Wel, I guess pictures do if they are photoshopped...but since mine are definitely not, I am stuck with looking at images of myself that I do not associate with myself.

Does that make any sense?

I am embarking on this new lifestyle change because I want others to see and appreciate the very best me possible, the me I remember--strong, kick ***, and confident. I am tired of hiding from mirrors, old friends, skinny collegues, and fitting rooms. I am tired of pretending I am just "curvy." I am not: I am about fifty pounds overweight. I do love myself enough to know that I must now work at actively loving myself by making good and healthy choices. I am afraid to fail again. So, I am grateful to have found this group and to be part of a dynamic and collective effort at being a better, generous, supportive and healthy human being.

I am not sure how I got here. Here being 187 pounds. Ya know tho--thats a lie. I do. I got here by having an extremely sedentary lifestyle over the past four years. I am a doctoral student who has sat in front of a computer for the past four years now with a steady diet of warm gooey cheesy things for reward.

I do know how I got here tho. Here, this website. I got here because, probably like many of you, I simply do not or cannot find the support I need in my immediate circle of friends. But I am hopeful. Very hopeful. Yea.

Kat,

You sound very positive about your new changes to come.

Good Luck!
Leenie

Thank you, Leenie! I love your tagline about courage. Courage is, from my experience, contagious!!!! Yay!

. . . so glad you found us . . . this is a wonderful place for support and encouragement as you travel down the long winding road to better health and fitness.

PS: Maybe I'm just having a really dense day . . . but I don't get the reference to thin white envelopes ???

Thanks for the energy and welcome, meowee!!! Uhm, it's def not you: I guess I was just making a cloudy reference to getting bad news in thin white envelopes in the mail--like rejection letters.

But . . . look on the bright side . . . sometimes those long white envelopes contain cheques. (I'm a Canadian -- we spell funny. but you know what I mean.)

Hey there! Welcome!

I'm relatively new to this community as well - been posting for about a month. I'm also working on a dissertation and know all too well the toll graduate school can take on your pants size.

Good luck! You can do it!

Hi Kantu, Welcome!

Welcome! We're about the same height/weight. Good luck to you. Yeah, I know what it's like to gain weight while in school. Not fun... as if you don't have enough to worry about. But you can do it!

Hi liketobike,

Yea. who knew going back to school was going to mean gaining 50 pounds? I guess it doesnt for many, but I found that returning to first get my masters and now my doctorate reminded me of everything I hated about school to begin with--the competition, the backstabbing, the lonliness, the fear, the stress etc. I compensated for all this by eating and not moving. Great combo. It isn't all bad, but I found the endless hours I spent in front of the computer writing and reading and researching left me very little time energy or desire to want to move my body, even though that is when i needed to the most.

BUt hey--thank you for the welcome! We CAN do this thing.

btw--I do have a bike and have at some point liked to ride it. It now sits in my basement gathering dust since I am too chicken to be seen in public on it. That is one of my goals--to be able to do 10 miles.

Thanks BB!!

You are RIGHT!!! I love your positivity and funny spelling.

WELCOME TO 3FC! Good luck to you and your journey!

Welcome, welcome.

I can understand it being easy to pack on the weight in school; I did the same thing without really noticing it (how could that possibly be?). I can't imagine how tough medical school is.

It sounds like you're really focused, know what you're tired of, and not afraid of being honest with yourself -- those add up to a success story in the making.

Welcome aboard, and best wishes.