal my whole life has been not to allow myself to get any bigger than my highest weight. That's basically what I've done my whole life and then I have panic attacks every once in a while when I feel like my weight starts to sneak up higher than my highest weight. I'm there now. I also see the pictures of everyone here after they have lost weight (and are 5'5" and weigh around 135) and I do think I'd look better if I lost 18-20 pounds. I've always felt "not attractive enough" because I was carrying around the 20 pounds.

If I were thinking objectively about me and my weight, I would say that my problems are the following:
- I don't really have very good eating habits and, primarily, I don't plan well. I'm not a picky eater and I'm not attached to junk food. I actually really like healthy food but, with my current poor planning, it is really inconvenient to eat healthy. A lot of time I eat stupid, unhealthy things because I'm hungry and need to eat.
-I'm single and to eat meals alone is lonely and so I don't like to plan for them and focus on them because it causes me to focus on something that makes me lonely.
-I also eat emotionally.
-I snack mindlessly while surfing the net or watching tv.
-I also go to lunch with co-workers who eat very unhealthy food and they pressure me to go and I need to say no.
-Similarly my co-workers bring in a lot of junk food to share and have cake, etc. and I need to be able to say no.
-I have a sugar addiction
-I also don't believe in myself that I can lose weight
-I don't believe that, once I lose weight, I'd be able to keep it off.
-I exercise a lot (way more than I should probably, 3- 4 hours a day) and so it really comes down to how and what I eat.
-However, I exercise so much it is hard for me to figure out how few calories I can actually eat. I tried to diet a few weeks ago and almost passed out even though I had 1800 calories that day.
So here are my goals:

1. Goal weight 138
2. Condition myself to plan to eat healthy and make it a part of my life -- make it a priority to eat healthy. I think if I had 10 or so healthy recipes I fixed regularly it would be easier, and healthy snacks. Maybe I could start freezing meals, etc. Again, I need to make it a priority and learn to take care of myself this way. I was reviewing the posts on the Whole Foods forum and I will start posting there too.
3. Also eat at regular times and figure out when I need to eat
4. Find and make a habit of healthy alternatives to express my emotions rather than eating emotionally.
5. When I find myself wanting to snack when I am watching tv or surfing the net, stop watching tv or surfing and go do something else for a while -- maybe yoga or a walk or talk on the phone or play the piano or guitar or read a book or go to sleep.
6. I need to make it a habit to sleep more and drink more water.
7. I think I should start out trying to eat 1500 calories a day and see if I still have enough energy.
8. Create intermediate goal weights -- 153, 150, 148, 146, 144, 142, 140, 138 and be very proud of myself when I achieve each of those goal weights.
9. Believe that if I change my lifestyle as indicated above (in goals 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 above) I will be able to maintain my goal weight.

So that's a good start I suppose. I look forward to talking with you all!

Hey artichokegirl, thanks for the input. self-awareness is step one, I think.

I totally agree, 5'5" and 156 is not a bad weight for some at all. In fact, I am firmly convinced some have a body type and frame that is just meant to have a bit more weight, and actually look best that way. For example, I know some very healthy, athletic people who are just built strong, they are not meant to be skinny, they look great with a bit more weight, and they carry it beautifully. As opposed to people who are thin, but look like they are trying too hard to be that way--it doesn't look right.

I've gained my weight because I've been eating like a mad dog. No mystery. That's how I know this number is not natural for me. The bingeing has definitely been work/stress-related, but now the weight is creating more stress than the work, ya know? And though you're absolutely right about a new outfit etc. and self-esteem, I would really rather diet back into the nice clothes I already have. Stubborn that way. :-)

I really think if I just stop eating like a pig, I'll settle nicely back to my natural 135-40 range, which is something I can reasonably maintain at my age (48). There's no way I can be 120-125 again, like I was in my 20s and 30s. That was great, but just not reasonable now. My aim is really everything in moderation.

My husband's 90-year-old, slim and stylish grandmother always had the best dieting advice for everyone: "Stop eating so much!"

Good luck, girl--let's do this!

