Welcome!!! Please introduce yourself!
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Hello Everyone,
I started this app when I was 355. 5 lbs after I went to wellness physican. I am 51 years old recently married, moved to the state of Washington and not having to work.
If you are younger than me please read this. This post will open your eyes that the weight needs to come off. I recently went to orthopedic surgeon and was told the I need both my knees replaced. I am shooting for both of them at the same time. I told the Dr, I physically can not handle doing both knees at the same time and finally got a clue!!
Every day I am trying to get myself in shape as well as eat according to this new lifestyle.
I have tried weightwatchers and lost 80 lbs and gained more than I lost when I was working full time and going to college as my life long goal. I am almost done with college but have to wait until the fall.
In addition, I am taking 8 meds which I hope to get off of them as I get healthy.
Please add me as your friend, because I will need support, my user name kmcaan. Have a great week everyone:bigsmile:0 -
Hello all! My name is Beverly. I am 45 and live in Missouri. I joined MFP about a month ago and am just now starting to look at the boards and group. All I can say about this group is Thank God there are others who understand. I don't know what it is to be a normal weight. I was 9 pounds 6 1/2 ounces at birth. I remember starting 3rd grade and weighing in at 106 pounds. I was in the 200's in junior high and about 250 when I graduated high school. My highest recorded weight was 433 pounds in October 2008. I know it went higher, but I always avoided the scales at the doctor's office (and luckily did not have to go that often). I tried dieting off and on since I was a teen. The first few days were great - then a slow downward trend followed by a I'm not going to be able to do this, so why bother?
My first wake-up call came on March 17, 2005. At a routine doctor's visit I weighed in at 417 pounds. I thought "That can't be right, I'm not over 400 pounds." Yup, I was. Then the doctor told me I was prediabetic. I think I was in shock the whole day. I had high blood pressure and had been on medication for it since 1994, but my cholesterol and everything else had always been okay. My solution? I switched from regular sodas to diet. I drank a minimum of 6 - 8 glasses a day and just knew this would keep the diabetes in check. So I made my change and continued along. In 2010 blood work showed my cholesterol had become high. I received a postcard from my doctor saying to call the office with my pharmacy number so they could call in a prescription for me. I was livid!! Call in a prescription for my cholesterol being high? This was the first time! What happened to the talk about trying to control it with exercise and diet? No way did I want another pill ... I was taking four now for my blood pressure. So, I ignored it. Yup. Flat out ignored it. But it set in the back of my mind for a year. I finally realized that the doctor had no reason to expect me to lower my cholesterol on my own. I wasn't doing anything about my weight or diabetes, was I? Thoughts kept going through my head about changing my life. I thought (again) that I would try on New Year's Day. I know now I wasn't ready to start then. Sometime late March 2011 something clicked in my mind. I was totally 100% committed to doing this. I no longer thought I could do it, I KNEW I would. I started my life style change on 4 April 2011 weighing 399 pounds. I honestly expected to weigh about 450 and had purchased a new set of scales that would weigh over 500 pounds. I decided to count calories and set a goal of 1800 calories a day. I cut out the fast food (4-5 times a week) and sweets and cut out or way back on my weaknesses - pasta, bread, rice, potatoes and meats (I knew I wouldn't stop at a 4 oz serving - a steak was 16oz in my life). I can't believe with the changes I made how easy it was to stay below 1800 calories. Most days were about 1500 calories. The weight started falling off. I wasn't able to exercise (unwilling really) because I couldn't breath.... I lost my breath walking down the hall at work. In September I returned to the doctor. High cholesterol ... gone! Diabetes .... gone! High blood pressure ..... still there, but dropped three of my four medications. By October 2011 I had lost 100 pounds, so gave myself a gift. I joined a gym in November and got a personal trainer. I love it. To date I have lost 153 pounds. My current goal weight is 169 pounds, so I have about 80 pounds to go.
Sorry this is so long, but I feel myself in each introduction I have read and wanted to share. I KNOW everyone can do this. I am lazy ~ extremely lazy, and if I can succeed, anyone can. I truly believe that if you set your mind to it, you WILL do it.
Some of the statements I read above make me cry, because I relate so much to them .... I remember thinking the same thing over the years ....
"I am not living - I am watching my life pass me by"
"Excuses... my life has been full of em "
"I have been fat all my life"
"I am scared of starting something new. I am afraid of being seen, and I am afraid failing."
"I was simply mortified by the fact that I knew I would never fit in an airplane seat and might be asked to purchase two tickets. "
"I hate thinking about the fact, that I did this to myself and that there is no instant fix. "
No, there isn't an instant fix, but their is a fix ..... me.
I'm new to the friends thing on here, but would be happy to have anyone add me that wants to. Weight loss and good health is a long journey and it would be great to share with people who have been where I was and are working towards the same goals as me.0 -
Welcome ladies!
I just wanted to say thank you for putting up an introduction - it is very enlightening to see that we are more similar than we are different. If you haven't already - please consider friending me, it would be an honor to make this journey together!
Beverly - I am grateful for your honesty and I can relate to much of what you had said. It was something for me to see even my own words echoed through you. : ) Congratulations on your loss to date - I look forward to working towards our goals together!
Katie :flowerforyou:0 -
Hi group! My name is Diana and I weigh 338lbs right now. I am working towards getting out of the 300's for good right now, and then I want to lose another 130 pounds after that. This is an overwhelming amount of weight to lose without medication or surgery but it's what I want. I will not spend my 30's obese and uncomfortable! Anyway, nice to meet all of you!0
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Hello to all!
My name is Rodger and I am 54 years young, and I weigh 375 pounds. I would like to lose 200 pounds so that I can feel better about myself and be healthier. I have been overweight most of my life, and just recently have been diagnosed with Ischemic heart disease. I also have been told by my doctor that if I do not lose the weight that I will die probably within the next 10 years or less because of my heart condition. I have a wornderful wife and grandkids who need me, and I want to be around for a good while yet, so I am serious about weight loss. This group sounded like just what I need for support and inspiration, so I am glad to be a part of it.0 -
I'll do a shout out to all who have joined recently and remind y'all to keep hydrated during these hot spells (at least here it's hot) don't hurt yourself exerting too greatly in the heat.
Great motivations to keep us all moving forward though. Keep at it.0 -
Hi everyone! I'm Jenni, my screen name is jenrickRN. I live in Wisconsin and am a ED nurse. I have 2 great kids and adoring husband, whom are very supportive. I've been a big girl all my life, but am currently at my all time heaviest of 355.5 lb. I'm normally an active go-getter type person, but have found myself slowing down. I need to get with it an lose this extra weight, before I slow down too much and end up watching life pass me by (while developing weight related medical conditions). I have had success with WW online in the past, but can't seem to adjust to the new program. :-( My biggest problem with sticking to any weight loss plan is that I get unmotivated quickly and get frustrated when I don't see results. I'm hoping by joining a group (and checking it regularity) will help me with additional motivation.0
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My name is Lydia, and despite the smile you see on my profile picture, I am scared to death. I feel my life slipping away from me with every bite I take. I know I am eating myself into an early grave. Suicide by food, I guess you could call it. I don't want to die yet. I have to much to live for...if I could only be able to physically move to live again. But as I'm pushing 450lbs, it's so hard to even imagine living a full pain free life. If I don't make some drastic changes in my life right now, this moment, I know that I probably won't be on this Earth with in another 5 years.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to bring any one down or make any one depressed or to even pity my situation. All I'm doing is putting into words how severe my situation is, mostly for my own eyes to see. I'm the type of person that looks at myself in the mirror and doesn't see the 450 pound woman staring back at her, but i can feel it when my feet swell so much that I can no longer wear shoes other than flip-flops. I don't see the weight on me, but I hear the snickers and comments from people passing me by. I feel the embarrassment of having to ride in one of those motorized carts to go shopping because my knees can no longer support my weight.
