Hello all!

I am new to this website and hope it will be helpful to me on my new journey. I am looking at losing a minmum of 30 lbs and would like to lose up to 40.

My story is similar to most...I have battled my weight through most of my adulthood, starting in high school. At my highest I weighed 208 lbs. I started a dietary program and working out, lost down to 138 lbs. I managed to keep it off through the rest of my college years and the first 2 years of marriage. However, when I got pregnant with my son the weight seemed to pile on, even though I was meticulous about what I ate, I was gaining an intense amount of weight. I complained to the doctor and explained that I was eating a lot of fruits and veggies and very little sweets (which is exceptionally difficult for me to do) and the weight just kept on coming. His response to me was that gorillas eat mostly fruits and veggies and they are huge. When I delivered my child I weighed 216 lbs. My child will be turning 2 next month and the past two years have been completely miserable because my weight controls me. I have tried watching what I eat using a popular dietary program but I have not been totally committed and my exercise has been sporadic.

I refuse to spend the rest of my life miserable because I am overweight. I won't go swimming with my son because of my weight...no water parks, lakes, pools, etc. I will not wear shorts or tank tops. My depression about my weight is starting to hurt my marriage.

Starting now, I am going to lose weight! I have done it before so I know it can be done.

I'm looking for buddies to help keep me focused and for encouragement! Hope to meet some great people!!! Good Luck to everyone embarking on this very difficult but completely rewarding journey.

Welcome to 3FC!

Okay. So you recognize where your problem is. It's a step in the right direction, because now we can look for ways to solve it.

Not all changes have to be hardcore in order for us to see changes, but we do need to be consistent. We don't necessarily have to exercise an hour 7 days a week, but maybe we can do 30 minutes 3 days a week. What's keeping you from committing to a change? Does it feel overwhelming? Or do you make a mistake and then give up? Is it something else?

We'd love to help support and encourage you on your journey! And I hope to see you around the boards!

Lovely,

Thanks for your response. I would have to say my biggest weight loss fault is my perfectionism. If I mess up with my eating or I don't work out one day then I feel like I am a failure and it is a complete waste of time.

Totally committed now though...this time it will work for me!
Thanks for taking the time to be encouraging!

You might be surprised to see just how often "perfection" trips people up when changing their diet. One mistake or a bad day, and we suddenly feel like we'll never be perfect so what's the point of even trying?

You aren't alone.

What we have to realize is that it isn't the mistake that ruins a plan. It is the attitude that is so detrimental!

We don't have to be perfect to lose weight. In fact, it's far more important to be resilient! Accept that mistakes will happen. Sometimes mistakes that are "on purpose", and we might regret a day that we ate cake for dinner or skipped a work-out, but we can CONTINUE beyond that mistake.

People who succeed... the people who stick to their changes.... they are FAR from perfect. They simply have learned to accept their imperfections on plan and move past them at the very next meal or work out.

Forget perfection. Think persistence.

You can do this! You're absolutely right. This time can be different!

Welcome=)