hi everyone =]
i hope that those of you reading this will be able to support me in my weight loss and lifestyle changes, and i hope that i'm able to help others.

is it ok for me to give a mini life story here? i'm going to...
i've named myself there and back again because in my 21 years of existence i have been:
>perfectly normal (~110lbs 5 yrs ago)
>athletic & normal
>overly athletic & sickly thin
>overweight
>perfectly normal (but bingey eating wise)
>way too overweight (~145 today)


most (if not all) of my stages of weight have been food dominated. from eating nearly nothing to eating everything in site. i don't know why this ever started - i guess i wanted to be the lightest, fastest fh player there was, and working out and eating little helped. then i stopped playing fh and started eating everything that i had been missing out on.

i was then successfully able to lose weight in college (the opposite of the freshman 15, i lost about 15-20lbs!) by exercising often and eating mainly vegetarian and hardly having sweets but bingeing every few weeks. that only lasted until sophomore year, and i gained all the weight back. i went off the meal plan and ate horribly.

so, to say the least, i've been on a roller coaster ride. i want to get back to my normal self but i'm afraid i can't do it alone. even if no one ends up reading any of my posts, i'm hoping that me just writing my thoughts and feelings will help me achieve my goals.

i am so heavy right now that i'm scared for my future, i gets bouts of depression, and i resort to food so often. please, someone out there just listen to what i'm going through and help me. i just need to know that there are people to whom i can vent my feelings and rely on their successes and support. i can't do this alone and i really hope that someone can help me.

well, that is all for now...i have a lot of studying to do for my exams tomorrow and i've already procrastinated enough. tomorrow, my weight-re-loss journey begins and i hope you all will be there with me

~TABA

Welcome! I'm new to 3FC too. What diet/eating plan are you on right now?

Hey I can TOTALLY relate to feeling scared about your future. I gained 10 lbs last year in 3 months (after being a few pounds heavier than I should have been anyway) and realized I was going the wrong way fast. I was never "overweight" but I knew if I didn't get things in control NOW I quickly would be.

3FC was a lifesaver. People here are knowledgable, supportive, and inspiring. I learned for the first time how to lose weight the RIGHT way and keep it off. I learned more about nutrition and accountability here than anywhere else. I learned about patience and looking at the big picture.

There are several places on this board that you might find quite helpful: Chicks in Control (for bingeing issues), Depression & Weigh Loss, 20somethings, and Featherweights (for people with only a few pounds to lose). It's a great forum for developing a lifelong plan for eating, and hold you accountable for that plan.

So good for you for taking control NOW and realizing who you want to become. You can do this!!

I suggest finding support groups near you that focus on depression, OCD, anxiety, weight loss etc... really ANY of them because often these things can be linked.
Being so young, you're body is bound to change SEVERAL more times before it figures out it's "comfort zone"... it's also important to remember that at your height, your body will reflect EVERYTHING that you put it though (why going from super skinny to "overweight" only takes 35lbs).
Have you tired any sort of meditation?
I know, I sound all touchy feeley, but as far as I'm concerned, "weight" is not usually the syndrome - it's a symptom. Which is why those of us who were not blessed with the tiny-tiny bodies tend to yo-yo (in proportion to your body size that is).

Anywho... If you are still in school, ask your Student Health Dept what they can offer you in low/no cost counseling options/support groups. If you have health insurance - USE IT! ASk the same questions.

I'm new here too, and it seems like a supportive place... I don't log on a lot but I wish you luck!

@ bexwild: i love how you say that weight is a symptom, not a syndrome. i'm gunna start thinking that way from now on. it's not necessarily the weight i want to fix, but who is behind the weight.

@ indiblue: thank you for the group suggestions! and also thanks for the inspiration with your success! i'm going to check those out

@ missy krissy: my current diet/eating plan is horrible. i'm basically eating whatever i want, know that the junk i put in my body is bad but who cares? i tend to take and eat at least 6 cookies from my dining hall each day...that adds up quickly. i tried the slow-carb diet from the 4 hour body over the summer and lost a little bit of weight, but it's nearly impossible to get low glycemic-index carbs at college. i'm a pescetarian, but i might ween myself into becoming vegan because the way animals are treated in the states is horrible...sorry about the ranting....basically, i'm not following any plan, i'm just eating (tooooo much)

It's an important mantra to have, but one that can feel heavy @ times! Makes sure you have positive people around that are looking out for you and you will make the strides eventually...

A lot of how we interact with food can be control, and finding what triggers the out of control feelings will take time - but slow is better than stopped right? Until you "figure it out", try creating coping mechanisms to "get you through" for now:

Trust me, I'm the kind of gal that reads a nutrition label on a package of cookies with the inner monologue of "130 cal per serving, 6 servings, that's 780 calories..." and to be honest I probably WON'T lose that for a while. So, I still make the calculation (using the calculator on my phone in the middle of the grocery store and all) and decide that NO, I won't have the self control to stop at ONE serving - so I decide to leave the cookies behind where ever I may be (sorry shelf re-stockers!) and walk away from them. Now, I don't even WALK down that aisle!

Eating from a college meal plan can be REALLY hard b/c no calories are posted. You can always ASK and see if they have the nutrition info on hand - they probably do for allergens anyhow. Once you know that a standard cafeteria chocolate chip cookie has 150-250 calories it just doesn't taste as good

Wow... I'm spouting off... but I just get what you're going through and hope you're able to find a happy balance!

Hi! Welcome to 3FC

I just started my plan (calorie counting) last week but so far I don't feel deprived, it's something you may find you like too. The great thing about it is that you can eat a variety of your favorite foods, but in smaller portions. Another thing is that it is also helping me to eat healthier foods because generally I would rather eat larger amounts of things like veggies and salads than smaller amounts of high calorie foods like chocolate and cookies - but if I do crave a sweet, I can have it so long as I factor in my calories.

You should check out the diet forums and read what others write about different diet plans, I'm sure there's one out there that you'll feel comfortable with! Good luck

Agreed!!!!
I started counting back in March, as long as you set your goals realistically, you WON'T feel deprived. You DO have to KNOW what your counting, but it kind of becomes a game after a while - I get weird looks sometimes from co-workers, but you know what? It's not their bodies, it's MY body!

Use this link to figure out your BMR, and how to find out your daily calories needed: bmi-calculator.net(slash) bmr-calculator
nothing is 100% accurate, but I've found it works pretty well (and it's not even made for a person my height).

Reducing that number by 500/day will result in 1lb loss per week. Don't go lower that 1200/day (generally speaking) and the weight will come off... slowly but surely, and more likely, permanently!

I set mine @ 8400/week (1200/day) which is LOW for me, but I DON'T count veggies unless they are starchy (peas, corn, etc.). I DO count fruit, oil I cook the veggies in, flour, fats, grains, meats - etc.

I don't want to NOT eat veggies b/c I'm calorie counting LOL