Let's Get To Know Each Other!

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ErinGBragh
ErinGBragh Posts: 183 Member
I thought it would be fun to tell a little bit about ourselves!

Where are you from? Reno, Nevada...originally from Southern California

Age: 36

Favorite Food: Sushi

Hobbies: Sewing, art, dance, cooking, trying to learn the piano!

Favorite Workout: Walking or hiking outside! It always brightens my mood being in the fresh air!

Why you are on MFP: I've always been a yo-yo dieter. I grew up in a family of thin, mostly petite women and I was never skinny (except for a brief time in high school). Even when I was younger and a healthy weight, I had female relatives who liked to say I was "chunky", so by the time I was in sixth grade, I was already on my first diet. Thus began my years of yo-yoing. When I got married I got up to my highest non-pregnancy weight of 199 (just under 200 lbs). I again yo-yo-ed back and forth for years, had two kids, and finally, after the birth of my youngest, went from 180 to 150 where I stayed for almost 3 years. But then I slowly got complacent and got back up to 169. I'm so tired of the back and forth, and I'm really tired of having to wear Spanx underneath even my jeans and t-shirts because of my belly. Something finally clicked when I realized enough was enough!

Replies

  • Smokey19
    Smokey19 Posts: 796 Member
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    Hi, my name is Kimberlee and I am 49 yrs. old. I am from Mackinaw, Illinois. I started this journey because my doctor told me that I would die if I didn't lose wt. So, I finally took him seriously and took control of my life. I am disabled due to multiple health problems. I am married, but was never able to have children. My favorite food is macaroni and cheese...well, and chocolate. My hobbies are reading and learning as much as I can about everything. I am trying to learn how to crochet so I can make some Christmas presents for my family. It is hard for me to workout due to my physical disabilities. I am totally disabled, but I do try to walk a little everyday. I find it difficult to do much physically and have had to lose most of my 104 lbs. so far through diet alone. I was a registered nurse prior for many yrs. and I enjoyed doing that. I have been overweight my entire life. My highest wt. was a horrible 325 lbs. but my current wt. is 200.5.
  • roosmeimei
    roosmeimei Posts: 29 Member
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    I am 34 years old

    mother of boy/girl twins that are now 13 months

    I was on bed rest FOREVER and told to consume LOTS of calories... I did.. and had a hard time stopping .

    I am 5'3" 193 pounds
    I can tell the toll that the extra 40 pounds is having on my body and energy.
    I have NEVER had to diet or think about food so this is all new to me.

    My favorite work out used to be my Denise Austin hit the spot abs but NOW I need a lot more help then my abs! Now it is my elliptical machine or walking with my twins.

    My favorite food is pasta. I find that I like healty choices but they alwasy seem to be more expensive! I feed the babies first and worry about me 2nd.

    I am trying to fit in work outs when they nap now that they are pretty much sleeping through the night.

    Looking sooooo forward to this group!! :)
  • zentha1384
    zentha1384 Posts: 323 Member
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    Hello everyone I'm Shannon my Nickname is Shay. I'm 28 (I will turn 29 just after the NY), 5'2.5" my highest weight was 275 lbs. I live in Minnesota, Married, No kids, two Dogs and a Guinea Pig.

    Goals: Get under 200 lbs (especially before renewing my license on my B-day), no longer be considered Obese, not be at risk of type 2 diabetes before I turn 30, fit into my favorite jeans from high school (So close got them on yesterday just couldn't button or zip them up)

    Favorite non-exercise activity: Nerd time (video games or dnd)

    Favorite exercise: Stationary bike, swimming

    My Weight Loss journey: My journey begins of course with my gain. My mom is a great cook and hard to stop eating her food. She has always been hard on me for my weight, growing up it was always "I didn't weigh that when I was your age". I reached over 200 when in my freshmen year of college (Damn freshmen 15!) I have been gaining since then.

    My mom was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in my jr year of college, while she was in her 40s. The dr thinks that she had it for awhile. When she started losing weight (went from 325 to 215) she got down on me for my weight again, this time it was "I was diagnosed with type 2 in my 40s, your grandmother in her 50s and you great grandma died of it in her 60s. At this rate you will have it in your 30s" That stuck with me and I knew I needed to do something, but I was too worried about my final year. After I was out of college it was worrying about a job, then my fiance and I needed to find a place of our own. Then it was on to planning our wedding.

    Once things settled down what she said came back to me and I needed to do something. I worked hard and dropped 38lbs, the swimming pool at our apt was great! Then ended up getting very sick. I had the doctor's stumped for well over 3 months before I ended up jaundice and being sent to a specialist. I needed my gallbladder removed, Surgery went well but I was restricted from exercising for a month and my motivation tanked. The day I could return to exercising I went to the pool determined to get back on it..... The pool is closed for 3 months for repairs! I gave up and over the next 2 years gained all the weight back plus another 15! In that time we bought a house and moved and our focus was on getting that set up.

