Hello!

nikirushka

Hello all!

I've been on here for a couple of weeks but it's gone a bit down the pan the last few days, so I figure I should say hello and try and get some more friends to tell me off when I'm going off the rails

Should give some history I guess...

I'm coming up on 29, and have been overweight pretty much all my life - I've been the right weight once, for aboiut a month, when I was 15. I'm now the biggest I've ever been at 16st dead on (I'm 5'7" so about 6st overweight, give or take).

Junk food has always been an issue and it's only gotten worse, but i have medical problems too - for about 10 years my thyroid has been slowing down, and it's now reached crisis point (3 of those 6st have gone on the last two years since it's really started going wrong). I'm waiting for my next appointment with an endocrinologist where he will (hopefully) get me started on treatment then I can really start getting into shape and back to health!

I'm struggling with fatigue at the moment which is what's gone wrong this week - going through a really bad patch of it. I also suffer with joint pains which are the worst in my feet, so with those problems together exercise is an issue - so my focus is on my diet at the moment. I do get exercise - I have 8 large, energetic dogs so don't have a whole lot of choice in that lol! But it's nothing like it used to be; I used to walk 4-6 hours each and every day with my dogs, but now it's anything from 40 minutes to about 90 minutes in a day. The dogs are not impressed, especially my youngest, Raine 'I'm a working dog I swear'!

Anyhoo as I say, diet has got to be the focus for now while I get the thyroid back on track, then I will be walking a lot more and doing more stuff (like battling the jungle which is my garden that has gone wild this summer!)

So the short version of that mini essay: I have 6st to lose, I am not happy as I am and enough is enough! Anyone who wants to help me by telling off when I eat chocolate is more than welcome, that's the biggy

Nikita -x-

cecilia1952

Hi,

I, too, am new to this website and so far, I love it. After reading your post, I wanted to reply and offer a bit of encouragement. I had a thyroid issue that sabotaged my weight as well, so I know how you feel. Here's my story.

Like you, I have been overweight most of my life and am a yo-yo dieter. In 2006, I hit my all time high weight and, after seeing photos of myself at a wedding, I finally decided to do something serious about it. I was blessed with a good friend (she is the picture of healthy) who helped me get started on an exercise routine. She was like a personal trainer for me - pushing me at the gym and encouraging me to sitck to my diet. I also read the South Beach Diet book and started following their eating philosophy. Seven months later, I was down 57 pounds. But, I started having physical issues, mostly heart palpitations, that I had never had before. I was diagnosed with hyper thyroidism and had to take medicine to slow down my metabolism (which was running rampant and causing the rapid heart beat). BUMMER! That was a very discouraging and depressing thing for me. Soon after, I abonded exercise and healthy eating. I regained 42 pounds in the past 5 years. Last month, I once again decided to get serious. I stared dieting and hitting the gym but, unlike before, it is going treacherously slow. But the pounds are now starting to slowly come off. This time, instead of a good friend encouraging me, my husband is my support. He helps with my food decisions and goes to the gym with me. He has helped me realize that I need to make getting healthy a priority....no excuses for not going to the gym, no excuses for making bad food choices. No more blaming my thyroid. "If it's to be, it's up to me."

This is a hard, hard journey. When you add medical issues to it, it becomes doubly worse. But support of family and friends has helped me and that's why I wanted to reply to you. I hope this site provides the encouragement we all need. So, hang in there. Get the medical help you need but don't forgo diet and exercise. No excuses. Just do it. Use this site to reach out for help or to brag about success. Hope this helps.