[marrisalove]

Relatively new to this website and this is my first posting. I am currently at my heaviest weight and feeling particularly unattractive and well, just old. Heaving and haughing when I have to get up, after a long day on my feet my ankles hurt and have sometimes swelled.

I had a lot of fun putting on the weight and having a terrible time taking it off and/or getting the motivation to take it off.

I'm sure there are many similarly situated. I know all what I eat is borderline horrible at times and that I am extremely inactive. I currently attend law school full time and spend most of my time either studying, working on school activities, spending quality time with my fiance, or just sleeping.

Like most people out there, I have a gym membership and rarely use it. I have a trainer that I go see time to time for the past appr. year and a half, who I basically like but sometimes I wish she could disguise the dissappointment that is on her face everytime I meet with her.

My sister is skinny and is going to be a dietician. I love her to death but ya know sometimes I wish my fatness on her. Petty I know and like a good Catholic girl I am forever feeling guilty for such thoughts.

I have recently been thinking about the irony that when I was skinny, I thought I was ugly and had nothing to offer. I always tried to hide "flaws" and yearned to have everyone like me (except myself). Now, I think I am a pretty cool chick and strive to maintain those healthy relationships that I have developed as an adult and make myself better as a person (on the inside)...but I absolutely despise my outside. Sometimes I feel like a big fat turtle or Beetleguise at the end of the movie when he get's his head shrunken in.

I wish I could be confident like Queen Latifah or Monique or any other "big girl" out there that seems to just know that they are the most beautiful chick on the block.

On top of everything, I will be getting married in a little over a year and I would really love to be able to wear one of those clingy Isadora dresses as my wedding gown but right now I can't. I am a firm believer that a big girl cannot wear everything a skinny girl can despite what some of these plus size fashion people create. Don't get me wrong, there are some cute fashion lines out there but a lot of the "bad" ones just look like they took a skinny girls shirt and added more yards of fabric so that the clothing itself accentuates all the wrong "stuff".

Good lord, I could keep going and going so I think I will stop here and ask for any suggestions, affirmations, motivation, etc., etc.,

(Miracle pill anyone? j/k)

[PinkyPie]

Hey Marrisa

Welcome to the club. Now that you've got it all out there, how can we help you pick a plan and stick to it and lose that weight to be a beautiful bride and beyond?

(I'm getting married in October, so the fire is officially under my butt to get at least SOME of this weight off!)

[Lovely]

Hey there &

Yep. Yep. Yep. We've gotta work with what we've got. So, now that you know you want to start. Start! Have you thought about some sort of plan or program? (Take a look under Diet Central for ideas.)

Motivation is wonderful, but it's really actually going to take commitment, because it's not always going to be easy. It's worth it, though. (Take a look at the maintainers forum area if you're doubtful of that.)

I'm engaged as well, and I'll be getting married this October! I, too, would love to take off a little more weight, but I'll look gorgeous no matter what, because I'll be selecting a dress that looks just right on me

(And I wish there were a miracle pill, but then I wouldn't have met any wonderful people on 3FC!)

Best of success! You can do this!

[KT75]

Hello and welcome! I second what Faerie said! And congratulations everyone on your engagements!

[ellis]

Welcome to the forum!

Yes, just start!
You don't have to like the exercise. You just have to do it. It only needs 30 minutes or so out of your day (or even 20 to start), and that'll make a huge difference in how you feel. And look! And who knows... you may even start to enjoy it.

[meowee]

You can do it, Chickie. Yes you can and we are all here to cheer you on as you travel down the long, and often bumpy, road to better health and fitness.

[guynna]

Congrats to all you brides-to-be! I still have my wedding dress (from 13 years ago) but I'm sure it wouldn't zip up now. It's true that this needs to be for the long term. (Maybe sometime we could all post wedding pictures? I wasn't "thin" for the big day, but certainly in better shape than I am now!)

I agree about choosing something you can stick with --- studies show that lots of different "diets" will work...if you follow them. So choose something that sounds do-able for you, given your busy schedule. Do you like to cook? What kinds of foods do you like? What kind of exercise time can you MAKE for yourself? You know you are smart and cool -- now you just have to DO this! Welcome, and keep us posted (so to speak).
anita

[bargoo]

Congratulations on taking the first step! You say you had fun putting the weight on, well that is nothing compared to the fun you will have when the number on the scale goes down. Good luck!

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