Hey Joan,

So in your original post you wanted advice on the first day of dieting. Did you get any advice about that? I'm always reluctant to make suggestions or give advice but, as i think about other people's problems, it kind of helps me to work through my own thing on here -- we all really have a lot of similar problems. Reading your post you say you're eating "like a mad dog" and need to stop eating like a "pig." Yeah I think we all know what that's like. As someone once said to me, we didn't get this way eating carrot sticks. So what I was thinking is maybe if you found alternative ways to deal with your stress. To me, emotional eating is always a symptom that I have something else going on in my head. So why not address the problem rather than the symptom? You also can start dieting, etc., but it seems like there's something else that makes you want to eat, as you say, "like a pig" so unless you figure out how to deal with the something else, isn't it going to be hard to diet? But, you know, you've sent two e-mails and so what do I know, huh? You know yourself best.

So I was thinking one thing that would make my life really easy would be for someone to write up a menu for me each week and then tell me what to buy at the grocery store. I never really learned how to plan meals, cook, shop, or really eat from my parents. My mom did everything. I probably should learn it for myself but I think I need a push start. I may look around for a nutritionist.

Anyway, at some point I think we're suppose to go to some other thread since this is the "what's my story" thread. Maybe I'll jump over to whole foods or the weekly featherweight discussion. Good luck to you.

I hear ya, and thanks for your thoughts. My "underlying problem" right now has been too much work, family obligations, etc. Busy working mom syndrome, really accelerated in the last two years. The eating is a stress reliever. I feel "out of control" in that department, so have been similarly "out of control" in the eating. However, I have had enough of that, and am ready to get back in control, in a good way. (Guess I have "control issues." Oh well, it's always something, lol.)

As for you, yes, at your age I couldn't cook and didn't know what to eat, either. There must be plenty of menu ideas on this forum. I think overall the idea is keep it simple: grilled lean meats, fresh fruits and veg, starches in moderation, not too much salt, etc. Usually it's more economical to eat this way, too.

Anyway, yes, I am in the weekly discussion thread now, too. See you there!

Well I was always a slim child, all the way up until I was about 9 or 10. Then I started to pack on a few pounds when my family moved and I had to switch schools. I guess it was the stress and I was just unhappy. I stayed at that chunky stage until I was 16. I tried small diets that never lasted over a few days until I realized that something had to be done. I chose to try Atkins.

When I started Atkins, I was 16 years old, 5'5", and 165 pounds. I was only on Aktins for 3 or 4 months, but I stayed on the Induction phase in which you're only allowed 20g of carbs a day, because when I rose my carb level, the weight loss stopped. I didn't exercise at all, but I managed to lose about 30 lbs in that 3 or 4 months of just not eating hardly any carbs. By this time, I was so sick of meat, cheese, and eggs that I knew it was time for a change.

I switched to a 1200 calorie-a-day diet plan in which I started to exercise 5 days a week. During the course of a few months, I was getting up at 5:30 in the morning to get on the treadmill, I was doing night exercises like crunches on my ab lounge, squats, lunges, arm work with small weights, push ups, etc. During that time, I dropped down to an all-time low of 125 pounds and stayed there for awhile.

I met my boyfriend a year and four months ago. In that time, I've gained 15-20 pounds of that weight back. I'm up to about 140 pounds and it's time to get back to the grind. As of Monday, I'll be working out again and eating better. My goal is 130 pounds and to tone my body up again.

I'm 19 year's old now and it's all about feeling good about myself. It's not about guys (my boyfriend refuses to admit I've gained a pound and insists I'm just as beautiful as I always was) and it's not about impressing friends. It's about ME and I want to change for ME. And I will...I just need to figure out how.

:carrot:

I'm new here, so thought I'd share my story and introduce myself!

I was always very thin (like ~100lbs thin), up until I went to college at 18. Like a few of you others, I gained quite a bit of weight my first year of college (that unlimited dining hall pass seemed like such a good idea to my parents...until I was piling up my tray 3 times a day because, HEY, it was free!). I went to a different school than all of my friends, so I was pretty isolated and lonely and filled my time with food. By sophomore year I weighed in at 165 lbs...and on a 5'3 frame, it was definitely visible. I felt gross, I had to buy an entire new "fat" wardrobe, and just felt awful.

