I'm new here, although not new to losing weight. I'm 25 and on LA Weight Loss for the 4th (and final) time around. I started the program Spring of 2003 and lost 25 pounds (started at 150, got to 125. I'm 5'6"). I know that is small beans in the scheme of things, but it's where my struggle began. I've always been "big boned" as my mom put it... started developing breasts very early, which makes a lot of younger girls feel "fat" when it's completely normal.

I became VERY conscious of what I ate my first year of college, which is the opposite of what usually happens. I was very comfortable in my skin weighing about 134. Somewhere along the way i started feeling too comfortable. Comfortable enough to start eating and drinking whatever I wanted. (Insert scary music here). To make a long drawn out fat story short, I gained a lot of weight back... got to about 165 pounds, then went back to LA and lost it. I didn't go through stabilization or maintenance but I kept it off for about a year. Then I did it again. Finished college, went through a quarter life crisis trying to figure out how to be a big kid, and meanwhile skyrocketed to 180 lbs. Each time I've gained weight back, it all comes and then some. My best friend was getting married, so I got back on the plan last spring and got down to 151 lbs. I got frustrated with the plan toward the end of the summer and tried to just maintain what I had lost.

So here I am... back on it again a year later. I'm determined to hit my goal weight, go through stabilization and maintenance, and stay at a healthy weight. I started out about 6 weeks ago at 166. I am currently at 156.2 as of yesterday, and I'd really love to get to 135, even though I only paid on the plan to 140. I don't have complete confidence that LA Weight Loss is the best solution to maintain my weight, but I know I can get it off through their plan, so I'm sticking to it. I joined this forum not only for support in my weight loss, but also to learn longer lifetime habits that will help me to maintain a healthy weight. I'm working my way through a plateau right now and really struggling, but I'm determined to stick with it. I'm looking forward to forming new friendships here and hearing everyone else's stories as well.

*cheers* -here's to new habits and smaller clothes!

to 3FC's ~ it seems that you know how to lose weight but need help to maintain it ... we do have a maintainers forum here where they might be able to give you some advice. I don't know much about LAWL plan so can't comment on why it doesn't have a maintenance part to the plan. I guess the basic truth here is that we have to realize that we must eat HEALTHIER for the rest of our lives ... not just to lose weight.

Many people believe that continuing the plan on even after you get to your desired goals is a must if you want to stay there. You say you get frustrated or life situations get in the way; I think we can all relate to that for sure. In the end though, I really think that we have to get out of the diet mentality where we realize that we must eat in a healthy way for the rest of our lives, not just for a few months ...

There is a LAWL forum on this site that you can post in too!

Hey! I guess I should say welcome although I just joined today so I don't entirely know too much about this site yet but I already love hearing people's stories that I can completely relate to!

Although I've never been on LA Weight Loss I do know about the importance of eating habits and I've been on my fair share of "weight loss programs", mostly in the form of healthy eating and exercise mixed together (Body for Life was a main one). I definitely get a little too comfortable sometimes and wind up gaining quite a bit of the weight I managed to lose, right back the second I'm off my regular routine or out of my normal atmosphere (i.e. travelling or staying with friends and whatnot). So I am going to have to learn to be a little more flexible in that sense! It sounds like you don't have a problem losing the weight but just maintaining through crucial times in your life (which is totally understandable, stress does crazy things to everyone!). I guess it all becomes about triggers and we have to recognize what we are doing in order to make changes.

It's fantastic that you are out of college, since that seems to be the time that a lot of people lose their healthy habits! I am turning 22, still in college just finishing up my third year and will be entering my fourth this fall for Graphic design. The thing that I find the hardest with the stage I'm at right now, is that the program is so intensive and it becomes very hard to balance anything other than homework and sleep, nevertheless eating healthy and finding time to exercise! I guess those are just excuses and I know that life never gets easier, but sometimes I feel like it shouldn't be quite this hard (maybe it's just my program haha and my lack of funds for a variety of groceries).

Anyways, I too am back for another round, I have one of my best friends weddings coming up in May, and I'm kind of terrified that its warming up already, today was the warmest it's been so far this year with a high of about 25 (I'm definitely not ready for bathing suit season just yet ah!) I'm hoping that I'll be able to learn some better lifetime habits too and trade whatever I figure out with the people I meet on here! I'm getting ready to start up my second round of P90x! I finished the first 30 days in January-February then fell off the wagon cuz I had a reading week and went to stay at a friends, but while I was on it it felt so amazing to be able to do so much more physically, I was sleeping so well at night and I just felt great all around, so I am looking forward to hopefully getting back to that place I was in!

Anyways, I didn't mean to ramble so much about myself, I just wanted to say a 'quick' hi and good luck! Here's to some definate changes and a fabulous spring! see ya around! oh and definitely cheers smaller clothes too !!