[Chubschick]

Hi!

This is the first time I have ever used an online forum - or indeed been honest and open about wanting to lose weight (albeit anonymously...) and I was wondering if anyone might have any tips or advice as to how to get the best from this forum, what they have used it for and how it has helped. I am a bit daunted at the moment - but have actually plucked up the courage to sign up and actually post, so feel like that might even count as a "Mini Goal"! I particularly wondering how you guys deal with your friends and family - I have never been able to tell any of my friends about my weight insecurities and feel like, if I say that I have weight issues then they will see it too!

I am currently 210 pounds and have viewed myself as a bit overweight as long as I can remember - which has somehow led me to not being concerned as the pounds kept increasing as I always felt fat and the odd one out. I tend to put weight on everywhere so feel like I struggle to notice small (as in around 10 poundsish) weight loss and so always lose motivation with diets. Does anyone have any tips for getting out of the "failed diet mindset"?

I have had a real kick of motivation this time as my boyfriend (who is a professional sportsman and has approximately 0% body fat), who I had been out of the country for the last five months, told me that I had got bigger again and (upon asking) he said (in a really nice way!) that the one thing he would change about me would be my size. I feel like this really is the time to get serious and what he said has really motivated me, particularly as we have been talking about getting married next year and it would be great to feel fabulous by then!

Thanks for reading and I really appreciate any advice you might have!
X

[zoesmom]

WELCOME! And kudos on a first step!

I have found, the best use of this site is to just jump on in. Everyone is super supportive. I have been here for less than 2 weeks and already have gotten more encouragement that I ever dreamed! Every little milestone, be it one pound or 10 has been applauded. That gives me the motivation I need! Join a daily thread for accountability. If you post daily, it makes you accountable to yourself, and others. That helps keep on track, especially when you see everyone else sticking to their guns and you don't want to be odd man out.

As for family, they will support you. Guarantee it. And if they don't, bah to them. It is times like that when sometimes, family isn't everything. But they will support you. I can't imagine a family one who belittled someone for trying to get healthier and happier. Tell them you have decided it is time to get healthy, you want their support, and that you need them to help you stay on track (i.e. don't offer you goodies or waht not until you are in control of your diet.)

The best part of any diet is excercise. if you don't do it already, start. You will gain before you lose, but it will be muscle mass, and you need that to lose.

As for diet plans, different folks, different strokes. It depends who you ask. Some swear to Weigh Watchers. Some swear to Ideal Protein, Medifast, New Lifestyle, or Wonderslim (personally, I am a Wonderslimmer and in 10 days, I have dropped 13.1 pounds.) Some swear to counting calories and carbs. It just depends on what you want to do and what you can handle. Don't join a diet just because someone says it works. Start a diet you know will work for you, taking into concideration your own abilities. What I mean is, don't go on a liquid diet if you hate shakes. Don't go on a veggie diet if you hate veggies. Don't go on the Atkins diet if you hate meat. Find one that will work for you. There is advice galore on here, women and men who have overcome huge obstacles, and a support system out of this world.

Welcome to the forum, and good luck on your endavours!


OH--also--0% body fat is impressively dangerous (abeit deadly.) So, I doubt your boyfriend is really at that range.

[Julie Ann]

The forum is a great place to get a little extra support when you need and ask a question when you get stuck.

My tip for you - set up a mini-goal and don't make it about pounds on the scale. Instead pick one habit related to food and try to change it. For example, if you tend to eat chips by the handful - start portioning out one portion and put the bag away after that. These little kinds of things won't make you feel deprived yet you will feel that you are making progress. I hope this helps.

[kelly315]

Welcome and congrats! I suggest you don't do any more diets- that's one way to get out of the failed diet mindset. Just eat healthier and maybe count your calories. Choose a good range for you and stick to it. Then eat what you want, or substitute for healthier options. Good luck!

[1yr2mkovr]

Hey!!!

It looks like you and I are starting at a very similar weights and our goals (and height) is the same!

1) I just signed up last week and I must tell you that in the past week, I had excercised 3 times more than I would have without it, all due to Goal pictures! It may sound silly but there have been three days when I thought, oh, I excercised yesterday so I could skip today - then logged in, saw the before and after photos, and chose to excercise. So that's a good place to start when it comes to this forum. And of course, the members here are sooooo supportive of one another! I really wanted to reach 199 lbs this week (which meant I would have to lose 5 lbs), and was dealt some challenges, but the support I got was amazing, and here I am today (weigh-in day) and I'm at 199! So, post your little goals in the mini-goal section, post your questions and concerns in themost appropriate group, and you will find the support you need!

2) I find that each person has their own "tool" for success. The year before I got married I lost 50 lbs, and I did it with weight watchers! I loved them! I thought it was the best probram ever (and it very well could be). At some point it stopped working for me (because of my own "changes" in perspective/attitude/etc.) and I had to find something new. so it's important that you find something that really works for you.

The easiest place to start is to make small changes that aren't too difficult like swapping sugary drinks and deserts for fruits and water. And if you're not a fan of working out, then start walking an hour/day (preferably up hill, though not necessarilly). Sometimes making small changes is what it takes to get to the next level. I find that if I try to change everything all at once about my behaviour, it's very easy to lose your way, and "fail".

Lastly, I will say this... Sometimes it takes action to find motivation. When I started this Journey on July 1st at 217 lbs and decided I want to be out of the 200's by the end of the month, my first thought was that I can't do it. For the first few days, I didn't do anything except for think about how hard it will be. Then I decided to think about how "hard" it will be while I took a long walk. I also thought about how crazy this goal is while I ate chicken/fish with frozen veggies for dinner, and when I got on the scale at the end of that week I had lost 3 pounds... Only after I saw this first result, did I decide to actually try harder (that's when I found my motivation).

So, it's absolutely NOT impossible! Lean on the people here for support, and make small steps! Even if you don't get huge weight loss numbers, who cares, at least it's all positive change! Even one pound every week adds up to 52 lbs at the end of one year!

Good Luck!

[Misti in Seattle]

Hello and welcome. Glad you found the courage to post. Around here that would count as what we call an "NSV" (non-scale victory).

I agree with the suggestion of a daily check-in thread being a good place to start. You're welcome to join us in the August thread!

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/weig...e-welcome.html