[kimd2006]

Hey...I've been lurking on this site for awhile and finally decided to post. I'm ready to get healthy. My name is Kim and I'm 17. I have about 45 pounds to lose and I want to try and do it by the time my first semester of college starts (around August/September). I've been a crazy dieter since I was 13...trying fad diets, crash diets, and every diet inbetween. Obviously none of that worked. So now I am ready to go about this the mature and healthy way. Watching what I eat and exercising.

I'm homeschooling my senior year...taking two classes as of now (Senior English & French) and working 40 hours a week to save up for college. I'm involved at my church also...helping with the little kids and such. Between all that stuff and trying to make time for friends I am super busy. Making time will probably be the hardest part. So my first goals are going to be small steps.

1. Stop drinking Soda & Sweet Tea (I'm from Tennessee so this is a huge weakness for me). Drink 64oz. of water instead.
2. Eat healthy breakfast (I am the worst about skipping breakfast and then eating a lot later on).
3. Get in some form of exercise for 30-45 minutes 3-4 times a week.
4. Journal daily. (Hopefully this will keep me from binge eating which I oh so love to do).
5. Last but not least...Eat more fruits and veggies.

Hopefully this will get me on the right track.

Given my stats and goals does anyone know of which group or club I should be apart of here? There are so many and yet I haven't seen a group for teens or young adults...I would even love a group for college students...because in a short time I will be one myself....and I certainly don't want to worry about the Freshman 15 that I keep hearing about.

Anyway...sorry for such a long post. Hope I didn't bore you to much.

[Jennifer 3FC]

Hi Kim! We have a few things in common. I'm also from TN and I homeschool my son. He's in the 7th grade. Isn't sweet tea GREAT? That's why I totally gave it up. In the past 6 years or so, I've only had it on accident. There is a thread here nearby that says '20 year old college student' that you might like to join in on. Also, you can go to the support thread and start one of your own and see if you can get one started. Are you going away to college, or will you be living at home?

[kimd2006]

Hey Jennifer, thanks for the reply.

Yea, that sweet tea is a killer. My dad makes it everyday. But I'm keeping bottles of water in the fridge and occasionally making my own unsweet tea.

I'm actually going to be staying home for the first semester or two. I was going to UT knox but it will be cheaper for me to go to Austin Peay so I can live at home.

I started homeschooling in the 10th grade and I love it! It gives me so much more freedom. I'm actually just doing it on my own this year and my mom checks up on me every week to make sure I'm staying caught up.

So you live in TN? Were you affected by the bad storms last week?

[Jennifer 3FC]

Hi Kim, I'm a bit more to the east than you! I'm in the Tri-Cities. Luckily we missed most of the bad storms. I was braced with my flashlight and unplugged laptop (pesky addiction, this place!) and waited for the tornadoes. I fell asleep about 30 minutes later while my husband stood guard. He's a keeper!

You didn't get too many bad ones, did you? Looks like poor Nashville got the worst of things.

[Misti in Seattle]

Hi Kim, and welcome!!

LOL I am laughing as I grew up in Missouri with all that sweet tea and now this Seattle girl thinks it is NASTY! When I go back to MO and order tea I almost choke on the sugar LOL... so I don't do that any more! I remember my Mom making it and you could actually see all the sugar in the bottom of the pitcher!!!

Of course now I am a Seattle coffee freak LOL

Hope you find the places here which are right for you and you can make some cyberbuddies your own age!! Also, sounds as if you are off to a great start with some good goals.

[kimd2006]

Thanks for your reply Misti! Yea, my dad's tea is basically the same...loaded with sugar. That's going to be a hard habit to break. I told him to start hiding it in a place that only he and my mom know about.

Jennifer - Thats good that you weren't affected much by the storms. I'm about 30 miles from Nashville so we didn't get any tornados...just the very strong wind and hail. Golf ball size! It was a little crazy. I was driving in it...thanfully I was close to my sisters house and was able to stop there. We had a little damage...and some power outages but nothing to major. Some spots in Nashville look horrible though.

[denice81]

hi Kim!
I too have spent a lot of time lurking around this website not really posting anything, but i think its time for me as well. I have alot of the same small steps and goals too. Also, comming from someone who gained a "freshman 15" aka "freshman 40" for me, I think its great that you are trying to make yourself healthier before a major change in your life, so good luck! Also, my husband used to drink lots of soda and juice and cut most of it out and dropped about 40 pounds (mostly from that i think). So good place to start