Introductions

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Since we'll all be embarking on the often less-than-pleasant weight loss battle, I thought we might want to get to know one another a bit better.

I'll start --

My name is Julie, and I'm a 24-y-o student/still figuring out a career/starting to be a cat lady, haha (my boyfriend and I have three between us, and two were wild "imports" from Turks & Caicos). I live in Nova Scotia, which is on the east coast of Canada. I'm an avid equestrian with a young horse of my own, and that is one of my largest motivations for this weight loss... that, and the 50 cute bikinis I'd love to feel comfortable in again!

I gained weight rather rapidly over the past two years or so, the bulk of it being the past 6-9 months. I am over 200 lbs for the first time in my life, and would like to get back to my norm around 120/130 lbs. I have been struggling with some medical issues that have contributed greatly to the weight gain/inability to lose, but I think things are all starting to get under control and I'm really excited to start losing inches!!
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Replies

  • tammyandzach
    tammyandzach Posts: 922 Member
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    My name is Tammy. I am mother of 3. I have always struggled with my weight a little. I was really active when I was young. Dance, Baseball, Basketball. When I started working and joined the adult world I didn't have time to continue those and the weight started piling on. My kids are 5,3, and 8 months. My last one was 11lb7oz. I had an incision from a previous surgery herniate during that pregnancy. This has greatly limited what I can do. I had the repair surgery in November and am still somewhat limited on what I can do until the 1 year anniversary of that surgery but I am determined this is the time for the weight to come off regardless.
  • rawrxamberx
    rawrxamberx Posts: 646 Member
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    Sounds like a great idea!! (:

    My name is Amber and I am 20 years old, turning 21 on May 7th! I am currently going to college, but I have no idea what I wanna major in. I'm thinking about like web design or anything to do with the internet since that's what targets my interest. I am a lesbian and I'm almost completely out. I still have to tell my dad and my sister and the rest of my family. However, all my friends know and with new people I tell them if they bring up sexual orientations. I am currently in a long distance relationship with this amazing girl and we have been dating for 6 months and 10 days (:

    I have been struggling with weight my whole life. I was taught as a child to eat whatever I want until I am full. So, I was never taught portion control or healthier foods. However, I do love my fruits and vegetables so I ate them anyway. I was always the kid that was picked on due to my weight all through school. When I was 12, I had gallbladder surgery and they found out that I have scoliosis. And it's too far bad to where I can't have the brace to correct it. I will have to have the surgery one day or I will end up paralyzed and that scares me to death. They didn't start talking surgery until I was about 13 or 14 and they said at that point that I will have to lose 100 pounds before they even think of doing it. At that time I think I weighed about 250ish. So, I gained a lot of weight since then. Main reason I think I did is because in high school this one girl controlled my mind and told me I can never lose weight and that I'm worthless and a bunch of other things. I'm still reeling with depression because of this, but now I'm trying to actually better myself. I want to be able to know I can walk the rest of my life, so that right there is a big motivator. The last time I saw the back doctor he said I have no restrictions since I have no pain and to this day I'm thankful for not having any pain. I mean here and there I get back aches, but who doesn't? Other than my back problem, I'm very healthy according to my doctor.

    I just want to be better than I have been my whole life and I know I have the control to do that. My main thing is keeping me motivated and I'm pretty sure this challenge will keep me competitive and motivated to want to keep going!
  • melissa97
    melissa97 Posts: 57 Member
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    Im Melissa and a stay at home mom to 2 beautiful girls age 6 and 3. I was always very skinny with a super fast metabolism. I could out eat anyone i know and never gain a ounce. When i got pregnant with my first daughter i gained 55lbs but quickly lost 30 after she was born. I began to have anxiety and began treatment with zoloft which i think played a part in my weight gain. By the time i got pregnant with baby #2 i weighed 180...more then when i delivered baby #1!! After she was born i lost nothing. I gained nothing. I just cant seem to get my body to do anything. I have a addiction to food...i love to cook and i love to eat!! Im super busy between caring for my girls and being a college student. But more then anything i make up tons of excuses. Im trying to count calories and get my daily exercise in but not until recently have i actually stuck to it for more then a week! So here i am...ready for a life style change for the better!!!
  • bex_86_
    bex_86_ Posts: 92
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    My name is Becky,
    I'm 25 and a student studying applied psycholoy, which I absolutely love :)

    i was always quite petite until I was around 15 and after a rollercoaster few years, I began to gain weight. My diet until recently has been controlled totally by my emotions rather than anything else. Back in 2010 I lost around 3 stone to go on a trip to Vegas. The weight stayed of for a while and I felt amazing. Then last year I had a rough few months and the weight crept back slowly at first, then bam i was 250lb at christmas. I was devestated when I stood on the scale as I'd never weighed so much!! So Jan 2nd was the beginning of my new healthy eating lifestyle and here I am 24lb lighter :smile:

    Outside of Uni and being on this journey to a new and better lifestyle I love to read, hang out with my friends and spend time with my fabulous little nephew who always manages to bring a huge smile to my face everytime I see him :smile:
  • FHerndon01
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    Hi all! :)

    I'm Frances, 29, and a married mother of one daughter. For most of my childhood up until college I was active and fairly slim. I was diagnosed with PCOS in my early twenties. Since that time I have slowly put on weight. In 2006 when I got pregnant with my daughter I was 176. I have only gone up from there. I hit 235 earlier this year - the heaviest I have ever been. I have struggled with losing weight always growing disheartened after awhile.

