Hello Everyone!
My name is Erin and I'm a 23 year old law student. I have been battling my weight on and off for as long as I can remember. I watched my mother yo yo diet throughout my childhood and now she has type II diabetes and still has trouble controlling her binge eating habits. I have many of the same health and body image issues that she did as a young woman, as well as having PCOS. I dont' want to be end up being diabetic, althoguh I am well aware that even weight loss and lifestyle change is not a 100% guarantee that I won't get it - I know it can seriously reduce my risk factors. I want mostly to be healthy and happy and not to feel disgusting when I look in the mirror. I am 5'7" and weigh 238 lbs. I am finally fed up with being fat and am starting to change.
I went out *gasp* and bought a bathroom scale yesterday, the kind with the fat% measurer included and discovered that I am 41% body fat! yek! I am starting out with modifying my diet, although I am not counting calories at this juncture. My first mini goal is to lose 5 lbs by dec 17th when my parents have their big annual christmas party. It isn't much, but it will be enough to make me feel like I am beginning to take control of my life again. My second mini goal is to lose 15 lbs total by January 15th, because that is my boyfriend and I's three year anniversary, and I sincerely hope that will be enough of a change so that I feel comfortable enough to enjoy a romantic evening rather than feeling like a beached whale or the girl who gets taken on a pity-date. (In case you didn't notice I have some serious self-esteem issues to deal with, as well as the weight issues). My ultimate goal is to get down to 170 by my birthday on July 10 - to be 24 and not in a size that ends in an X or begins with a 2 will be awesome!
My major obstacle right now is the fact that I am a first semester law student going into my first round of final exams - this in an incredibly stressful process and my major way of coping with stress is to EAT EAT EAT! I will do my best to avoid the tasty cookies offered every freaking day at our law school snack shop - and I will get healthy once and for all!!!!!!
Good luck and keep on truckin' everyone!!
Erin