Yes, I'm scared, but now that I have found this group, I see a glimmer of hope...and support.0 -
Hello all! My name is Ashley and at a youthful 24 years old my highest weight was a staggering 424 pounds. For the past 5 years I hovered precariously around 375-390 pounds. I've always been overweight, and at 375+ I had finally learned how to love myself and my body in spite of the world telling me that there was something wrong with me. I no longer hated myself, and I had even come to accept that I too was worthy of love and happiness just like everyone else.
About a year ago, I was climbing into my friend's minivan when I felt something in my knee pop and give out. I fell to the floor and my drunken friends not understanding the gravity of the situation, urged me to hurry hope so they could leave. When we arrived at out destination and it was time to get out of the car, I collapsed again. My drunken friends, not wanting to miss out on the festivities, left me alone and scared in their sweltering car for 4 hours. I was hysterical. I thought my knee had suffered irreparable damage and that I would be lame for the rest of my life, plus I was completely alone. I managed to get back into the van myself, and once they'd had their fun, they drove me home still clueless about what had actually happened. Needless to say, I didn't talk to them for a while.
The subsequent urgent care visit opened my eyes. I was too big to get up on the examination table with my injury, and I was too large to be properly x-ray'd because I couldn't bend myself into the required positions. Even though I'd struggled with severe depression before, this time it hit even harder and before I knew it I had ballooned to 424 pounds in just a few months.
One day I overheard my mother and my grandmother talking about me. They kept going on and on about how sad my situation was and that they hated to stand by and watch me eat myself to death. I was so angry I almost stormed out of my room to confront them, but that was only because I knew they were right. I was angry because I didn't want any of their pity, but I was also devastated at what my life had become. I decided then and there to make a change. I cut out juices and sodas, and from there it's just been baby steps. Without excercise I managed to lose 24 pounds in a little under 2 months. I was ecstatic! But I didn't tell anyone. It was no one's business what I was doing, and I didn't want the silent pressure of people's expectations hanging over my head. If I succeeded or failed, I would do it on my own with no one to disappoint but myself.
Shortly after I started this journey of healthier living, my grandfather died of congestive heart failure. He was only 62 years old. Finally the knowledge that heart disease, cancer, and diabetes all run in my family really hit home and after a depression fueled relapse, I continued towards my goal to lose 200 pounds.
For the past 2 weeks the scale hasn't moved, and I'm trying not to get discouraged. I recently added 5 cardio workouts and 3 weight lifting sessions a week in an effort to get the scale moving again. Even if I'm not losing pounds, I can still lose inches and modify my relationship with food.
*Cathartic Sigh* Well, now that that's all out in the open, I look forward to meeting all of you and watching as we all move toward our goals together :happy:0 -
Hi my name is Michelle.
I'm 35. I've been married 12 years this September and we have a 12 year old son.
My weight has been a struggle for me since I was 16, though I have always felt fat, being 325 lbs now I look back and wish I could shake that girl who hated her body.
I have dealt with depression since I was in my early teens. The depression has only increased with the weight and I am now at a point where its a struggle to leave the house which has had a negative impact on keeping a job. In May I started therapy in hopes that I could get out of this fog. The therapy along with medication has helped a little but I keep getting caught up on my weight, how I feel and what I think other think of me.
I can't even have a conversation with my own mom on skype without being embarrassed by where I have let myself get. My husband and son are being neglected because I just don't have the energy to face daily life and I sleep all day or veg in front of the tv or computer.
I'm tired of giving up and I'm determined to make a change and get myself in order and I hope to be able to share my highs and lows with people who understand.0 -
Hi,
My name is Sara. I am 32 years old and I weigh somewhere around 440-450lbs, not exactly sure. I need to lose 300 pounds to be a healthy weight. I am seriously considering Bariatric surgery but while I go through the process of getting to surgery I want to lose weight and work on creating good habits like mindful eating and being active while I break bad habits like emotional eating and being a lump on a log. I am married have a son and husband and work in education. I have struggled with my weight most of my life and have been getting gradually heavier as the years went by, but a layoff and a 15month period of unemployment during which I gained around 125 pounds has put me in a crisis situation. It is now time to do or die literally.0 -
My name is Tom and I currently weigh 482 pounds. I have lost 55 pounds since I started my program on June 15, 2012.
