Welcome!!! Please introduce yourself!

Kamalalue

:flowerforyou:

My name is Katie, my username is Kamalalue.

I am a 31 year old female.

I live in Wisconsin with my fiance of almost 10 years... yes, 10 years!

I am currently unemployed, but always looking. I love to be creative and find joy in art and cooking.

I want to lose weight because I am not living - I am watching my life pass me by. Also, I want to be able to have children, and I do not believe that I could get pregnant or carry a baby to term, the way I am now.

I currently weigh 370 lbs and my goal weight is 170 lbs.

I get discouraged easily, especially when thinking about how much weight that I have to lose. I look forward to making this journey with like-minded individuals who are willing to fight to get their lives back.

I am a very open, honest and blunt person. I will never lie or tell you what you want to hear. I hope for the same in return. Often, it is the dose of reality that I do not want to hear - that I need the most.

Thank you for joing me!

Katie (Kamalalue)

LWriter

Hi. My name is Lisa and I live in Kansas City.

I started WW back in June and did well--lost about 33 by October. When I transitioned from WW meetings to online and during the holidays, I gained 15 pounds back! I was so mad at myself. It was a good lesson.

Luckily for me I found MFP and got that 15 back off in the month of January.

I go to Curves almost 5 times a week. It's been working well for me.

I have over 200 pounds to lose. I really don't think of that number though. I feel SO much better just losing this little amount I'm so anxious to see how much better I feel when I lose more. I honestly take it one day at a time.

I'm looking for new friends. So please add me. I'm a great supporter. : ) I want to kick things into high gear because I feel like I could be losing better. I like making everyday count.

Please let me know if you have any suggestions! Happy to be part of the group!

Kamalalue

Hi Lisa!

It is good to meet you!

I spent more than a year on WW - it didn't work for me, but that was because I only did it Monday through Friday... It is a good program - I liked that you can have anything/everything, just in moderation.

Don't beat yourself up about the gain, you have realized the mistake and are taking steps to correct it!

My biggest personal issue right now, is exercise. It is a constant fight with my mind and body... I am not proud, but the word "can't" seems to be the go-to answer (maybe even alternative) for trying. This is where I need to focus the majority of my energy.

I am glad that you joined and look forward to losing the weight, getting healthy and reaching our goals together!

Katie (Kamalalue)

Pandorian

Hey all,
Pandorian will work for now

I'm Canadian, and a year off of my highest weight ever... my starting weight was 330 here.

My gain came from a change in activity not really a change in eating. I moved from the country to the city and kept eating the same way I always had... but I was no longer walking 6 or 7 nights a week, hiking 3 km each way to the closest store for my snacks, canoeing in the middle of the night on the lake, doing a 7km trail once a week out at the outside area. Cliff climbing... spelunking... cross country skiing... moving to the city killed my activity level, but my eating habits stayed the same. I was eating for my former activity level instead of my sedentary life and it added up. Heck when I was that active I had a $30 steak and a tub of ice-cream for the Superbowl.... swimming was a regular occurrence....

I've worked with a nutritionist and a dietitian but they gave me a higher calorie goal and expected me to build my deficit through exercise. Which I didn't. I gained 15 lbs working with them. Since finding MFP I have lost to 38lbs gone and regained 22 of those pounds.

Excuses... my life has been full of em

I love hiking... if I'm out in the country. It's been hard to get motivated to walk in the city but I'm looking into geo-caching just to have a "point" to getting out there. I know from my former activities that "just getting to that next point" can make the trip manageable... in the same vein as how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time....

I've started swimming again now that I've ditched the gym membership as even paying the $60 a month didn't motivate me to get my *kitten* over there, just cost me $720 for the year when I only used it for 4 months.

I'm here, I'm eating the foods I love but I'm doing it within limits. I bake, but I'm making healthier versions, ie instead of 1 cup of oil at 2000+ calories I replace it with 1 cup of apple sauce at...maybe 200 calories... 1/10th of the calories from one simple change? yes please. I make home-made pizza on pita or soft tortilla shells. Gets me the pizza taste without all the oils from the pan-fried pizzas that come hot to the door.

My goal is 175 lbs, which is around what I was when I was active all the time. Just need to step up the activity again. I'm tired of being heavy and winded just from moving around. So hi to all, and we got this!

Kamalalue

Pandorian -

Glad you are here!

Living in the country sounds like paradise!

If you have any favorite recipes that you would like to share, I would be very grateful!

Katie (Kamalalue)

Acacia_raye

Hi all.
I am Acacia (pronounced; Kay-sha)

I am 21 years old.

