Hi everyone!

I'm 23 from CA. I am currently at 293.5lbs which is the biggest I have been in my life. I started letting myself go when my mom died, food became my best friend. I recently lost my job and while I am looking I live with my dad. I do not know how to cook, I am always low on energy, I am not motivated, and I always go spend my money on fast food. We are on a budget jam and we barely have any food so I scrape any money for jack in the box. I need help I just don't know where to start. I have gotten to the point where my knees hurt when I climb stairs and am always out of breath. I don't want to die because of my weight. HELP ME!

Well you have made a very good decision by seeking help. It is important that you take care of your health. Start by focusing on being positive. I know it's easier said than done -- but in times like these the only option one has is to stay positive because being negative will only make things worse. Next, decide on what you want to do in order to get healthy. Can you become active by walking every day? Every other day? Can you cut out fast food and eat healthier food? These things are important to consider and decide on when changing your lifestyle. I can assure that this process will take some time, but as long as you stay committed and positive about it, you WILL get results. Take a look around the forum and see all the great things these members have done for inspiration. Trust me, it helps.
Good luck and please reach out for guidance if you need it. We are all here for the same reason

I'm new here too and I can already tell how supportive everyone is here. The first step is the one you already made. You're here and you want to try. I'm at my highest weight ever as well. I want to be able to sit on the floor with my niece to play. Right now it's too hard for me to sit on the floor and get up again.

Welcome and post whenever you need encouragement!

CC

Congrats on seeking help and putting that effort in!! I am new here as well and I think this forum is going to be really helpful!!! You can do it!!! Try cutting out the fast food and getting in some exercise everyday. Try walking alot--it really helps when you are starting out. Also, try switching to drinking only water...cutting out those sugary drinks and stuff can really drop the pounds fast!!!

I think it's great that you took the first step and came to 3FC for support, motivation, information and of course a place to meet friends that are going through or have gone through a weight loss journey! I think a very important motivating tool is to set small goals for yourself. I think the "big picture" can be overwhelming at times, if you can set small short-term goals that help you get to your long-term goal that is easier and helps to keep you motivated! I think it's good to write down your goals, and why you want to lose weight. Getting it down on paper is empowering and can keep you focused. You can keep your list of why you want to lose the weight on the refrigerator or in a place where you can reference it if you're having a "down day" or needing help with motivation. Of course all the ladies (and men) here are always good sources for support and motivation!

I would check on the food section (then click recipes) for some good meal ideas, clip coupons, stock up on healthy foods when they go on sale. Eating healthy can be kind of pricey depending on what you're buying. I always look for sales! Having good recipes and meal ideas is always nice, so you don't get "sick" of eating something over and over.

Like I said, I'd start with a small goal. 10 pounds let's say. You want to walk 20 minutes per day 3 times per week. Let's say those are your initial goals...then go from there! Also keeping a food journal and keeping track of your weight and measurements is a great idea. It's been a huge help to me! When I'm feeling down I can look and see how much I've lost and how far I've come!

Best of luck to you!

Welcome! I'm new here, too!

Before I joined 3FC I read through post after post after post and started to feel hopeful and encouraged. The progress pics really inspire me. It's amazing what so many 3FC members have accomplished. You can be one of those people! :-)

Do you keep a journal? 3FC has a free weight loss blog that you can create and share with others. I think it helps to write about our feelings -- sure sounds like you've been through a lot.

Wishing you luck & success, health & happiness!

Hello,
I like to wish you all the success on your journey you need.
Honey, you do not need to know how to cook, just browse through some of the recipes posted on 3FC and you will see how easy some of them are and so much more taste in the finished product then in the fast food.
You can do it and you will, we all need to belive in ourselfs, that how I'm starting my journey, I'm beliving that I can do it. Just look around here. Before I signed up to 3FC I looked around and I was drawing strength from all the success stories, find your story, find your motivation.
Good luck.
J

Hi and welcome to the forum! And congrats to you for taking the first steps in making positive changes in your life! I know how daunting it seems at first. I find that setting mini goals helps me to stay focused and on track! My mini goal right now is to see the 230's.

Do your best to avoid fast food. Hit up the web and find recipes that look good to you. Experiment in the kitchen and see what happens. You can do it!!!!

Hi!



Good luck reaching your weight loss goals. Like everybody else has said, cutting out fast food and walking or doing other simple exercises a few times a week will probably help you start getting the results you're looking for. Don't worry too much about not being able to cook - there seem to be a lot of good recipes here, and there are plenty more healthy recipes and instruction on cooking basics floating around the Internet. There is actually a pretty recent thread over on the 20-somethings sub-forum about eating healthy on a budget: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/20-s...food-help.html

This is a very supportive site with many, many, many sincere and helpful members. One thing that helped me was to search before and after pictures posted by brave members. Also, looking at the information women posted with the pictures and realizing some of these women have MAINTAINED after losing.

Good luck. I encourage you to check back on this site at least once a day for support.

Hi, I'm also an emotional eater. Food is my source of happiness. I dont know why I let myself indulge but It happens and I'm now trying to control it. I understand your despair. Lets work hard this year to face our trails and tribulations. I'm 24 years old so trust I know its hard to be young and weigh this much. We'll get through it somehow.