Hi! I just joined today and am excited to be able to meet new people and get going on my weight loss journey. I have been "chubby" since I was very young and now, at 32, am obese.. or morbidly obese. Not sure.

I am married (2007) to an amazing, sweet man.. Unfortunately (but also a good thing I suppose), he is a phenomenal cook. I mean, wow. And I'm an avid eater. Since we've been married, I have gained at least 40 lbs, though I think it may be more. I remember when I first told him how much I weighed.. broke my heart to admit that to him. He is such an encourager and wants to help me lose weight but he can also be an enabler many times. And I've perfected the guilt-you-into-letting-me-do-what-I-want attitude.

I have at least 160 lbs to lose. I have a very long journey ahead of me. Any pointers, encouraging words or ideas are welcome! My hubby and I are joining our rec center sometime before the end of the year and he will be my trainer (he's very physically fit and knowledgeable about working out). I cannot wait to show him and myself that I can do this.

Thanks for any and all help! I look forward to being part of this community.

Hi New girl!! I am 1 day old myself. So welcome!! I can relate to your weight gain coz i gained a good 30 myself when i got married due to eating out a lot in my case. I just went back to eating healthy-ish and excercising 4-5 days a week and the weight came off in a few months. Here is what i did.
30 minute fasted cardio(I usually ran 2-3 miles and i have been running most of my life) -scrambled eggs and veggies for breakfast- snack of some sort or a protein shake-lentil soup and chicken salad (olive oil and lemon dressin)-snack 2-dinner was again lentil soup and chicken stirfry/salad. I also drank almost 3 litres of water. It was not hard for me coz i don't crave sweets or drink soda or alcohol. I ate out on weekends, but i was walking a lot on weekends too. I also drank green tea and my snacks were usually nuts, a fruit or hummus with veggies. My chicken at that point was meatballs from TJs on some day which they don't make anymore.
1 year ago, i started lifting and cut on my cardio and loved the way my body changed. I am not very strict with my diet. Just avoid binge eating and stick to stirfrys, baked and grilled food items.
I also started IP diet 2 weeks ago coz I hit a plateau.
Every little thing you do to get more healthy will help!! And each day gets you closer to your goal!! Hope this helps!! Good luck new girl!!

What method/plan/etc are you using to lose weight?

You seem really upbeat and you are beautiful
And you can do this!

Hi Aria and Faiora.. Thanks for replying. I really want to stay away from "diets" just because I tend to have the mindset that I can eat how I want when the diet is done. My husband and I are struggling to get to the point of eating healthy (little to no sugar and processed foods).. The convenience of fast food is what gets me every time. We are also going to be joining the local rec center and working out there every day possible. My husband is very fit (which makes my body even more difficult for me to accept.. he truly doesn't have a problem with me and would think I was beautiful no matter what) so he will be working out to continue to build muscle and definition.. and he will be my personal trainer. Anyway, I am working to get into the mentality that this is a "rest of my life" thing. I will always need to be cautious around food and I need to be ok with that. Thanks for your comments and encouragement! I look forward to paying that forward.

I have been there with fast food.
Well, with eating out in general.

My husband and I are so bad that we've had to take away our credit AND debit cards and restructure our accounting so we never have any excuse to carry them around. (Actually he carries a debit card for grocery shopping, and I do the accounting so he has to ask me which account to use for groceries... and he knows he'll mess up the accounting if he doesn't ask, which keeps him from using the card on his own).

We each get an allowance every other week, and I use mine mostly for sushi, but it's restricted enough that I can only go a couple times per week, and I can only eat a little bit each time. Or I guess I could blow it all at once, but then I wouldn't get to eat sushi again for 2 weeks, which would be devastating.

Literally nothing else we have tried has kept us from eating out. But that's us. You'll probably find something different that works for you!

Hey, sometimes you just gotta do what it takes to get things under control and begin working on a long-term plan for it.. I have to get strict myself in many areas. One thing that I did last year was start from scratch with eating.. I took the first week of my new "diet" and ate only fruits and vegetables. The following week I added in meat and dairy but no carbs. I went almost a whole month without a single piece of bread (bread is what kills my resolve every single time.. bread and pasta and anything salty like chips and dip too..). Anyway, I'm just looking forward to the end of the project my husband is working on (a couple more weeks tops) so we can join our "gym" (it's the rec center) and start working out together. Keep up the hard work!!

Welcome! I'm also new to this forum! I look forward to celebrating your success.

We can do it!

Hey New girl!! just checking up on you
And also wanted to let you know that this new IP diet that i started is finally starting to work for me!! Some people do it with a coach (u pay 300-400 for this) who track their weight etc and some do it using alternative products like shakes etc. I started with a coach (who sucked), so i went rogue and i do part IP and part my own stuff.
It is a strict regimen but much better dan the crazy diets out there. I eat every 2-3 hours and i graze on veggies thruout the day in between the meal too!!
1st few days are tuff for few folks coz this is a low carb diet, but I never felt hungry coz i ate healthy and don't have a sweet/carb tooth unless Iam pmsin then i cud eat a mountain of RICE!!!!
anywho, my point was u shud look into it. There is a forum here of IP community chat with people who are doing this and are very supportive. I wish i had found dem before i gave so much money to my useless coach.
Now, u cant workout in this program (this was hard for me coz i love my gym), but the idea is to get into Ketosis and let ur body melt fat while maintaining muscle. Although, some people start adding exercise after week 3/4/5. (I added from today will tell u how dat goes)But again before i ramble, it wont hurt to do ur research and talk to these wonderful supportive women who have done IP (ideal protein).
Good luck!!
Lets melt this fat together!!

I thought IP was a doctor-supervised diet?
Isn't it super low calorie? If so, isn't it inadvisable to go it solo?
Maybe I have my diets mixed up...

Hey there!
I am new (again) after not posting for a long time. I really sympathize with what you said and understand where you are coming from. I recently regained about 30 pounds, but when I first started there was no way I thought I could lose anything. After awhile, your new "routine" of losing weight becomes a habit and it does get easier- but it is still very hard. This time around, I feel more prepared, but I remember feeling lost the first time so do not feel bad. I know you can do it, and this time next year think of how awesome you will feel!

Welcome to the forum, I know that this place helped me immensely during the beginning of my journey. Good luck to you, and can't wait to hear about your progress!

Some people do it under a doctor's supervision. I would recommend it. But most people do it without one (like me). It is not mandatory if u don't have prior health problems ,i think. Many people do it under the supervision of a clinic/coach which guides, supports,track the progress and provided food and supplement. It is indeed a low calorie diet (900cal) to get u into ketosis (fat burning state). Most people eat 3-4 IP packets and 1 real meal (8oz meat with veg). Lots of info on the chat regarding this. You may speak with you doctor before starting it. I actually recommend it.
2 links below to help you do your research. Read as much as you can and feel free to ask questions. Many helpful folks out there.
Good luck!!
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/idea...-2014-a-3.html

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/ideal-protein-diet-236/