I'm done being obese. I don't need to be rail thin, but I've been fat my entire life, and I'm tired of it. Tired of not being able to wear the styles I want to wear. Tired of feeling self-conscious in public. Tired of feeling like a whale. Tired of being disgusted by my own body.

I know I'm supposed to love my body, no matter its size and shape, but I don't think that's possible for me. I don't hate myself (most days), but I can say with great confidence that I hate my fat body.

I'm sure you've all heard this story before, but here it is again: I've made countless attempts over the last decade to put an end to the diet-binge cycle. Weight Watchers, South Beach, crash diets, counting calories. They all worked for a while, until I got bored or decided that I liked eating more than I liked the idea of being thin.

I know there's no easy way to lose the weight and that I need to make a permanent lifestyle change if I'm going to succeed. I know all this, yet something else always seems to get in the way. I'm not sure what it is yet, but I'm determined to overcome it.

Thanks for reading my rather long rant! I hope I can give support and encouragement as well as receive it.

~K

I'm new here too, and I could have written your post word for word. I'm tired of being tired and my age is catching up with me. If I don't do this now it's not going to happen. I have way more to lose than you, but I've learned that it doesn't matter about the weight you have to lose because the feelings are the same. I'm making a new change every day. This week I am working in exercising of some kind into my daily routine.

Welcome!

~Chaos~

Agreed. *sigh* Seems to me its a lot easier to make the decision and the first steps to changing than to actually change and STAY changed.

Be strong this time chica.... your good health and a happy life are WAY worth it. Food ISN'T.

I know the feeling that this is it. That is what I had on July 8, 2009. I realized I do not have a choice if I want to have a reasonably healthy life, and I assure you that at a smidgen under 5'4", I got a shock every time I saw my reflection in a window. Still I didn't really know how bad it was until I got on the scales for the first time in months and found that I had gained 30 pounds without even knowing it. (Denial was definitely at work there.)

Now at my age (50s) weight loss is slow, but I have never turned back and I don't think I will.

There are so many people here to provide good advice and motivation that I won't offer any here, but look around, you will find plenty of support and reinforcement for your efforts.

Welcome! Be sure to check in on these forums for support everyday. I know sometimes its easy to lose track, but everyone here is so supportive.

You can do it - the beginning is the hardest.

I'm new today, and you took the words out of my mouth. I started on South Beach today. And, damn it, I'm going to do it this time. Enough is enough.

Welcome to 3FC and good luck with your goals.

Hugs
Michelle

Welcome to all of you. Most of us have been down the weight loss road before, but the thing that was different for me this time was 3FC. I don't know if I could have stuck to it for this long if not for the support and good advice that I've gotten here. So.....here's to our new beginnings! You can do this!

Welcome! I agree with everything Windchime said.

I wish you the best on your weight loss journey.

Cheers,

J

Yeah NoDak! Now you're showing yourself just WHO is in charge!
You can do this because you genuinely want the results. Stay close and read of how others are acheiving success, even when daily challenges arise.

Reading Emileigh's post, I had to look twice - believing it was something I had written - LOL! A few weeks ago, I discovered Onederchic's blog (Michelle) and received immediate encouragement that a healthy weight loss was possible.

I'm glad you've made such a healthy decision. I'm looking forward to your progress. Remember, you are not alone in this.

Jean

Hi NoDak!
Glad to have you join us! There are lots & lots of different groups and forums - I'm sure you'll find some that will keep you motivated, inspired and entertained!

There are bunches of people here with more to lose and some with less - the bottom line is that we all have to do it a day at a time. The good thing is that we'll have lots of company along the way!

So many at 3FC have not only heard these stories but have (or are) living them - we know how you feel because those have been (are) our feelings, too. YOU CAN DO THIS - so many here are proof - they have done it and are sharing their challenges, successes and support.

I've only been here a short time myself, having NEVER been part of an online forum. What has been so eye-opening is how much it has helped me. Whenever I feel overwhelmed or defeated, I just log on and read some of the success stories, complete with their before & after photos - or read about others still dealing day to day with their challenges - and before I know it, the time has flown by and so have all the thoughts of cheating or giving up.

So welcome - you 've found the right place - join in by inspiring us and being inspired!

Hey welcome to 3fc! I always told myself this is the day I will begin to lose the weight and I always said it till I joined the site I actually did it this time. I thought I would never be able to even lose a pound but with pure determination and the will to do it I did it and with people who have experienced losing weight and have been successful is very inspiring so I hope you will find this site to be very helpful.