Hello I am LJ, I am 25 years old and I live in Denver,Co. I've struggled with weight since my childhood, as a teen went to eating disorders to lose and as my doctors didn't care it continued for sometime. Then it stalled and I seen no point, then the weight started back. I was over 400 pounds back then (those words haunt me) when I got ill at 22, in months I lost over 100 pounds. My lowest weight during that time of being sick was 276 and sometimes , I wish I was back there. It's like a rollercoaster ~ up , down , then up...gets depressing. Then you see people whom are around you , whom are big and they are effortlessly losing lol and I feel like a total failure, then a total b**** for not congratulating. My friend see something I don't because they constantly say Im losing , only I don't see it and don't see it as much as I want on the scale aka enemy lol.

My doctors want me to lose weight, they want to get me off prednisone to help me as when I'm off I lose considerable amounts but then BOOM... a lovely flare up and I'm stuck in bed plus back on double the medication. Surprisingly my blood pressure, sugar and lipids stay well under the limits. My doctor does want my HDL increases as it's pretty low.

The person inside me wants to go outside and go for a run , she wants to go on vacation with her husband without a care , and she just wants to be free...because I (she) lol feels held back by my weight.

I've been doing this on my own and I've found I need some support , as well as to support someone else. My family are all supportive but they just don't understand.

Can't wait to get to know you ladies!

Ciao!

LJ

Hi LJ Wow have you ever come to the right place. Just by posting you are off to a great start.

You can do it... and you don't have to do the "crash diet" thing... just find a healthful eating and exercise plan and go for it. Don't worry if you are not starting off with huge amounts of exercise; just do what you can faithfully.

And please come here and share with us. There are many of us who really relate and I am sure there are people here who would be happy to give input.

Hi LJ...welcome to 3FC.

I know sometimes when people lose a lot of weight it "seems" effortless...but it's not. The rumor mill says all sorts of wild and untrue stories about how obese people managed to "effortlessly" lose a lot of weight in a relatively short amount of time...and not one of the "stories" talk about the hard word, commitment, determination, and sacrifices they make to get healthy. It's a real downer. As you know, no weight loss is effortless unless there is an illness attached, and even then it's an effort to stay alive...with that said, I hope you can appreciate the 50+ pounds you have lost, even if you can't see it...surely you can feel it in your clothing and comfort level.

Hope to see you around the boards. Please don't give up. Being a fairly normal weight IS all it's cracked up to be.

Welcome!

I was just going to comment on what you wrote there. Very few people lose weight effortlessly - it just appears that way sometimes. The truth is that they're working very hard, or doing something silly (like not eating) and can't maintain it. I always think that it's more about finding a new way of living. Not just doing something 'for a while' and then going back to our old, bad ways.

Anyway - welcome again, and best of luck!

Hi LJ,

Welcome! You've come to the right spot. I'm fairly new but so far everyone's been very supportive and that's a big help.

Looking forward to getting to know you better.

Dani

Hi,

I'm fairly new here and let's face it, I've a fair bit to lose if I'm going to get to where I should be. I'm determined to make it work. I know the road won't be an easy one but if it's taken slowly and sensibly, I will get there and I will have won the ultimate prize, my health and happiness. Don't give up or give in. Just take it slowly. It doesn't matter if you only lose 1/2lb a week as long as it's gone. Eventually it will become noticable. I've lost a bit of weight - not enough to boast about or even for other people to notice but my clothes feel a bit looser and more importantly, I feel a lot better. A week ago, I started walking 25 min with my dog and felt like I'd die. Now I'm doing the same distance in 18 min and I'm hardly even breathless. Have a look at some of the mini goals and finished goals. They are inspirational. One I look at when I feel down is Zelma, a fellow Aussie. She is beautiful. She lost a huge amount of weight through pure hard work.

We CAN do that.

Stay with us, please. We all have to have some support, someone to hold our hand on the journey.

Let us know how you get on, you're with friends here.

Thank you all for kind words and support! It means so much to me. I was struck with a mild flare over the past few days, so that got me down, as I needed more of the prednisone yet again. It is a mind-bending cycle of getting better, doing good, getting down on the meds, losing weight and BOOM! LOL I should expect it but I can't help but get disappointed as it slows me down and I have to take a easy for few days , not pushing myself and that’s hard for me as I want to be up moving and conquer my goals, telling my body I can do what I want.

As you all said and you’re correct no one loses weight effortlessly and when they do it is unhealthy, typically does not last long. For me it's more about what I am seeing not and I'm learning my perceptions much incorrect , as a friend and I were talking I commented on how great she looked and she was losing so much weight , she laughed and said girl are you kidding I've put on x amount of pounds . I guess it's in my head when I'm comparing myself to others , which isn't fair or healthy for me to do but it's hard.

I am so glad a found a place where I can feel comfortable and have so many great people around!

Again thank you all :-)