I've been fluctuating with my weight for years. I'm done with starvation diets, and comparing myself to girls my age wishing I was their size.


I am 5'3 and around 146. I understand some may think this is a normal and healthy weight, but I am small framed and this isn't healthy for me because it keeps increasing.


I am pear shaped and I carry ALL my weight in my legs and since it's summer I've been bothered by this more than ever.


Then again, during the winter, I feel I have nothing to wear either.


I am DONE with skipping parties, avoiding new people, and taking pictures. Through a google search, I found here and I hope this can be my helping hand in my first weight loss attempt done right.

Hey girl! Welcome to the forums. I'm 20 as well, and I'm right there with you. I joined this forum 30 pounds overweight from a bad school year of eating and parties, but I'm half-way to my goal now! I'm no stranger to dieting, but this forum seriously gave me the support I never could find from my friends and family members.

Good luck on your journey!!

Hey! I'm 21 with about 30 or so lbs to go. It's daunting, and I'm definitely nervous about school and more alcohol etc, but we can do this! 3FC has really helped me, especially with being able to find others I can relate to, and give me feedback on different elements of my weight loss. Good luck

I'm 19, I have more than 20 pounds to lose.

I've tried to starve myself to lose weight b4, I tried to cover it up and call it "fasting"..... I only lasted like 2 days I lost like 3 pounds but then when I went back to my normal ways I gained back 5. And I've never done it again.

I can totally understand your feeling of wanting to feel comfortable in your own skin.

I'm apple shape, and I HATE it. =[

OH BTW Good luck with your weight loss journey =)

Welcome! I know how you feel - I'm small-framed as well (excluding my height, of course), so any extra weight shows miserably. Good luck to you!

Welcome Im also in a similar boat, 19, wanting to shift 20ish pounds.

I tried all the fads before, starving myself, even drinking vinegar after I'd eaten something! Now trying to do it the healthy way, good luck on your journey!

Thank you for all your support, seriously!

How did each of you stay motivated?

And what diet did each of you become successful with?

Welcome to 3FC! Good luck with your goals!

Welcome Unthinkable!

I'm 26 (ACK!) and have the same goals. I started about a month ago and it's going really well. Don't mind with people telling you that you don't need to loose weight. Do what makes you feel good!

On here I doubt anyone is gonna tell you that it's wrong to want to get into shape! People are very nice, and if they get concerned for you they'll let you know in a nice manner anyhow.

Honestly, for this summer, my motivation was to get in shape for school. I wanted to feel confident again because I feel like last year I was kind of in the shadows because I was so uncomfortable with myself. Clothing is another motivation, too. I can't wait to feel good in certain trends that didn't work before. Not to mention I can go shopping again It just kind of hit me when I realized how lazy I was. I can't tell you how many parking tickets I accumulated because I drove to class instead of taking the extra 15 minutes to walk. I just wanted to feel healthy again and feel good about myself in general.

What helped me was actually seeing the numbers. At first, I weighed myself weekly or even once every couple of weeks. It really helped to see the number go down, even if it was just by .2 pounds. Now, I weigh myself every couple of days to make sure I'm staying on track. Also, I joined challenges here on 3FC! There are SO many and they're so helpful. Whether the challenge was to lose 5 pounds in a month, or to exercise 5 days a week, it really helped me to challenge myself. It was also great to have a smaller group of people to chat with and to hold me accountable for keeping my diet and exercise up.

As for diet, I don't really follow anything specific. Mostly, I count calories and follow the basic calories in vs calories out rule. As I upped my exercise, I upped my calories as well to sustain myself. I eat 6 small meals/snacks a day to reduce mindless snacking because I find myself munching when I eat 3 big meals a day...I tend to snack when I'm bored.

Keep my options open in case I decide to go into the Army was my motivation, right now I have no specific diet I just used to eat piles of food.... so I control my portions now, low sodium, low fat, stay away from fructose and sugars. Drink lots and lost of water. Working out has helped me the most though.

I agree, being overweight can make you feel trapped in your shell. It is such motivation.


Thank you so much!