Hi guys,

I just joined yesterday and I need to find a group! The support on here is OVERWHELMING...that's a good thing though!

I just don't know where to begin. I did post a question in the calorie counting section but I REALLY need serious support if I am going to do this.

I'll tell you a bit about myself and then maybe you can point me in the right direction?? THANKS IN ADVANCE!!!!

I'm 31, I will be 32 shortly. I have been overweight my ENTIRE life. I have binged and dieted and lost a pound or two here and there. I have tried dieting but not wholeheartedly. Right now, I am at my highest at 288 and I'm 5'2.5 (yes, folks, that is a .5 ). I have serious food cravings! I love SWEETS! If I could eat cake all day I would....I don't eat a lot of meat though. I do eat chicken and pork but that's about it. I am a snacker! Oh dear god, how I love Doritos! I have ZERO willpower! I did fast yesterday because I heard it controls cravings and it was hard...

I had a headache at bedtime and I was so incredibly tired! BUT, I did it and I didn't feel bad this morning. The scale said I was 5 pounds lighter BUT I know that's not really the truth (water weight and everything).

Since we're being honest and this is anonymous, I have tried binging and purging. It was so incredibly revolting I can't understand how people do that. GROSS! Also, when I was younger, I did wish that I was anorexic. Believe me, I know that's wrong. They have really bad issues as well. If you read in my introduction, I have never done this before and I have never told anyone what I am typing here today; not even my husband.

Thanks for listening....

Well first of all congratulations on your decision to start......
I have also been overweight most of my life and it isn't fun. For the longest time I was overweight and than a few pounds crept on than a few more and now overweight is something I only dream of at this point.
I started May 12th with my husband on the South Beach Diet when I decided to conquer this unhealthy me. It has been one month and I am down 25LBS. Ok so I can't lie to myself and I as well know that a part of this is water weight but it is a great feeling.
You mentioned that you were a snacker and loved sweets well I would look at the SBD if I were you because snacks are required and desserts are allowed. The first two weeks are kinda hard but it eliminated my cravings.
The support here on 3Fatchicks is awesome. Its a place to go and read when you are down and to lift you back up.
Good luck on your journey and I know you can do it.

We have similar stats!

What diet plan are you using? That would help determine where you will get the most support.

I am a calorie counter so I go to that forum---and I also follow the threads that are my similar weight at the time. For example--Get out of the 280's. follow it until you are in the 270's and go to that thread.

Thanks for the responses guys! I currently don't have a diet plan. I think the easiest for me would be calorie counting though.

@myhaloisintheshop: How long did it take you to lose 51 pounds? Also, do you have pics? Dont' worry, I'm not creepy but I am a very visual person and that helps motivate me. Thanks for responding!!!

Congratulations on deciding to get started! There is SO much support here it is fantastic. I am usually in the "accountability, menus, .... stuff" thread, please feel free to join us there. But, look around and see what looks good. Don't be afraid to pop in.

Welcome. :-)
Find a plan that works for you and stick with it. Calorie counting works for me, along with lower carbs and staying away from processed foods. I eat a lot of veggies, fruits, and non red meat protein (mainly grilled chicken and tuna). If you're gonna do calorie counting, get a kitchen scale to weigh everything. And a good program to keep track of it all...I use MyNetDiary. Good luck and visit here often for support.

Tired!

The 100lb club is a fantastic group of people, you've found a home here if you want it. Some of the threads move pretty quickly, but just jump in where and when you want to.

Good luck, you can do it!!

I don't have any before pics that I know of. I may have to dig around.

Right now I have been at a "lull" in weight loss for about a month and a half. Im not losing weight but I AM losing inches. I lost around 12 lbs before I officially started Feb 1st.

I went from a pant size 24 and some 26's to a 18/20 now. Ill see if I can dig up pics. I personally don't SEE a difference but I absolutely see it in my clothes. My tshirts were 26-28 and 30-32 (3x-5x depending on brand) and now I am in an XL

I just posted pics I found in the mini goal photo album

Dont let this stop you!! This happened to me, where I lost about 60lbs but i couldnt really see the changes in my body (even though I had dropped several sizes) I think the problem is that your body shrinks, but it still looks the same, just smaller. Coupled with a plateau and I started to gain again. STICK IT OUT!! KEEP GOING!!

Welcome aboard the Board, Tired!! We've all been there to some varying degree, and know how hard that first step can be.

If I've learned anything in spending 30 years or so FAT, it's that the first step does not have to be a huge leap into the grand canyon LOL in fact, it's been my experience that the bigger the change I tried, the more spectacularly I failed I started slooooowwwww. I gave up on the 'all or nothing' of either eating a lettuce leaf a day, or eating like a 6'6 linebacker! I started with giving up fast food entirely, all the fried stuff. I'd eaten McDonald's a few times a week for years and years and convinced myself I was addicted to it. I wasn't - I was addicted to the behaviour. Once I had that change handled, I moved on to cutting back on sweets. THen I took a walk. When all 3 combined, I lost weight! woo! and it went on from there.

Good old calorie counting here, (as Kat mentioned, kitchen scales are a must!) and gradually incorporated some walking, and other activities as I could.

I also stopped watching the scales like a hawk. I certainly didn't pay that close attention on the way UP so I owed it to myself to relax and breathe and not stress about every 1/4 pound fluctuation.

You can do it, Tired! you're the only one who can help you in the long run - so get to know yourself, admit to yourself why you gained weight and why you stayed heavy, and why you want to lose, and how important it is to you!

I started with giving up fast food entirely, all the fried stuff. I'd eaten McDonald's a few times a week for years and years and convinced myself I was addicted to it. I wasn't - I was addicted to the behaviour.

WOW, that's so true. It's easy, it's quick and comforting...I'm sitting here blubbering like an idiot and I don't know why. Being honest with yourself (aka: how I got here) is definitely the hardest part of losing this weight.

I am a calorie counter too. The one thing you need to realize is that this is a lifetime journey and not something you will do until you are thin. Unfortunately, your plan after you're thin will look very much like the plan you used to lose weight. With some slight modifications, if you want to maintain. So pick something that suits you and your lifestyle and something you feel like you could stick with every day, for the rest of your life.

I started out just limiting my calories and then once I had a handle on that I started improving on my choices. Drastic doesn't work for me, I simply won't stick to it. I am making gradual changes.

Just know that the only limits are the ones you put on yourself.

Good luck and welcome!!!

Welcome Tired!!

Here's (hopefully) a new way for you to look at this process. I just posted something similarly yesterday on the Weight Loss support thread. Try NOT to look at this as a diet which conjures up something that you go on and off or succeed or fail. Consider it a PLAN to make better food/exercise choices with weight loss as a benefit - a plan you can realistically live with/on.



Depending on motivation can be short-lived -so commitment to a healthy lifestyle may be a more helpful way of getting slimmer.

Check back often to help stay focused and get helpful tips to stay on plan - good luck - L.

You will find that 3FC is an amazing site - so much support, help, etc etc. I'm on WW Points+ & really like it. It is very flexible. Gotta' go..........lets keep on keeping on, eh? BFN