Weight Loss Questionnaire
Replies
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• Gender: Male
• Age: 42
• Starting weight:250
• Current weight: 231
• Goal weight: 190
• What are your reasons for wanting to lose/gain weight? Reason for losing weight is to be more active and able to move around more easily
• Tell me a bit about your past… I was always playing sports and fit through my childhood and into my 20's then my 30's hit and it is when things began to change. Less activity more beer drinking and pot smoking which in turned to eating way to much and being lazy.
• Would you consider yourself as having an eating disorder? no
• Have you ever had an eating disorder in the past? no
• Do you feel pressure from the media to look a certain way? no
• Who has your ideal body/Who is your body inspiration? I dont really have someone but a look that is pleasing. It would be cut and fit.
• Why do you want to look that way? because it would make me happy and feel sexy
• What are you doing to change your weight? I am doing p90x to get in better shape and eating right to help lose the lbs. Staying away from booze and drugs. I cant drink beer so that is an easy one to stay away from.
• Do you have ‘problem areas’ (please specify) or are you trying to change all over? My belly but going for an all over change
• How do you feel about your weight loss/gain? Positive and motivated
• Have you got people who support you? yes my wife is my biggest supporter
• Has dieting changed how people see/treat you now? honestly I have not notice a difference other then something new to talk about
• What motivates you? Determination and knowing the end results.
• If/when you ‘fall off the wagon’ how do you feel? I deal with depression so it hits me hard I beat myself up something feirce
• How do you feel about reaching your goal? good I know it will happen because I want it to happen.
• How do you think you will feel when you reach your goal? extra sexy and super happy
• What if you don’t feel that way? What will you do next? keep searching for what makes me feel that way
• What is your biggest worry? failing
• What have you learnt on your journey so far? that it takes time and cant expect results over night
• What is your favourite (relevant) quote? train hard live easy0 -
• Gender: Male
• Age: 27
• Starting weight: 233
• Current weight: 225
• Goal weight: 160
• What are your reasons for wanting to lose/gain weight? (Please state which): I want to have more energy and look good. I want to not have to worry about health problems as I get older.
• Tell me a bit about your past… (Were you always unhappy with your weight? Did it begin in childhood? Did a specific event trigger unnatural eating habits?) Started in my teenage years. Lost a bunch of weight senior year. Gained it back a few years later.
• Would you consider yourself as having an eating disorder? Yes. Binge eating is a big issue for me. I lose all control at times.
• Have you ever had an eating disorder in the past? (If you are now recovered) No
• Do you feel pressure from the media to look a certain way? (If so please elaborate) Eh...kind of. Being a guy I'd say not so much.
• Who has your ideal body/Who is your body inspiration? Tom Hardy
• Why do you want to look that way? I don't know. I think he's got a similar build naturally to me....so it's probably somewhat doable with a lot of hard work.
• What are you doing to change your weight? Please give as much info as possible (Specific diet/workout plan/taking supplements/surgery…) Eat less processed food and less junk food. Drink more water. Run 3 days per week. Do strength training a couple days a week.
• Do you have ‘problem areas’ (please specify) or are you trying to change all over? Man boobs. But all over mostly.
• How do you feel about your weight loss/gain? (Positive/negative/motivated) Indifferent. I haven't been losing as quick as I'd like...but I do suspect some if it is muscle gain and fat loss washing each other out. My pants fit better.
• Have you got people who support you? (In real life/Online) My wife, My co-workers.
• Has dieting changed how people see/treat you now? (Friends/family/public) Sort of...my co-workers are good about making healthier choices when we do things like break room breakfasts and pot lucks.
• What motivates you? Looking good I suppose.
• If/when you ‘fall off the wagon’ how do you feel? (Like giving up/motivated to do better/like punishing yourself/upset) Like a drug addict. Seriously...I feel like food is completely controlling me.
• How do you feel about reaching your goal? (Is it close/far away/does it seem impossible) It's far away. I'm trying to set smaller goals along the way so that I don't have that big glaring number staring at me all the time.
• How do you think you will feel when you reach your goal? Fan-f'ing-tastic.
• What if you don’t feel that way? What will you do next? Most likely whether I feel fantastic or not I'm going to set new goals. It might be to lose another 5 lbs. It might be to gain muscle. Only time will tell.
• What is your biggest worry? Giving up for the hundredth time.
• What have you learnt on your journey so far? Well...for one I'm pretty certain "learnt" isn't a word. But I've learned that 90% of the stuff you see on tv/magazines/internet about weight loss is BS. There's no reason to starve yourself. There are no miracle foods. And weight loss isn't the most important thing. Health is.
• What is your favourite (relevant) quote? Don't have one.
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• Gender: Female
• Age: 38
• Starting weight: 183
• Current weight: 170
• Goal weight: 110
• What are your reasons for wanting to lose/gain weight? (Please state which)
I want to lose weight so I can be thin and not let my weight interfere with living life.
• Tell me a bit about your past… (Were you always unhappy with your weight? Did it begin in childhood? Did a specific event trigger unnatural eating habits?)
I was skinny up until my early 30s. There was no specific event. I was always able to eat whatever I wanted until my early 30s. I gained weight and didn’t really know how to eat in a way that would prevent gaining weight. I lost it using a effective, but crash, diet. I gained all of it and more back. I was a little bit in denial about how much I had gained and how bad it looked because I bought bigger clothes, and avoided scales and mirrors.
• Would you consider yourself as having an eating disorder?
No.
• Have you ever had an eating disorder in the past? (If you are now recovered)
No.
• Do you feel pressure from the media to look a certain way? (If so please elaborate)
I don’t believe so. We are hard-wired for attributes like healthy, beautiful, athletic, etc to be attractive to us as humans.
• Who has your ideal body/Who is your body inspiration?
I don’t have a particular person’s body in mind. I tend to like the “sleek Hollywood” type bodies…Jessica Alba, Salma Hayek, etc. I also really liked mine when I was in the 125-130 lb range.
• Why do you want to look that way?
These types of bodies look beautiful to me and clothes fit so nicely.
• What are you doing to change your weight? Please give as much info as possible (Specific diet/workout plan/taking supplements/surgery…)
I’m mostly low-carb with some carb/calorie cycling. I get most of my calories from meat, fats, and veggies that I raise or buy from farms or natural food markets. I supplement heavily with high quality vitamins because I believe our food doesn’t have a very high nutrient content due to demineralization of soils, and trying to prevent some genetic health issue. I would do this whether losing weight or maintaining on any plan. I don’t exercise all that much right now…about 20 minutes 3 times a week, but I am building up my stamina and increasing my walk/run distances and interspersing it with some things like zumba, P90, 30DS.
• Do you have ‘problem areas’ (please specify) or are you trying to change all over?
I don’t have a specific problem area. The fat on my arms and thighs is the last to go, but I know it eventually does.
• How do you feel about your weight loss/gain? (Positive/negative/motivated)
Overall I’m defiantly motivated by my weight loss so far. I do have many moments of doubt that it’s really working, that I can sustain it, that I can maintain, etc.
• Have you got people who support you? (In real life/Online)
Strangely, no. My real life people are encouraging no matter what I do…they are nice to me whether I am fat or skinny. That doesn’t really help much because they make me fell less bad about myself if I fail to lose and that makes it easier to slip a little. There are nice people online who cheerlead, but having people say, “wtg,” or “awesome” a few times a week isn’t all that supportive. But I think the key for it sticking this time has been not needing external support and motivation and finding it within myself. I’m doing this for me.
• Has dieting changed how people see/treat you now? (Friends/family/public)
Actually gaining the big slug of weight changed how people saw me more than losing.
• What motivates you?
Me.
• If/when you ‘fall off the wagon’ how do you feel? (Like giving up/motivated to do better/like punishing yourself/upset)
I feel disappointed in myself for not planning to handle hunger better cause I know it will happen. When I think about why I “fell off the wagon” it always boils down to not preparing for hunger, giving myself allowances or diet tweaks, or putting myself in situations that I know I can’t handle. Like getting really hungry and being near an opened bag of chips. The ending is never good. So, I try to always have a plan, and I also make my husband keep opened bags of chips somewhere I can’t easily get to, like at work or the trunk of his car.
• How do you feel about reaching your goal? (Is it close/far away/does it seem impossible)
I’m excited about it. It feels far away, but I know it’s coming and I’m going to enjoy it when it gets here. I used to get impatient because it would feel so far away, and that always made me resort to crash diets so I could get there faster. Who wants to take a year to lose 60 pounds when you could do it in 4 months?
• How do you think you will feel when you reach your goal?
I’ve been there before and I know I will love it.
• What if you don’t feel that way? What will you do next?
I don’t know. I guess explore why I don’t enjoy my goal weight. I don’t like being fat so I certainly won’t gain it back.
• What is your biggest worry?
That I won’t stick with it to make it to my goal weight.
• What have you learnt on your journey so far?
Small, consistent steps will get me there eventually. And if you haven’t been eating many vegetables, don’t all of a sudden ramp it up to several servings a meal. Whoa nelly…that’s way too much of a sudden fiber load.
• What is your favourite (relevant) quote?
I don’t have one. (meaning I don't have one...that's not the quote)0 -
• Gender: Female
• Age: 24
• Starting weight: 160
• Current weight: 132
• Goal weight: 127
• What are your reasons for wanting to lose/gain weight? (Please state which) I lost weight because I was sick of myself. I was always self conscious and didn't want to be anymore.
• Tell me a bit about your past… (Were you always unhappy with your weight? Did it begin in childhood? Did a specific event trigger unnatural eating habits?) I grew up always playing sports in high school (track, basketball, volleyball, cheerleading). Once i graduated, went to college and lost all physical activity. And the scale went up.
• Would you consider yourself as having an eating disorder? Nope. I love eating
• Have you ever had an eating disorder in the past? (If you are now recovered) No
• Do you feel pressure from the media to look a certain way? (If so please elaborate) Nope. The stick thin girls don't appeal to me. I'd rather be muscular and have a shape to me.
• Who has your ideal body/Who is your body inspiration? Jamie Eason
• Why do you want to look that way? Like noted above, I don't like the stick-thin physique. I rather the muscular end of the spectrum
• What are you doing to change your weight? Please give as much info as possible (Specific diet/workout plan/taking supplements/surgery…) I started out doing purely cardio and lost around 25lbs. Then I started weight training and lost the remaining weight, and I've actually put a few pounds back on in muscle. I eat around 1900 cals/day, with equal amounts of protein and carbs (around 160g), around 40g/day of fat.
