I knew i would weigh 200 but not 234.8. Today is the first day of the rest of my life. I am starting my weight loss journey with my ideal weight at 150 - 160. I need to lose 74.8 pounds.
I wasn't sure where i should post to get and give the most support. Any suggestions? I also would like a weight loss ticker. Anybody know how to do that?

I think any of the forums here you'll get support from! This is a great general forum - there are also some really good forums for certain age ranges, amounts of weight to lose, etc. The number of subfora here can be pretty overwhelming... just take your time, poke around the site and post where you feel like posting!

The tickers you have to have been a member for 20 days and have 20 posts, I think? You'll get one eventually!

Good luck with your journey. Keep us updated!

so you did what you were putting off and it was worse than what you thought. Learn from it. Next time, don't put it off--face it head on. And now you know how you get there. You are in the right place for your journey.

I think a lot of us have experienced that particular shock. I know I did. I finally weighed myself when I got serious about losing, and suddenly realized that I had a lot more to lose than I thought!

Still, lots of people here have lost 75 pounds or more and kept it off. The goal posts and photos can be really inspiring. I also lurk occasionally on the maintainers threads just to get a preview of what life will be like when I make my goal.

When I started on 3FC, I got a lot of support from the 40-something threads and I'm sure the other age-range threads are just as supportive. Once I settled into a diet strategy, (The Beck Diet Solution), I made that section of 3FC my "home" and it has been a vital piece of my success.

Good luck!

I'm new to the site too, but I've found that even just browsing the forums and seeing how dedicated some of these people are has really helped me stick with it and that's what's important - sticking with it every day and not losing sight because it's easy to give up and say you'll start or try again later.

People are really supportive in all of the forums, but you might also want to check out the specific support forums based on age or how much you have to lose. Those can be great because then you're comparing notes and getting support from people who may be struggling with some of the same issues even though we are all in the same boat.

Good luck and definitely keep up updated!

Aww, sweetie, I've been there too. I know, for me, if I go a long time with out weighing, I pack on the pounds. I'm a daily weigher - every, single day. It has really helped me get in touch with how what I eat and what I do and what time of the month it is affect the number I see on the scale. Sometimes I'm up a little and sometimes I'm down, but I track the weight every day and see the downward trend.

I know 75 lbs seems like a lot, but if you look at my avatar, you'll see that I've lost that much myself so far! When I first came here and saw people with "I lost 50 lbs!" and "I lost 75 lbs!" type avatars, I really didn't think I'd ever have one myself - it seemed like so much weight, and I couldn't even fathom how they did it. But now I've done it - and you know what? It wasn't that hard. It seemed like it would be, but once I started - really started - it was easy. I eat less. I move more. It's a simple equation.

One small piece of advice - if you have any underlying health issues, get them taken care of ASAP. Getting my high blood pressure and depression treated was instrumental in being able to tackle this.

Oh, I know how it is to really find out the truth about what you weigh. In January of 2009, I had to screw up my courage and step on the scales after YEARS of not knowing exactly how much I weighed. I would literally close my eyes at the doctor's office if I would even get on the scales at all. Usually I would refuse to step on the scales.

So when it came time to start to lose, I had to step on the scales and, like you, I was shocked and upset. But it's important to know where you're starting from and to face it honestly, so I commend you for doing that. It's just a number, just a statistic, and knowing (or not knowing) doesn't change your value as a person. But now we know, and now we can make progress.

and for getting started on your weight loss journey. I had the exact same experience as you. I knew I needed to do something about my current lifestyle and when I stepped on the scale I was in complete and utter shock that I weighed what I weighed.

You'll be moving along and posting mini-victories in no time. Regardless of where you post on this website you'll find tons of support and motivation. Just keep browsing around and you'll soon find a section that you'll settle into. Again, good luck on your journey.

Know what you're going through. Had that feeling when I got on the scale this AM. Welcome and many blessings on your weight loss journey.

I can kind of relate. To give you a mini-story when I was going into middle school I weighed 170 pounds. At that time I had no clue about binge eating disorder or any of the problems I now realize that I have right now. I kept putting off weighing myself, wouldn't look at the scale during gym, and wore the same stretchy exercise pants for years until I got on the scale my last year of middle school; 266. I looked at this two ways. One: Holy **** I'm huge. And two: It could be worse.
Just think that even though you might of put it off, what if you put it off longer? At least you have it NOW before it got any worse. Always remember that. And also in the beginning it is really overwhelming. When I first started it was like a whole different world and I really did struggle in the beginning, and I still struggle, but I took baby steps at a time. Just ease yourself into this and everything will be okay!