Onederland (getting to under 200 pounds) for many of us is that line in the sand from being "just a little overweight" to being obese. Real or not, crossing that line on the way up or crossing that line on the way down has a huge psychological impact on many of us.

This thread is not meant as a "temporary" home for those who are close to 200 pounds and just waiting to cross over. There are other threads for that. THIS thread is specifically for ANYONE who has a psychological thing with the number 200 and needs support. You could be 320 pounds, 250, 180 or whatever. If that number 200 is HUGE in your head from day one of your journey or it still has a hold on you at day 437, this thread is for YOU!

So, please join me in finding support to reaching Onederland and STAYING in onederland!!!!

So, if you have this huge desire to get to onederland or to stay in onederland, come join me in finding support and encouragement, and in the end, celebrate with those who cross into onederland for (hopefully) forever and offer support for those who go over 200 pounds and need extra support.

I repeat: PLEASE do not treat this thread as a temporary home for the pounds just around 200. There are other, better threads for that and don't address what this thread is really about.


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Ok, so for me. I have been hovering around this weight for what feels like forever (it's not) and I just want to MOVE DOWN ON THE SCALE. I really am hoping to get to under 200 by the end of the year. I will feel like a normal person if that happens, yet right now, with being around this weight for weeks, it's feeling like it will take forever to get there!

At least more of my clothes are fitting. The FAT clothes, but at least there are those!

Thanks for the new thread, Berry!

I haven't been under 200lbs in at least 3 years.

Thus, I hadn't weighed myself or tried to make any healthy choices because I was sooo overweight. I haven't bought anything new to wear in 3 years either. Its like I hit that number and just gave up.

I got real for the first time a month ago, weighed in at 221.5 and cried so hard. It seemed so impossible to get the weight off, to get fit, to feel like I could be attractive again. I'm at huge risk for diabetes and other health problems. Getting to Onderland will drop me from Class 2 Obesity to Class 1 and lessen some of the risks to my health. Ultimately, I know I have to get to a healthy BMI. But Onderland is the first, biggest step I think.

I'm going on a Caribbean cruise in Dec. and won't consider wearing a bathing suit at 200+. Its silly, but I feel that I could be comfortable in a well-fitted bathing suit at 160, 180, even 190, but not 200.

My worst fear is to lose the weight, fall off the wagon, and gain it back and not realize its a crisis until I hit 200lbs again. I have to do this and maintain it.

I weighed in at 207.2 this morning, so I'm getting closer. Onderland is my first mini-goal. I've lost 14+ lbs thus far, but I don't feel like its a real accomplishment or it will show until I am well under 200lbs. I absolutely cannot wait to see a 1 on my scale and know I can keep it.

Then I'm gonna make myself go out and buy something nice that's not food!

I too felt a huge block at 200. Took a year and a half for me to get it together to diet, and I have only been under for 3 days. But I am still paranoid about going back up...that's my main motivation to keep drinking water, keep eating my shakes...stay with the 1 in front!

That was what happened to me. I totally gave up once I went over 200. Up until that time, I stuck with "trying" (sort of). Then when I went over 200? I really did give up as 200 in my head was the same as 299 - like the hundred pound mark was the only number that mattered.

And, of course, that is just NUTS! And I know it. But even with this last weight loss... it was going over 200 again that did me in psychologically as I had PROMISED MYSELF I would never, ever go over it again! EVER! If I can't promise myself that and keep that promise, then what?

So, that number will forever have a hold on me - more now than ever, I suppose.

My goal is 175 which is about 10 over where I got to last time, but I had to fight tooth and nail to get to 165 and I'm not sure it's attainable or better, stated, maintainable. Docs say 160 is my ideal weight for my body, but GETTING THERE and holding there seems like an impossibility, but keeping under 200 - even with winter blues, etc, should be 100% doable with trying to stay closer to 175!

I think when I hit 200, it wasn't so much that I gave up, it was that it felt hopeless. How could I ever lose enough weight to be healthy? I mean, it didn't feel like I was eating all that much. Most times I was truly hungry. I honestly never thought I could be the size I am now - which is still way too heavy - ever again. I feel so much better being under 200 that I think I must look fabulous - it's always a little shock to see a mirror or picture of myself and get that reality check.

