Hey all! Normally I just join these forums and look around. Rarely do I participate, but this time, I decided to do something a little different. I want to take more of a front seat in my fight to be healthier, so I plan to utilize the tips here and get (and give) as much support as possible.
A little about me: I am a 30 year old single black female from the suburbs around Philadelphia. I've been heavy all of my life. In my middle to late 20s, I was wearing an 18/20. That was my plateau size until I hit 29. I went up to size 22/24 and had remained there, which was a scary first for me. I had ballooned up to just under 300 lbs. It has been a long emotional journey for me from total lack of self esteem to a lot more confidence, which tends not to be the case for a lot of women my size. The only thing is that I really want to be healthier. Hypertension and diabetes run on both sides of my family. I am getting older and I know metabolism slows down and I don't want to get bigger.
I was down in the doldrums for a while because of how I constantly compare myself to my sister. She is 2 years younger and just recently got engaged and had a baby. During that period, I gained even more weight, but I continued to SQUEEZE myself into my 22/24s. Totally uncomfortable! I went to see a therapist to work on some personal issues and through the work we did, I was able to lose some weight. Towards the end of our sessions, I decided to take a 6 day trip to Puerto Rico for a little soul searching and destressing. I did so much walking and exploring. I learned a lot about the culture and about myself. By the time I came back, I had lost 10 lbs. That was at the end of December. Now I am trying to keep up the momentum.
I joined the YMCA in Delaware and I go on a regular basis. I take their Les Mills Body Pump class, which I absolutely LOVE!! I can feel such a difference and see such a difference, too. My clothes fit different. I feel like I have a lot more endurance, too. Now I am down to about 276. I want to do their yoga / pilates class to keep things interesting. I don't do much cardio. I like lifting weights. I am not really consistent with changing my eating, though. I have curbed my eating a little bit, but eating the right serving sizes is a KILLER and I just can't seem to do it regularly.
Okay, so I wrote a book instead of a short intro. (So sorry.) I just want to thank those that read this and comment. I look forward to all of us reaching our goals of happy and healthier lives.
Hi There!
You sound really enthused. I love the Y, too. It feels like a second home to me. The hardest part is making myself get there... but once I'm there, I feel as though I could stay all day! 
way to go!