    At my highest weight my clothes were fast approaching too tight and I refused to go up another size. My husband and I decided no more excuses, 2012 was the year to start getting in shape. I have lost 63 lbs this year and he has lost 70 lbs. Working together we have made it father than before and plan to continue.

    Anyone here feel free to add me as a MFP friend but please include the group in the message (I ignore requests without messages... Sorry)
  • joann1948
    joann1948 Posts: 161 Member
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    Hello everyone: My name is Joann, I am 64 yrs old, and presently live in New Orleans, Louisiana. I was born and raised in Connecticut, and have lived in California, Texas, Arizona, and Florida....

    I have a 30 yr career in the medical field. I have two children and 7 grandaughters. I am presently going thru a divorce after 25 yrs. It will be final next month, took a while, but finally moving on with my life.

    In April of 2011, I found this webeite thru my daughter. I have battled my weight my entire life. Been on every diet known to man...My Mom always told me to just eat healthy and exerise and stop all the dieting. She will be gone 5 yrs next month, and would be very proud of me.

    I just started with 1200 calories a day, and exercising. At the time I was living with my daughter who has a two story house, and the step helped alot. I must of gone up those stairs a million times a day.....lol Anyway, I did go off the site for a while, but came back 90 days ago. I post a inspirational thought for the day to help everyone to start off the day with a positive attitude. I am confident that I will reach my goal. I do not want to go back to that weight. All it did was make me feel bad. I have a bad knee and back pain and it is much better now. I am a little limited with my knee with exercising but try to do something everyday. I am working on toning up, and really feel great. I wish each and every one of you Good Luck in reaching your goal for Christmas. Feel free to add me as a friend, I am very active on this website. Thank you for Listening...........Hugs to all!!!!
  • warda38
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    hello,
    I am Nas, 38 yrs young! and from Canada
    5'5" carrying 168.4 lbs of weight from emotional, stress eating (there were some happy moment also)
    I have been wanting to lose weight for years, and I do start programs, buy books, work out CD's but I never stick to them more than one week. I am just tired for looking at my self and my two fold belly. My mother was diagnosed with diabetes at at the age of 38, and that was 25 years ago. I have been taking care of her all this time and have seen what it had done to her over the time. Diabtetes runs in the family, along with heart disease and I was always in denial that it could possibly hit me one day. I have set a goal that if I reach 40, I want to be healthy, fit, and happy. I have been given a clean bill of health by my doctor but that does not mean I should let myself go. This is the mak over that I have promised myself, CHANGING FROM THE INSIDE. I owe it to myself to become better at keeping my deadlines and also owe it to my family as I am their primary care taker. If I want to take care of them, I must take care of myself.
  • bren722
    bren722 Posts: 8 Member
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    Hi... I'm Brenda and 49 years old. I was at my dr. the other day and she recommended this site. I'd seen it and joined it a while ago, but didn't really use it. I am starting NOW! I didn't even look at the scale when they weighed me, I just couldn't. For now, my blood work, etc. is healthy, but if I continue on this path, it will begin to have its effects on my health. I really want to feel much better about how I look in June when I graduate from college and July when I turn 50. I just want to feel better about me and how I look.
    I just saw this group and clicked to join, I really want to use this site to its fullest.
    I'm originally from MN but have now lived in FL for about 14 years, and I love it here but I don't get to hide in the big sweaters and hoodies.
    Anyway.... best to everyone with their own goals and challenges. We can DO this!!!
  • chelle_fri
    chelle_fri Posts: 333 Member
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    Hi I'm Chelle. I'm 24. I live in the CA Bay Area. I'm starting my third week of Insanity tomorrow!

    I joined MFP a long time ago when one of my co-workers joined a weight loss challenge... Well I was gung-ho for all of a month and stopped. I was fighting with depression and just couldn't get a handle on myself. Back in August I had a serious wake up call and decided enough was enough. I got back in the saddle and have been going strong for 4 months now.

    Best of luck to everyone, feel free to add me!
  • rpendergraft
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    Hi, I'm Robin, and I'm 51 years old. I live in Oklahoma, and I'm an English teacher. I like to read, crochet, and sew. My last bloodwork showed that my cholesterol has slowly been going up. I'm still in the okay range, but my doctors and I would like to see it start going down rather than keep inching up. Currenly, I'm using the Eat to Live diet. My nurtitionist says that plant-based diets are usually beneficial in lowering cholesterol numbers. I use this site to track my food and for inspiration. If any of you can relate to me and my goals, I'd love to have you add me as a friend.

    My biggest challenge is probably family get-togethers and church dinners and the food there. My family loves to cook and eat, and, usually, there isn't a lot that is prepared in a healthy way. The same is true at my church's dinners.

    I wish everyone here great success with the upcoming holidays.
  • jordansilvia
    jordansilvia Posts: 36 Member
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    Hey, I'm Jordan

    I'm a college student in Memphis, TN. I'm 19

    My favorite food would be any kind of dessert (I've gotten a lot better about it since starting college).