So, like lbwhite above, I went on Atkins. I also stayed on induction for a long time, and ended up losing 55 lbs, and getting down to 110lbs, which is my "ideal" weight. I went off Atkins but managed to keep my weight between 110-120 for a long time (little fluctuations back and forth, but I mostly stayed around 115, which I'm happy with). While I was in grad school up until about 8 months ago a had a very active job, which kept me in shape.

This past summer, though, a lot changed. I got a "real" office job, and now am sitting a good 8-9 hours a day. I moved in with my boyfriend, who LOVES food and never worries about his weight, so I developed less-than-stellar eating habits (we eat out a lot, and like to veg with popcorn or ice cream in front of movies at night). Now I'm up to 130lbs.

Like some of you have mentioned, it feels weird to wine about 130 lbs when there are some with so much to lose...but it still stinks to be bigger than you want. Anyway, I want to lose about 15lbs and get back down to 115. If I can make it back down to 110, I will be thrilled...but I'm happy at 115.

To do this, I've made a resolution to cook healthy meals at home at least 4 nights a week (mostly using my Crock Pot since I work all day), and eat leftovers for lunch and the rest of the nights. Eating out will be a treat no more than once a week, and more like every 2 weeks (that's really up to the BF, as I am content to eat at home every night...he's the one who gets cravings for restaurant food!). I will take my lunch to work every day instead of going out. And I will exercise at least 5 days a week, for at least 45 minutes in addition to twice daily walks with my dog. I've already scheduled the workout time in my planner, so I know that will get done (I'm a slave to the planner!).

So that's it! Thank all of you who have shared your stories as well...It's great to share this experience with you! I know that we can all reach our goals if we're determined!

So, I'm new here. This is my first post ever. Here goes:
I was always a fat kid. I played softball, but I couldn't run. I came from fat genes. When I was 15, I decided I didn't want to be that fat kid any more. I lost a pant size before I could even bare to look at the scale, so I'm guessing my heaviest was about 170. From January through July, I worked my way down to 125 by free weights and guessing on calories (I never formerly kept track), and stayed in that ball park for some time. My juinor year of highschool, my dad went in the hospital. For most of that year, he was in and out, and I dealt with it by eating. He came out more or less better again, and i had gained 30 pounds. Since then, I've been boing back and forth between 142 and 153. 142 seems to be my plato mark.
This past Christmas I've felt the unhealthiest I have since i decided to lose that first bunch of weight, and decided it was time to get my butt in gear again. I've been using fitday, this time, to formally track what I eat, and I've added cardio to the free weights.
I hope this site will help keep me motivated. It's been awesome reading all these stories.

Welcome and good luck!

:)thanks! and congrats on your own weight loss

Hi everyone,

I've "lurked" on this website for quite some time. It feels a bit bizarre to be making this post, but here goes. Like many of you, I was slim in my youth, and very athletic. I competed in a variety of sports, from track and field to figure skating. However, I was basically sedentary by the time I hit my second or third year of university. I have always eaten well, by which I mean I choose low fat foods as often as possible, and have an aversion to low-quality packaged foods (probably as a result of figure skating and being forced to watch what I eat, and health concerns due to family history). But, I do have a problem with binge eating. I have a pretty stressful life, which I am sure doesn't help my tendency to binge, so a couple of months ago I started making time to go to the gym with a buddy (who is absolutely tiny, thus doesn't have a common weight loss goal), and we go for at least 40 minutes about 5-6 times a week. I have a solid 12 pounds to lose to get to a point where I'm comfortable with myself again.

I'm a bit frustrated right now because I have been going to the gym quite often, but I have not seen a difference in my weight or appearance. I need to make more of an effort in curbing the quantity of food that I eat, but I hate having that hungry feeling, and I find that vegetables and some fruits make me feel even hungrier. I joined this site to try to find some tips and inspiration, and maybe give myself a sense of some accountability as none of my friends want to lose weight (either don't need to or are not ready to make a lifestyle change yet).

Good luck to everyone, and congratulations to us all for becoming healthier people!

Hello ALL I am new!
 

