Me in brief: I’ll be 33 in December, never married and not dating, and born/raised/live in southern California. Though I was a thin child, I’ve been overweight since about 13. I am an emotional binge eater. I am not proud of my behavior, but am working to prevent it. A few years back I lost 120 pounds going from 298 to 177. I’m 6 feet tall so that was within the normal range for me, but I was surprised to find I don’t have the large frame I always professed to have and still had about 30 pounds to lose. After changing to a stressful job, I dealt with the stress by eating. In a year and a half or so I was back to 285. Here I am, trying again and have lost 21 pounds thus far and am aiming for 145. If I find I look better at a higher weight I am open to changing that goal. I need to develop better coping skills as part of the process if I’m going to maintain this time around.

My philosophy: I believe that organized diet plans work for some people, but not for me. I could write a book on nutrition, dieting, and fitness, but that didn’t stop me from getting to where I am today. I believe that the majority of overweight people possess the tools to lose the weight, but don’t do it for different reasons. I promised myself that I wouldn’t pay any money for plans or programs to lose weight-- you can't buy motivation and perseverance. I know what to do; I just have to do it. And no one can make that happen except me. I believe in watching calories, but not in fads like low-carb. I agree that if you can handle sensibly including treats in your diet you should, but I know my triggers and choose not to. One bite of a cookie and I’ll inhale the package and it’s downhill from there. I struggle with exercise, but know it’s essential. I walk a lot and have an elliptical machine. My goal is to exercise 5 times a week.

Hi all, I'll join in:

Me in brief: I am 40 years old and have been a registered nurse for 10+ years, I work in a post acute rehabilitation facility. Never married, currently not dating. I own my own home and spend alot of time and energy on my "money pit". Before going into nursing I worked for 11 years as a veterinary technician in a small animal hospital and also volunteered at a wildlife rehabilitation clinic. I love animals and have three cats, two guinea pigs and a couple of goldfish. I like dogs but am not home enough to have one. I like to read, cook, and make stained glass in my spare time. I come from a big Italian, catholic family (9 kids) and we have always celebrated with food. I have always been overweight, although I got close to normal weight a couple of times. The last time was 15 years ago. My mother was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer and I joined Weight Watchers because she had always been worried about my weight and I wanted to give her one less thing to worry about. I proceeded to lose 110lbs by the time she died. After she died, I lost my #1 cheerleader and really didn't pursue it with as much dedication and gradually gained all the weight back + 55 pounds.

My philosophy: Being a "health care professional" I know what needs to be done to lose the weight. Diet and Exercise. I am essentially a slug. I hate exercise with every fiber of my being. But I do it anyway. I am following Weight Watchers again because it has helped me in the past and I feel it is a good, healthy weight loss plan. I do not subscribe to Low carb. As far as I am concerned, if I cannot eat carbs, you may as well shoot me because I'd rather be dead! I am am trying to incorporate more fruits and vegetables in my diet and I am also trying the three-a-day dairy (which is no hardship - I love milk). I have currently been "on plan" for eight weeks and for some reason I really feel like I am going to succeed this time. For once, when someone describes me, I don't want the words heavy, over weight or big to be a part of that description.

hey singles!

me in brief: i am just 39 (2 weeks), single, no children, one dog that is like my child. i have my own home which i am trying to sell, and a home my parents want me to take over. i work in a factory full time and at a family convenience store part time weekends. i am not dating nor am i interested in dating at this point in time. i am too unhappy with myself to be happy with someone else. i have to work on me for right now and boy is that a major project.

my philosophy: i don't really have one i guess. i was a chubby kid, chunky teenager and just an plain ol' overweight adult that goes up and down depending on my happiness status. i guess that puts me in the emotional category. mostly i eat when i am bored. like someone else said, i know what to do i just have to do it.

anyways, on to other things. my house i am taking over is finally finished. i went to see it tonite and it looks sooo nice. now if i can just get a buyer for the one i'm living in, i could move. (oh, i was redoing the basement for those who don't know what i'm talking about.)

well, i have to go. is any watching the new show "Desperate Housewives"? it's actually like a nite soap. from a single person's view i actually like it.
have a good week!
kathy

Hi Everyone.

