34 years old: will i ever reach a healthy weight?
 

ive struggled with my weight all of my life. ive done extreme diets before. but the weight always comes back.

i want to lose weight, but i dont know if i can mentally handle it. after losing my mother 2 years ago, i gained a lot of weight. i sat at 250 lbs 5'5". I started becoming pre-diabetic. it was not a good time i felt like i could barely breathe most of the time. my hormones have always been unbalanced. now i have a period that never goes away. i went to the doctor and the only thing the gyno noted was my hormones being unbalanced, everything else seemed normal.

i lost 50 lbs, and have managed to keep it off. but im finding it hard to give up junk food, after losing the 50 lbs, my blood sugar is under control.

i find myself buying junk food. as pathetic as it sounds, i use food as a way to comfort myself. i feel embarrassed admitting that at 34 years old. but its the truth. no matter how bad the day might be, food somehow makes it better.

i dont know how to change. im in my 30s and havent been able to make lasting changes before.

am i just destined to be overweight?

Hi Thismomentisfate. Welcome back to 3FatChicks. You have come back, so I think you want to be here and you want to make a connection with others to give and receive support. Am I right? Look around the forum and if you see a thread that interests you, jump right on in. There are lots of other in your age group who have similar goals. Check out the Challenge section. This time is going to be the one that works!

Hi Thismomentisfate. I'm sorry about your loss.
You should be proud of yourself for losing fifty pounds! And also you should be proud of yourself for having the self-awareness to know that you use junk food as a way to comfort yourself. I do too I think.
What I'm trying is to reward myself with food I enjoy that is healthier - even if it's more expensive. I really like pomegranate seeds, which are not a good bargain here, but I'm buying them twice a week so that I can snack on them when I really want to reward myself, instead of crackers or pretzels. I'm not giving up the reward, just changing what it is.
I mean, probably it would be good to talk with a therapist about why I feel like I need the reward/comfort, but for now I'm going to try changing it and see how it works....

I have struggled for a long time to loss weight but i am not satisfied with my results so what should i do. Is there any one who is changed with in short time if there share your experience.

everything is possible!

I think that redefining your measure of success is key.

Losing lbs on the scale is not the only measure of success.

Do you make healthy choices more often than not? (Or even more often than you use to?) Yay improvement.

Do you feel stronger than you did when you started? (start weight training its AMAZING for your self esteem after you get going)

Noticing the things that you are capable of when you get further into your journey really helps. (Yay me I can help a friend move her couch, or carry a 70lb luggage now!)

And yes I may never reach a medically approved goalweight, but I AM healthier than I was in April. I can do more, and if all I can manage this month is to maintain my weight. Well that is still great because its not gains... I've maintained since August but thats better than ballooning up and past 370 again so... just hold onto the tiny wins... :)

I use food as comfort too
 

It’s a rough cycle, others may say I need a drink and I say I need a Big Mac. Hang in you’re not alone.

You sound like I did. All my life I had that food CRAVING! I was always overweight, big time. About 3 months ago I stumbled upon an article on West African red tea as a dieting aid. Like every other diet fad ,I gave it a try. For me, something FINALLY worked! I lost 41 lbs. and still losing. Basically it got rid of that dame craving that I constantly had. I feel better, look better, and have more confidence. If you want I have some info on my personal blog here

Good luck!

You have already taken the first step. My 40 year old brother died right before I turned 34. In the year following his death I returned to my previous hw which was 60 pounds over my ideal weight (which I achieved at 29). I still didn't get the motivation to give up my comfort foods. Ultimately I have kept all of my comfort foods in moderation. I have found that counting my calories and getting to the gym regularly has helped give me room for my temptations. I am back on the forum because I want to spend the last 4 years of my 30s as healthy as can. Some people have to quit junk food cold turkey. I am sure you will find your solution because you know how important this is to you. Best of luck!