My name is Mary, I am a mom of 3, my youngest son is now 2.5 y/o. And after having him I lost all my baby weight and then some, I was at 135lbs. As soon as I returned back to work from maternity leave, I started my old habits once again. I have no self control when it comes to fast food BREAKFAST. Over the last year I have gain about 15lbs- putting me up to 150#. I just started a modification to my diet, smaller portions, eating more frequently and avoiding the drive thrus... I weighed myself this morning after 2 wks of hard work and yes I dropped 4 lbs. So I am headed towards the right direction and figure now I have to implement a exercise routine.

BLAH...

I am not sure if I posted the ticker right, I hope so. Anyways, I joined 3fatchicks for support and to vent. My weight is seriously bothering me. And I feel so vain about it but to truth is, it also makes me depressed. i am not happy with myself, so I would like to get to the point where I will like myself once again = )

Hi Everyone!

I've been following and posting in the South Beach Diet and Exercise forums. I was excited to stumble on this forum today which is perfect for me!

I've gained weight in the past few years, mainly as my activity level decreased from playing tennis everyday in high school to walking miles a day in college to walking 30 min a day in grad school to basically doing no exercise now that I'm in the working world.

Since I've been working, I've also resorted to eating unhealthy snacks like candy and chips, as they are freely available in the breakroom.

I'm not happy with how I look, especially the weight I've gained in my stomach, or my overall fitness level, so I decided to do something about it on Jan 1.

My goal is to lose about 18 lbs and tone my arms in time for my wedding in August.

I started the South Beach diet and I'm exercising 3 times a week and meeting with a trainer once a month to work on my weight training goals.

So far the South Beach Diet has been great! I've lost cravings for chips, candy and soda and I stick to my meal plan most days. I've lost 4 lbs so far. I'm continuing to work on my exercise goals including being able to run for 20 min.

I'll look forward to reading and posting in this forum, good luck everyone with meeting your weight loss and fitness goals!

I've always been around the same weight for about 6 years now. But in my final year of college, I`ve moved into an apartment, so I no longer am getting a balanced meal or as much exercise as I had been.

I have about 5-10 pounds that I've always wanted to lose, so in order to keep from gaining the freshman 15 (finally), I've decided to become strict and actually watch what I`m eating and work to maintain my current weight and then lose a few extra pounds.

I love eating out though, so that's my biggest problem.

i was skinny all my life. i never once thought about how i looked in clothes--what was flattering, what covered my trouble spots etc. i went through puberty very late and was only about 120 when i started college. as time passed i just kept gaining weight slowly and steadily. at first, i assumed it was because my body was still changing. but eventually, i realized that i couldn't just eat whatever i wanted anymore. enter obsession with food, struggles with eating disorders etc. i know that e.d. made it so much worse...my metabolism slowed to a crawl (which i'm still recovering from) and my self image was way out of proportion. i'm thankful that i no longer struggle with e.d. but now i'm stuck with a body that doesn't know how to process food and about 25 extra pounds. i'm 27 now and i'm ready to start a new, healthy chapter of my life.

i was really into (lurking) your site in the summer and thru october. i had (healthily) lost about 15lbs (down to 154 from 169) and was pleased with the progress. then...the weather changed...and with the sunshine went my motivation to get to the gym. i've still been keeping up reasonably well with healthy eating, but i'm up to about 160 again...

so, here i am, giving this another try. this time i will stick with it.

my bf is gone for a month and i'd really like to surprise him when he gets home at the beginning of march. if i can do it, i'd really like to lose 10lbs by then...so that's my goal for now...i'd love to get to know some of you all too...company makes it easier. :)

Hi, thanks for sharing your stories. Here's mine. I was always thin as a child and young adult. Weighed 116 at my wedding, and 121 was my weight for years. With my first pregnancy, I lost just about all the weight within 4 or 5 months, just running around with the baby and breastfeeding. My second pregnancy, though, I never lost the weight, even though i had two kids now!

Fast forward to eight years later. I was fat, 191 at 5-2 and miserable. I went to the doc and my blood pressure was high at 151/110. It had always been low, like 100/79 previously. She put me on a water pill, and told me to lose weight and cut down on the salt. I lost 10 pounds of water weight right away.

