Yaaaaaay! There I was, surfing the Internets as usual, and what did I see? A nice welcoming forum that looked like the right place for me and my extra pounds. So, a few facts:

I live in a Nordic country (you may guess which one) and I'm a high school teacher by profession. I have a great husband, no kids, a job and a slice of a house in a countrysideish suburb. All is well, but lately my extra weight has got me thinking there might be a pretty little person inside of me waiting to get out. I've been overweight for almost my whole life, so I've gotten quite used to the idea of being round. I've just bought larger and larger clothes to cover it and all's been well again. The sad fact is that my favourite shop doesn't have dress sizes larger than I wear now, so I really can't get bigger than this . I'm also annoyed by the fact that I have to pay lots of extra to get nice clothes that fit me - nothing for Lady Pantsalot in discount shelves!

Aaaanyway. I had some tests done last spring and it showed that I had high blood pressure and cholesterol on top of my overweight. I honestly didn't think too much about it, because I felt great! But then in June I felt a sudden pain in my head and feared it might be rupture due to the high blood pressure... Went to see a doc who thought I had nothing to worry about but he put me on blood pressure medication without thinking about it twice.
So it's not anymore about getting nice clothes of the right size, but about being on medication for, maybe, the rest of my life and fearing/having more serious health problems. It's clear that something has to change, but it's going to be hard. I know that. I'm kind of hoping that talking about it here might help me get on with it.

What I'm going to do then, you might ask? I'd like to drop at least 70 pounds, from 288 to 220 with which I'd be more comfortable with. My strategy is simply to eat less and exercise more (rather: exercise at all!) and that should get me started. And I'll definitely have more veggies and fruits and avoid eating wrong kinds of fats. There's a new and free gym at school where I can go to exercise. We'll see how it goes! One pound at a time, eh?

Hey, good for you! You can do this, and you have a great attitude. The key is right there--portion control and daily exercise. Eat lean protein, fish and chicken (white meat)--broiled, grilled or baked. Lots of fresh veggies and fruit. Grains are important--they give you fiber. You'll see how much better you feel when you start eating better. And don't forget to drink plenty of water! Good luck....... write to me if you wish. Marion

to Lady Pantsalot! That user name cracks me up.

It sounds like you are ready to make a change. Good for You!

Eating less and moving more is really the key! Some things that really helped me? Walking and counting calories. Any exercise you enjoy and can do nearly daily is a good thing.

Hallo noob! I actually visited Norway and Sweden twice in 2000 and 2001. I stayed around Olso.. very pretty area.

Welcome and Good luck. The people here are Awesome and so inspirational.

Remember drink plenty of water as well

you are on the right path! I too am just starting out- again- but this time I'm going to reach my goal and not look back. good luck and I'll be glad to offer encouragement.

Thank You folks! I have a feeling this might actually work, now that I have a support group behind me. Of course my husband backs me up too, but he's not the best supporter because he likes cakes too much himself... With him weight isn't that much of an issue though. He's lightweight compared to me. *******. Just to check the filter is working!

But it's a good time to start, because I'm going back to work after a long summer holiday. I'll get a daily routine going again, walk up and down the stairs at school and can go to the gym between classes (I have some long breaks). You see - I'm psyching myself up for the challenge Hopefully that carrot won't be the only one doing the exercises next week...

Good luck and let us know how you get on. X x You can do it. x