Turning 20 and turning over a new leaf.
Where to begin, where to begin.
I'm 19 years old, soon to be 20, and I've been overweight since around the age of seven or eight. (I distinctly remember being around 150lbs in 5th grade and wearing a size 11 Juniors in pants.) For the longest time, my "beef" with my weight problem was based out of vanity and wanting to be able to dress a tad more...provocatively. I had pretty rotten self-esteem when I was in middle and high school, but as I got older (and ironically as I got bigger) I became a lot more at peace with myself as I was. While losing weight was always something I wanted to do some level it was never one of my priorities. Although I've made a few weak attempts at losing weight in the past (including joining this site the summer after I graduate from high school -- I weighed 235lbs in August of 2006), I have never honestly committed myself to shedding weight for any period of time longer than a few days, as sad as that is.
My primary motivation for seriously losing weight now would have to be my health. I'm definitely more hindered by my weight than I had ever been before; it seems as though the 37lbs I've put on over the past two years have taken their toll on me in a number of ways. Not only do I find myself winded a lot quicker than I'd like to be, I've been plagued by headaches, and recently a spotty menstrual cycle, which I'd venture are due in no small part to my weight.
Also, having seen my first stretch mark on my stomach a few weeks ago was a bit alarming! I'm a pear and carry the majority of my weight in my butt and thighs so it was scary to think that I seem to be getting bigger everywhere!
I'm also gearing up to move about 250mi away from home at the end of the summer, so I think it would do me some good to be able to get this new healthy lifestyle under way a bit before I get going. Ideally, I'd like to shed those 37lbs from the past two years by my birthday (4 months from now), but I suppose that could be a tall order. With any luck, I'll get going well with the redefinition of my relationship with food and my body and be able to come back home for Thanksgiving substantially lighter than when I left!
Right now the only really plan I have in mind is start making basic changes such as cutting out things which I know are bad for me (excessive amounts of Starbucks, fast food, and "grazing" at night after classes), increasing my water intake, and investing in a pedometer and attempting to walk 10,000 steps a day. I feel like diving right in and hacking my caloric intake to bits and attempting to go running would be more than I could handle at this point and would probably send me running straight for my pack of Oreo's! I planning on starting small, working hard, building up stamina (and getting back into old jeans)!
My long term goal at the moment is 165lbs because I honestly don't think that my body type lends itself to being excessively thin. (Though who knows, I may be proven wrong!) I think women, myself included, look great with healthy curves so hopefully 107lbs from now, my curves will indeed be healthy! I remember weighing around 165lbs in middle school and being about a 13/15 juniors in pants. I was also a few inches shorter at the time, so I think I could be happy with my body at around the weight, but I suppose we'll have to see. My short term goal is to simply drop 10% of my body weight so that I can gain some energy!
Any advice at all about getting going and staying motivated would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Last edited by Enduring Infinity; 05-09-2008 at 03:34 AM.
Reason: forgot something!
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I just started taking a small skinny latte...huge calorific difference! They're okay as a treat...seldomly. Good luck though :P
