I was doing so well before the pandemic

I can relate to both of you! The pandemic was really hard on me as well. I've always been super social and the isolation was awful. For me it was wine and food! I have 50 lbs to lose and would love to have some accountability buddies!

mrscooper2013 wrote: »

hey @CurvyEmmy and @hermajestee327 ladies... thanks for responding. I have had a hell of a week, and finding some accountability partners would be awesome. Sometimes the hardest part is knowing how to ask for help. Ya know?

@mrscooper2013 I just sent you my story in a private message!

@mrscooper2013 and @hermajestee327 let’s keep in touch every day! We could message each other, or maybe we should create a group for pandemic weight loss? What do you think?

I know I need daily support. I joined MFP a year ago after gaining 80 pounds from the pandemic. Unfortunately I didn’t get the support I needed. It was a huge struggle for me to start losing weight or even just stop the gaining and maintain. A lot of the skinny, fit people on MFP were passive aggressive toward me and judged me for not trying. But I was trying. So. Freaking. Hard. I didn’t appreciate the oversimplified advice “just eat less than you burn” like that’s so easy. There is SO much emotional nuance and complexity there that they were missing.

So it was a struggle to get started but I did eventually lose some weight. Unfortunately, my performance at work suffered a lot when the made us go back into the office and stop working from home. I was a lot heavier than I was pre-pandemic so the stairs became a real challenge. I became avoidant of going to meetings because other people weren’t wearing masks and I felt so scared. Eventually I got laid off which shook me. I fell right back into binge eating because I was so emotionally overwhelmed and I needed the food to cope. I gained all the weight back and then some.

I need to reset but this time, I need daily support. Before, I had no one I was checking in with regularly. I need to be surrounded by people who “get it”. Just getting advice from skinny fit people who can’t relate to the challenges I face wasn’t enough.

I am 5’5” and my weight fluctuates in the high 270s or around 280. I can’t believe I was only 160 before the pandemic, that was so skinny.

I am trying to be realistic. Losing 120 pounds seems totally unrealistic so right now I’m just focused on maybe getting down to 250? I guess the number isn’t as important to me as feeling like I can do normal things again like climb 1 flight of stairs without stopping to rest. Also, losing inches off my belly so I can get some sense of a waistline back. Like right now my tummy fat has gotten so out of control that my waist is bigger than my hips. I’m like a reverse hourglass shape. It really sucks, kills my confidence, and makes it impossible to find clothes that fit. I’m naturally plus size and I’m naturally apple shape so I’ve always had a small butt, big belly. Even at my lower weight, I always had tummy fat but at least I was small enough to hold it in with spanx!! I’m too big for shapewear even the plus size ones smooth but can’t suck it in. They are so exhausting to put on too.

I am trying to stay positive but I really need daily encouragement. Like, appreciating and loving my body through each stage of its evolution is the hardest part. When I start feeling negative about my body, I binge eat because I’m too emotionally overwhelmed and it’s the only way I know how to cope with my feelings.

So please, let’s just encourage each other and be positive and build each other up and help us love ourselves more because we are all beautiful and we need to see that in each other and embrace our beauty

I don’t know how much you ladies weigh but I feel like we “get” how hard the pandemic was and I feel like we are at a similar place? I feel like we are at a similar height/weight? Similar goals? What are your goals ladies?