Hello Everyone! Just thought I would introduce myself and let everyone know a little bit about myself.

I'm 23 and live in NY with my boyfriend of 4 years. I was always heavy as a child, and somewhere around the age of 17 I started losing weight, (I think maybe it was stress??) I was probably 220lbs and at my lowest was down to 160, the only thing was, I didn't really know how I lost all that weight. It just kinda happened. ...I loved how I looked, I loved how people reacted to my weight loss ....then I fell in love and got comfortable. Here it is 5 years later and I'm heavier then ever weighing in at 238lbs. And this time I don't think the weight is just going to fall off. I find myself staring at my smaller clothes hanging in my closet feeling like I will never get back in them.

Every diet I try seems to fail before it really begins. I'm not sure if it's will power or unrealistic goals, but I always seem to quit after losing no more than 15lbs. I really want this time to be different, I want to lose it and keep it off! I'm looking forward to hearing from all of you and getting to know you. I can't wait to hear everyones inspirational stories and words of wisdom from those who have been in my shoes!

Welcome

Nice to meet you! I'm almost the same stats as you I'm just shorter! I'm a college student as well. It's a bit of an obstacle sometime.

Anyhow good luck and I hope you'll find this board as helpful as I have so far. The ladies here are great!

Welcome.
I wish you all the best. Perseverance is success.

HEllo!! Believe me most of us definitley understand where you are coming from. Dieting is so difficult, especially with the up- down- up- down stress. There are a lot of diets, or healthy eating that does work.. you just have to find that specific thing that works best for you! One 'diet' I think that is really great is The Fat Smash Diet... most librarys carry the book... it really is about changing your lifestyle. I went on this diet and lost 10 lbs in the first 10 days. Another thing thats really helped me since I've been on 3FC is looking through the different diet forums and seeign what REAL people had to say about specific diets and how they like them. Then you can see if thats something you'd also be interested in.

Good luck! You can do it!!

Welcome! You pretty much just told my story! I hope you can get to your goal!
I live In NY as well... YAY for SNOW!~

Thanks everyone for the welcome!!

I have done some research on certain diets. Previously I had been on Atkins and if definitely worked as far as losing weight, but I felt it wasn't very heart friendly. I've been reading the South Beach Diet book, my aunt had great success on this diet and it seems to be more realistic for the long term life change. I will definitely look into the fat smash diet though! I'm very open to new diets. All of these forums have such great information in them! And you're right, its from REAL people!

Hey!
Felling just like you are! Ready to make a change for good. I am also a university student and my weight has always yo-yoed up and down all through highschool. I am at my heaviest now though which is (I don't really know I don't have a scale here at school!) probably 170-180. I don't care about being "thin" I just want to lose enough weight that i don't feel so uncomfortable in my body...I want my curves back! I had great success on the South Beach Diet (lost 15 pounds), but eventually I went off it and gained all the weight back, and then some. That's why I'm just going to try the old fashioned eat-when-you're-hungry, low fat low carb thing this time. Not to say the South Beach isn't a good idea,it is definitley one of the healthier plans, I just know that for me, if I am "on a diet" it means I can be "off the diet" i.e- eating a bunch of crap all the time! Whatever you decide to do, keep me updated! It is hard when no one else at school is trying to lose weight/live healthy but with this forum we can stick together!