Like the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz...
...I am melting!
Hello everyone, my name is Jenny and I am from northern California. I'm 28 and a college graduate getting ready to begin graduate school in the fall. I have my degree in English and plan to receive my Ph.D. and teach at the university level. I have been fat for my entire life, literally ever since I can remember. Tragedy has always made me gain a great deal of weight, and like most of us, I am an emotional eater. I don't have a sweet/salty tooth, but rather a creamy one. I love macaroni and cheese, white sauces, you name it. If it is smothered in cheese, I'll eat my share and probably yours, too.
I was once successful in losing 35 pounds by becoming a vegan (overnight!) and limiting myself to 1800 calories/30 grams fat. I lost weight, but I quickly became bored with my poor food choices--onion rings are vegan, after all--and I soon quit working out, gaining all of the weight back, plus much more.
I'd love to say I had an epiphany, some sort of life-changing event that made me realize how unhealthy my lifestyle is, but that didn't happen. I realized long ago how poor my diet choices were, and I have had low self-esteem and confidence for decades. My mother recently started working out, and at first, her weight loss triggered something in me that made me not want to join her, but to stuff my face even further. Where she wanted to lose weight and gain self-confidence, I was digging further into denial. Finally, I decided to start walking, just short trips around the block. One day turned into the next and now it has become a small habit.
I've been walking outdoors for a week now and this morning I joined a not-for-profit gym that is tiny but has all the essentials. I started at 30 minutes daily, six days a week, moving up five minutes every week. I watch what I eat, eat smaller portions more often, and have cut out soda. I only weigh myself once a month, so I don't become obsessed with the scale (weight loss is much more than pounds to me), and my started weight was 275.
Sorry this post is so long, but I wanted to give a small background of myself and my fitness goals. I hope to become part of this community and share in everyone's successes!
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