I've been sporadically perusing these pages for a year and I'm finally in a stable place in my life to start taking my weight loss seriously again. So hello! I hope to find much inspiration and support on this forum and I am confident that will happen.

A little about me: I am going to be 30 in two weeks. I graduated from college in December with a degree in social work but I have not yet taken the liscensing exam so I have not yet looked for a job in my field. I was married for 4 years and our divorce will be final probably in July - his choice not mine. I have no children but I do have a wonderful 8 month old kitten named Isabelle. I am blessed with wonderful friends and family - a great support system as I've traveled through by far the most difficult year of my life. I am in a new city, in a new job, in a new life of singledom. Things have finally settled down and I am ready and willing to be healthy again.

I have always had a weight problem though right before I got married I found Somersize. I followed it religiously and dropped from 190ish to 160ish in 6 months. (I'm only 5'3). I took up jogging and toned up a lot. Then I also started kickboxing, went off Somersize and just watched my calories in fitday.com I went to a nicely toned 145 at my lowest weight and a size large 10 small 12.

Then I got married, went back to school full time, couldn't afford to eat right nor had the time for the vigorous exercise my body needed. I also have to admit, there were a lot of late night alcohol and pizza parties. I am now a size 24 - having gone from a 10 to 24 in 4.5 years. This is the largest I have ever been and while I am SO much more confident in myself and comfortable with who I am, I know I need to get healthy. It's not about being 22 and 'hot' anymore. It's about loving myself for who I am and respecting my body by giving it what it needs - including good nutrition.

When I lost weight the first time, I would still have a LOT of "fat" days. Days I would work myself into a panic over feeling and looking fat. I was staring in the mirror every chance I got. I was contemplating throwing up my food. I watched every calorie. I would not TOUCH a piece of chocolate. It was a very unhealthy mental state. I don't want that to happen to me again.

So I'm here. I have no idea what I'm going to do for a plan yet. I know I'm cutting out most sugar and trying to keep my carb intake at a decent level and watching calories. I guess just try to eat a balanced diet and get my butt out walking for a while until I quit smoking again and can handle more vigorous exercise.

So thats me, in a nutshell. I'm happy to be here.

Have a look around. Post where you're comfortable. Let us get to know you and what you're doing.

I began as a size 24, too. (And really, I was pushing 26 at that point.)

Exactly. You have the right attitude. You can do this!

Best of success!

your bday is coming up! awesome! well i hope it's a FAT FREE ONE (..actually...i'm not hoping that. eat eat eat lol)

Anyways nice to meet you ( I'm new too). Hopefully we'll get back to being our sexy selfs soon

<3ohtempus

Welcome and good luck !

thank you for the welcome

I went shopping tonight and bought 108 bucks worth of yummy healthy food. I did grab a lot of fruit because I know while I'm gettin off the sugar rollercoaster I'm going to need the natural sugars to compensate a bit. I am not a fruit eater... but I'm sure gonna try!

I wasn't a fruit eater either, but have come to really really love some fruit. I am on a melon kick right now where I can eat a whole melon in like 3 days. It's sweet and healthy and a great way to snack instead of chips or other stuff.

Welcome to the site, it's a great place for support!