ME: I am 34, single with no children. I finished grad school last summer and am still trying to adjust to the 'real world' and not doing a good job. I have been heavy all of my life although a couple of years ago I managed to lose about 40 pounds, then I moved to start working and have gained about 15 back. I am dating a man who is driving me crazy because he says he wants to be with me but we hardly see each other - does terrible things to me emotionally (I know I should get out but...). I have my own house that needs some work (old house) and two cats.

Philosophy: Like so many I know about nutrition and what to do but I have to do it. I have no self esteem so no internal motivation. The 'why bother' syndrome. I have a very hard time losing weight so I don't really go up and down. The only way I've lost weight before is to run 5 times a week and watch what I eat. I'm a picky eater who doesn't cook so I can't do planned diets or anything like that. I need to change my life little bits at a time. I won't lose with eating alone, I must have the high levels of exercise. I just can't get myself to exercise these days. I don't like being alone and am not good about my 'diet' when I don't feel well emotionally (and that describes me these days). Healthy eating to me is portion control, low (not too strict though) carbs, and no binging.



btw - I watch Desperate Housewives and agree it is fun and funny.

Hi all,
Just checking in. I am not doing as well today and have STRONG binge urges. I am trying to figure out what is wrong with me emotionally, instead of just burying my emotions with food. But I just can't pinpoint what its all about. I feel like I am eating fairly healthy, so I don't think it's a nutritional deficit. Somehow, things have been going too well and I always end up sabotaging myself. But when I give in and eat, I just end up feeling disgusted and discouraged. It's very frustrating...
On the upside, I have been exercising fairly regularly - I even walked in the rain last Friday and Saturday. I know if I can just stay strong and fight this off I will be the better for it. Sorry so whiney...just feeling weak right now. Tomorrow is another day. Thanks for listening.

Janet, I'm so sorry you had a rough day. I've been there. Oh yeah, it was last Friday… I've been doing everything right, but the scale is not cooperating. On Friday I felt like I had the choice between pigging out and being fat or eating rabbit food, working up a sweat... and being fat. I chose the latter, thinking that you can't eat rabbit food and exercise AND be fat forever. It's not physically possible. I've been trying to approach it like a giant staring contest between me and the scale. I refuse to blink first...

What stopped me from gorging on food was also remembering that it was that kind of short term thinking that got me where I am in the first place. I thought back on all my other attempts to lose weight over the last year. What if I hadn't given in when I tried this back in January? I'd probably almost be at my goal. What if I had stuck with it in March? Maybe 60 or 70 pounds down. I can't even remember why I gave up all of those times. Whatever it was, it probably tasted great, but looking back now I'd rather have the weight loss instead. I don’t want to use the phase “What if?” to describe my life anymore.

Good for you for looking at your emotions instead of numbing them with food. I think we all know that it’s generally not about the food (okay, sometimes it’s the food, I adore ice cream!). And it takes a lot of work to retrain yourself and change reactions and habits that are decades old. It’s important work, though, and the fact that you’re doing it is so necessary for your long term success, however frustrating it can be. Don't give up on yourself!! You are absolutely worth taking care of. And you're doing that by exercising and not giving in to the binge urges. If you can just make it through the day when you feel like that, the next day always seems to be much easier. And then you get to be proud of yourself for not giving in the day before!

Take care and let us know how you're doing!

Thanks for the encouragement, SkinnyBoPeep. I made it out the other side alive and binge-free. I still don't know why the urges were there. I know it wasn't about the food, but whatever it was was buried too deep in my subconscious to dig out - this time. Thanks for being here. I find when I get those urges I just sign on, do a couple posts and read everyone else's experiences and feel more empowered. I think the reason I am doing so well this time is because of this site.

I know what you mean about the rabbit food - sometimes I get "saladed" out. It's starting to get cold here though, so I can soon substitute soup for salads. I just invested in a couple Cooking Light cookbooks from Amazon and hope to do some experimenting to mix it up some. Maybe I'm just bored?? I tend to eat the same things over and over because they're easy or I don't want to think of anything new to cook. I used to have cooking weekends where I'd make 6-7 soups/casseroles and freeze them in individual servings to pull out when I'm lazy. Maybe I need to do some cooking this weekend...

