Hi! My name is Deborah and this is my very first post on this website. I signed up a week or so ago, but have not posted anything.

I am married with two kids and live in California. I am a 6th grade middle school teacher in North Hollywood.

I decided to find a website to communicate with others who are trying to lose weight and change their lives.

Yes, I decided to change my life. Why? I am tired of being so fat. I want to be strong and healthy.

I was happy at being 250 pounds. Then, I met my husband and got married and had my first child 9 months later and weighting almost 300 pounds. A year later, I got pregnant with my son at 320 pounds. By the time he was two months old, I was weighting in at 369 pounds.

How did this happen?

I love to eat foods with sugar. Also, I did not exercise.

Some how, I got to 350-355 over the last 3-4 years without trying too hard. And stayed there.

I finally realized that I need to make changes in my life. The desire came after I came back from a Mexican Rivera cruise. I realized that I need time to work on myself. Also, that I need to do things that I use to love. I gave up so much when I got married and had children. I love my family, but I need to make these changes.

In the last 26 days, I exercised 24 times. While I was still on vacation, I walked 3 miles a day on my treadmill. When I went back to work, I walk btween a mile and half to two miles per day.

My first weight in was on 12/27/06, weighting 350.8 pounds. As of 1/19/07, I weigh 342.6 pounds.

I hope everyday that I continue this quest. My goal is 250 pounds.

I can relate - I was so huge when I had my baby - I couldn't lift her very easily or get up and down off the floor. I like to use this site when I'm alone and feel like eating - it keeps me busy. Walking is awesome - keep it up. It's really really cold up here in Toronto, Ontario, Canada but my work just opened a gym so I'm going to try it out tomorrow. Keep it up! You're doing great already.

Hi Deborah! This is my first post in months and months. You sound alot like me except that I cant seem to find motivation right now. I was exercising like crazy this time last year and eating right and lost about 40 pounds. Well I gave up yet again and now have gained back 30 of that. I am here now because I am looking for my motivation again and you helped! I look forward to getting to know you and congrats on the loss so far!

Tracy

Hi, and welcome. Today is my first day actually posting anything too. My husband is at a seminar today and I spent yesterday alone watching, Fat Like Me, on Life Time channel. I cried and cried and then thought the depressing feelings are just becoming overwhelming. I got online and decided to look around.

I remembered this website. And all I can say now, is since I have been here, I have managed to NOT go get fast food for lunch AND... I dug out my treadmill and used it for the firt time in a year or more. I was going to the pool this time last year, so I didn't really want to use it. But if anyone knows how many times, I was going to blow it off today. We are in the middle of a very very slow kitchen remodel and our cabinet doors are stacked in front of it. We live in a small mountain cabin and you just make room.

I actually, wasn't going to fool with it, I walked over there two or three times before I finally moved all the cabinet doors, plugged in my i-pod and got going. I walked 30 minutes and I can honestly say it is because I spent two days reading posts here and felt motivated to get back to exercising.

I feel inspired by all the posts here and hope to make this a daily thing to keep me going, when it gets tiring and boring.

By the way, this was an ipod my son gave me and I had never used it until today. I had songs in my library of course, but decided to load fun music on it and it really worked. I wasn't watching the clock or the distance like I normally would have done. I did a little over a mile and I feel great!

I think you've found a great place for motivation! I was at zero yesterday while I sat on the couch feeling bad for me for being up to 325 pounds. Last week I was down to 320, but it crept back up on me, and this crazy cycle ends here!

Good luck to all the new people who joined the boards with me today! I hope to become a regular with all the wonderful people here!

Awesome - I've been thinking about the Ipod thing...let me know how it goes.

Deborah, I just wanted to tell you that I think it's awesome you are so motivated. This does seem like an excellent site to get support and keep that motivation going. If you haven't already done it, I would highly recommend that you look at the forum on goals - look at all the before/after pics and stories. If you ever get discouraged, these may help ... they are so inspiring! Good luck and keep up the good work with exercising.
p.s. I'm a teacher too and we are doing a version of biggest loser at work... it's great having the accountability at work of weighing in. Maybe you could suggest something similar at your school?