What a difference now - once I got below 195 (i.e. out of the "200 danger zone"), I *knew* I was going to hit my goal, even if it might take me a really long time. These days I have a much more realistic sense of how much I'm eating and *what* to eat when I get hungry. (hint: it's not cookies)! Refined carbs are a special treat - I find I enjoy them more when I respect that. That's how I know I'm a permanent resident of Onederland.

197.4. I have a weigh in at a doctor's appointment on Wed--in the afternoon! I hate those...always up a few pounds from my morning weigh in at home. Hoping to get low enough by Wed morning that Wed afternoon I can have an <200 weigh in!

LOL. Everytime I weigh in at the Dr it seems like I'm 8-9lbs more! Even if I manage to go first thing in the morning it seems! Jeans are like 6lbs right?!

You know you made it and can take pride in the progress no matter what the scale says there!

In high school I was the fat chick and boy did my classmates let me know. I avoided scales like the plague so I couldn't tell you what I weighed, but I'm sure it was around 180/190. Right after college I got up to 230 lbs. I saw that number and was like, wait..... When did I go over 200???? In my mind 200 was this horrible thing to cross and I crossed it.

I did WW's and got down to 175, in a size I couldn't even have touched in high school. Life happened, I spent the next decade gaining it all back and then some, until I was 265. I weighed the day my hubby and I set our wedding date and I almost cried.

Sigh, that was 5 years ago and I haven't seen 199.9 yet. I keep getting to 227 and then stopping for some dumb reason or another.

That's why when I FINALLY saw 225 this weekend, I started building a little hope. Still 225 today and I know I wasn't dreaming.

So, yes, 200 to me is a huge deal and I WILL be under it one day. I will make it back to onederland!!!! Lord willing, I will not see 200 anything again on the scale after!

Being perfectly honest, being over 200 when I have been (and now) always make me feel less like a woman. Ok that's probably weird, I know. It makes me feel like I'm not "me"...I have only been over 200 (which seemed huge to me) with each pregnancy. The first time it felt surreal. I hope I'm not being over dramatic here. To see a "2" in front of my weight. I lost the weight, and so it went for each baby. This past pregnancy, I drew the line at 199. I did NOT want to cross over 200. It just felt like if I could do that then I would have succeeded at staying healthy with my last baby. Despite my blood sugar and BP being excellent and that I still exercised almost up until delivery, I still felt like I failed when I went over 200.

I was just thinking about this earlier. I weighed yesterday and 202.4...and I still don't feel normal. And I thought what's a few more pounds? Like will I really be a different person when the scale says 199? Will my clothes fit better, probably not. But its a mental thing, it says to me that I'm ME again, not pregnant me. I kind of marks the beginning of getting back to a non pregnant self I guess...again probably sounds weird, but that's the best way to explain it. Over 200 I'm still not me, I'm just a postpartum body....

Oh I forgot to add the ANXIETY with 199 is that, well, the scale fluctuates, its not a straight down as you all know, but a trend, So the day it says 199, I get anxious that one heavy meal or whatever can show a 200 again. I don't feel "safe" from 200 until about 195 and below...

How is everyone doing? It's been a week or so, anyone have any updates? Hope everyone has a fantastic week on the journey to arrive at or stay in Onederland!

Made it to 224 this weekend. TOM is wreaking havoc with the scale though. I don't expect another loss for a week or two.

Stupid hormones.

I'm just hangin' in there, waiting for ovulation to pass so I can start to see some losses on the scale again. Grrrr.... But at least I now why I haven't been dropping weight - those pesky hormones! Don't they know I'm 45, have a nearly 19 year old and a 10 year old and that I don't want any more babies, so ovulating is futile? (though... I'm glad for my bones' sake I guess).

Sympathy to those of you who still have that TOM to contend with.

Sure is nice on the other side, but my excuses are gone, too.

Month of bouncing up and down, grrrrrr.