• Do you have ‘problem areas’ (please specify) or are you trying to change all over? I've changed all over, the last places I'm waiting to meet my expectations are my tummy and hips. Of course.
• How do you feel about your weight loss/gain? (Positive/negative/motivated) Love it!!! I don't ever want to stop living a fit life. I'm addicted now.
• Have you got people who support you? (In real life/Online) Yes. My brother. And my boyfriend recently started going to the gym with me.
• Has dieting changed how people see/treat you now? (Friends/family/public) Yes... I've lost a couple friends because they didn't like the fact that I was changing for the better. They always had a bad attitude about it.
• What motivates you? The fact that I actually lost 30lbs. on my own.
• If/when you ‘fall off the wagon’ how do you feel? (Like giving up/motivated to do better/like punishing yourself/upset) It motivated me more to get my hiney in the gym again.
• How do you feel about reaching your goal? (Is it close/far away/does it seem impossible) awesome!
• How do you think you will feel when you reach your goal? I met it and I've put a few lbs. back on in muscle. It feels great!
• What if you don’t feel that way? What will you do next? n/a
• What is your biggest worry? n/a
• What have you learnt on your journey so far? To stop making excuses. I was always the person who thought "Oh I'll start going to the gym when ____" I finally just told myself to shut up and do it now.
• What is your favourite (relevant) quote? You eat to live, not live to eat.
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Gender: Female
• Age: 25
• Starting weight: 156
• Current weight: 152
• Goal weight: 115
• What are your reasons for wanting to lose/gain weight? (Please state which)
I want to lose weight for several reasons- to feel good about myself, to be able to do the athletic things I like to do, and to be smaller than my bf.
• Tell me a bit about your past… (Were you always unhappy with your weight? Did it begin in childhood? Did a specific event trigger unnatural eating habits?)
My mother has always been very weight conscience and some of that was put onto me. I was very athletic from age 14-21 so I stayed thin and didn't have to diet. In college, I got hit on all the time so I really felt good about my appearance. I got married though and my ex husband was abusive and cruel (physically and verbally). I gained from 125 to 230. Now that I'm divorced and free from him I'm down to 156 and my self esteem is going back up.
• Would you consider yourself as having an eating disorder?
I'm very picky and have texture issues but I don't think I have an eating disorder. I think I perhaps snack way too much and eat my emotions though.
• Have you ever had an eating disorder in the past? (If you are now recovered)
No
• Do you feel pressure from the media to look a certain way? (If so please elaborate)
Yes, I want to be very skinny, not just thin. When I was 125 I still felt fat even though people told me I had a great body with lots of curves and a tiny waist, but I'd rather just be teeny tiny.
• Who has your ideal body/Who is your body inspiration?
Jessica Alba
• Why do you want to look that way?
She's tiny so men can pick her up, but she's strong so she can do anything she wants- rock climb, kick boxing, etc
• What are you doing to change your weight? Please give as much info as possible (Specific diet/workout plan/taking supplements/surgery…)
I just started the 5:2 fasting diet and I'm looking into a gym.
• Do you have ‘problem areas’ (please specify) or are you trying to change all over?
My thighs are fat no matter how skinny I get, and right now I hate my stomach from having a baby, I hope it goes back to flat. Right now just losing weight.
• How do you feel about your weight loss/gain? (Positive/negative/motivated)
• Have you got people who support you? (In real life/Online)
Online mostly
• Has dieting changed how people see/treat you now? (Friends/family/public)
My friends groan when I diet, but most are heavier than me. That's why I like the 5:2.
• What motivates you?
I'm in a long distance relationship so we go 3 months or so at a time without seeing each other so I'm motivated to really surprise him the next visit.
• If/when you ‘fall off the wagon’ how do you feel? (Like giving up/motivated to do better/like punishing yourself/upset)
If I fall off I get depressed, when I get depressed I eat, when I eat, I get more depressed...
• How do you feel about reaching your goal? (Is it close/far away/does it seem impossible)
It's very far away so I've set several intermediate goals to try and help. I'm really trying to meet my 138 goal by June.
• How do you think you will feel when you reach your goal?
Pretty and able to do anything
• What if you don’t feel that way? What will you do next?
Probably try to get stronger and work on other goals I have, like getting published
• What is your biggest worry?
That if I don't get thin now I'll get fatter and fatter (biggest worry related to dieting that is.. not in general)
• What have you learnt on your journey so far?
It's a SLOW process
• What is your favourite (relevant) quote?
"seconds on your lips, forever on your hips"0 -
Thank you so much everyone!!!0
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• Gender: Female
• Age: 21
• Starting weight: 150
• Current weight: 146.8
• Goal weight: 125
• What are your reasons for wanting to lose/gain weight? I want to lose weight because I want to be more active and look better in a bikini.
• Tell me a bit about your past… (Were you always unhappy with your weight? Did it begin in childhood? Did a specific event trigger unnatural eating habits?) I have always had a gut (baby fat). I was never fat everywhere else. I always gained more in my tummy
• Would you consider yourself as having an eating disorder? No
• Have you ever had an eating disorder in the past? No
• Do you feel pressure from the media to look a certain way? Kind of.
• Who has your ideal body/Who is your body inspiration? This fitness guru I follow on instagram. She is really strong and fit.
• Why do you want to look that way? I want to look feminine but fit at the same time.
• What are you doing to change your weight? Please give as much info as possible (Specific diet/workout plan/taking supplements/surgery…) I am currently doing a lot of exercise dvd's such as biggest loser ever and Insanity. I am slowly introducing healthy foods into my diet. I am trying to eliminate a lot of sugar from my diet. I do not drink soda. I mostly drink water.
• Do you have ‘problem areas’ (please specify) or are you trying to change all over? My abs!!!!!!!!!
• How do you feel about your weight loss/gain? I feel positive. I am trying to stay motivated. It is hard because I always get to 140 lbs then give up.
• Have you got people who support you? (In real life/Online) My nieces are my biggest support.
• Has dieting changed how people see/treat you now? (Friends/family/public) Nope because they have seen it before.
• What motivates you? Wanting to be healthy throughout life. I have family members who are obese and I do not want to ever get to that point.
• If/when you ‘fall off the wagon’ how do you feel? (Like giving up/motivated to do better/like punishing yourself/upset) I feel upset with myself.
• How do you feel about reaching your goal? (Is it close/far away/does it seem impossible) It feels really far away. This time around I am really motivated to reach my goal weight.
• How do you think you will feel when you reach your goal? I will be soooooo happy! I will probably treat myself to a vacation or something.
• What if you don’t feel that way? What will you do next? Keep pushing
• What is your biggest worry? Falling off track again.
• What have you learnt on your journey so far? That you can't give up no matter what!
• What is your favourite (relevant) quote? If at first you don't succeed try again. (cheesy but true)0 -
• Gender: Female
• Age: 19
• Starting weight: 283
• Current weight: 236
• Goal weight: 144
• What are your reasons for wanting to lose/gain weight? (Please state which) I want to lose weight because, I am unhappy with the way I look and the way that I feel.
• Tell me a bit about your past… (Were you always unhappy with your weight? Did it begin in childhood? Did a specific event trigger unnatural eating habits?) I have ALWAYS been unhappy with my weight. I weighed in at 205 pounds when I was only in the 5TH grade... very pathetic. My family is all overweight as well.
• Would you consider yourself as having an eating disorder? I did have bulimia but, overcame that when I got pregnant. I currently do not.
• Have you ever had an eating disorder in the past? (If you are now recovered) Check above.
• Do you feel pressure from the media to look a certain way? (If so please elaborate) Yes, I do. They always have skinny girls looking amazing.
• Who has your ideal body/Who is your body inspiration? I don't have someone who has my ideal body.
• Why do you want to look that way? I want to look sexy.
• What are you doing to change your weight? Please give as much info as possible (Specific diet/workout plan/taking supplements/surgery…) I am eating 1660 calories a day, working out for at least an hour 6 times per week. I refuse to take supplements or have surgery.
• Do you have ‘problem areas’ (please specify) or are you trying to change all over? My thighs, my stomach and my upper arms.
• How do you feel about your weight loss/gain? (Positive/negative/motivated) I am unmotivated at the moment because, I have no idea how I will look when I get to my goal but, I am positive about the weight that I have already lost (48 pounds)
• Have you got people who support you? (In real life/Online) My MFP friends are incredible support along with my fiancé.
• Has dieting changed how people see/treat you now? (Friends/family/public) No.
• What motivates you? The mean words that people say
• If/when you ‘fall off the wagon’ how do you feel? (Like giving up/motivated to do better/like punishing yourself/upset) I feel discouraged and like I have failed myself.
• How do you feel about reaching your goal? (Is it close/far away/does it seem impossible) It sometimes feels impossible but, I am willing to do it and I am ready for it.
• How do you think you will feel when you reach your goal? I will feel successful and amazing
• What if you don’t feel that way? What will you do next? Keep going!
• What is your biggest worry? I am worried that I won't look good after I lose the weight and I will have liked myself better fat
• What have you learnt on your journey so far? I have learned that people will continue to talk badly about you and people will fakely compliment you. I have also learned that you will lose exactly what you put in. If you don't work out, you won't lose as much
• What is your favourite (relevant) quote? When you feel like you aren't going to ever make it to the top of the mountain, imagine the view from the top!
Great questionare!!0 -
• Gender: Female
• Age: 33
• Starting weight: 237
• Current weight: 222
• Goal weight: 145
• What are your reasons for wanting to lose/gain weight? (Please state which) I want to be healthy and be a good role model for my children
• Tell me a bit about your past… (Were you always unhappy with your weight? Did it begin in childhood? Did a specific event trigger unnatural eating habits?) I have struggled off and on my whole life. I was a thin kid while I was an only child ~ but when my mom had my sister when I was 7 and then another one just 11 months later, I started really getting chubby. It has been a battle ever since.
• Would you consider yourself as having an eating disorder?
I over eat and binge eat. And there was a point when I was teenager when I was not eating hardly at all trying to lose. I lived off of nicotine and madness when I was 16-17 years old.
• Have you ever had an eating disorder in the past? (If you are now recovered)
Not officially.
