Hello Everyone!

My name is Erin and I'm a 23 year old law student. I have been battling my weight on and off for as long as I can remember. I watched my mother yo yo diet throughout my childhood and now she has type II diabetes and still has trouble controlling her binge eating habits. I have many of the same health and body image issues that she did as a young woman, as well as having PCOS. I dont' want to be end up being diabetic, althoguh I am well aware that even weight loss and lifestyle change is not a 100% guarantee that I won't get it - I know it can seriously reduce my risk factors. I want mostly to be healthy and happy and not to feel disgusting when I look in the mirror. I am 5'7" and weigh 238 lbs. I am finally fed up with being fat and am starting to change.

I went out *gasp* and bought a bathroom scale yesterday, the kind with the fat% measurer included and discovered that I am 41% body fat! yek! I am starting out with modifying my diet, although I am not counting calories at this juncture. My first mini goal is to lose 5 lbs by dec 17th when my parents have their big annual christmas party. It isn't much, but it will be enough to make me feel like I am beginning to take control of my life again. My second mini goal is to lose 15 lbs total by January 15th, because that is my boyfriend and I's three year anniversary, and I sincerely hope that will be enough of a change so that I feel comfortable enough to enjoy a romantic evening rather than feeling like a beached whale or the girl who gets taken on a pity-date. (In case you didn't notice I have some serious self-esteem issues to deal with, as well as the weight issues). My ultimate goal is to get down to 170 by my birthday on July 10 - to be 24 and not in a size that ends in an X or begins with a 2 will be awesome!

My major obstacle right now is the fact that I am a first semester law student going into my first round of final exams - this in an incredibly stressful process and my major way of coping with stress is to EAT EAT EAT! I will do my best to avoid the tasty cookies offered every freaking day at our law school snack shop - and I will get healthy once and for all!!!!!!


Good luck and keep on truckin' everyone!!
Erin

Erin--Good Luck, you can do this! I start law school in August and am determined to be T-H-I-N from day 1.

Thanks Charlotte! Good luck to you as well - looks like you're doing great so far and just keep up the good work. I wish I had started on this journey seriously before I started law school, because the stress here certainly makes it harder for someone like me who is definitely an emotional eater!!

Have you decided what law school you're going to yet?

Keep on Truckin Everybody!
Erin

Go Erin Go Go Erin Go

Erin, I wish I would have gotten my weight under control when I was in my twenties, instead I had reverse anorexia and thought I looked alot better than I actually did.

It is great youa re starting small. I find small attainable goals bolster my self confidence to make it on to the next step.

Adding excersise will help with both the weight and the stress on law school. Just walking 20 minutes always helps me. And college campuses are great places to walk.

Which law school? I am in Richmond and I saw you are from Lexington. You can do it

Amanda

I'm at Washington and Lee University. Lexington is a great town for walking - it's small and there are lots of sidewalks and not too much traffic - and that is my planned start-out exercise activity - I just can't quite bring myself to go to the gym where I know all my beautiful, cellulite-free classmates will see mee huffing and puffing - once I meet my first goal or two, then I might check out the gym, but until then I'm sticking to home workout videos or walking in town.

How do you like living in Richmond? I haven't had a chance to go there yet.


Erin

Welcome. Going to school is super tough when dieting. I have been there. However it was the time that I lost the most weight. I was at my thinest when I was going to college. I ate like a horse all 3 meals in the lunch room but I didnt really snack unless I had a yogurt or something at night. I also walked everywhere I needed to go and I dropped the lbs like nobodys business. The stress from studying makes you want to eat however if you dont but junk and just keep a few things in your dorm then you wont be tempted to eat it. Thats what I did and it worked wonderfully. The thing is that you are exercising by walking to classes but you have to get there so you dont really think of it as exercising. Good luck and keep us posted.

Erin-- I will be going to some school in NYC, because that is the place where all of my apps are going......as soon as I can get them out!!