Shy newcomer - Hello!

dream_litotes

Hey everybody! I've been lurking around here since the beginning of this week, and I'm really liking the whole site! (You guys are all so friendly!) I feel like I've been doing well for the last few days (since Wednesday, in fact), and I'm especially proud that I've managed to get some exercise every day and that I have not been snacking uncontrollably: these are my major weaknesses and I strongly believe that I would not be needing to lose weight now if I hadn't been snacking and sitting around too much.

A few things about me: I'm 5'10" (as I found out the other day: I always thought I was 5'11", but that was a mistaken conversion from the metric system), Swedish, turning 20 in April, studying languages in Scotland, and my goal weight is ~175lbs (80kg). I don't currently own any scales, so I don't know my starting weight, and I'm still debating whether to get one or not: I know from experience that I easily get obsessed with the numbers, but I also know that it's my shape/size/body and how I feel that matters. I'm afraid that if I find out that my current weight is much more than I'm expecting, it might launch me into a binge; I'm pretty sure I need to lose at least 40lbs and it sounds like an overwhelming amount and like I could never do it. So I don't know whether to get scales or not.

I'm also worried about telling people around me that I'm counting calories and such. I've grown up with the attitude that calorie counting is bad and silly; if you just lead a healthy lifestyle you'll be the right weight no matter what. I know this isn't true because it evidently hasn't worked in my family - just saying that you're healthy doesn't automatically make you healthy, and both me, my brother and my mother are various amounts overweight. It's still really hard to get rid of that attitude that "real" people don't need to count calories, and I'm scared of what my friends' and family members' reactions might be if I tell them about it. (Not that they are mean people or anything, but I'm afraid of putting myself out there by doing something special.)

Anyway, together with two friends I'm aiming to be in a 5k charity run on March 6. I'm really quite excited but I know we have a long way to go, and only seven weeks to practise, so I'll need to keep my focus.

That is all, I just wanted to introduce myself. I'd appreciate any input or cheering on. I also want to mention that I'm extremely shy (hence lurking around for days before working up the nerve to post!) and suffer from social anxiety, so if I fail to reply, that's probably the reason.

- Petra

sophia_uk

Hi Petra,

That was a lovely introduction! Welcome to the site, you will love it here! Its good to have you onboard!

Sophia

tam8374

Welcome to the site!

I am so glad that you like it here. Everyone is really friendly and supportive.

Good Luck to you and feel free to add me if you want.

spennato

I have never counted calories in my life, and Have never lost soo much weight, counting calories does work!!!!!! As far as buying a scale if you do not buy a scale which I recommend buying , than buy a tape measurer so you can track your progress. Good Luck!!

Sherry1979

Hello & Welcome Petra!

This is a great site, I love it here and everyone is very friendly and supportive! I'm shy too so I know where you're coming from there but that is the good thing about this site, you can join in and say something when you feel like it but you don't HAVE to if you're not feeling like it! :flowerforyou: I don't personally know your friends & family, but I'd say they would understand if you explained the calorie counting thing to them, but if not, you're doing it for YOU so always remember that! And you don't necessarily have to tell them. . .when the weight starts coming off they'll notice and want to know what you're doing. . .by then you'll be proof that it works so they can't argue! As for the scales, that's a personal thing. . .if you know that you will possibly be obsessed with the numbers then it may be best that you don't have them. But in the same respect, if you don't know where you are truly starting at, then how will you know how far you have truly came. The first 10 lbs or so of losing is sometimes hard to tell just by looking and you may think you're not making progress when you really are if you don't have some means of tracking it and then it's easy to get discouraged. But if you choose not to get a scale, I would recommend that you at least take your starting measurements and then measure once a month or so. . .you can track them on here too. Best of luck to you. . .it sounds like you already know what you need to change so that's a great step in the right direction!!!

armywifeinpink

This is a really good idea! The only thing that I would recommend though, is to only weigh yourself like every Saturday or every other Saturday so that way you can actually see progress...when I first started out I was weighing myself like every other day and I was getting discouraged because I wasn't really seeing any sort of change....But good luck!!!

I have never counted calories in my life, and Have never lost soo much weight, counting calories does work!!!!!! As far as buying a scale if you do not buy a scale which I recommend buying , than buy a tape measurer so you can track your progress. Good Luck!!

okgirly

So nice to meet you! I am a newcomer also. I have never really been a big calorie counter myself, but it makes sense and I know it works. Happy to have you here.

dream_litotes

Aw thank you for all the kind welcomes! I'm glad I did post finally. So I'll see you all around the boards hopefully! :happy: