Hi all,

I started my weight loss in October 2009, fell off the wagon then decided to renew my commitment to making a permanent lifestyle change.As i've grown up, the shame, pain, frustration and humiliation of being overweight and now obese has really taken a toll on me- physically, emotionally and mentally. I'm only 26 but I'm sick and tired. Sick and tired of shopping on the peripheries of stores, not being able to find clothes that fit, squeezing into clothes, getting winded walking up a flight of stairs, being told you have such a cute face-i do /you'd be pretty if you lost weight, not feeling confident, wanting to hide because of my weight, wondering if I didn't get a job/date because I'm fat & using my weight as an excuse.

I just want to live my life. I want to be happy, healthy, confident and free of worries and insecurities. I want to stop lying to myself. I want to be my best self. I want to lose weight! I've started losing weight. I hope to lose more and excited to meet everyone, hear your stories and become part of this community.

Welcome,

sounds like you've got the "why" nailed down pretty good which is great!

now it's on to tackling the "how"...and this site is a great collection of a lot of great ideas. Just a few minutes will show you that there are a million different ideas for how to approach this and different things work for different people. Some people really have success strictly following a specific plan like South Beach, some people have success making one small change at a time, others do calorie counting.

Regardless, I highly suggest you think long and hard about actively building a plan that is customized to YOU, to what you already know you do well and what you know you do really poorly. I think that gives you the best shot at success.

And just think it you stay on that plan you'll be out of the 300's pretty quick, what a great milestone to knock off early!

Welcome to 3FC, you've come to the right place! Check out the various forums and find some that fit you best. Good luck with your life plan

Awesome this is good advice-coming up with a plan. Yes, i think i'll need to make and honest assessment so that i'm well on my way to getting out of the 300s and meeting my weight loss goals. Thank you