• Do you feel pressure from the media to look a certain way? (If so please elaborate)
Yes. I feel like the world thinks that only thin people are beautiful. So the media pushes that.
• Who has your ideal body/Who is your body inspiration?
I can't think of one person.
• Why do you want to look that way?
N/A
• What are you doing to change your weight? Please give as much info as possible (Specific diet/workout plan/taking supplements/surgery…) Counting my calories and working out and chugging water
• Do you have ‘problem areas’ (please specify) or are you trying to change all over? All over
• How do you feel about your weight loss/gain? (Positive/negative/motivated) I hate how I am right now. I feel disgusting.
• Have you got people who support you? (In real life/Online) Yes, my husband and some friends.
• Has dieting changed how people see/treat you now? (Friends/family/public) Not really
• What motivates you? Smaller pants!
• If/when you ‘fall off the wagon’ how do you feel? (Like giving up/motivated to do better/like punishing yourself/upset) Defeated. It will either make me feel unmotivated or like I need to kick my butt
• How do you feel about reaching your goal? (Is it close/far away/does it seem impossible) It feels a million miles away
• How do you think you will feel when you reach your goal? Euphoric
• What if you don’t feel that way? What will you do next? I dunno. Keep on keeping on.
• What is your biggest worry? Failure
• What have you learnt on your journey so far? Not to give up. It is a journey.
• What is your favourite (relevant) quote?
"When you think about quitting, think about why you started."0 -
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• Gender: Female
• Age: 41
• Starting weight: 215
• Current weight: 186
• Goal weight: 172
• What are your reasons for wanting to lose/gain weight? (Please state which) Health, Fitness, Self Confidence, Role Model for my children
• Tell me a bit about your past… (Were you always unhappy with your weight? Did it begin in childhood? Did a specific event trigger unnatural eating habits?)
I was thin until college. Since then I've gained a bunch of weight about once a decade (college, foot surgery, pregnancy). I struggle finding out a strategy but then lose weight steadily and keep it (more or less) off.
• Would you consider yourself as having an eating disorder? No.
• Have you ever had an eating disorder in the past? (If you are now recovered) No.
• Do you feel pressure from the media to look a certain way? (If so please elaborate) I'd like to have a waist and a flat stomach and long lean legs and all that. However, I'm really happy with the way I look when I'm fit too. It's more the challenge of trying to fit my shapely thighs into pants and my calves into boots that frustrates me.
• Who has your ideal body/Who is your body inspiration? I don't even know. Me about 18 years ago.
• Why do you want to look that way? Because I was hot and guys gave me free stuff.
• What are you doing to change your weight? Please give as much info as possible (Specific diet/workout plan/taking supplements/surgery…) Running three days a week, weight training 2x per week, eating my calories and work out calories on MFP. I did jigger it up about 100 kcals based on a body composition thing that I did. I'm also breast feeding a toddler. I add cardio calories, but not weight lifting ones. I eat 60 - 100 grams of protein daily. The rest tends to evenly split between fat and carbs.
• Do you have ‘problem areas’ (please specify) or are you trying to change all over? I'd love it if my tummy was flat and my double chin went away, but that's really unlikely. I'm going for overall fitness because that's what I can actually control.
• How do you feel about your weight loss/gain? (Positive/negative/motivated) Great.
• Have you got people who support you? (In real life/Online) I have a best friend at work who's doing a crazy Abs diet thing, another who is overweight and on weight watchers, plus all my friends on MFP.
• Has dieting changed how people see/treat you now? (Friends/family/public) I'm not sure.
• What motivates you? Looking the way I "should" again.
• If/when you ‘fall off the wagon’ how do you feel? (Like giving up/motivated to do better/like punishing yourself/upset) I'm not on a wagon. I live my life. Sometimes that involves fresh produce. Sometimes that involves a lot of fat and sugar. If I can maximize the one, minimize the other and see some results, I'm doing fine.
• How do you feel about reaching your goal? (Is it close/far away/does it seem impossible) I am amazed that it worked out so quickly.
• How do you think you will feel when you reach your goal? Good. Relieved that I won't have to pay as much attention to it.
• What if you don’t feel that way? What will you do next? My goal was established by the body composition test by computing 25% body fat. If I lower my body fat I'll lose muscle. I have two toddlers. I need all the muscle I can get. I'm not going to be a size 8 or even a 10. Probably more like a 14. I'm ok with that because I'll be healthy. Maybe when the girls are older, I can make decisions based on fashion but, right now, it's about health and caring about myself.
• What is your biggest worry? My LDL levels. Injury from running.
• What have you learned on your journey so far? I can run. I am capable of finding a new healthy strategy when I need to, even if it gets frustrating. I just need to determine what works for me right now.
• What is your favorite (relevant) quote? Moderation in everything.0 -
• Gender: Male
• Age: 43
• Starting weight:436
• Current weight:393
• Goal weight: 250
• What are your reasons for wanting to lose/gain weight? (Please state which) lose I want to live past 50
• Tell me a bit about your past… (Were you always unhappy with your weight? Did it begin in childhood? Did a specific event trigger unnatural eating habits?) always the big guy
• Would you consider yourself as having an eating disorder? no
• Have you ever had an eating disorder in the past? (If you are now recovered) no
• Do you feel pressure from the media to look a certain way? (If so please elaborate) no
• Who has your ideal body/Who is your body inspiration?
• Why do you want to look that way?
• What are you doing to change your weight? Please give as much info as possible (Specific diet/workout plan/taking supplements/surgery…)
• Do you have ‘problem areas’ (please specify) or are you trying to change all over?
• How do you feel about your weight loss/gain? (Positive/negative/motivated)
• Have you got people who support you? (In real life/Online)
• Has dieting changed how people see/treat you now? (Friends/family/public)
• What motivates you?
• If/when you ‘fall off the wagon’ how do you feel? (Like giving up/motivated to do better/like punishing yourself/upset)
• How do you feel about reaching your goal? (Is it close/far away/does it seem impossible)
• How do you think you will feel when you reach your goal?
• What if you don’t feel that way? What will you do next?
• What is your biggest worry?
• What have you learnt on your journey so far?
• What is your favourite (relevant) quote?0 -
• Gender: Female
• Age: 23
• Starting weight: 176
• Current weight: 168.4
• Goal weight: 135-140
• What are your reasons for wanting to lose/gain weight? (Please state which) I want to lose weight to feel comfortable and confident in my own skin and to wear cute clothes. I never really had much style sense until recently, but being pear shaped and small-chested, it's a pain to find cute tops that fit correctly.
• Tell me a bit about your past… (Were you always unhappy with your weight? Did it begin in childhood? Did a specific event trigger unnatural eating habits?) I have definitely always been unhappy with my weight. I was always that "fat" or "chubby" friend in the group of all the tiny girls.
• Would you consider yourself as having an eating disorder? I enjoy food. A lot. But no, I wouldn't consider myself as having an eating disorder.
• Have you ever had an eating disorder in the past? (If you are now recovered) I don't want to make light of those who have true eating disorders, so I wouldn't consider myself as having a true disorder, but I did go through a phase in middle school where the only meal I ate was dinner so that my parents wouldn't be abreast of my not eating properly. Eventually, I just grew out of that phase.
• Do you feel pressure from the media to look a certain way? (If so please elaborate) Not really. I don't know for sure but I tell myself that dang near every image I see in the media has been altered in some way.
• Who has your ideal body/Who is your body inspiration? I don't have one.
• Why do you want to look that way? N/A
• What are you doing to change your weight? Please give as much info as possible (Specific diet/workout plan/taking supplements/surgery…) I have been watching portion sized, eating healthier, staying away from most snacks that aren't fruit, a protein bar, or yogurt. I don't exercise as much as I should/could but I am getting into running, starting a Couch to 5K program, and do some free weights.
• Do you have ‘problem areas’ (please specify) or are you trying to change all over? I'm trying to change all over. I was about to say my biggest concern is my stomach, but no, my arms and thighs are big concerns, too.
• How do you feel about your weight loss/gain? (Positive/negative/motivated) It's a rollercoaster. Generally, I feel okay with myself. I certainly feel a lot better about myself already from just eating healthier. But I do get in funks where I feel negative and unmotivated. I'll take a few more "rest" days than I should sometimes. I really need to work on that.
• Have you got people who support you? (In real life/Online) I definitely have people who support me. A good chunk of my family are trying to lose weight, my aunt and uncle, my mom and stepdad, my dad's girlfriend, a few friends from High School. And my friends on MFP are awesome and so supportive, too.
• Has dieting changed how people see/treat you now? (Friends/family/public) Not necessarily. I do think it has played a role in the fact that my dad didn't get my husband and I Valentine's Day or Easter candy this year as he has every other year, but instead got us a gift card to the movies and Applebee's, which has some awesomely healthy meals.
• What motivates you? I am very happily married to my husband and not looking for anyone, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to turn heads when we go out. I want those guys to see me and be jealous that they can't have me.
• If/when you ‘fall off the wagon’ how do you feel? (Like giving up/motivated to do better/like punishing yourself/upset) I feel unmotivated, like giving up, like a failure, and like I'll never reach my goal.
• How do you feel about reaching your goal? (Is it close/far away/does it seem impossible) I'm still 30+ lbs away from my goal. It often does feel impossible, especially when the scale/inches don't move much if at all. I keep trying to tell myself that it will happen.
• How do you think you will feel when you reach your goal? I think I will feel so incredibly proud of myself and overjoyed that I'll be able to say "I told you so!" to those who said I couldn't do it, or that I wouldn't stick to it.
• What if you don’t feel that way? What will you do next? I will re-evaluate how I feel about myself/my body and adjust my goals accordingly.
• What is your biggest worry? That I can't make this a habit and lifestyle change and that if I do lose more weight, I'll gain it back.
• What have you learnt on your journey so far? How much I love food, that I do actually have a lot of willpower, and that I need to work harder to see the results that I want.
• What is your favourite (relevant) quote? If you are sick of starting over, you have got to stop quitting.0 -
• Gender: Female
• Age: 43
• Starting weight: 185
• Current weight: 153
• Goal weight: 140
• What are your reasons for wanting to lose/gain weight? (Please state which)
I want to lose weight to get thinner, to look better naked, and to feel better about myself.