Then I joined LA Weight Loss and lost down to 129, which is so skinny for me. This was eight years ago, and the weight slowly came back on and I found myself and 164 after the holidays. I've been dieting since and have lost 12.

Good luck to all of us!

adding my story too!
 

Hi everyone! I have 13 pounds to go, so I guess I belong here! :carrot:

I was always around 130 in high school. I tend to have a lot of muscle so I was about a size 8- not skinny but not overweight either. Then in college I gained the "freshman 15" thanks to the dining hall and late night junk food with my friends in the dorm. After my sophomore year I got serious about dieting and exercising- too serious in fact, because I was restricting my diet too much and over-exercising. I weighed about 108 at my lowest. Too low for me- stopped having periods, was cold all the time, had family very concerned, etc.

Eventually all the dieting was too much and when I was back at school I overindulged and got lazy on the exercise.... that got me up to about 140. After I graduated I got a desk job and had too much fun partying on the weekends which added on another 5 pounds. A couple years after graduating I got married, and shortly after that got pregnant with my daughter.... I gained 55 pounds and weighed 200 when I delivered her!

Through breastfeeding, stroller walking and yoga I lost all the weight from that pregnancy and was back at 145. Literally the week after I got back into my pre pregnancy jeans I found out I was pregnant again :o!!! This time around I was a lot more careful and gained only 25 pounds, eating really healthy throughout my pregnancy. The weight came off easily through breastfeeding, healthy eating, and walking.... and there I was back at 145 which seems to be where my body really likes to be!

However I look and feel a lot better at 125 pounds.... so that is my goal weight. Now I am running, strength training, and continuing to follow a healthy whole foods diet and I'm at 138. I have really stepped up the exercise lately and hope to reach goal by this summer.

Nice meeting you all and sorry for the life story!!! :carrot:

Well my story is so depressing when I think about it.I am a Mother of three and was able to keep my weight under control until after my third baby. He was 10lbs 10oz and shattered my pelvis leaving me unable to do anything for three months.The pregnacy weight of 146 did not come of and my new lifestyle didn't help.When I was able to exercise again it was just to painful.After a year of physical Therapy I was able to get back to running and lost 20 pounds,even though I didnt make it back to my prepregnancy weight I was very fit from working with a personal trainer.So I stayed at 126 for three years.Then I got reinfected with lymes disease for the second time and was not responding to antibiotic therapy once again I was crippled by faigue and muscle pain.I gained back 16 pounds. Thats when I looked for help and found 3fc's.At 142 pounds I was so depressed.But the weight doesn't seem to want to budge,I am now at 135 and would love to get down to 120 and fit into afew of my old clothes.I exercise at least 50 minutes a day cardio and strenth training.But I have a carb addiction so I need to get serious and stick to a diet plan.

Hello!

I've been reading for a little while and decided to join up. I'm 33-years old and I'm on a diet for the first time in my life, so it's a little scary for me and I thought I would join up with you all for some support and sharing.

I had the great fortune (which I took for granted, of course!) of having a very good metabolism until about 2 years ago, at which point I slowly started gaining weight. I have gained about 20 pounds in that time period. I wish I could pinpoint what precipitated my weight gain, but since I didn't make any lifestyle changes that would noticeably affect my weight, I reluctantly have to chalk it up to aging. :mad:

I am concerned about my weight because of family history (both of my parents are morbidly obese). I have never had children, so this type of weight gain in my early 30's without any noticeable behavior change has kind of shocked me awake and I've decided to do something about it now rather than later.

I tried dieting on my own for about a month (Lean Cuisine, my own version of portion control, etc.), but I was starving all the time and would find myself in a drive-thru at least a couple of times a week. :o So, about 2 weeks ago I decided to take the plunge and order a meal-delivery service - and so far, it's been great! I've been on the service for about 10 days now and I've already lost 3 pounds! :D The food is fresh, good, and I look forward to eating it - and best of all, I'm not hungry all the time!