& I live in California.

I am in a relationship & we have been together for two years, & hopefully many more to come.

right now i am at the highest weight i have been 350, i want to get down to 150. then after that i would like to be 130 but i would be more than thrilled with 150.

I have trouble staying on track, if i eat something i'm not supposed to or if i over indulge i tend to give up on myself, i believe i am my biggest enemy, that's why i joined MFP.

I just want to get healthy because i want kids in the future and they deserve a healthy mommy. to go along with that i lost a baby during the 4th month due to my weight &i dont want it to happen again.

I am here for support and to give support, feel free to add me

-Acacia

1Nifty50

My name is Linda and I am 50 yrs old but I don't feel 50. I have been fat all my life, I currently are the biggest I have ever been, I was 324 lbs in Nov. 2011, I am now at 305 lbs. I want to get to about 140-150 if I can I know that that's not 200lbs but it is close to it and I need the support. I have hypothyroidism, and PSOD so my metabolism is almost nothing. I work a job that I sit alot at work and I work till about 630 at night and its hard to get any exercise in before bedtime and I am not a morning person that can get up at 5 and exercise. Any suggestions? I have a gym membership but I have trouble getting myself motivated to go. I am just so tired all the time. I lost 75 lbs about 9 years ago and got down to 218 lbs. but I let life's stessors but it back on me and more. I have got to get this off or I am not going to live very long! I lost the 19 lbs. by just watching my calerie intake, I stopped drinking soda pop, and logging everything I eat even the smallest thing. Now I need to get the exercise going. can someone give me a kick in the pants!

Kamalalue

Acacia -

Just wanted to point out, that we do not need to be perfect; just good the majority of the time. : )

I know that we can do this. We can reach our goals!

I am sorry for your loss.



1Nifty 50 -

Welcome! Congratulations on your weight loss to date!

I also struggle to find time to exercise. Not because I don't have the time, but because I am scared of starting something new. I am afraid of being seen, and I am afraid failing. As many times that I have dieted, I have never exercised at the same time. I would lose about 20 lbs, and then all weight loss would stop... I am not saying this will happen to you, but I thought that I would share, so that you may avoid the frustration of watching the scale go nowhere (or backwards.)

My suggestion is to get an exercise ball, and just start slow. Bounce on it while you are watching television, instead of sitting on the couch. Walk around your block. Each day, try to find one or two small things to get you moving. Just a couple minutes here or there will add up!


Anyone else have any suggestions? I am lacking in the exercise department as well.

Katie (Kamalalue)

1Nifty50

thanks for the input. I'll give it a try.

ibvicki

Hello all!

I'm Vicki and I am in the southern US. I am at my highest wieght ever and need to lose at least 130 pounds to be considered only "obese" - 200 pounds to reach my ideal weight.

I had been doing well and walked off a lot of weight. I have never had medical problems and have been fairly active - traveling, touring, walking, swimming, camping, hiking, scuba etc.. I have traveled all over the world and enjoy learning about different cultures.

Unfortunately, I became ill about a year and a half ago and still have abdominal pain that is worse when sitting. I can only sit for a while as the pain will get worse and worse until I HAVE to lay down. I last longer walking, but it too will eventually cause pain bad enough to force me to lay down. I have several diagnosis (each doctor has his own diagnosis, although my symptoms don't match anything I have been diagnosed with and none of the individual treatments have worked) although they are *fairly* certain I don't have anything fatal. However, losing weight cannot help but improve the pain and the pain is keeping me from leading a normal life.

So here I am! I too am having difficulty exercising. The doctors encourage me to exercise as I can (walking and gentle strectching), but I am not doing it. I would like to find an exercise buddy - maybe we could encourage each other. Or any other suggestions?

Toothfairyy

Hello,
Im scheduled for Gastric Bypass March 7. I am currently 352 . I was as high as 377 . I'm 52 and looking so forward to enjoying life .:drinker:

Kamalalue

Toothfairyy -

I am not judging your decision to have the surgery, many of us here have considered having the surgery.

Personally, I can't do it. I know several people who have had the surgery and the majority have been successful. It is the one that was not, that makes me worry. The lady has had nothing but health problems since.

Outside of that, I decided that if I can't control my habits and behaviors prior to the surgery - how would I be able to maintain the new diet not re-stretch my stomach after the surgery?

One of my friends literally used a shot glass to measure their food after their surgery and often couldn't finish that.

I guess I love food too much.

Rachel507

Hello everybody!