• Tell me a bit about your past… (Were you always unhappy with your weight? Did it begin in childhood? Did a specific event trigger unnatural eating habits?)
I used to be a normal weight until I hit about 11 years old. Before that I was a very active tomboy. When I was 11 we moved and I became a couch potato and the pounds just kept packing on. My entire family is heavy and my mother loves to bake, and we always followed the Paula Dean type southern cooking style (lots of butter and other fats).
• Would you consider yourself as having an eating disorder?
No, just lazy.
• Have you ever had an eating disorder in the past? (If you are now recovered) No
• Do you feel pressure from the media to look a certain way? (If so please elaborate) Yes, I want to be able to wear a really pretty outfit and look like the models do in the magazines (I know it isn't real, but that is what I want).
• Who has your ideal body/Who is your body inspiration? Jennifer Garner, she is thin, but not skinny, she has a nice muscle tone.
• Why do you want to look that way? I have always thought muscles on women were hot, and I want to be hot like that.
• What are you doing to change your weight? Please give as much info as possible (Specific diet/workout plan/taking supplements/surgery…) Mainly cutting down my drinking of alcohol, watching my calorie intake and exercising. I never really used to exercise with any regularity, and now I do.
• Do you have ‘problem areas’ (please specify) or are you trying to change all over? My belly is a big problem for me, but I am trying to lose all over.
• How do you feel about your weight loss/gain? (Positive/negative/motivated) I have been very slow about it, but I want it to become a habit so it will stay off.
• Have you got people who support you? (In real life/Online) My best friend and my daughte support me in the whole weightloss adventure.
• Has dieting changed how people see/treat you now? (Friends/family/public) Not so much dieting, but the cutting back on my drinking has changed how some people treat me.
• What motivates you? I usually have an outfit or a pair of jeans that are too small that I use to motivate me.
• If/when you ‘fall off the wagon’ how do you feel? (Like giving up/motivated to do better/like punishing yourself/upset) I get upset at myself, but I just start again the next day.
• How do you feel about reaching your goal? (Is it close/far away/does it seem impossible) It is getting very close, but I just don't see it happening. I hope it will but Ifind it hard to believe I have come this far , let alone making it all the way.
• How do you think you will feel when you reach your goal? I will be shocked, and probably make myself a new goal (getting more muscle, something like that).
• What if you don’t feel that way? What will you do next? Just keep on keeping on.
• What is your biggest worry? that I won't look like I want when I reach my goal.
• What have you learnt on your journey so far? That I can do this, I never would have thought Icould get down to a size 8, but here I am, getting ready to be a full time size 6.
• What is your favourite (relevant) quote? There are too many.0 -
• Gender: Female
• Age: 46
• Starting weight: 183
• Current weight: 178
• Goal weight: 143
• What are your reasons for wanting to lose/gain weight? (Please state which) I want to feel healthy, fit and strong. I want to be able to wear clothes that make my feel good NOT clothes that hide the curves
• Tell me a bit about your past… (Were you always unhappy with your weight? Did it begin in childhood? Did a specific event trigger unnatural eating habits?) I have recently been watching Supersize vs Superskinny and decided to delve into my past to try and figure out my disorder. My mother used to dish up for us kids and we had to eat what was on our plates. We could not leave any food over, the plates had to be cleaned - whether you are hungry or not. I was a normal size child. Since I left home I have always had an eating disorder. I have never had a constant weight. I only recently discovered that what I would do is eat little to lose weight (I now know that it was about 800 cal) and of course my body would not be able to keep this up so within a couple of months I would binge. I have done the starve / binge thing my whole life. My weight has always fluctuated by about 25 lbs. Although I have always eaten very healthy, I have never understood what a normal portion is. Now that I am on MFP I am controlling the amount I eat and realizing what a proper daily amount is.
• Would you consider yourself as having an eating disorder? Yes most definitely
• Have you ever had an eating disorder in the past? (If you are now recovered) Hopefully I am now recovered.
• Do you feel pressure from the media to look a certain way? (If so please elaborate) Yes. I am single and if I want to date I had been look better than this naked. I would not even consider letting a man see me at this weight. I hate looking at myself in the mirror.
• Who has your ideal body/Who is your body inspiration? Jessica Biel
• Why do you want to look that way? She has a good, strong, well looked after body. She is not skin and bone like most of the celebs.
• What are you doing to change your weight? Please give as much info as possible (Specific diet/workout plan/taking supplements/surgery…) I already eat healthy, I just needed to understand what normal portion sizes were and how much food I was supposed to be eating. I live four streets from the beach, so usually go for a long brisk walk in the mornings. I try to exercise daily. I have just started the Jillian Michaels Body Revolution 90 day challenge.
• Do you have ‘problem areas’ (please specify) or are you trying to change all over? All over (starting with my mind)
• How do you feel about your weight loss/gain? (Positive/negative/motivated) I am so tired of my weight going up and down. I just want to eat normal meals and be a normal weight. I cannot do this again. I have picked up and lost the same 25 lbs about three times a year for the last 29 years. This is the last time. MFP and the support from my friends on here have motivated me on a daily basis.
• Have you got people who support you? (In real life/Online) Only MFP
• Has dieting changed how people see/treat you now? (Friends/family/public) Probably not, but our minds are powerful things and convinces us otherwise
• What motivates you? Ooh, I just took before photos. THAT is motivation enough for me. I was horrified. I also have a little black dress which is very sexy ... I have to fit into that again.
• If/when you ‘fall off the wagon’ how do you feel? (Like giving up/motivated to do better/like punishing yourself/upset) Like death. Like I want to dig a hole and bury myself. I hate myself
• How do you feel about reaching your goal? (Is it close/far away/does it seem impossible) It is very possible. I am very sure that this is working for me now. My goal is reachable within 90 days. I am determined and positive about reaching my goal.
• How do you think you will feel when you reach your goal? Like a rock star
• What if you don’t feel that way? What will you do next? I have been there before, so I know I will feel good
• What is your biggest worry? That I might binge back the 25 lbs in a couple of months time again.
• What have you learnt on your journey so far? I understand calories eaten and calories burnt for the first time. I have learnt that if you eat sufficient amounts daily, your body will be strong and healthy. I also now know that I can eat more food and still lose weight.
• What is your favourite (relevant) quote? Don't give up what you want most, for what you want now!0 -
• Gender: female
• Age: 25
• Starting weight: 204.5 lbs
• Current weight: 191.5 lbs
• Goal weight: 135
• What are your reasons for wanting to lose/gain weight? Dammit this is shallow, but I want to be thin and sexy! I want to be able to wear a better range of clothes and look good in them. And I think I'd also like to be stronger and have better endurance.
• Tell me a bit about your past… (Were you always unhappy with your weight? Did it begin in childhood? Did a specific event trigger unnatural eating habits?)
I've always been bigger, like in the 90th percentile on the growth charts. But I never really felt like I was fat or that I needed to do anything about it until I was in college. I think that's due to a number of factors. Both my parents are obese and I still always looked smaller in comparison. I also carry my weight REALLY well. Like really well. Like I could convince myself to be in denial, like oh I don't look THAT fat... Like I ask people to guess my weight and they consistently estimate 40 lbs lower than it really is. Except then you put my up next to my naturally skinny, 110 lbs, younger sister (9 year age difference, so she only became comparable once I went off to college). Ever since high school the weight has creeped up and I told myself if I ever hit 200 lbs it was time to get serious. I was 204.5 after the holidays this year.
• Would you consider yourself as having an eating disorder?
No, but I am confident I could easily develop one without very much effort if I wanted to.
• Have you ever had an eating disorder in the past? (If you are now recovered)
No
• Do you feel pressure from the media to look a certain way? (If so please elaborate)
Yes, definitely. The ideals for women is to have a stick thing, boyish figure. And by boyish I mean totally flat-chested with no curves. A lot of fashion is designed with this "silhouette" in mind and those clothes just look like total **** on me. I've managed to find some things I look good in, but it kind of goes like this: If I try on a top and it looks good on me, I am obligated to then buy it because there are so few things that do. I am also seriously pissed that the size of my breasts artificially inflates my shirt size.
• Who has your ideal body/Who is your body inspiration?
Don't have one. Mostly because I am not convinced that my body, with all its current curves, could ever look like the media ideal. I actually have no idea what I would look like skinny, but it seems healthier to me to not pick something that may be unattainable so as not to be disappointed by reality.
• Why do you want to look that way? Because sexy, that's why.
• What are you doing to change your weight? Please give as much info as possible (Specific diet/workout plan/taking supplements/surgery…)
I am focusing on calorie restriction (1200-1550/day - always more than 1200, but less than 1550). For each week that I stick to the diet all 7 days (no cheating allowed!) I reward myself by allowing myself to buy anything I want with a $30 and it cannot be food. (Used to be a $60 limit but I ran out of money, lol.) I have yet to consistently work in exercise, but I'm considering starting the 30DS. I don't want to overwhelm myself by doing too much at once so I add things in in gradual steps, letting myself get used to the new routine before adding the next thing.
• Do you have ‘problem areas’ (please specify) or are you trying to change all over?
At this point I want to change all over, but in particular I don't like my belly or my legs in general, and I'm starting to dislike my upper arms.
• How do you feel about your weight loss/gain? (Positive/negative/motivated)
I guess I'm currently frustrated because I fell off for a time and I haven't seen any movement in the past week, though I know very well the reason why. Though I am semi-motivated at the moment because I did just complete a whole week back on the diet.
• Have you got people who support you? (In real life/Online)
Yes. Almost everyone supports me, or at least lets me get on with it. The most unsupportive comments I get are basically telling me not to put myself down by calling myself fat, which I think is rather mild. Some people can get quite nasty I hear.
• Has dieting changed how people see/treat you now? (Friends/family/public)
I don't think I've lost enough weight or made enough of a change to have noticed anything, but I am very interested to see if it does make a difference.
• What motivates you?
Success stories. I like reading about the people who were 300+ pounds and managed to drop it all off and are super hot now.
Oh you know what else? Watching Epic Meal Time, only its a very negative sort of motivation. I look at that calorie counter at the bottom and I become so disgusted that if I watch it while I'm eating I will instantly lose my appetite. I do tend to avoid watching it.
• If/when you ‘fall off the wagon’ how do you feel? (Like giving up/motivated to do better/like punishing yourself/upset)
Annoyed with myself, but I have a group of friend online that all decided to go into this together and we all frequently fall off the wagon and that makes me feel better about it, and it's also motivating to see them admit that and then get back on it.