My current weight is 152 and I'd like to get down to 135 (the weight I was able to maintain with no effort all of my adult life until recently) - I am 5'9", so while I understand I am not technically "overweight," I want to try to nip my weight gain in the bud or at least mitigate it as I get older and my metabolism continues to slow down. I look forward to hanging out with everyone!

Hi Featherweights :carrot:

OK, here we goooooo, for my story regarding the weight problems :dizzy:



I was never a skinny child, nor fat. I was a normal newborn, who became very very fat in several months. I guess that is not my fault huh, I was a baby. But I strongly believe that my sweet tooth comes from back then.
I grew up always being more chunky. I was called fat several times by people and my mean brother nagged me on a daily basis.

My family started having more and more bad habits (and it has always been a family thing with gatherings and tons of food, and grandmas and aunts always thinking you are too skinny :nono:), till one day my mom decided to cook more healthy. It was better, my mom changed a lot, she looked fit, younger and not so tired. But we were never able to give up the Sunday cake. On top of that, my brother became an problem kid and our family started having more and more problems.

Because of my bro, I started being a better child, to be easier for my parents. I started studying and get myself on track. Reaching adolescence with all issues was still a problem. I started developing sort of an acne (all types), more and more allergies so and so. I was happy because I had a growing plunge so I became taller and my true big bone frame started showing. What I wasn't happy about were my stretch marks :(

10th grade came with new changes- I put on braces, and because of the pain I felt moving teeth around, I could not chew anything. So my food consisted in anything a baby could eat. NO meet involved, it was a torment so I gave it up. I gave up even sweets because I was warned about decay problems with braces on. Soon after, I started loosing a lot of weight. I became a yogurt wacko, because it was one of the foods I ate the most. I was a 113 lbs on a big 5'7" frame :yikes:
It felt good, all my cloth were falling. but I knew it wasn't quite healthy. Stretch marks got worse. My brother was still calling me fat, and he was causing many arguments in the family, I was under a lot of stress. My immune system got worse and worse.

Two years later, my braces down, and I found myself eating EVERYTHING I could not eat for two years. Guess what happened? Of course I gained a lot of weight (like 20lbs). not muscles for sure, and a new collection of stretch marks. So I looked worse at the same weight I had before, a weight that should have been normal for my body frame. I started swimming, and loved it a lot, I was getting toned :carrot:

All the health issues (allergies, and acne problems and treatments for years), family problems, living under lots of stress, didn't help at all. Plus 2 colleges at the same time (one that I hated), no time for swimming, lots of exams, and an ******* bf split did the "trick" of plunging me at 158 lbs. I was 5'8", I grew up a little more, but I was starting to look horrible.

It was the time I said STOP, before it is worth. I gave up one of my colleges with my mom's support and kept just one (dad was furious). Put myself on track and decided to be even more stronger regarding the family problems I couldn't do anything about (yes, my bro). I started paying a little more attention to what I was eating (I always found comfort in eating every time I had a problem), and finally joined a gym 3 years ago.

I also met my husband, a real support in making myself stronger.
The gym guys were also helping me too (they were professional weight lifters, squats champions). So I started loosing weight the healthy way. It was hard, I even got injured a little for pushing too hart on squats. I was waking up very early, walking till the gym very fast (1h, so I was all sweaty, that was my cardio), was working out 6-7 times a week :wl:, then rushed to the University for 7hours, then work, then home walking another hour (with a rucksack on my back having clothing to change 3x).

It did the trick. In 1 year I reached 135 and kept it for more then 6 months, I was happy. :carrot:. And I was not eating too healthy, sweets were a daily thing. I was happy I didn't had to change my diet too badly. School became more busy, I moved out of my parents, a new job, but I was still not going over 137. Then to all the busy life I had a wedding to plan, and my last 4th year of University, with a diploma waiting in line, plus a visa to leave. It was a crazy 2007-2008. I lost 7lbs for my wedding (2lbs just in the week of the wedding because of running around for the last details). But I looked smashing at 130 lbs in May 2008. I was never happier then that day. I realized my health was better (allergies slowed down, my skin still had a few acne problems, still has, but will get better in time), stretch marks are forever, but I am LOVED by the most wonderful man and I :love: him too. I was 22, never thought I would consider a marriage or a man till at least 27, but there I was, more prepared then ever.