My name is Rachel and I too have been overweight my whole life and have decided that this is my year to make positive changes. I have been married for almost 3 years and desperately want to have children before "the clock" starts ticking. In january I started at 381. Currently Im at 359. It hasn't been easy. i work all day in childcare and am whipped when i get home. I do have a gym membership, but it is so hard to find that umph when you get home from work. So currently I am using our nintendo wii system and doing the Just dance game as exercise. My mini goal next week is too return to the gym. Fingers crossed!

I did however make a list that has been encouraging to me and also brings a little humor into my new life change. I call it my 'DIRTY THIRTY" list. i sat down at the end of december and compiled 30 reasons why I hate being fat. I probably could have made it 100. Some of which are, Sweating doing nothing, air supply being cut off in restuaraunt booths, fear of breaking lawn furniture with my ars, airplane seats to small, riding rollercoasters again, going down a waterslide without fear of flying off or getting stuck...etc etc. So anyway, how I use this list is every time I lose 5 lbs i get to cross one of the items off the list. After 30 cross offs i'll be down 150 lbs! Trust me, I have taken great pleasure in crossing off 4 of them already, 26 to go!

Anyway, friend me if you would like, i'm not perfect and I have my bad days too, but i always need encouraging day by day and i would love to encourage you. Food is my drug, and unlike any other drug addiction we have to take our drug everyday to live. We just have to make wise choices and not beat ourselves up for the unwise ones! Day by day we can do this!!!!

Acacia_raye

Rachel-The list is such an amazing idea, i think i will start writing mine.
& congrats on the weight loss so far!!

& sweating while doing nothing sucks.

Rachel507

Thanks Acacia! I have the list posted on the wall above my scale. It seems to help. I'll look at it when I really want a naughty snack and then that usually helps me curb my appetite into something a little more healthy. hey, whatever works right? :happy:

Acacia_raye

rachel- exactly you got to do what you gotta do tho get rid of the weight.

TruChocolate

Hello all
My name is Evette I am 34 yrs old I have one daughter that is my world.
Yes I am a single mother and she is the reason why I want to be healthier.
I am physically healthy and I want to remain that way.

I have a Bachelors in Criminal Justice and im unemployed I have filled out applications
From Subway to Social service, but nothing yet. Somedays I want to give up, but I look at my daughter and mom and know I have to keep pushing.

I am a very active person, I love meeting new people and shopping. I am truly a shopaholic, I love fashion I love looking cute, and feeling sexy even if I am over weight, and no I am not in denial about my size I just believe sexy equals confidences.

Rachel507

Totally agree Evette!!!! Confidence is sexy, my husband said thats what attracted him to me when he met me. We all have a little extra to work with so we gotta work what we got! :laugh:

calgurl855

Hi Everyone My name is Liset

I am 26 years old and I am currently at my highest weight at 375. Ideally would love to get down to 150.

I am a full time grad student getting my masters in Social Work.

I am tired of missing out on things because I know that my weight will be in the way. For example, my family went to Cancun and I said that I couldnt go because I didnt have the money to pay for it. That was untrue, I was simply mortified by the fact that I knew I would never fit in an airplane seat and might be asked to purchase two tickets.

I hope we can all support each other on this journey!

Kamalalue

Hi All!

Rachel - I LOVE that idea about making the list... I will be making my own. Thank you for sharing this idea. Also, after reading the items that you posted on your list, I am grateful for this group. I can associate with everyone of them. I hate thinking about the fact, that I did this to myself and that there is no instant fix.

This is not the life that I want to live.

Evette - I can completely understand being educated and not being able to find employment. I am also currently unemployed and spend the majority of my day applying for new job. Yesterday, I interviewed at Kohler, for a part-time job and also interviewed at McDonalds for a crew job. I can't tell if I would be happier to hear from McDonalds or not... I just can't believe I have gottent ot he point where I am applying/interviewing for a fast food position - just to have a job.

Hang in there, persistence always pays off!

Liset - I am glad that you joined us!!! I look forward to losing this weight, and sharing the experience with you! We all have a similar amount of weight to lose... it makes it easier to find common ground.

Last year we made a trip to Las Vegas, and I was afraid of the seats on the plane too. Right before we got on the flight, we upgraded to first class - it was a good thing we did... because I would have never fit in the coach seats.

I hope all of you ladies have a great day!

Katie

Pandorian

Nothing wrong with McDonalds job as a temporary thing they have around here anyway a pretty decent benefits package, I've been tempted just to make use of the dental coverage to take it on for a bit, but I'm holding out for something in one of the fields I'm trained in