    March 9th I went back to the doctor and was told the only way I'd be able to have anymore children would be to lose weight (something I already knew). Since my PCOS is primarily related to insulin resistance I was put on metforim. That day would change my life. Since that point I have dropped 13 lbs, sitting at 221.8. I have been working out twice a day, 7 days a week combining both cardio and strength training. My goal is to eventually get back to 120-125.

    I look forward to going through this journey with all of you! :)
  • RheneeB
    RheneeB Posts: 461 Member
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    My name is Rhenee' and I am 47 years old. My husband and I have 5 children, the youngest being 18 and the oldest 27. We are on the home stretch!!! I live in Georgia and have for 25 years but I was born and raised in Pennsylvania (Go Steelers). Only one other time in my life did I have problems managing my weight and that was after having kids and what motivated me then was standing in front of a full length mirror butt naked just stairing at myself until I broke down and cried. I worked hard and lost about 60 pounds and managed to keep it off with no effort at all. When I turned 43 I started slowly gaining weight but in the last year, since becoming premenopausal, I rapidly gained about 30 pounds. As of yesterday I weighed 171.8 and though I lost 15 pounds a while back, I managed to put most of it right back on. When I started MFP I was a little over 174 pounds and got to 160....yes, I am angry at myself for giving up so easily or for not having better control. I hate feeling the way I do about myself, I hate how I look in pictures, I hate how I feel when I bend down to tie my shoes (hate even more the little grunt noises that come from deep within me - hahaha) I am ready to get my mind focused and take control! I am looking forward to being part of this group and can't wait to see what we all accomplish!!
  • tammyandzach
    tammyandzach Posts: 922 Member
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    Hi all! :)

    I'm Frances, 29, and a married mother of one daughter. For most of my childhood up until college I was active and fairly slim. I was diagnosed with PCOS in my early twenties. Since that time I have slowly put on weight. In 2006 when I got pregnant with my daughter I was 176. I have only gone up from there. I hit 235 earlier this year - the heaviest I have ever been. I have struggled with losing weight always growing disheartened after awhile.

    March 9th I went back to the doctor and was told the only way I'd be able to have anymore children would be to lose weight (something I already knew). Since my PCOS is primarily related to insulin resistance I was put on metforim. That day would change my life. Since that point I have dropped 13 lbs, sitting at 221.8. I have been working out twice a day, 7 days a week combining both cardio and strength training. My goal is to eventually get back to 120-125.


    I look forward to going through this journey with all of you! :)

    I got pregnant with my first on metformin. Just stop taking it when you get pregnant. My cousin kept taking it. Her son ended up with a tumor. There is some question as to whether metformin might have been partly to blame
  • tammyandzach
    tammyandzach Posts: 922 Member
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    Funny piece of motivation. My friend says that every time she wants to eat something she knows she shouldn't she goes in the bathroom strips down stands in front of the mirror and jumps. It cures her every time.
  • shaybethxo
    shaybethxo Posts: 153 Member
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    i'm 19 and about to finish sixth form still a little undecided about what i want in life. i've always been fat, for as long as i can remember. i gained alot (not sure what as i hadnt weighed myself in a year) after i split with my boyfriend last year and found myself weighing in at almost 250lbs. it shocked me to the core. so here i am doing something about it before i'm too old to do it and i get stuck in a rut. :)
    i'm happy and outgoing and very accident prone so don't be surprised if i get injured at some point :P
    my weight as of today is 237lbs, and by summer i want to be 220-215. by my birthday in november i want to be 199. i will get there :D
  • jeyko
    jeyko Posts: 368 Member
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    My name is Jennifer, I'm 38 yrs old. I'm married and have two amazing kids aged 11 & 12. I've never really been "slim" but I've never been this big either. I gained weight with both pregnancies, losing quite a bit after both, but not all of it. Too busy was a great excuse, too busy with the kids, with housework, with work. I didn't see the weight, avoided mirrors, no pictures that showed my whole body. I've decided that it's time to be healthier for me and for my family. I want to be around for kids kids and maybe even theirs! I also want to look great at the beach this summer! (have to have a small selfish reason in there too lol). I'm so glad to be part of a group for this journey!!
  • LaylaSparkles
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    Hello Everyone, My name is Amanda, I am 36 and a mother to a girl 19 in may and a boy 15 in April.
    I never had a weight problem growing up or for most of my adult hood, I had my children when I was very young and I was very active. I weighed about 106 at the most for pretty much most of my adult life. Having been in a really bad relationship for a long time I finally gave in to depression and lost myself for a few years and started packing on the weight...emotional eating for the win...lol! I am now a whopping 166 pounds.