Then my exams came right after, got my University diploma (I didn't work for it at full potential but I got it ;)) , a few months away from my trip to the States, and I was busy renovating an apartment for my mother in law :eek: Didn't have too much time for my folks, for my plans, for my dying grandpa to say good bye the right way, for myself, didn't even have time to pack my luggage till one day before my flight :mad:

So September 2008, my loooong 13h flight to the States and a few more hours with the immigration. I was a walking zombie. But I was happy to reunite with my husband.
In a month we joined a gym here, YMCA, and found out I was 140lbs...soon to be 144 lbs. The days I skipped gym (that was for 3 months of renovating the apartment, I missed 2 workouts from 3/week), the bad food I ate because I had no more time for cooking back then, the new climate in the States, the new food, new tastes, everything, no job yet, loosing a day in front of my pc at home not at work, a little depression got me here, at 144lbs.

I have been working out, not enough cardio :hug:obviously, I have been eating quite healthy (but I was never good at protein/carbs/fat measurements), chocolate is always involved, and I am determined to learn more to have results.


2009 Hopes, Goals, Dream, Plans

- get my 132 lbs back (from 144) and keep it, with gym and healthy living for life :carrot:
- learn to drive, doh :o
- hope to find a job
- make friends in the States (I guess I am on the good track ;) )
- get my English speaking/writing on an excellent track, without forgetting my mother language.




That's a wrap folks!



I need your support, to change my diet plan, the working out plan.
Above all this, I am helping my husband to loose his weight (he has gone so far from 315 to 265, at 6'2"). So that involves another plan for him :dizzy:. Glad I found you 3FC!!! :hug:

Newbie
 

Hey Doughnut, I like this whole introduction thing. I'm just new to 3fatchicks today and haven't a clue where to go from here so any advice would be greatly appreciated. (You can also to tell me to get lost if I'm posting this in the wrong place;) )

Figured the easiest thing to do would be to paste the first entry to my blog by way of introduction:

Right well I’m a bit confused as to how this works but gonna write a brief bio and go from here.

I’m a 27 year old woman who has been on a yo-yo diet for the last 12 years. My highest weight was 147lbs and my lowest 114lbs. I’m currently 128lbs but trust me that does not look good on someone who is 5 foot 1-and-a-bit inches tall!

I’ve also been a smoker since the age of 16 (20 a day). Over the last year I’ve been working really hard to give up. Managed to stay off them for 4 months in 2008 and was on/off for the rest of the year. Had my last cigarette New Year’s Eve 2008 and haven’t touched one since.

Last summer I traveled for 10 weeks in Asia. Before I left I weighed 127lbs, when I came back I was 118lbs. I’ve been steadily putting on weight since. Looking forward to getting back to 118lbs but my UGW is (a probably unrealistic) 105lbs.

Being that I’m Irish and today is St. Patrick’s Day, the traditional day of excess for my people:), I decided I’d buck the trend and start my diet today. Here’s hoping I give Dita Von Teese a run for her money soon enough!

Ok, so that wasn’t exactly a brief bio but heck, at least you got your money’s worth. Any comments/support would be greatly appreciated!;)

Hey Solas, :wel3fc:. Congrats on your decision on getting into shape. There is an introduction part, but any subforum has another introduction part again, so you being a featherlight makes it ok to say hi over here :D I am a newbie too, so I will be seeing you around huh ;)

Hello!

So heres my story!

I am 24 with two kids... I am wanting to lose the last of my baby weight. But more importantly I want to tone/firm. Esp in my 'trouble spots'... and get back in shape. I dont have far to go on the weight loss, its just actually getting the last few lbs to come off. I've heard those are the hardest to lose?! I mainly want to look leaner/healthier.

I am eating a better diet. Cutting out carbs and sugar where I can. Lots of protein and fiber. And of course my daily multi vit.

I am hoping to make a complete lifestyle change and become healthier. Setting a great example for my kids...so they can lead healthy lives too!

I look forward to getting to know everyone!

:)

Kellie

Welcome Kellie!