Hi all!

I know this might sound crazy, but does anyone else feel time pressure to lose the weight before they get any older? I'm 25, and sometimes I feel panicky... like... I was always a pudgy kid growing up, and in high school and college, and what if I never get to be a hot young person???

I know that that's kind of silly, because it's important to be healthy your whole life... and technically I'm at a healthy weight/BMI (though just barely). But I feel such a crushing sense of failure (because I haven't reached my goal even after all these years) and pressure to be super-hot while I still can... not that older people can't be hot... but you know what I mean. And then of course that always makes me overeat... because that's my reaction to stress!

Just wanted to know if anyone has felt the same way... or if you have any tips on how to shake off that feeling so I can stop sabotaging myself... thanks

I feel that way too. I'm almost 23 and I feel like I've missed out on 5 years of a license to be hot. Lol. I regret being obese throughout all my college years and totally feel like I would have had a lot more fun if I hadn't been so reclusive and shy because of how I looked.

I remind myself there's lots of fab looking people in their 30's and 40's too!! It's also a lot easier to lose weight when you're young so I figure no time is better than now if only for that reason. More than anything, I hate the years that tick by when I know I would be out living life if I was thinner and better in shape. I know you probably don't have that problem, but I hate being afraid that I won't fit into amusement park rides, airplane seats, movie theatre seats, etc. It's like I'm always waiting for my life to begin when I weigh under 200 lbs.

My only advice is to please please please believe me that it's easier to lose weight when you are younger! I never believed all the older ladies who told me that and they were right!!! Physically it's easier plus you might not have the regrets in your life that I do. I wish I took control of things when I was your age.

Not telling you what to do, just don't want you to make the same mistakes I did. I missed out on so many things by gaining weight and I don't wish this on anyone.

Get into a healthy way of eating and make exercise a routine and you will reap the benefits for the rest of your life.

Good luck!! You can do this!!

Yeah I feel that way too. I'm like "I'll never get to go back and be that hot young 20 year old girl" (I'm 23).

I also hate that I look back thinking the same thing every year "I wish I lost weight last year, I wish I lost weight last summer, I wish I lost weight last winter".. and so on. I'm sick of always "wishing I'd lost weight" or "trying to lose weight". Very frustrating!

^^i feel the same way as most of you, especially what candeka wrote.
but i feel like i look better and better each year lol and i'm still evolving and going trough some kind of tranfsormation. not trying to sound self absorbed but people have their peaks at different stages in life. some girls will have their body and beauty peak in young age or as teens and some women peak and look their best in their 30s even 40s. it's npt late yet girls

Thanks to everyone for the advice & encouragement! I am so glad I'm not the only one who feels/has felt this way.

elvislover324, I am definitely gonna take your advice to heart... I don't want to have any regrets! The good news is I already exercise pretty regularly, it's mostly just the food thing that has to change. I eat like crap and I'm sure that'll come back to haunt me when I'm older unless I fix it.

Candeka, I totally hear you... every single year I make a pledge for this to FINALLY BE THE TIME... and it never is! I guess all you can do is never give up... still... it can be discouraging sometimes. Right now I'm trying to shape up before summer hits and because I've failed so many times before, I'm not sure if I can do it. But I'm sure gonna do my best!

Yep. I feel that way a lot. I turned 27 a week ago and I've got the post birthday blahs. I know that 27 isn't old, but I feel old these days. I feel like I wasted the best years of my life both fat and with the wrong partner, and I'm bummed out about it. There would have been so, so many better ways to spend my 20s.

Yes! I can so relate! I'm 24. I love Halloween and dressing up. For the past couple years I've had to settle for a costume I didn't really want and just got it because it fits. And I tell myself the same thing every year " I'll just lose weight and next year I'll have an amazing sexy costume" Well its been like 4 years!!! This IS my year I swear! 200 days to go till Halloween and I'm gonna be ready this time!

OMG. This is me!! Every single halloween its always "next year, I'm going to rock that sexy costume!"... has yet to happen though. It's just another reminder of "another year of "I'm going to lose weight!"