At 46 years old, I now have a bad back, 2 bad knees and high blood pressure. I have been unable to work for quite a while.
I have been married to my sweetheart for 24 years and I want a lot more years with her. At my largest (that I am aware of) I weighed 537 pounds. I have been a "semi-professional" dieter most of my life. I have tried everything at one time or the other. Everything that is except portion control. Being addicted to food, I realize learning portion control is probably the toughest way to go but it is working out well so far.
I wanted to do lap-band but my wife's insurance company doesn't cover such "cosmetic" surgeries. I got tired of waiting for them to change their minds and I am now taking charge of changing my eating habits.
I weigh every Friday on the loading dock out behind the post office because I needed a scale that would go up to my size. The folks at the post office are always very encouraging when they see me come up. I have 180 folks following my progress on my facebook page also.
I have a long way to go in my journey so I broke my weightloss goals up into managable chunks. I first wanted to get to 499 pounds. I succeeded in that goal on July 9th, which was on a Monday and yes I know I only weigh on Fridays but you have to cut me a little slack... I was dying to know and Friday was soooooo far away. LOL
Once I hit 499 (for the first time in at least 3 years!) I have set goals of 25 pound increments. I find having a closer goal keeps me from being discouraged. I hope to hit my next goal either this coming Friday or the next!
That is enough for now. I am glad I found the forums and groups section on MFP!0 -
Hi . . . I'm Tonya, 31 years old, and from Mississippi. When I started using My Fitness Pal at the beginning of May, I weighed at least 405 pounds. More, really, because my scale couldn't weigh me and I got "Error" every time I stepped on it. I've lost 31.4 pounds so far (I'm at 373.6 now) . . . I have about 200 more to go. I want to be able to have kids some day, and I currently can't because of hormonal issues related to being so obese. I topped 200 pounds in junior high, and I've been on blood pressure medication since I was 18. I want to feel well instead of constantly drug out and tired . . . and being able to buy cute clothes without using mail order will be a fringe benefit, too!0
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Hello, My name is Steven and I am 24, I currently weigh in at 437 last time i visited the dialysis center to pick up my aunt. I have been on multiple diets in my short lifetime and it seems that I tend to always lose interest and I make up excuses for myself such as money problems or a busy life and the sad part is that I actually convince myself into these lies. I am unemployed and I am starting to attribute it to being as big as I am and the employers not taking me seriously because of my size.
So I have decided to finally try and lose my gut to get somewhere in this world before it is too late for me; career wise and most importantly health wise since diabetes and heart problems run strong in my family. I came upon this site looking at tips for exercise for people over 400 pounds and I found this site.
I have been told my ideal weight for my size is 170 to 180 but realistically I would love to hit 200 to 210. I want to be able to sit in a folding chair without it breaking, be able to go to the movies and sit comfortably with my family or friends without feeling like I am moving into their personal space and most of all I want to get rid of the dark marks that have formed on my skin.0 -
hi, my name is Stacy I am from Stockbridge, Ga, just south of Atlanta. I am 34 years old, will be 35 in November and I have been obese my entire life. I lost 98 lbs in 2009, had a baby in october of 2010 and lost him to SIDS in dec 2010, after that I gained 140 lbs, I have been on my weight loss journey again since Jan 2012 and have lost 70 lbs, I need all the encouragement I can get!0
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I'm V. I'm 31, single, no kids. My highest weight was 405 pounds, that was back in May 2012. I've lost 40 lbs so far. I have always been fat. In my late 'teens I lost 60 pounds, which got me down to 150 - my lowest-ever 'adult' weight. But I only kept it off for about six months before gaining it all back and more. Since then I've just gained more and more each year. I have hypothyroidism which I sometimes think was caused by crash dieting in the past. Who knows. I also have high BP and high cholesterol. And possibly other scary things I don't even know about because I'm so afraid/ashamed to see a doctor.
