I had one of those awful moments today. I looked at a picture my boyfriend took of me on his phone, because he said I looked "cute." Cute is the last word I would use to describe it. I looked just... awful. I'm 20, and I looked in the photo like a female linebacker who went through six pregnancies. I'm just despairing because my skin is better now than it ever will be and I have a decent complexion but I still feel super ugly because I slipped up a few months ago, left onederland, and went tumbling back to hippoworld.

What can I do to not feel so awful today? I'm already in two classes at my gym, and I work out, but one of my big problems is working in the food service industry - cooking. It will be the end of me. What jump starts you back into the swing of dieting fervor?

I'm 22 and that exact feeling is what pushed me to start losing weight again. I have that feeling of...if I don't lose weight and get thin now, I will never look my best because my skin will prevent that later in life.

For today I'd focus on the fact that you've already lost weight once, which means you can do it again. And then you just have to find your motivation to get back to it and start losing again - whether that be to look your best, to be back in onederland, to be confident, or a combination of a lot of things you feel you'll gain when you reach your goal weight. You can't focus on how bad you feel because that won't fix anything. Try to think of things you do like about yourself. Like being young and having great skin for starters. Hating/being down on yourself can only hold you back in reaching your goals.

Good luck! You can do this!

I went from 154 to 127 back in 2003. Kept it off for quite a while, and then little by little, starting in 2006, started gaining some back. Put in a new kitchen...and wow, started gourmet cooking...butter...creams....pastas....home made breads....you name it.
I started back on Southbeach one week ago. My husband took a picture of me then, and I will not allow one to be taken until I lose at least 10 lbs. Maybe that's something that will work for you. Don't have any pics taken for 10 to 15 lbs, then have it taken. You'll see a difference, and feel a lot more reasons to keep on going.

BETH ~ well, the first thing you can do to feel better is to be kinder to yourself. If your boyfriend says you are cute, then you are; appreciate his love for what it is.

I also worked in the food industry several times (and as a cook), but I didn't eat the food when I was working. I made myself something healthy or brought my own lunch/dinner from home. I always lost weight when working in restaurants from being on my feet all day/evening long.

So, I would suggest you bring your own healthy lunch & snacks to avoid eating the high fat, starchy foods around you. Continue going to the gym, if you like it. Live your life to the fulllest and enjoy every minute of it -- you are just too young not to ...

*hugs*I I know the exact feeling! My mom took a picture of me during an Easter egg hunt with my son while I was bending over and OMG horrible... I never want to bend over in public again! Just be patient, weight loss takes a long time. Look at your good fraughts and be thankful that you have time on your side.

^this. i bartend at a place whose last concern is health. bringing my own food and making sure i'm up to the gills in water makes it easier for me to not grab that french fry from my co-worker or to ravenously attack the leftovers from some buffet.

and i feel you with the bad pictures things. my boyfriend loves to snap shots of me and not only do i sometimes look like a heffer, i also look like i had a stroke. i am so not photogenic at all.

Pictures are terrible. I found my face looks better when I am not aware a picture is being taken... As to cooking and eating what you cook, I also discovered that once your taste buds grow out of a flavor, next time you try it the flavor will be different, less wow than it used to. My piece of advice is, then, don't try what you cook: ask somebody else to try it for you, or smell it instead. I trained myself to know if something is well seasoned just by smelling it. I also found that drinking something sour will work wonders with cravings --grapefruit juice, unsweetened coffee or tea, lemon water. Try to find your own tricks, eat healthy and you will feel better. As you feel better, your body will get better too. It does not work the other way around!