• How do you feel about reaching your goal? (Is it close/far away/does it seem impossible)
It seems impossibly far. I've never reach it before so it's all uncharted territory. Trying to look at it like it's an adventure. One of the interim goals is very close, though, and is currently frustrating me. It seems possible and impossible at the same time.
• How do you think you will feel when you reach your goal?
Well I hope I will be satisfied with myself and happy about it.
• What if you don’t feel that way? What will you do next?
Re-evaluate and set new goals.
• What is your biggest worry?
That I won't make it. That I will become unmotivated, fall off the wagon, and quit and not see it through just like every other thing ever. It doesn't make much of a difference if you never finish a video game or a crafting project, but some things are higher stakes than that and it's just annoyingly frustrating that I can never seem to finish anything. I have no self discipline srsly.
• What have you learnt on your journey so far?
I've learned the best time of day to weigh myself for the lowest weight possible (immediately after work when I'm starving to death). I don't think I'm far enough along to have learned anything pithy.
• What is your favourite (relevant) quote?
I don't have one that's relevant. Hm.0 -
• Gender: female
• Age: 47
• Starting weight: 175 lbs
• Current weight: 161.8 lbs
• Goal weight: 150
• What are your reasons for wanting to lose/gain weight? I want to be healthy. I have a late in life child and I want to be around for her as long as I can. I want my quality of life to be good. My mom was always very skinny, and didn't start to put weight on until her 30's/40's. So she was unprepared to make the switch to a healthy lifestyle and is now diabetic. I am using her as part of my inspiration.
• Tell me a bit about your past… (Were you always unhappy with your weight? Did it begin in childhood? Did a specific event trigger unnatural eating habits?)
I've always been bigger than I WANT to be, but not necessarily heavy until the last 10 years or so.
• Would you consider yourself as having an eating disorder?
No, but my parents were VERY restrictive on snacking/junk foods when I was growing up, so when I had access to them, I went crazy. I also grew up in the clean-plate era. Whether I was hungry or not, I ate.
• Have you ever had an eating disorder in the past? (If you are now recovered)
No
• Do you feel pressure from the media to look a certain way? (If so please elaborate)
No, I am past the age where I feel pressure from the media.
• Who has your ideal body/Who is your body inspiration?
No one in particular. I admire female athletes like the Williams sisters and I love professional dancers' legs.
• Why do you want to look that way?
Because I like the look of strength/muscles. (Physical strength has always been as prized in my family as intelligence.)
• What are you doing to change your weight? Please give as much info as possible (Specific diet/workout plan/taking supplements/surgery…)
I am following MFP, (but not restrictive Calories-eating back my exercise Calories). I want my weight loss to be sustainable and I want to have a pleasant life/relationship with food. I have a pedometer and my goal is to burn 700 Calories every day Mon-Fri. No supplements or surgery. I would like to lift weights, but don't have the time to go to a gym and don't have the $$ for home weights. So I run, walk, and do body weight exercises.
• Do you have ‘problem areas’ (please specify) or are you trying to change all over?
At this point I want to change all over, but in particular I don't like my belly or my inner thighs.
• How do you feel about your weight loss/gain? (Positive/negative/motivated)
I am positive and motivated.
• Have you got people who support you? (In real life/Online)
Yes - on MFP. Also, my co-workers have started to notice. In my personal life, I am not making a big deal about it. I've tried this too many times and feel like the more people I tell, I run the risk of jinxing myself.
• Has dieting changed how people see/treat you now? (Friends/family/public)
It has made me feel more self-confident, but I am not making an issue of it with friends or family. I want them to look up one day and say "hey, what happened to you?"
• What motivates you?
The stories of people who have been (pre)-diabetic and have brought themselves back to good health.
• If/when you ‘fall off the wagon’ how do you feel? (Like giving up/motivated to do better/like punishing yourself/upset)
I think of this as a lifestyle change and know that there will be days when I over-indulge. I just pick up and start over the next day. I learned this from MFP.
• How do you feel about reaching your goal? (Is it close/far away/does it seem impossible)
I feel like I can get there pretty soon and wonder if I made my goal too easily attainable. I will re-evaluate when I get there.
• How do you think you will feel when you reach your goal?
I think I will feel great. I plan to re-evaluate and see if there's more to be accomplished. I will also be a little nervous that success will make me rest on my laurels and end up back where I started. I will have to be vigilant about that until I have established good habits.
• What if you don’t feel that way? What will you do next?
Re-evaluate and set new goals. Just keep plugging away.
• What is your biggest worry?
That when I get there, I'll just kick back and relax and fall into old (bad) habits.
• What have you learnt on your journey so far?
It's a life journey. Take it slow and easy, establish new (good) habits.
• What is your favourite (relevant) quote?
I can't remember the exact wording, but something like "weight is lost in the kitchen, health is gained in the gym". I hear it on MFP a lot.0 -
I'm doing graphic design at university and my current project is titled "A journey of 1cm" so naturally I'm doing weight loss. I need to gather some first hand research so I've put together a questionnaire I would like as many people to answer as possible.
All questions are optional but please try to answer as many as possible. If you do not want to give an answer, or a question is irrelevant, please put N/A as the answer instead of leaving the question blank.
Note: Some questions are quite personal, however all questionnaires will be kept anonymous. If you do not want other people to see your answers feel free to message them to me instead of replying on here.
• Gender: Female
• Age: 51 (52 in May)
Height: 5' 9"
• Starting weight: 259
• Current weight: 212
• Goal weight: 170
• What are your reasons for wanting to lose/gain weight? (Please state which) I want to lose weight to be healthy, live longer, feel better, and look better.
• Tell me a bit about your past… (Were you always unhappy with your weight? Did it begin in childhood? Did a specific event trigger unnatural eating habits?) I have pretty much struggled with my weight all through adulthood. My parents instilled unhealthy eating habits in me (a lot of fried food, treats and sweets for rewards, etc.) I have gained and lost in my late 20's, mid 30's, and now I am working on it again in my early 50's. My parents both passed away in 2006, and I think I really got out of control after that. I stopped caring and was very depressed for a while. I am an only child, and I was suddenly "alone." I put on a lot of weight trying to console myself. I hope this is the last time I lose, and I am trying to do it the right way so that it stays off this time.
• Would you consider yourself as having an eating disorder? I truly believe I am a food addict! It is easy for me to sit down and eat an entire large pizza myself and still want more! I really have to concentrate on cutting off the food supply and using portion control and exercise. I have been a "mindless eater" and now I really have to think about everything I eat.
• Have you ever had an eating disorder in the past? (If you are now recovered) (No - but see above!)
• Do you feel pressure from the media to look a certain way? (If so please elaborate) The media always highlights good looks and beauty. If someone gains weight, the media is all over them. I think the media puts those thoughts and ideas out there, and we all can't help but react to them. Thin is good and fat is bad! Thin is rewarded, and fat is shunned. Beautiful and famous people are in commercials. Hair and make-up commercials feature gorgeous women.
• Who has your ideal body/Who is your body inspiration? I honestly can't think of anyone I want to model myself after. Every "body" is different. I want to be happy in my body - and my "inspiration" is photos of my own body in 1998 (when I was last 170 pounds).
• Why do you want to look that way? I felt good about myself and my body at that time, so I want to reclaim it.
• What are you doing to change your weight? Please give as much info as possible (Specific diet/workout plan/taking supplements/surgery…) Generally eating less and moving more! Using MFP for motivation and camaraderie. I do cardio an hour a day, and I will be adding in some weight training soon.
• Do you have ‘problem areas’ (please specify) or are you trying to change all over? My "fat" is pretty evenly distributed, but my stomach and hips hold the most fat and bother me the most.
• How do you feel about your weight loss/gain? (Positive/negative/motivated) My first 47 pounds came off pretty much between May of 2012 and December of 2012. The next 42 pounds are pretty stubborn. I am happy and positive about the 47 pounds that I truly believe are now gone for good, and I am motivated to get the other 42 off - although it is going to be a slower and longer process.
• Have you got people who support you? (In real life/Online) My husband and my friends are great support.
• Has dieting changed how people see/treat you now? (Friends/family/public) I think it has. My view of how I am treated by "strangers" is better - I am not the invisible fat person as much as I was before. My friends and family are now more supportive of me and helping me with food - like making healthy dinners when they invite me over, etc.
• What motivates you? Before and after photos, pictures of myself when I was 170 in 1998, MFP friends, and my husband.
• If/when you ‘fall off the wagon’ how do you feel? (Like giving up/motivated to do better/like punishing yourself/upset) I feel AWFUL and very UPSET. The sad part is I know I am going to feel awful and upset before I do it, but I do it anyway - I can't stop myself. I have learned to cope with that feeling and just get re-motivated to do better tomorrow.
• How do you feel about reaching your goal? (Is it close/far away/does it seem impossible) It is still very far away, and I am looking forward to that day. I am not sure how long it is going to take me to get there, but I WILL GET THERE! Eventually!
• How do you think you will feel when you reach your goal? I will feel proud of myself!
• What if you don’t feel that way? What will you do next? I know I will feel proud . . . there is no way I won't be proud.
• What is your biggest worry? That I will never be truly happy or feel fulfilled in my life.
• What have you learned on your journey so far? That I am in it for the long haul. That there is no "quick fix." That it is hard work that takes dedication. That time will pass whether I am doing something about my weight or not. That I am not alone and that millions of people are out there having the same problems and issues that I am.
• What is your favourite (relevant) quote? Every day I tell myself that I must learn to eat to live and not live to eat!