I want to say that I decided to make a commitment to lose weight because I'm tired of feeling miserable and having a crappy life. But the truth is that I've been miserable for so long it's like I'm used to it. The REAL reason I decided to do this was because I began to feel like I was literally dying, like my body couldn't take anymore. I may have accepted feeling miserable and alone for my entire life, but I can't accept being straight-up DEAD!
So ya, I joined MFP and have logged every single thing I've eaten since mid-May. Hi everyone. I'm shy and don't post a whole lot and my food diary is private.0 -
I'm Linda. I have battled being overweight for most of my life. I'm 52 years old and am now at my highest weight. I was 341 when I started earlier this week. I have always tried to do this on my own but I don't feel like that's a good idea anymore. I would like to be able to share ideas and struggles with others who have this same issue. I need to lose weight both for my health and to be able to enjoy life again.
I don't feel like the people who only have to lose a small amount of weight have any idea what it is like for us. To see that the long battle stretching ahead of you can be discouraging if you don't have the support of others who understand. I am looking forward to regaining more energy and mobility and not to feel like I'm watching life through a window and not participating.
I am logging my food and exercise and look forward to watching my results and those of all of you. Let's help keep each other from stumbling and pick each other up when we do.0 -
My name is John and I’m a Morbidly Obese Guy. I got on the scale Monday and I was 447 pounds.
I CONSIDER MYSELF A FOOD ADDICT!!!
I am a compulsive and emotional overeater.
I Consider myself a food addict!
For most of my life food was, what I thought, my dirty little secret.
Food has been my best friend, my comforter. Food was always there for me. However, Just take one look at me and everyone knows… it's no secret.
I’m 50 years old, I have 4 Children.
Right now if I don’t do something to address my obesity, many experts say I have a very good chance of not make it to 60. As of today that is 3,400 days. Not a long time huh?
Right now, I'm a slave to this disease.
I'm not in control. I'm out of control. I want to be in control.
I'm not living life, I'm just watching, the gift, which is my life go right on by.
They say, Life is like a roll of toilet paper…. The closer you get to the end the faster it goes.
Why is this the one thing in my life that is kicking my backside?
I wanted to come together here and motivate each other.
Please feel free to friend me and hopefully we can help each other out.0 -
Hi there! My name is Becky. I'm 36, single and live in Wisconsin. I love animals, cooking, painting and traveling. I try to make the most of life but it is getting harder and harder to do with every pound I gain.
I've been heavy all my life but this has been the heaviest I've ever been. I finally got the courage to weigh myself a couple of weeks ago after about 4 years of not even looking at a scale. When 359 popped up I was horrified and scared. How did I gained 80 lbs in 4 years? I can't keep going on like this. What will happen to me?
So I'm getting the courage to change my life. Not only in weight loss but also in other areas of my life. I'm pre-diabetic but haven't gone back to the doctor since then. I'm too ashamed to go.
I just found out that my brother is planning on getting married in Las Vegas in May. I have a fear that I won't be able to fit in the airplane seat! So that is the final thing that is motivating me. I would like to loose 60 lbs by May.
I just want to be healthier and do things that this weight is holding me back from doing. I want to live!
Please add me as a friend. I need all the support I can get and I will give back the same.0 -
Oh hell, I'll post. I have been too embarrassed to participate in any of the groups or forums. I have been using MFP off and on for a long time,but not taking advantage of the community features. It became especially convenient when I downloaded the app on my phone-I had no more excuses.
I am 36, live in Los Angeles. I weighed 560 at my highest. Now I am 510. I have a wife and 16 year old step-son. Bad knee. Low energy. Not very active.
I started this latest journey of weight loss back in February; kicked butt for 3 months, now in a holding pattern for the last 4 months. My wife and I watched a bunch of Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Editions over the weekend and it reinspired me. I thought it was amazing that there was a whole program for people who have as much weight to lose as I do. I am also pleased to find this group that also has the same goal to lose a large amount of weight.
Thank you for listening. I look forward to seeing everyone succeed.0
