Hi,
My name is Yara & I am 28 y/o I have been overweight for about 4 years. I mostly overeat because of depression. I currently weight 235 and am only 5'2 I am getting really desperate & have been reading up on Meridia & Xenical,,,of course 1st I have to stop BF my 10 week old baby...

I would like to make friends & get ideas of what soem people are doing to loose weight. Thanks!

Yara,

I am 34 and finally admitted to myself that I am obese (which was very hard to do). I am not depressed or down about because now that I have admitted, I can do something about it. Each day I pray for healthy lifestyle as well as strength and endurance to keep going. I also pray that I dont sabotage myself or become discouraged. This has greatly helped me. I am learning portion control and eating veggies instead of tons of junkfood, fast food, sugar, and lots of carbs, all of which I was addicted to. I take it one day at a time. I make a plan for the month as well as the week. I have have been 90% successfully at sticking to it. I come to the boards and read for support. My journey to weightloss and a healthy lifestyle is a long one, but this time I am determined to win it with God and the support of the board.

Yara, Welcome to 3FC's! I think it's great that your reading up on those meds. I think everyone has to figure out what Lifestyle change is best for them. While your searching for your healthly liftestlye you might want to take baby steps. Baby steps = any minor change say for instant you drink 3 soft drinks in a day you cut it down to 2. The thing is baby steps do add up! I'm following WW Pure Points software. So I don't go to meetings and stuff like other WW people do. My support is here! I lost 40lbs with WW and with the help from many friends that I met here on 3FC. I recently stopped posting and fell off the wagon and gained 16lbs which I'm working on now. I've lost 9 of those 16 by a combo of South Beach Diet and Weight Watchers. I basically follow South Beach Diet foods, but I don't go over my WW points. I'm still working out the kinks but I believe that South Beach has giving me a greater understanding of healthy eating. WW is great but I found that I didn't always make the best choices. I do know I can't just be South Beach and I just can't be WW. Experiment and look around you'll know what works best for you. Read up! Ask questions about weight loss plans. You'll find what's best for you. One thing to keep in mind there is no quick fix. A plan must be healthy!

Hi Yara,

Welcome! And I'd like to say that Mezmerize just gave you the best advice anyone ever gave ME: "baby steps." In order for this to be a new way of eating (and living!) I think baby steps are truly the best way to go. I did just what Mez said...I was drinking 3 (or 4 ) Cokes a day, and went through a process of cutting back and cutting back, etc. I've had maybe 1 Coke in the last 8 months and I don't even miss it! And I was a total Coke addict...er...Coca-COLA addict. I also replaced sugar with Splenda in my tea and cut back on pasta. This is how I STARTED, and let me tell you, each step was difficult at first, but the more changes I made (and the more exercise I added) the better I felt!

Welcome to 3FC, and nice to *meet* you.

Thank you ladies for replying and your advice. I really hope to find the support I need here and I seem to have already found some good people! I have 3 little boys, 1 starting JR high this year and I don't want any your moms so fat jokes thrown at him. I want to make then proud! of course my husband too but mostly my boys. I am tired of hearing people tell me you are soo pretty why did you let yourself get fat? hello!? like I did it on purpose! Well I guess my 1st step will be not to eat after 6pm that is hard for me! right now I am thinking of a peanut

Hi, Yara, I'm new too. I'm a HS teacher and my favorite saying is "Baby steps, baby, steps." I agree with the above. Slow changes add up. My old doctor told me I was depressed (even though I didn't think I was) because I was tired a lot, gaining weight, and had high blood pressure. She put me on meds and it was awful! I went to a new doctor and she agreed with me that all of my problems were probably due to poor nutrition, lack of exercise, and excess weight.

I started with cutting out the soda a month ago, I drink iced green tea with Splenda. What a difference it has made. I do not feel bloated when I wake up, I feel energized without feeling like I'm on a caffeine high. Just that one change has led to me exercising and changing how, what, and when I eat. It seems like the more good things I do for my health, the better I feel, and want to do more.

Hope this helps,
Tammy

Hello yara, did you say you were breast feedingyour baby or did I misread? If you are you should be able to lose quite a bit of weight if you stick to low(ish) fat and reduced sugar foods, I breast fed my three boys, in the first 2-5 months when they rely on you for their sole nutrition weight comes off easily (even when you have the odd choc or ten!) take a multi vit daily too, pregnancy,birth & brestfeeding take it out of you. If I were you I'd hold off on the medication, at least for six months to let your body recover from giving birth. I'm now 270lbs, I was 320lbs without meds. just following a healthy diet & a bit of exercise when I can fit it in.

regards,
sharon

WOW! Sharon that is awsome! I really do need to start walking or something.....I just get so frustrated that I eat...& eat! but my 1st step will be not eaiting after 6pm it will be hard.