Good luck in your study!0 -
BUMP FOR REFLECTION AND IM A VERY SLOW TYPIST LOL GREAT QUESTIONS SOME I NEEDED TO ASK MYSELF GREAT SELF REFLECTION BE BACK SOON
GG0 -
• Gender: Female
• Age: 29
• Starting weight: 160
• Current weight:135
• Goal weight: 120
• What are your reasons for wanting to lose weight? To look better, to be healthy, and to be a good role model for my son
• Tell me a bit about your past… (Were you always unhappy with your weight? Did it begin in childhood? Did a specific event trigger unnatural eating habits?) I was a naturally skinny kid to the point that I got accused of being annorexic by my larger classmates (one even reported me to the principle in jr high). I could eat anything I wanted up until I was about 17, then the bad eating habits and lack of activity caused me to get up to 133 lbs my senior year (not really big but bigger than I had wanted to be). Before I could get motivated enough to change my ways, I went to college without a car and had to walk every where, so I lost all my excess weight and then some and got down to 105. After I moved in with my boyfriend (now husband) 2 years later I started walking less and driving more, and I was still eating as bad as I did when I was a kid, and over the years I ballooned up to about 165 at my heaviest. Then I went to china for a summer, where I had to walk more and didn't have access to the same crappy food we have here, and I lost about 10 lbs. I came back, got pregnant, had my baby, lost my baby weight plus a few pounds, then gained it all back. Tried to change on my own a few times but always failed. I finally tried a weightloss clinic, was put on phentermine for a month and a half, was able to kick my soda addiction and learned to control my sweets and fast food cravings. I lost 20 lbs and went from 38% bf to 36% from mid October 2012 to January 1st, 2013. Then I started focusing more on fitness and have since lost 5 lbs and went from 36% bf to 29% bf.
• Would you consider yourself as having an eating disorder? no
• Have you ever had an eating disorder in the past? no
• Do you feel pressure from the media to look a certain way? very much so. women are expected to either be stick thin or fit, and if you choose the fit road it still has to be on the skinny side. If you're the tiniest bit bulky you are considered to manly
• Who has your ideal body/Who is your body inspiration? No one specific, just the women in the fitness magazines
• Why do you want to look that way? I've never been athletic. I was the nerdy kid that got picked on all the time and was a bit of a cry baby when I was little. I have this need to be tough and those women look tough. In my head to look that tough you have to be pretty darn tough
• What are you doing to change your weight? Please give as much info as possible (Specific diet/workout plan/taking supplements/surgery…) I eat 1450 net calories, which is just slightly higher than my bmr. I try to eat less carbs (not exactly, but less) and approximately 94 grams of protein (= lean body mass). I do take some supplements from Max Muscle (emerge, whey protein, cleanse and lean, quadra cuts nights, multivitamen, and fish oil) but that's because it's a requirement for the body transformation challenge I'm participating in. Monday-Thursday I got to the gym and do 40 minutes on the elliptical (increasing my speed a little every day), then I do 15-30 minutes on the weight machines lifting heavy. Fridays I go for a 30-60 minute walk with my mom and son. Saturdays I sometimes participate in 2 hours of fencing, and starting this sunday I will be meeting with a friend for an hour of whatever workout we feel like doing at the time.
• Do you have ‘problem areas’ (please specify) or are you trying to change all over? I really only pack on weight in my stomach and my chin. Over the past 6 months I have lost 8 inches from my waist but only 2 from my hips, and even less from other areas
• How do you feel about your weight loss? mostly positive but sometimes I find myself thinking its not enough and it's not fast enough, but that might be in part because of the competition
• Have you got people who support you? It didn't feel like it at first because it ends up that people were afraid to say anything and didn't want me to feel like they were fixating on my weight. Since I told them how important it is to me they have been very vocal about their support, especially my husband
• Has dieting changed how people see/treat you now? not my friends and family but I am a business accounting major and the 18-21 year olds who come from afluent families have started to treat me better, unless they see me in my work clothes (I'm a custodian at the university) then its as if I don't exist
• What motivates you? my son, results, a need to be tougher than I've ever been before, music, super heros (strange, I know), competing with younger skinnier girls for work
• If/when you ‘fall off the wagon’ how do you feel? a little upset but I don't usually hold on to negative emotions for long. I'm more of an it is what it is kind of person and I move on
• How do you feel about reaching your goal? When I first started losing weight my goal was 130 lbs and I'm only 5 lbs away from that now. For the Max Muscle competition my nutritionist wants me to aim for 15% bf, which should be around the 110 lbs mark, but that would just be for long enough to take a picture, after that my maintanece weight would be around 120 and 18-20% bf which seems way more obtainable than the 110 lbs
• How do you think you will feel when you reach your goal? proud but maybe a little lost what to do after that
• What if you don’t feel that way? What will you do next? I plan on focusing more on fitness goals, that way I will still have something to work towards that will help to maitain the changes I have made
• What is your biggest worry? That I'll fall into old habits
• What have you learnt on your journey so far? that I'm strong and capable of more than I had ever thought
• What is your favourite (relevant) quote? no matter how slow you go, you're still lapping everyone on the couch0 -
• Gender: Female
• Age: 32
• Starting weight: 198
• Current weight: 175
• Goal weight: 160
• What are your reasons for wanting to lose/gain weight? (Please state which)
Originally (1 year ago) so I wouldn't look really fat in my wedding dress (very vain); since my wedding last year to continue with a more healthy lifestyle.
• Tell me a bit about your past… (Were you always unhappy with your weight? Did it begin in childhood? Did a specific event trigger unnatural eating habits?)
I was very thin as a child and young adult until I went to university (probably because my family was quite poor so didn't spend lots on food, also was vegetarian for a while). Did quite a lot of exercise at uni but never thought much about what I ate, so when I left and stopped exercise I put on weight. Also became a bit of an emotional eater - food made me feel better when I was unhappy or stressed.
• Would you consider yourself as having an eating disorder?
Not any more and not really a full blown one, but I have realised I have a tendency to eat to make myself feel better, which now I know I can control.
• Have you ever had an eating disorder in the past? (If you are now recovered)
Kinda (see above)
• Do you feel pressure from the media to look a certain way? (If so please elaborate)
I think you have to be a very strong self confident person not to! Yes, magazines and papers and the internet full of pictures of celebrities, and they are highly critical of anything they regard as not physically perfect (which you then apply to yourself, e.g. if the daily mail thinks someone gorgeous is fat, what does that say about me!)
• Who has your ideal body/Who is your body inspiration?
Kelly Brook and Christina Hendricks
• Why do you want to look that way?
I'm hourglass shaped so never going to look like lots of people, I'm a similar shape to them, and they both seem positive about their body image and happy with themselves.
• What are you doing to change your weight? Please give as much info as possible (Specific diet/workout plan/taking supplements/surgery…)
Using MFP to log food and exercise, eating within calorie limits (adjust this as I hit weight loss goals); exercise - have set specific targets e.g. run a 10k race so I always have something to train for.
• Do you have ‘problem areas’ (please specify) or are you trying to change all over?
Generally reduce body fat all over, but a particular problem area for me is waist/stomach as it's where I put on more fat
• How do you feel about your weight loss/gain? (Positive/negative/motivated)
Most of the time positive and motivated about weight loss, sometimes a bit demotivated if I have a bad day! Try not to feel negative about weight gain at all but focus on doing something about it and celebrating and feeling good when I achieve a goal.
• Have you got people who support you? (In real life/Online)
Yes, mostly in real life, husband primarily and one good friend who is also on here!
• Has dieting changed how people see/treat you now? (Friends/family/public)
Public - no idea, I think some people who knew me may have tended to think of me as fat and now (hopefully) just normal; I had quite a lot of comments about weight loss so people definitely noticed it.
• What motivates you?
Exercise/fitness - being able to do something I couldn't do before or being able to do it faster/more
Weight loss - thinking I look good in my clothes, compliments from people, reaching weight loss goals (e.g. 5 pounds lost).
• If/when you ‘fall off the wagon’ how do you feel? (Like giving up/motivated to do better/like punishing yourself/upset)
It's not the end of the world it it only happens once - try to analyse why (basically to see if it's my emotional eating or just circumstances e.g. going to a friends and being cooked something less healthy), makes me focus more on what I'm eating the next few days, but try to stay positive and not think it's a disaster, without letting it happen too often.
• How do you feel about reaching your goal? (Is it close/far away/does it seem impossible)
I know it's achievable as I almost got there last year and have let a bit of weight creep back on since (which I am slightly kicking myself about), so it is further than I would like but I'm confident I can do it.
• How do you think you will feel when you reach your goal?
Happy but not like it is the end (so not like if you run a race and finish), because then it's about maintaining at that goal, so expecting it to be a point at which the journey changes but doesn't stop.
• What if you don’t feel that way? What will you do next?
Not sure, set a new goal?
• What is your biggest worry?
1) that I won't get to my goal, 2) that if I do I won't be able to stick at it.
• What have you learnt on your journey so far?
To be happier with myself as I am, that it's about me being fit and healthy and not about looking like someone in a magazine (who's probably air brushed anyway!), just trying to enjoy life in a good way.
• What is your favourite (relevant) quote?
Jillian Michaels (on good form in exercise but applies to many things) - we don't want perfect, perfect is boring - it's all about the effort you put in.0 -
• Gender: Female
• Age: 50
• Starting weight: 297
• Current weight: 282
• Goal weight: 180
• What are your reasons for wanting to lose weight? (Please state which)
Energy level and to stay healthy
• Tell me a bit about your past… (Were you always unhappy with your weight? Did it begin in childhood? Did a specific event trigger unnatural eating habits?) Puberty ... but up until the age of 30 was very active so the weight stayed around 210 ... blew out both knees in volleyball and softball. After surgery was told no bending knees past 45 degrees and to stop abusing them or I would need them replaced and I was too young to have that surgery.
• Would you consider yourself as having an eating disorder? only if it is a disorder to not see yourself as fat, looking in the mirror everyday I don't see it but show me a picture and I was shocked.
• Have you ever had an eating disorder in the past? (If you are now recovered)
No
• Do you feel pressure from the media to look a certain way? (If so please elaborate)
no
• Who has your ideal body/Who is your body inspiration?
my best friend --- she managed to lose 90 pounds has kept it off for 6 years and is HOT
• Why do you want to look that way? healthy weight with a toned body - who doesn't want that
• What are you doing to change your weight? Please give as much info as possible (Specific diet/workout plan/taking supplements/surgery…) I log my food everyday (for over 300 days now), as long as it is not freezing out I walk every morning before work. 3-4 days a week I stationary bike for 30-60 minutes and 2-3 days a week I lift weights
• Do you have ‘problem areas’ (please specify) or are you trying to change all over?
all over
• How do you feel about your weight loss/gain? (Positive/negative/motivated)
motivated
• Have you got people who support you? (In real life/Online)
I have some great friends here in MFP that are very supportive and two ladies in RL who support me in this endeavor.
