Hi from a newbie!
So here is my story. I am 23, recent university grad. I have always been a big girl and never had a big problem with it. I grew up in a strictly health foodie household and while I was always the softest in the family, we were all very healthy.
I have held onto my healthy habits up until two years ago. I met a wonderful man, a wonderful man with a love of Ihop and frozen pizza. Since we have been together I have gained around 60lbs in a relatively short time [1.5 years or so]
For the first time in my life I feel unwell. I wake up tired, I get indigestion, My asthma is acting up. On a whole I am just not healthy anymore and I hate it!
I also hate being a size 20. Even though I have always been plus sized, I had a wonderful shapely body and always felt very attractive. Now I feel... well rotund.
The most unfortunate part of this is that I don't hate it all ENOUGH. I want very much to be healthy again, but I have a hard time motivating myself [which isn't helped by the fact that my oh so wonderful man likes me in my most spherical current shape].
I have been reading these forums for a few months now and I really want to be part of this community. I spend a lot of time online at work and I want to devote some of that time to focusing on my goals, getting and giving encouragement, and learning how to tackle this phase of my life.
I got my gym membership renewed this week. YAY!

. . . so glad you've found us . . . hopefully you will
it here just as much as the rest of us do -- lots and lots of support and encouragement. 