    Hobbies: Painting, knitting, photography

    I have always been overweight and it has really held me back for my whole life. When I started school in August I decided to make a change in my life, and I didn't have anything to stop me. I heard a lot of great reviews about MFP so I joined. MFP has been the main reason for my success so far. My highest weight was 205 pounds, just a couple months ago. My current weight is what I was my freshman year of high school.

    I look forward to the day that I will compete in a race and not have a difficult time during it. I am excited for my future wardrobe of small sizes.

    My fitness goal is to complete the Insanity Challenge and brag about it to my dad!
  • kimsciolino
    kimsciolino Posts: 240 Member
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    Where are you from? Panama City Beach, Florida. Moved here 6.5 yrs ago from Michigan. ( Great Decision on the Move, I LOVE it here)

    Age: 41

    Favorite Food:???

    Hobbies: Walking, Watching Football, Going to the beach as much as possible.....

    Favorite Workout: Turbo Fire, Insanity, Wii Fit, Tae Bo, Anything upbeat

    Why you are on MFP: I have always been pretty small until (A) I had a complete hysterectomy in my early 30's and (B) once I got into my 40's. I am SICK and TIred of being this HEAVY!!! It is very depressing and I hate the way depression feels. So I am taking control of my life and I am going to suceed with my health and weight loss goals. I am the type of person who gives it my all and work at it as hard a possible then once I take a few days off I feel like a failure and quit it all and the weight piles on:( But NOT this time.... It's crazy that when you eat CLEAN and work out you feel AMAZING but it is so easy to slip back into an unhealthy non workout life WHY IS THAT??? I want to be in control of my life.... I am excited about this group and all of the new people that I will meet... Good Luck to all of you
  • erinmbrown13
    erinmbrown13 Posts: 8 Member
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    Where are you from? Chattanooga TN

    Age: 36

    Favorite Food: Sushi

    Hobbies: Watching horror movies, reading, playing Sims 3, hiking and hopefully soon bike riding.

    Favorite Workout: Anything that allows me to be outside. I love being in natural environments and I'm more motivated by nature.

    Why you are on MFP: I joined because I want to improve my quality of life, adopt healthy eating habits and learn to love exercise again. I'm hoping to build some friendships online for encouragement and support through good times and bad because support in any form can make all the difference.
  • PinkP1971
    PinkP1971 Posts: 14 Member
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    I'm originally from Rahway, New Jersey and living in Orangeburg, South Carolina now.

    I am 41, married and mother of 4 (age 21, 15, 13, & 7). My oldest daughter I had her through natural child birth and the other 3 of my kids, I had them through c-section, so yes I have a "kangaroo pouch". This past summer of June 2012, I was at my heaviest weight: 239 lbs!! I started loosing weight on November 9, 2012 at 239 lbs....I found the MFP app on my phone shortly after I started loosing when I got down to 225 lbs.

    My favorite food is Pasta!! (So I know I got to eat it in moderation)

    My exercise routine now is working out on the treadmill (45 mins), elliptical (30 mins), and bike (25 mins)

    My hobbies are watching comedy (I love to laugh), being on MFP posting updates and reading others inspiring weight loss stories, playing games on Facebook on my down-time, going to the movies with my hubby, going shopping with my kids, walking leisurely with my family through nature trails, bowling, and playing volleyball.

    About my past weight loss history:
    After I had my last son in 2005, I went on a weight loss challenge at my job and I was 218 lbs. I started working out, walking everyday after work and on my days off for an hour a day, fast pace. I did the South Beach Diet during this time, but I limited my intake of carbs throughout my weight loss dieting. (On the South Beach Diet, you are only suppose to stay on Phase 1 for about two weeks, but during this time, I got so used the eating Phase 1 that I stayed on Phase 1 for 3 months, but of course I had my cheat days atleast once per week)...anyway, in 3 months, I went from 218 lbs down to 173 lbs!! However, when I got "skinny"...lol!!....healthy and fit, I got it in my mind that now I can eat anything I want because I was fit!! Ok, I didn't use my brain and I didn't search for advice, suggestions, and help...I didn't know back then that once I lost the weight, I was suppose to "MAINTAIN" it and have a cheat day once in a while. Thus, I gain ALL THE WEIGHT BACK AND SOME MORE!!! Back up to 239 lbs!! That's about 7 years of eating bad and not continuing to exercise!!

    So, today with MFP, help, advice, support, and all of the knowledge that I look up on the internet, on MFP, in fitness books, and from other fit and healthy people like my nephew and outside friends, I have the resources, wisdom, and knowledge THIS TIME to loose the weight and once I loose the weight, to be able to "MAINTAIN IT" and NOT TO GO BACK TO OVER-DOING IT, BEING LAZY AND CARELESS about the foods I eat and exercising!!