• Has dieting changed how people see/treat you now? (Friends/family/public)
not really - I am still me.
• What motivates you? Life and being able to go longer today than yesterday. It is all a numbers game in your head, somedays I win somedays I don't
• If/when you ‘fall off the wagon’ how do you feel? (Like giving up/motivated to do better/like punishing yourself/upset)
no specific feeling ... this is my life there is no falling of the wagon, everyday is just a series of decisions I just hope I make good ones
• How do you feel about reaching your goal? (Is it close/far away/does it seem impossible)
I don't really have a set of feelings about my goal, I think by focusing on today not the future I will get where I want to be.
• How do you think you will feel when you reach your goal?
no clue ... maybe ready to set a new one
• What if you don’t feel that way? What will you do next?
n/a
• What is your biggest worry? retirement - lol
• What have you learnt on your journey so far? every day is a new day, you can't change yesterday and tomorrow is to far away to worry about. take care of today and the rest will take care of itself
• What is your favourite (relevant) quote?
Try not. Do or do not, there is no try.
-- Yoda0 -
Thank you so much to everyone who has answered so far
0 -
• Gender: female
• Age: 22
• Starting weight: 209
• Current weight: 194
• Goal weight: 150-140
• What are your reasons for wanting to lose/gain weight? i want to lose for my health, and vanity reasons.
• Tell me a bit about your past… (Were you always unhappy with your weight? Did it begin in childhood? Did a specific event trigger unnatural eating habits?)
yes, i was thin once from barely eating in highschool and gained all my weight since. before that i was always bigger and always loved food. i unconsciously lost weight in highschool from just not realizing i wasn't eating.
• Would you consider yourself as having an eating disorder?
i have a junk food/fast food addiction
• Have you ever had an eating disorder in the past? (If you are now recovered)
no, i just binge a lot.
• Do you feel pressure from the media to look a certain way? (If so please elaborate)
yes. i don't feel beautiful unless i'm skinny. i haven't felt beautiful since highschool.
• Who has your ideal body/Who is your body inspiration?
jennifer lawrence or jessica alba
• Why do you want to look that way?
they're beautiful
• What are you doing to change your weight? Please give as much info as possible (Specific diet/workout plan/taking supplements/surgery…)
counting calories, getting more active.
• Do you have ‘problem areas’ (please specify) or are you trying to change all over?
my whole body
• How do you feel about your weight loss/gain? (Positive/negative/motivated)
i love losing the weight. sometimes i don't feel like it's fast enough though.
• Have you got people who support you? (In real life/Online)
my whole family supports me, so does my best friend.
• Has dieting changed how people see/treat you now? (Friends/family/public)
not really.
• What motivates you?
thinking about what i could be instead of what i am.
• If/when you ‘fall off the wagon’ how do you feel? (Like giving up/motivated to do better/like punishing yourself/upset)
i get really mad at myself. i get even more strict with myself
• How do you feel about reaching your goal? (Is it close/far away/does it seem impossible)
it sometimes feels really impossible. but i know if i keep at it, eventually one day i might be there.
• How do you think you will feel when you reach your goal?
i'll feel amazing. more confident.
• What if you don’t feel that way? What will you do next?
keep working on myself
• What is your biggest worry?
failing
• What have you learnt on your journey so far?
don't give up, and don't think about how far you have to go.
• What is your favourite (relevant) quote?
don't think of how far you have to go, think of how far you've come.0 -
• Gender: Female
• Age: 38
• Starting weight: 272
• Current weight: 272
• Goal weight: 150
• What are your reasons for wanting to lose/gain weight? (Please state which)
I want to lose weight so I can be there for my kids as they grow, daughter 4 and son 7.
• Tell me a bit about your past… (Were you always unhappy with your weight? Did it begin in childhood? Did a specific event trigger unnatural eating habits?)
I started comfort eating at 4 after I was molested by a family member. It has been a never ending cycle since then. My heaviest was 340 lbs.
• Would you consider yourself as having an eating disorder?
Yes.
• Have you ever had an eating disorder in the past? (If you are now recovered)
Bulemic.
• Do you feel pressure from the media to look a certain way? (If so please elaborate)
No, I gave up on that dream years ago lol!
• Who has your ideal body/Who is your body inspiration?
Female lifters with a bit of muscle, but not too much.
• Why do you want to look that way?
Strong and healthy.
• What are you doing to change your weight? Please give as much info as possible (Specific diet/workout plan/taking supplements/surgery…)
Exercise, diet
• Do you have ‘problem areas’ (please specify) or are you trying to change all over?
All over, but specifically my stomach is awful.
• How do you feel about your weight loss/gain? (Positive/negative/motivated)
Terrible and dirty about the gain, attempting to lose.
• Have you got people who support you? (In real life/Online)
Yes
• Has dieting changed how people see/treat you now? (Friends/family/public)
Yes
• What motivates you?
My children and the mirror.
• If/when you ‘fall off the wagon’ how do you feel? (Like giving up/motivated to do better/like punishing yourself/upset)
Terrible and sickly.
• How do you feel about reaching your goal? (Is it close/far away/does it seem impossible)
I've done it once, I can do it again.
• How do you think you will feel when you reach your goal?
Same but healthier.
• What if you don’t feel that way? What will you do next?
Not sure.
• What is your biggest worry?
Dying before my children are grown.
• What have you learnt on your journey so far?
Most people want to see me fail. Better to do than to talk about it. Keeps the negativity away.
• What is your favourite (relevant) quote?
umm. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.0 -
• Gender: Female
• Age: 43
• Starting weight: 252
• Current weight: 137.2
• Goal weight: 132
• What are your reasons for wanting to lose/gain weight? (Please state which) To be healthy and not have the medical problems that my mother has. Also to feel good about myself and to be able to keep up with my very active Husband.
• Tell me a bit about your past… (Were you always unhappy with your weight? Did it begin in childhood? Did a specific event trigger unnatural eating habits?) I have been overweight since my pre-teen years. I think my problem began with lack of parental guidance on nutrition and portion control (both my parents worked so a lot of time spent unsupervised around food). Once I gained the weight it became an emotional/comfort thing for me to eat. As in... the kids at school teased me about being fat, I would go home and eat, and this would be repeated day after day.
• Would you consider yourself as having an eating disorder? Not an eating disorder, but definitely a compulsion to eat. I still fight the urges to eat when I'm emotional or not hungry. Just have a need to eat....
• Have you ever had an eating disorder in the past? (If you are now recovered) No
• Do you feel pressure from the media to look a certain way? (If so please elaborate) No
• Who has your ideal body/Who is your body inspiration? I've never really used a single individual as my inspiration. I just wanted to see what the healthy "me" would look like.
• Why do you want to look that way? N/A
• What are you doing to change your weight? Please give as much info as possible (Specific diet/workout plan/taking supplements/surgery…) Started Weight Watchers in April 2004, took 6 years to 100 pounds (lost 80, gained 30 back, struggled with that for two or three years before losing again). It was a matter of learning to eat healthy while still enjoying the occasional indulgence. Making changes in my lifestyle that I could live with forever. And then slowly incorporating activity into my day and gradually increasing the activity.
• Do you have ‘problem areas’ (please specify) or are you trying to change all over? Would like to lose my "bat wings" on my arms and the saggy skin on my stomach, but after losing a 100+ pounds, that may not happen without surgery.
• How do you feel about your weight loss/gain? (Positive/negative/motivated) I feel awesome! And I am continually inspired and motivated by thos around me (friends, other WW member, people on MFP, etc).
• Have you got people who support you? (In real life/Online) In real life. First it was my WW leader, then the other members, then friends, and my husband.
• Has dieting changed how people see/treat you now? (Friends/family/public) People who didn't know me prior to losing the weight think I've always been healthy and athletic... and for some reason that always surprises me. I just expect people to see my former self when they look at me.
• What motivates you? Honestly... Fear. I am afraid to gain the weight back and lose the incredible life I have now. I am overall, a happier, healthy, active person.
• If/when you ‘fall off the wagon’ how do you feel? (Like giving up/motivated to do better/like punishing yourself/upset) It's always upsetting when I fall of the wagon, but I take pride in the fact that I pick myself up, dust myself off, and get back on board.
• How do you feel about reaching your goal? (Is it close/far away/does it seem impossible) I think a part of me never believed I would get the weight off. I had been overweight/obese/morbidly obese for so long, that I just didn't think it was achievable. Thank goodness those around me help to keep me on track!
• How do you think you will feel when you reach your goal? Technically I have reached goal with WW. And I have to say, it was very under-whelming. It was at that moment that I realized you are never really done with your weight loss. To maintain, you have to continue with what you have been doing. For me, that meant I would have to continue to track every bite, exercise, and continue with my WW.
• What if you don’t feel that way? What will you do next? I thought I would be "done" when I got to goal, so I spent several months gaining and losing weight because I didn't want to continue tracking, exercising and all the other stuff I had done to get to goal. But once I got over my "tantrum" I was able to move on and continue with maintaining my weight loss.
• What is your biggest worry? Gaining the weight back.
• What have you learnt on your journey so far? So much that I can't even list it. But the most important things I've learned is that I am worth it and I can do some much more than I ever thought possible.
• What is your favourite (relevant) quote? This is a lifestyle change, not a diet.0 -
• Gender: F
• Age: 52
• Starting weight: 176
• Current weight: 161
• Goal weight: ??
• What are your reasons for wanting to lose/gain weight? (Please state which)
-- Health, vanity (in that order)
• Tell me a bit about your past… (Were you always unhappy with your weight? Did it begin in childhood? Did a specific event trigger unnatural eating habits?)
-- thin as a child, teenager, young adult. Began gaining weight around age 35, but not really overweight until early 40's. Yo-yo'd for a while then became sedentary (empty nest and new marriage) and gained. Ate heatlhy foods, but too much for a sedentary lifestyle.
• Would you consider yourself as having an eating disorder?
--- No
• Have you ever had an eating disorder in the past? (If you are now recovered)
--- No
• Do you feel pressure from the media to look a certain way? (If so please elaborate)
--- No
• Who has your ideal body/Who is your body inspiration?
--- Never had one
• Why do you want to look that way?
--- I want to be attractive.
• What are you doing to change your weight? Please give as much info as possible (Specific diet/workout plan/taking supplements/surgery…)
--- exercising. Started with Zumba, added calisthenics and running, now doing Turbo Fire and calisthnics, and just getting started with mountain biking.
