What does Onederland mean to you?

So the last time I was in ONEderland was in 6th or 7th grade. I remember weighing 205 lbs on my 8th grade athletic physical in 1982. I weighed 300+ as a senior in high school. Onederland may be mythical for me.

Onderland wasn't a place I was looking for. It just happened. Stepped on the scale and I was 198. I hadn't been that low since BEFORE high school. Spent that whole day crying: from the joy, from the long-term denial, for all the wasted life.

Now, Onderland is a place I'm comfortable. I have so much more energy, and even though I have a ways to go yet to reaching my health ideal (roughly 30lbs under my current goal, and maintaining lean muscle) I know I will never leave. Onderland feels good.

I really enjoyed reading your post and thinking about the question you posed. I originally felt that getting to Onederland meant getting under 200 pounds. But as I am 70 pounds into a 100 pound weight-loss goal, I love the idea of losing 100+ pounds as Onederland as well! I will reach Onederland twice!

I do think it represents something else, something I have recently attained -- ease. Running after my son on the playground without getting winded, throwing on shorts and a tank top without feeling self-conscious, doing some gardening without being in total pain the next day... A sense of ease that I never had when I was obese. Onederland!!

Honestly, I thought the same thing when I saw so many posts about getting to 'Onederland'. My ultimate goal is to get to 180, in a healthy weight range for my height (according to the BMI scale). I would have to go back to when I was probably 12 years old (To be honest I'm not sure, since I didn't pay attention to my weight at that age) to find when I last weighed that much. I hit the 300-lb threshold when I was 17 years old...

I remember that day like it was yesterday. I went to the doctor (for what reason I don't remember, it could have been a normal check up for all I remember) and they had me get on the scale in the hallway. I took off my shoes, stood up on the scale, and watched in slow motion horror as the doctor moved the weights over past the 280, 290, 300 marks until the scale finally balanced at 312 pounds. At 17 years old I weighed 312 pounds. I cried and felt a little part of me withdraw itself into the recesses of my soul. After that, I shoved that thought away. I shut it out and went into full-blown denial mode. I became an emotional eater; I ate to relieve stress, I ate to relieve boredom, I ate to relieve my growing depression. I ate to cope with the very real rejection I felt at school. I was always the friend, but never the girlfriend. Even my 'friends' would poke fun at my weight. I began to hate myself for the way I looked. I resented myself and would often catch myself berating myself with things like 'Why can't you just stop eating?' or 'What is wrong with you?'. At 18 I started dating a guy exclusively (I weighed 342 when we started dating...I don't think I ever told him how much I weighed) and we dated for a year and a half. We broke up in rather nasty circumstances, and in the following 5 years since our break up I gained 40 pounds to my highest ever weight of 382.

I'm now down to 371.4, but it took some serious realization to wake me up out of my denial. I just turned 25 and realized that I weigh 370+ pounds. Thanks to my wonderful boyfriend encouraging me, I've been on my journey to a healthier life for 8 weeks now In those 8 weeks, I've only lost a few pounds, but several more inches, and I've gone down 2 pants sizes.

Onederland is something I don't ever remember being (though I know I was at some point). It seems like a far off place, but a place I *WILL* reach one day. It will be a long journey to get there, but I know I *WILL* make it. My first 'Onederland' will be to reach 299; to be below 300 pounds for the first time in my adult life. I can't wait to reach Onederland

Before I start I want to say I loved your post and all the replies. So inspiring.

Onederland to me means many things. First, It means 100 lbs lost. I have a goal to reach that by October 1. I have lost 63.4 lbs so far. When I reach this "onderland" goal I will be in Hawaii. I will be at 300 lbs, a number I haven't seen in 15 years. My next "Onderland" will be at 200 lbs. That will make it 202.6 lbs lost. I haven't been at this weight in over 26 years. I can't remember what it would look like. My last "Onderland" would be at 150 lbs. That would make 252 lbs lost. I haven't see this weight in 32 years. I was ten years old. I am now 42.

"Onederland: also means to me all the little victories I have had along the way. When I started 120 days ago I could barely walk from my bedroom to the kitchen (which is 5 steps) without having to sit down and catch my breath. Now 120 days later I have reversed my diabetes diagnosis, I have walked a 1 mile race,walked 2- 5K's (with another one on June 1st.), I have dropped from a 6X pant size down to a 3X. I no longer see myself sitting in a wheelchair watching my life go by. I am living my life and accomplishing little goals each day. I wonder where this journey will take me as I live a new lifestyle for the 42 years of my life. I leave with a quote I found on here today "Focus on the results and you'll never see change; Focus on the changes and you will always see the results". Good luck to everyone.

for me it will be when I get into single.. as in one digit sized pants!

Onederland would mean I was at my ultimate goal.

nothing! i place more emphasis on bf%

20 % - i am average
15 % - i can take off my shirt now
12 % - i look good
8 % - i look like a God
7 % - intervention time!

So your "onderland" would be somewhere between 8-12% body fat

I will reach onederland the day I complete my first 5km run....... and am no longer considered overweight - never mind morbidly obese

Onederland sounds to me like the country Nederland (Netherlands). ^ ^

I don't know what to expect when i hit onederland (200 lbs or less), and it makes me nervous to get my hope up that I will be able to do it. Once when I was 20 I starved myself for a couple months and was able to reach 198, I was so excited. Then it promptly went back up. 10 years later at 30 I was up to 318. I have no idea what it will feel like, but even if I never make it I'm am thrilled with where I am right now, I feel fantastic.

well i certainly think that Onderland is a state of mind,for myself i agree that for most of us its entering into the 199 and under catagory.ive lost 34lbs so far,went from 249 in january and am now around 215.havent been in the 2teens since my very early 20's and am now 43years old.its an amazing journey. to think that in just a couple months i might hit wonderland is kinda surreal but exciting and gives me butterflys.havent been that weight since i was a teenager.like many of us i have some serious health challenges but thats okay. when i realize that my short term clothing goals(Size16jeans)are now loose and when i put on the size 14jeans i am so close to being able to wear them.i see so many folks who have lost 100+pounds and it gives me hope! now i work on inspiring my family and friends in the rear world.but i know i couldnt do it without my mfp family. we are all in this together!

Me personally I do not have a number onederland. My onederland consists of many things. In particular when I am able to easily cross my legs again like a lady. That was always my favorite way to sit. I have lost 60 pounds and I can now cross them but not easily. It is a struggle. I was so excited when I was finally able to place one on top of the other. My true onederland is when I am confident in myself. When I can see that I have a shape, and feel truly beautiful again and able to strut what my momma gave me I started my journey at 250 lbs and I am now down to 190 lbs. It has been a long and difficult journey with still a while to go. But it is SO worth it. When I get to my onederland I am going to jump, and dance, and sing, and RUN without being out of breath!

My first Onderland will be 199 also. I have only seen it once in the past 10 years and then for just a couple of days. I am 5'9" and have bounced around from 215 to 230 for the last 10 years except for that one dip to 199. This time with the help of MFP I will keep going and not look back. Eating better and getting more exercise now and being able to log it to keep me on track are making a difference. I finally decided to make a positive life change and started eating better and walking more on these arthritic knees. I found MFP at 214.5 when I was looking for a way to start really keeping track of what was going into my body. 205 now and looking forward to that first Onderland and beyond!