I don't worry about the scale. I am thoroughly convinced that the devil resides in each an every scale on this earth just to screw with our minds. (Of course I developed this theory when I was up 2.4 lbs last week even though I followed program all week). But my pants are getting looser by the day, so what does an arbitrary number on a possessed scale mean?

I have been having unusually high cravings for the past 2 weeks. I am generally not a huge emotional eater and rarely have a problem with bingeing, but I have just been craving junky sweet stuff for almost 2 weeks.

Specifically, I have been craving, of ALL things, those little Hostess cupcakes with the cream filling and the little white icing twirls on top. For a WEEK. So finally, I went down to the snack bar yesterday afternoon and BOUGHT the damn cupcakes (2 cupcakes in a package) just to be done with the misery of thinking about it. They weren't even that good but that didn't stop me from polishing them off!

I have really started to wonder lately if I have cut back too far and am eating too few calories and/or too little fat, especially on the weekdays when I cook and bring my lunch to work (lunch is my main meal of the day). So I've decided to run an "experiment" on myself by upping the fat and calories a bit in my weekday menu and see what kind of an impact it has. Yesterday was the first day and so far so good on the scale...we'll see about long term effects. I do know that, back when I first started eating healthy, I plugged my food into fitday.com and many days couldn't even get to 1200 calories. So I do think there's a possibility that I"m not eating enough and that's why I keep hitting plateau after plateau.

SheriVa, it sounds like you might have a handle on the plateau stuff and your experiment sounds like a healthy change. As "they" always say, you have to eat enough to keep your metabolism from going into starvation mode. There's also the school of thought that food cravings are the result of some lack in your diet. So who knows? Maybe those lethal cupcakes were exactly what you needed at that time. At least it was portion controlled. And it's never as good as the imagination makes it out to be, but sometimes you just have to live and learn. Good luck with the experiment!

I'm finishing up week nine on my program and am down 31 pounds. I am following the Weight Watchers points system and so far so good. I expect the weight loss will slow down now that I am through the initial "honeymoon" period, but I still hope to lose 14 pounds by the end of the year. It will be nice to start the new year in the 200's (even if it is 299!). Hope everything is going well with everyone - have a nice day and stay strong!

31 pounds!!! Woo Hoo, Janet!!!! That’s awesome. Keep up the great work. I think you can absolutely lose 14 by the end of the year. What a great Christmas present to yourself and a wonderful way to start the New Year! You were mentioning getting bored with eating the same things over and over and I really think that’s the plight of the single person who wants to cook for themselves. I made soup the other day and I feel like I’m going to float away. I’ve got soup coming out my ears: in the fridge, in the freezer, eating it up to twice a day. It’s enough to make me hate soup! Recipes designed for 4-6 people mean I either am eating it for days or I (with my old habits) end up eating enough for 4-6 people. Hmmm... and HOW did I get fat??? Sheesh.

SheriaVa, I just did the same thing—added more calories to my diet. I’m experimenting right along with you. I was doing the math and was also coming out less than 1200 calories and was never hungry and plateauing. I think I just shut down my fat burning factory. It could be coincidence, but once I added some calories I dropped 1.5 pounds right away after no movement for over two weeks. It could be coincidence, but if I can eat a little more and still lose, I’m happy with that.

I’m still staying strong. I’ve had houseguests for the last 2 days and made those my off exercise days, but I'm still running up 3 flights of stairs several times a day to get to and from meetings. I stayed true to my eating plan except for a salad I had for dinner at a restaurant today that in hindsight was probably more fattening than I planned, but I’m not going to beat myself up. Tomorrow is another day, and I just won’t have that one again if we go there again.

Anyway, have a terrific Thursday everyone!

P.S. to Kathy and Ang: I LOVE Desperate Housewives too!!

Hi all, just checking in. I just got home from a stained glass class I am taking. I decided there was more to life than my job and television, so I am getting back into a hobby I love but not made time for recently. I'm psyched! My life is alot out of balance right now and I'm attemting to get back into some hobbies I have neglected - other than warming the couch in front of the TV that is.