• Do you have ‘problem areas’ (please specify) or are you trying to change all over?
--- yes i have problem areas, I gave up on them long ago. I just want to be fit and healthy
• How do you feel about your weight loss/gain? (Positive/negative/motivated)
--- Great! I'm amazed at how much progress I've made, especially with so few poundes lost. I've dropped BF%, increased strength and endurance. And I look good. Really good for my age.
• Have you got people who support you? (In real life/Online)
--- Yes, both.
• Has dieting changed how people see/treat you now? (Friends/family/public)
--- Not friends or family, but a little in public.
• What motivates you?
--- age mostly. fear of being old and feable. Progress is a great motivator as well. Seeing how far I've come makes me want to keep pushing.
• If/when you ‘fall off the wagon’ how do you feel? (Like giving up/motivated to do better/like punishing yourself/upset)
--- I don't really consider myself to be on a wagon. I occasionally have days where I overeat and/or don't exercise. No big deal.
• How do you feel about reaching your goal? (Is it close/far away/does it seem impossible)
--- My goal is to age healthily so it's a continuous ongoing goal. So far, so good.
• How do you think you will feel when you reach your goal?
--- See previous answer
• What if you don’t feel that way? What will you do next?
--- See previous answer
• What is your biggest worry?
--- With relates to this subject, failing at my goal and developing disease.
• What have you learnt on your journey so far?
--- Despite all the gimmicks, acronyms, tricks and tips, it really is as simple as eating right and exercising
• What is your favourite (relevant) quote?
--- Just do it (not plugging any brand, but I often have to tell myself this when I'm trying to make excuses not to exercise, though I usually add and expletive or two.)0 -
• Gender: F
• Age: 56
• Starting weight: 245
• Current weight: 189
• Goal weight: 145
• What are your reasons for wanting to lose/gain weight? (Please state which) My blood pressure went way up, I was having some chest pains and a lot of aches, knees, etc.
• Tell me a bit about your past… (Were you always unhappy with your weight? Did it begin in childhood? Did a specific event trigger unnatural eating habits?) No, I have had to watch it since I was 16, though. I sprained my ankle very badly a few years ago, and spent way too much time in the drive-up for a couple of months, lol. Then it just never got taken off and I added to it.
• Would you consider yourself as having an eating disorder? No, just careless, had terrible eating habits and unaware/ignoring the horrible reality of the SAD.
• Have you ever had an eating disorder in the past? (If you are now recovered) No
• Do you feel pressure from the media to look a certain way? (If so please elaborate) No
• Who has your ideal body/Who is your body inspiration? I do. It's just hiding under the fat right now
• Why do you want to look that way? I am really more concerned about being stronger and having more energy than how I look. I do have some clothes I'd like to fit into again. I have no idea why the fashion industry thinks that big women want to wear such large florals and so many sparkles!!! Scary.
• What are you doing to change your weight? Please give as much info as possible (Specific diet/workout plan/taking supplements/surgery…) Low carb diet, mostly organic vegetables, natural meat. I do still indulge in coffee with cream. I also work out several times a week. I usually take two yoga classes, and walk on the treadmill two other days. Lately I have been experimenting with the elliptical, the rowing machine, and lifting some light free weights.
• Do you have ‘problem areas’ (please specify) or are you trying to change all over? All over, but I have the belly of a stressed out middle aged male executive......without the income or the expense account!
• How do you feel about your weight loss/gain? (Positive/negative/motivated) Happy. Of course I wish it would happen more quickly at times, but overall I am satisfied with how it's all going.
• Have you got people who support you? (In real life/Online) Not really other than verbally. I still have to explain and re-explain to family and friends that I need to eat a certain way.
• Has dieting changed how people see/treat you now? (Friends/family/public) My mom and dad and kids make encouraging comments about my appearance. Otherwise no.
• What motivates you? I was pretty scared when my blood pressure was up in the 160/120 range. But I have gotten to where I really enjoy going to the gym : 0 Who knew? I have loved yoga for a long time and am hoping to get into more of that. I also like how I feel better when I don't eat nasty food
• If/when you ‘fall off the wagon’ how do you feel? (Like giving up/motivated to do better/like punishing yourself/upset) To be honest, I don't fall off much. It tends to happen in social situations and at times I feel annoyed with that. Once it happens, it happens, and I just get back on track. Occasionally I allow myself a treat and figure that I will either just work out extra, or accept the delay in exchange for the goody. For me, it actually helps to let myself off the leash once in a while. It's interesting that sometimes the cookie or whatever it was doesn't taste quite as good as I remember!!!
• How do you feel about reaching your goal? (Is it close/far away/does it seem impossible) I think I will be there in a year. But I also think that it's not a goal that can be reached and then discarded. I am going to have to keep these eating and workout habits for the rest of my life if I want to feel my best.
• How do you think you will feel when you reach your goal? Pleased, but again, not that much is going to change, other than I may add a few carbs here and there. I do miss fruit!
• What if you don’t feel that way? What will you do next? I will.
• What is your biggest worry? No worries, really. My blood pressure is back down in normal range. The more I exercise the more freedom of motion I gain, so it's all good.
• What have you learnt on your journey so far? A LOT, really! I have learned how to do the machines at the gym, how to lift a bit, how to eat properly, etc. I have learned that SAD causes many many conditions and illnesses and that many of the afflictions of older people are experienced by Americans more than people in other countries! I could write a chapter on what I have learned, but mostly I have learned to treat my body like a friend instead of a cheap used car.
• What is your favourite (relevant) quote?
Edited by ZozoMonster on Tue 04/02/13 07:59 AM A favorite 'Wherever you go...there you are" Buckaroo Banzai0 -
Hi!!
• Gender: F
• Age: 33
• Starting weight: 243
• Current weight: 225
• Goal weight: 175
• What are your reasons for wanting to lose/gain weight? (Please state which)
Because I'm overweight and its uncomfortable and its affecting my self esteem.
I want to live in a healthy and radiant body, and this is not it!
I want to help motivate others to adopt a healthy living attitude and I need to walk my talk!
• Tell me a bit about your past… (Were you always unhappy with your weight? Did it begin in childhood? Did a specific event trigger unnatural eating habits?)
I began to gain substantial weight after high school and armed without proper physiological information...it just kept happening.
• Would you consider yourself as having an eating disorder?
Yes, I am a binge eater.
• Have you ever had an eating disorder in the past? (If you are now recovered)
• Do you feel pressure from the media to look a certain way? (If so please elaborate)
No.
• Who has your ideal body/Who is your body inspiration?
I have my ideal body! It's nestled in all this excess 'energy'!
• Why do you want to look that way?
Because it would look 'better'. No back fat, no overhang...just toned and firm lean muscle!
• What are you doing to change your weight? Please give as much info as possible (Specific diet/workout plan/taking supplements/surgery…)
Calorie counting (attempting to stay underneath my daily allotment--my current challenge)
30 D Shred
• Do you have ‘problem areas’ (please specify) or are you trying to change all over?
I am trying to change all over. My belly and arms are my places of contention, but overall I want a healthier body!
• How do you feel about your weight loss/gain? (Positive/negative/motivated)
Sometimes motivated, sometimes frustrated and overwhelmed. But overall, dedicated. I'm not going to give up!
• Have you got people who support you? (In real life/Online)
Yes, my man supports me. Also my friends on MFP are great support and inspiration.
• Has dieting changed how people see/treat you now? (Friends/family/public)
People who are positive are inspired and motivating and offer suggestions to help keep me on task.
People who are threatened by change, are condescending about my choices at times. (but secretly inspired)
• What motivates you?
The idea that I am creating the world/body that I live in. If I create a healthy lifestlyle, then THAT is the world that I will raise my kids in. What better gift to give the next generation that awareness of health!
• If/when you ‘fall off the wagon’ how do you feel? (Like giving up/motivated to do better/like punishing yourself/upset)
Disappointed in my choice.
• How do you feel about reaching your goal? (Is it close/far away/does it seem impossible)
It feels so far off, sometimes... Mentally, I know its only as far as my dedication is strong...but I'm feeling weak right now.
• How do you think you will feel when you reach your goal?
Empowered. Accomplished. Radiant!
• What if you don’t feel that way? What will you do next?
Continue to live life! My weight is not all that I am.
• What is your biggest worry?
That I just wont accomplish my goals... Sometimes, I just give up on things.
• What have you learnt on your journey so far?
Action breeds results.
• What is your favourite (relevant) quote?
Just do it!0 -
Gender: Female
• Age: 30
• Starting weight: 212
• Current weight: 179
• Goal weight: 165
• What are your reasons for wanting to lose/gain weight? (Please state which) To look and feel my best.
You are hilarious! Egg-cellent Smithers!!! LOL
and i love suck it up so you dont have to suck it in! STOLEN! Thanks!
• Would you consider yourself as having an eating disorder? Only of wanting to eat too much.
• Do you feel pressure from the media to look a certain way? No, I think I'm pretty sexy just need the body to follow the mind.
• Who has your ideal body/Who is your body inspiration? Dita Von Teese
• Why do you want to look that way? She has curves and isn't ultra skinny, but looks healthy.
• What are you doing to change your weight? Please give as much info as possible (Specific diet/workout plan/taking supplements/surgery…) Work more, eat less.
• Do you have ‘problem areas’ (please specify) or are you trying to change all over? My hips don't lie.
• How do you feel about your weight loss/gain? (Positive/negative/motivated) Very motivated
• Have you got people who support you? (In real life/Online) My lovely FL
• Has dieting changed how people see/treat you now? (Friends/family/public) Yes, I don't get quite so many stares when I eat.
• What motivates you? Before and after pictures of extreme weightloss. If they can do it, I can too.
• If/when you ‘fall off the wagon’ how do you feel? (Like giving up/motivated to do better/like punishing yourself/upset) Like eating a cookie. I do, then go workout.
• How do you feel about reaching your goal? (Is it close/far away/does it seem impossible) It's so close I can taste it.
• How do you think you will feel when you reach your goal? Excellent smithers.
• What if you don’t feel that way? What will you do next? Get back on the wagon.
• What have you learnt on your journey so far? Food is energy, not the devil.
• What is your favourite (relevant) quote? I tell myself when reluctant to go to the gym "Suck it up so you no longer have to suck it in"0
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