Absolutely agree with a lot of things said above. Also, seeing friends who are younger than I am get more attractive as they age (into their 20s) while I seem to be going in the opposite direction (gaining weight) is discouraging. And makes me want to stay at home and hide behind the computer in my sweats even more often

I feel the same way. I'm 23, and I feel like I've wasted too much of my youth being fat and not let myself really live because of it. I need to get to be a hot girl while I'm still young!

You have no idea how many times a day the bolded goes through my mind. I'm 23 and the fact that I'm turning 24 this year makes me bummed because I feel like I've wasted my 20's so far and I worry that I will end up wasting all of them. The fact that I've wasted my early 20's makes me especially bummed. It's why I didn't make a big deal out of my 21st by going bar crawling or anything. What's the point if I can't wear little dresses or cute clothes like the other girls? And when I do go, I'm usually bored because no one wants to dance with me.

Right now, I'm trying to lose weight by using everything BUT appearance for my motivation. If I focus on my looks I will likely just continue to feel depressed, angry and bitter. Instead, I'm working on getting in shape for a zombie themed 5k in October. Because I remind myself that it isn't just about being hot, I want to be able to do stuff like that! Sign up for 5k's on a whim. Be able to rock climb again (any maybe venture onto the intermediate wall.) If I can do all that, there's no way I could not be in shape.

I think it was Beyonce's personal trainer who said, "If you focus on being as healthy as you possibly can, there's no way you're not going to look like a million bucks."

Another reason why it would be great for you to lose now, is I am feeling time pressure- as I want to lose as much weight as possible before trying to start a family.

I'm turning 30 years old next year and we'll be starting then. Maybe I wouldn't have lost this year if I was at a healthy weight. However, I read a number of studies that show being an obese mother raises a child's risk for birth defects significantly. I was NOT willing to risk my future children because I liked to eat rice krispie treats.
http://www.time.com/time/health/arti...878549,00.html

For me- being a good mother starts before actually becoming a mother. So I've dropped 35 pounds since January and have almost completely eliminated all processed foods out of my diet. I'm also working on beefing up my Vitamin A and Magesium stores.
http://www.mommypotamus.com/the-real...ning-sickness/

I actually have a whole pinterest page dedicated to preconception. It's important stuff, yup. :: nods ::
http://pinterest.com/seasonallove/pr...rep-fertility/

So yes...the pressure is on. BIG TIME. I want a baby.

Yep, I've felt this my entire life since I turned 16. Even when I was 155. I feel like I've lost the ability to be the young hot person because I turn 29 this year but I keep trying to remind myself that being nearly 30 doesn't mean I'm not youngISH, hehe. I want to rock the sexy Halloween costume. I also want to lose the weight BEFORE I get pregnant. I want people to actually know I'm pregnant and not just fat. I want to be healthy so it's easier to lose the baby weight, and so I actually know how to lose the baby weight. I read that if you are fit that labor is easier and that your abs will bounce back more quickly. I also don't want my children to grow up with an overweight mother, I want them to be healthy and know what healthy eating is.

I was a bit goofy looking in high school and college. I avoided makeup like the plague, I had no idea how to make my hair look nice and not frizzy, I had no idea how to dress even though I thought I did. I feel like I'm one of those late bloomers, I'm significantly more attractive now than I was in high school even if I am 40lbs heavier. And not all of it is thanks to makeup and hair styling. My overall bone structure is more attractive. So I'm hopeful I get to be that youngish hot woman

This!! It's stressed me out so much that I missed out on being really attractive in my teens and early twenties. I'm 24 now and I want to be smoking hot for the rest of my twenties. I think being chubby has held me back from having real relationships (not just because I think guys aren't attracted to me, but also that I'm not confident enough to go out and try to pursue relationships) and I'm tired of being alone. I also want to feel good in my clothes and in my body.

Also, if you wait too long then your skin will lose its elasticity and it won't bounce back like it will now. My mom lost 100 pounds and has to get a bunch of skin removal surgeries so she doesn't have tons of loose skin. I don't want that!