I am barely 5'1 and weigh 143lbs, which for my height is overweight. I went to the doctor last week for another issue and as they now how everything computerized, they have all your risk factors stated- I was devastated when I saw "obesity" listed. I yo yo from 120lbs to 140lbs each year. I flucuate and I am tired of it. I gain weight easily (so it seems) and every pound shows on my short frame. I always weighed 105 until about age 25 when I began to gain weight- I am 36 now, for the last eleven years I have wanted to get back down to 105 but the thinnest I have been is 118, 105 is a healthy weight and I will feel lighter and much better. Problem is that I never stick to a diet to get to 105 and as soon as I see my "skinny pants" fit I start eating again and gain weight. I am doing low carb now and "trying" to exercise as I feel embarrassed going to the gym being this weight. I know that many people on here have a lot more weight to lose so I am not trying to whine about the 40lbs I want to lose but to me, it's depressing. I also would like to get pregnant next year and I can't seeing myself putting 25lbs (at least) on to this 140lbs body so if I am 105 and then be mindfull to not gain more than 25lbs I think it will be easier for me to get back down to 105. I am so inspired by this forum and the determination I have read here. I hope I can stick to it to get to my goal and maintain it. I can use support and like I said, this forum is inspiring

That's great that you realise what your problem areas are (not sticking to your diet changes, especially once you've lost the weight), because being mindful will really help. You've just got to work to change that habit. Make changes that you can stick with, don't just try a fad diet that you'll stop once you've lost the weight. Find something you can keep up with once you've gotten back to your goal weight, you're much more likely to keep the weight off that way.

Good luck!

I am not sure what computer program the doctor was using, but at 140 and 5'1" you are not even close to obese range. You are barely into the overweight range. 132 is the top range of the "healthy" bmi for your height. Now, 105 is not a bad weight to aim for, as it is still in the healthy range, but it is way towards the low end of it.
This is not to say that you cant feel you need to lose a bit of weight, because if you don't feel comfortable at your weight(as long as you are not already into an unhealthy low weight) there is nothing wrong with wanting to make a few improvements.
But as I have said to a few others, don't beat yourself up and make a mountain out of a molehill. You are far from a grotesque bag of fat that will make people cringe away in horror! You are merely a slightly overweight woman who wants to drop a few pounds to improve her health. being embarassed to go to the gym because you have 15 or so pounds to lose is slightly over-reactive, and you might be missing out on a lot of fun because of it! Don't make the problem much worse than it is. Set up a good healthy plan, and work at taking off that weight, but don't beat yourself up while you are doing it!

for the record, you probably looked fantastic at 118. And bear in mind, you are not 25 anymore. Its not that you cant weight 105 again..you can. But women's bodies change, and what looked perfect at 18 or 25 might not look so perfect at 36. It might..but keep an eye on your body, and not so much on the number on the scale. The scale is great for measuring progress to some extent, but what matters is how we actually look and feel..not what the number on the scale says.

I couldn't agree more with Tornado. You are not obese, just a touch over weight. Sure you may want to drop a few pounds and a little positive self-talk goes a long, long way.

There is no such thing as "just" or "whining because of" 40 lbs. Some of us have 40 some of us have A LOT more, the thing is, those 40, 140 or more, all feel the same to each of us. Sure, I can look at your height and weight and dream of the day I am down to your 143, since I am the same height. BUT, that does not mean that your 40lbs and my 140+ lbs make us feel any different! Do not be so hard on yourself, and forget an arbitrary number on your doctors chart. Do what FEELS right to you and your body

There are two things here

1st ~ the word diet. You are not going on a diet, you are starting a new eating way of life. We cant eat in our 30's the same way we ate in our 20's without consequences.

2nd ~ the gym. I felt the same as you for years, but came to the determination that I was entitled to use the gym (I may be more entitled than the skinny svelte girls out there!). Once you start going you will realize that more people are like you than like a starlet.

as for the obesity factor, talk to your doctor about the context. Often we see the words we don't want to see and don't see all of the other things around it.
* Underweight = <18.5
* Normal weight = 18.5–24.9
* Overweight = 25–29.9
* Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

Thank you all so much for such supportive words, they mean a lot for my journey of starting a new way of eating, hopefully for life

The first step is deciding that not only do you want a permanent change, but the willingness to make changes that will support that.

You clearly know how to lose the weight, since you say you do it annually. Now you just have to decide how important it is to you to make that change perm...then doing the work to support that decision.

Take out the words "hopefully" that leaves room for failure and you are not a failure

Just say "a new way of eating, for life"

Just a suggestion, that is what got me there. Taking away any room for quitting or "failing"