[Katiebug227]

Hi! I'm Katie, 25, and hoping to lose a total of 70 lbs.

I've been married for 15 months to a wonderful man who's one of the lucky types that can eat all day and never gain an ounce. No kids yet, one cat. I'm a mechanical engineer.

My weight came on gradually during my last 2 years of college. It's sad, but I was actually an NCAA Division I athlete for my first year of school and was in incredible shape. Once I stopped competing in order to focus on academics, I started losing muscle and gaining fat. I went from a comfortable size 12 as a freshman to a tight size 18 by graduation 4 years later. Too much beer and pizza will do that to you!

Over the last 3 years since I started my career, I've yo-yoed with the same 15-20 lbs. I lose them easily, then get lazy and gain them back. At the beginning of this year, DH and I bought our first house, which was stressful enough. DH has been going through some job-related stress for a while now and basically from January to June, I found myself stress eating in a huge way. As a result I piled on about 30 pounds, and I was already about 40 pounds overweight at that point.

I won't lie. I'm obese. In order to have a "normal" BMI, I need to lose nearly 70 pounds. If I make it, I'll be the slimmest I've been in a decade.

DH and I are planning a cruise for the end of next April to celebrate our second anniversary. Since it's in the Caribbean, I want to be able to wear a swimsuit without embarassment. Additionally, if all goes well with DH's career, we will likely try to concieve our first child late in 2007. I don't want to be high-risk during pregnancy simply due to my weight, so I'm not just losing weight for the trip; it's to be as healthy as possible as we hopefully enter the next stage of life and become parents.

I intend to use the Body For Life plan for at least the first 12 weeks. Fortunately when I make a concerted effort, I do lose weight relatively quickly, but I want to build some muscle as well.

[I_am_Bastet]

Sounds like you have the tools to achieve your goal, just need to implement them. Isn't that always the way? 70 lbs may seem daunting, but it is totally achievable! I'm half way to my goal of losing 56 lbs, not too different from yours. Getting the right mindset has been key for me. This is not a temporary "fix". I am changing my habits for a lifetime, so I have to create a plan that I can live with that long!

Have you started journaling your eating? Some people find it time-consuming, but I think it's one of the biggest things I've been doing this time to keep myself focused. I'm an emotional eater myself, so making myself accountable for everything I eat has really helped me put the brakes on when I feel one of those stress/boredom binges coming on.

As far as I can see, being fit for a cruise next April is completely within reason. Kick some @ss!

[Abbeycat36]

Hi Katie,

Welcome to the group, nice to see you here

You can do it, you said yourself you lost weight pretty easily! Just stick to it and you'll do it for sure. Sounds like you have a plan already and that's half the battle I think. Don't say " if I make it " say "I will make it"

[Jayde]

Originally Posted by Katiebug227

I intend to use the Body For Life plan for at least the first 12 weeks. Fortunately when I make a concerted effort, I do lose weight relatively quickly, but I want to build some muscle as well.

Sounds like a smart beginning! Welcme to 3FC.