[dubh]

I have spent a few weeks reading this forum, and getting very inspired by the before and after photos, there have been some incredible achievements! I try to visit everyday to keep myself motivated. But I think actually joining the community and letting people know about who I am and what I want to gain (or should I say lose) will make me actually stick with it.

I am 28, I have been overweight most of my life.

I started a company which is computer based; the first few years were very difficult and required me to work 16 hour days in front of the computer and I just ate food at my desk, bought from café’s that sell fried everything. And if I am honest with myself even if they did sell non-fried food I would still have bought the fried food.

I was feeling quite big, but when I looked in the mirror I didn’t see a very overweight person. In fact I was fooling myself into thinking that I was at an ‘Okay’ weight. I visited my family at Christmas; I hadn’t seen them for nearly two years. The first thing I noticed when I walked into their house was that they were all looking at my body. All the females in our family are overweight so for them to do this I knew it must have been extreme. This continued with all the friends I hadn’t seen it years as well. My Christmas present from my mother was a beautiful dress. My mother gave it to me without looking me in the eye, and said she wanted to change it for a bigger one, but they didn’t have any bigger ones. She looked sad and embarrassed…But she shouldn’t have been, I was the one that was embarrassed. That dress is still in my wardrobe and next time I visit my family (April) I want to wear that on a night out with my mum.

As always, when I came back it all slipped out of my mind and I made some half arsed attempts at exercising regularly. My sister came to visit and when I saw the pictures of us together I looked twice her size. I had always lied to myself saying that women in our family can never be slim; we are just not built that way. Being with her at the beach and in any social gathering, I was very aware that I had become so big, and it made me uncomfortable.

I weighed myself and found that I was 185 pounds, and 5ft 4”. This meant I was obese. I couldn’t believe it; I could no longer convince myself that I was fine. Obesity means weight related health problems. I had already become wary about weekends away that involved strenuous activity such as hiking a volcano or surfing. I worried that I may slow everyone down, and/or injure myself. My weight had started to affect the choices I made and the activities that I chose to do. Something had to be done. No more lying to myself.

About a month ago I set a personal goal to lose 50lbs by April, I know this is a little ambitious in 6 months, but I would be happy with losing less. I have started to exercise regularly at least three times a week, which includes the following activities:

Tae Bo
Jogging with the dog
The gym: Dance aerobics classes, treadmill, ski machine and stationary bike.

The hardest thing for me is staying motivated especially because I am so good at lying to myself and convincing myself that I don’t have a serious weight problem and that I look fine and I am healthy as I am. I do have a weight problem, I do not look fine, and I am not healthy.

In regards to food, I am not going to follow a strict diet. I eat much better now then I did when I was working lots of hours. My problem is that I eat huge portions of relatively healthy food. I have started taking the following steps:

Give half the meat to the dog
Serve myself less carbs
Serve myself more vegetables
Don’t go back for seconds
Swap beer for Vodka and diet coke.

I want exercise to become something that I do without thinking; I want it to become such a natural part of my daily routine.

Any words of encouragement, or tips on how people stayed motivated would be greatly appreciated, and if I can help anyone in anyway to reach their goals let me know and I will gladly help. I am better at kicking other people in the arse than kicking myself!

BMI: 31.8

[Lovely]

Dubh. It's sobering to see the truth. I'm so happy for you that you've decided to take some steps to feel healthier & better about yourself!

50 pounds in 6 months is ambitious, yes, but not impossible. I'm proof of that. I've lost 54 in 6 months. And if I can take weight off, anyone can.

I wish you the best of luck!

[pamatga]

Thanks for sharing your story. I am so happy that you decided to make changes now while you are young. My only suggestion or tip would be to check out this site and all the sub-forums. There are a lot of us and I am sure you will feel welcome any where here.

I think your plan sounds good.

Keep up the good work. Keep us informed in how things go.

[dubh]

Thank you so much for the reply. It's actually making me feel quite emotional . Yes I thought 50 lbs was ambitious. If I reached 145 by April I would be extremely happy, and I would defintely fit into that georgous dress!

I felt very alone in beginning my war against the weight, not anymore. It's so comforting to know that so many people are going through the same. Great website!

[mom2mollie]

Welcome! You can do it!

[Lovestorun]

Hello dubh!

This is a great fourm to join. Everyone here is very supportive.
Your plan sounds great! The best advice that I can give and it
worked for me is WATER and lots of it. Also, you might want
to add in some strength training at some point (it works).

Oh and by the way I NEVER gave up Beer!!!!!

Take care and good luck to you! You can DO this.

[dubh]

Wow Loves to run, you started out at the same weight as I am now and you only weigh 120 pounds!! That's so impressive, well done! How long did it take. Giving up beer is hard especially in the town where I live, everything is coupled with beer, and Diet Coke is extremely hard to come by in bars, and I hate to say it but laughed at, ESPECIALLY when a big person orders it.

Part of the tae bo is with resistance bands, does this count at strength training? It certainly makes my muscles burn!

[chrstna446]

Good to meet you, dubh.

I, too, have been overweight my whole life. I've had moments of thiness, but they come and gone and, as of now, they are coming back again.

I've lost 50 lbs, but it took me about a year. I would have loved to have dropped the weight quicker, but for me it has been o.k. Having been here before, I need to make sure that I'm making lifetime changes.

I think the best thing you can do, and something I continue to work on myself, is to be in this for the long haul. With that you have to expect that life happens and we need to be able to marry the two. In other words, I needed to learn some discipline in what I ate and how much I used my body physically, but I also needed to be able to go to the bar occasionally and go out to dinner. In the past I've alway looked at my actions as "good" or "bad". If I "cheated" I was "bad" and therefore a failure. Today, if I go out I try not to overindulge but I have what I want and enjoy it. The next day I'm back on my diet.

You sound like a smart woman. Please know that you can do this.

Christina

[dubh]

Thanks Christina. Congratulations on dropping 50lbs, very impressive, I hope I follow in your footprints. I think 1 year would be a more realistic time line for losing the weight and for keeping it off permanently...but I really really want my family to see me looking slim and healthy (how shallow am I!!) I may not see them again after April for another two years.

You are absolutely right, I need to change my lifestyle and my outlook on life. I know I will never stop going out at night, or going for meals, or trying to cook new dishes etc. I don't want to think about Good food and bad food all the time. I want to become a very active person. I want to spend my weekends doing things that I enjoy that are active, and control my weight that way. I want to be active each day for pleasure rather than to lose weight (after I drop the excess weight) To drop my weight I know I need to change what I eat slighly, and eat smaller portions, I currently eat until I am uncomfortably full and eat the same portions as my partner who is bigger than me.

We currently have someone staying with us while he is recieving medical care. To pay his way he has been cooking for us while we are at work each day and it is always elaborate and filled with calories. I have been eatting smaller portions. Today when he left the office he announced he was making Banoffee Pie!! For those who don't know what that is, it is a heavenly pie made with everything you shouldn't eat when you are trying to weight. I just looked it up on a calorie counter and ONE slice is 855 calories!! I think I will have a slither not a slice!