Lurking for 3 months...it's time to say hello.

loser4real

Long-time lurker, first time poster. After frequenting this site almost daily for three months I figured it was about time I introduced myself and let you all know how much I appreciate the community on here.

A little about me…I was never what you would consider skinny, but I used to be fairly active (growing up in Hawaii made it easy to be active). Then I moved to the Southeast in my mid-20's and that first winter a few pounds sneaked on which steadily increased with each passing year. Being in school full-time the past 4-1/2 years while working at a very demanding [stressful] full-time job resulted in even more weight gain. I immensely disliked the image staring back at me in the mirror and lost all of my confidence and self-esteem.

Hubby and I graduated in May, moved to a new state, and started new jobs. Once we finally got settled in we decided it was time to focus on our health. My management team at work sponsored a 12-week Biggest Loser contest in September which was great motivation for me (I ended up coming in 4th place).

We joined a gym, got a personal trainer, and began eating clean pretty much all at once. We exercise at least 5 days a week--cardio every time and strength training 2-3 times. I had no idea how much I would love working out and was surprised at how quickly we began to feel results. And now that we see results too, it's more incentive to stay the course. I haven't felt this good in years and doing this with my husband has made the journey much more tolerable.

As countless others on here have stated , this time I know things are different because I am implementing REALISTIC lifestyle changes and habits that I intend to maintain going forward. This isn't about a diet to quickly lose weight only to find it all again in a matter of months. It's about becoming educated about nutrition and fitness by understanding what makes my body tick, listening to it when it tries to tell me something, and learning how best to fuel it. It's also about changing my relationship with food and making better choices.

Sorry this got so long but as you can probably tell, I'm passionate about this. This is why I love the MFP community because you care about this too, otherwise you wouldn't be here. So thank you all for helping me to stay motivated...

...by being so forthright about your triumphs and struggles.
...by being so willing to share your knowledge and expertise.
...by fearlessly asking questions.
...by jumping in when others need a little encouragement (or a little kick in the butt).
...by maintaining a welcoming environment.

This is why I come here every day…you all rock!

-Brandee

loser4real

Long-time lurker, first time poster. After frequenting this site almost daily for three months I figured it was about time I introduced myself and let you all know how much I appreciate the community on here.

A little about me…I was never what you would consider skinny, but I used to be fairly active (growing up in Hawaii made it easy to be active). Then I moved to the Southeast in my mid-20's and that first winter a few pounds sneaked on which steadily increased with each passing year. Being in school full-time the past 4-1/2 years while working at a very demanding [stressful] full-time job resulted in even more weight gain. I immensely disliked the image staring back at me in the mirror and lost all of my confidence and self-esteem.

Hubby and I graduated in May, moved to a new state, and started new jobs. Once we finally got settled in we decided it was time to focus on our health. My management team at work sponsored a 12-week Biggest Loser contest in September which was great motivation for me (I ended up coming in 4th place).

We joined a gym, got a personal trainer, and began eating clean pretty much all at once. We exercise at least 5 days a week--cardio every time and strength training 2-3 times. I had no idea how much I would love working out and was surprised at how quickly we began to feel results. And now that we see results too, it's more incentive to stay the course. I haven't felt this good in years and doing this with my husband has made the journey much more tolerable.

As countless others on here have stated , this time I know things are different because I am implementing REALISTIC lifestyle changes and habits that I intend to maintain going forward. This isn't about a diet to quickly lose weight only to find it all again in a matter of months. It's about becoming educated about nutrition and fitness by understanding what makes my body tick, listening to it when it tries to tell me something, and learning how best to fuel it. It's also about changing my relationship with food and making better choices.

Sorry this got so long but as you can probably tell, I'm passionate about this. This is why I love the MFP community because you care about this too, otherwise you wouldn't be here. So thank you all for helping me to stay motivated...

...by being so forthright about your triumphs and struggles.
...by being so willing to share your knowledge and expertise.
...by fearlessly asking questions.
...by jumping in when others need a little encouragement (or a little kick in the butt).
...by maintaining a welcoming environment.

This is why I come here every day…you all rock!

-Brandee

Fitness_Chick

Hey Brandee glad you've decided to join in on the fun on the message boards.... sounds like you've got a good feel for getting to your goals....both you and your hubby:drinker:

Welcome:flowerforyou:

age1389

Great post:drinker: And welcome to the forums:flowerforyou:



-Adrienne