    I made a choice last July to change my life. I left my relationship, I picked up my children and moved 7 hours away from where I grew up all my life. I left all the baggage behind to create a happier better life. I have made sure that my kids are safe and happy, I have started school (Finishing High school) and I start college in September and I am getting involved in our new community. With that being said. I think I am now ready for the next step of my change and that is to begin my weight loss journey to become a healthier, sexier more amazing me!!!

    Thanks for listening and I hope to have great success here with you all!!
  • brittlynn07
    brittlynn07 Posts: 386 Member
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    My name is Brittany. I am 22 years old and a college student. I have always had a weight problem but when I was 17 it got worse. I have medical problems that caused me to gain 30+ pounds in a short amount of time. It's hard for me to lose weight but I think I might have finally found what's going to work for me! I've been struggling trying to lose for about 2 years now but in January I finally decided to just go full force with it.
  • mfanyafujo
    mfanyafujo Posts: 232 Member
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    Hi all, I'm Leslie. I'm 24, and I live and work in Tanzania.

    I've always been at the upper end of the healthy weight range for my height, and freshman year started straying into overweight-ness. I'm pretty active, but want to lose about 40 pounds so I can feel more comfortable in clothes. I also want to be in super awesome shape!
  • stacygb
    stacygb Posts: 69 Member
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    My name is Stacy. I am 43 yrs old and I have been on MFP for 2 months. I started my weight loss journey a year ago March 14, at that time I weighed 324. I have 2 boys and a very supportive husband. I live and work in Illinois.

    I want to lose weight and be healthy for myself and my family. I don't want to be the biggest woman in the room anymore. I walked my first 5k this past weekend. I finished dead last in the race and I won my age division. LOL, you do the math! I have at least 3 more races coming up and I don't want to be last again. So I am working really hard to improve my physical condition. I am looking forward to your support during this challenge.
  • LilCrissieBug
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    Funny piece of motivation. My friend says that every time she wants to eat something she knows she shouldn't she goes in the bathroom strips down stands in front of the mirror and jumps. It cures her every time.

    LMAO that is fabulous!!!
  • Allison22451
    Allison22451 Posts: 686 Member
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    Greetings all!

    My name is Allison. Im 39. I'm a consummate smart aleck. I don't take myself too seriously, I feel life's too short not to enjoy every minute of it... And I'd like to enjoy it more with a healthier, fit more active lifestyle. I joined MFP a few wks ago. only really started using it as the tool it was designed to be, for approx a wk. Its been very helpful. I like the food journal. It assigns accountability for the foods I eat and does all the math for me.

    My weight has yo-yo'd since my teens. The past 7 years I've had some serious health issues that have contributed to inactivity and a weight plateau. Now that I'm on the mend, I'm highly motivated to get back on track.

    I think joining this group will provide that catalyst i crave and promote the extra drive i want to succeed.
    -a
  • hypallage
    hypallage Posts: 624 Member
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    Hello,
    I'm Sue, based in the UK abd have lost about half of what I want to...have managed this far before then quit. This time hoping to go further. I'm currently around 165, wanting to lose about 25lb
  • youknome
    youknome Posts: 63
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    Hi there,

    I'm Jay 21, currently at university studying IT. I'm planning on losing all my weight by the time I start my third and final year at university in September, however it would be amazing if I could do it before that; hence why I am participating in this.

    I am currently about 202lbs and my overall goal weight is about 160lbs. Now I've got all summer to work out and eat right, can not wait!
  • BrittanyFordham
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    Hi,
    i'm Brittany. I'm 21 and I'm in college to be a Physical Therapist. I want to lose weight and become much healthier so I can be a good example for my patients and my family, and I want to be healthy for me. I've been overweight my whole life and I can't wait to walk into a normal store and pick out clothes. I've got twin brothers who are athletic like me and I'd love to be able to keep up with them, and help my parents get back in shape. My dad's a pastor and we'd love to start a fitness group at church and when I get my degree he wants me to start it, but I can't do that until I get in shape.

    Thanks for starting this group! I'm excited for this Spring Scorcher! :)
  • abbezen
    abbezen Posts: 405 Member
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    Hello Everyone!

    My name is Kimberly and I am a 52 yo Grammy of 4. I live in Montana and am a Legal Assistant. I never had much of a problem with my weight until about the last 10 years. I guess that is when middle age and menopause set in. I have put on over 40 lbs and I just hate and will not tolerate this "belly fat" any more. I have very high cholesterol as well.

    I joined MFP and just starting excercising 3 weeks ago. I am a very active outdoor person and want to eat and be healthy for myself, my children and grandkids.

    Good luck to everyone! We can do this!!