SkinnyBoPeep, I can so relate to eating the same thing for a week. I cooked a turkey breast a few weeks back and ate it for breakfast and lunch for four days! I'm luck though because I have a big box freezer in my basement that I can freeze enough stuff that I can rotate what I eat. The only problem is that I forget what I have down there sometimes. I tend to eat the same thing day after day even when I don't have to because I am too lazy to think of anything else when I get home after a long day. I maintain a food diary and could just recycle my menues from week to week (and have), but somedays I don't even want to do that. It's lucky I don't tend to keep alot of "taboo" foods in the house or I'd be a goner!

Exercise is getting harder, it's getting colder here by the day and it rained buckets all day long today. They're talking snow for next week, so it's time to dust off and lubricate the old clothes rack ..er..treadmill , yeah, that's it. I hate the darn thing, but it is a means to an end, I guess.

Take care all and TGIF!!!

Janet, you rock!!! That is exactly what I need to do, but haven't. It's been at the back of my brain for a LONG time that I want to sign up for a writing or acting class, something like that, but I keep procrastinating. Twenty years ago, I spent much of my free time doing crafts--all kinds of crafts--I was always making something and, even if it was something stupid, I was having fun and finding an outlet for my creativity. I've been writing since I was 12 but I rarely take time for even that, and it brings me so much joy.

I seriously need to spend less time in front of the TV and the PC and need to work on getting back to doing things I love in addition to getting more involved in volunteer work. I really need to actively prepare for my retirement (in 3-5 years) because I don't want to end up like my mother, who went into a depression when she retired and hasn't really improved a great deal in the years since.

Thanks for the inspiration, Janet! Have fun in class.

hey singles! i am here still. sorry i haven't posted this week. i have been busy with this physical therapy thing...then i broke my front tooth. i don't know how. so i had to get that fixed and the darn thing chipped again. now i have to go again this wednesday to fix that. i am beginning to think turning 39 is bad luck for me. i am falling apart!

janet- great job on that 31 lbs gone 4 ever!!!! you are setting a great example for all of us. thanks!!!

this pt is wearing me out. i haven't really done that much but i tell you today i was sooo sore i couldn't move. i did my 1st exercises for my knees yesterday and it took a toll on my back. i woke up this morning with the worst back pain i've felt in a while. i had to take pain meds and that left me tired instead. i had this idea for a reality show. there is one called "Overhaulin' " for cars, i think they should follow me to pt for overhaulin of my body.

well, i'm super tired. i hope everyone has a safe and happy halloween! is anyone dressing up????
kathy

Bummer, Kathy! Don't you find that stuff like that tends to happen in clumps? I'll cruise along for a while with everything fine, then WHAMMO, things fall apart (my bod included). Hope you feel better soon!

I'm not dressing up for Halloween -- not my favorite holiday. I bought candy for the kiddies so I wouldn't be the mean old spinster on the block with the lights off hiding upstairs in the bedroom. My plan was to wait until the last minute to buy it, then buy something I didn't particularly care for. Monday any leftovers are going to work so my coworkers can eat it. Ha! That's one way to look thinner...make everyone around you gain weight!

How is everyone else doing? I'm still losing at a SNAIL'S PACE. It's really discouraging, especially when there is nothing to blame it on except my metabolism. But I'm going to stick with it.

Janet-- I'm so impressed by your branching out! Good for you for getting out there and doing something fun you love. I for one certainly need to do more of that (she writes while in her jammies in bed at 7:45 PM on a Saturday evening...).

Hope you are all having a good weekend!

hi singles! hope everyone is tucked away safely tonite so the goblins don't get you.

i finally decided what to dress as. at the last minute of course the inspiration hits me. i am going to be a snowwoman. i have a white sweatsuit that i sewed black buttons down the front on. then i bought a lite blue ladies hat that i sewed a big yellow flower on. and last but not least i am going to paint my face white with rosy round cheeks. i had to think of something that was work compatable. i just hope i don't get pizza sauce on it. i wanted to be something friendly so i didn't scare the littler goblins.

i am feeling a little better today physically. i guess i just have to get used to a little soreness before i get stronger.

well, i hope everyone has a happy halloween!!!
kathy "the snow woman"