From lurker to poster in 1 easy step!

Hello!

I've been using MFP for 60 days now, and have frequently checked in on the message board for quick inspiration and occasional fact finding. I guess, I finally decided to join this awesome community and perhaps dish out some inspiration and share some experiences of my own.

I started my journey at 335 pounds after gaining some "self pity" weight following a bad breakup. My parents had each lost a considerable amount of weight using a combination of meal replacement shakes and calorie counting. So, I decided that I should give it a shot. I setup my MFP account and installed the app on my phone, and officially took a shot at changing my life forever.

About three years ago, a dear friend of mine challenged me to run a 5K with her and her family and friends. Well North of 300 pounds, I was pretty nervous about accepting. My mom, with no malice intended, kind of scoffed at the notion of me running a 5K. That turned out to be all of the motivation I needed, and in 7 weeks I trained myself to run the race. I was probably the slowest runner out there, but I was very proud of what I had accomplished. I ran a few more 5Ks (I even finished dead last in one... which was not one of my finer moments), and shed a few more pounds, but one day my motivation ran out and I slowly went back to old habits (sodas, junk food, no exercise, etc.) .

A few years later, I found myself right where I started and maybe even a bit worse off in overall health. I was starting to experience difficulty sleeping, and I was struggling with even minor amounts of walking or physical exertion. I finally had to admit that the way I was living my life was not acceptable, and was holding me back from being happy.

So, I made the change, and MFP has been an integral part of that. My plan has been focused on counting calories, walking a few times a week, and cutting out sodas and junk food. I have been amazed at what just a little bit of awareness can do to help you eat a reasonable amount of calories a day, and have had very little issue with sticking to my goals. I have exceeded my calories twice since I started on planned celebration meals, and have lost weight (anywhere from 2lbs to 8lbs) every week. I weigh myself once a week at the same time, and refuse to do so any other time or even on a different scale. I'll probably start taking measurements every couple weeks as well, as the weight loss will probably slow to a healthy crawl and will be a less obvious change to count on.

In the end, I just want to thank all of you who honestly share your triumphs and your troubles on a daily basis. It really helps somebody like me that is just starting out and can't always see the immediate benefits or might be inundated with so much misinformation. Since I do not like to overwhelm my friends and family with weight loss talk (I'll gladly talk about it if asked, but I don't want to force it on anybody), I plan to use this forum more as an outlet for my own successes and frustrations.

-Nick