22 and sick of being the fat kid

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MariSama44
MariSama44 Posts: 340 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hello everyone. I figured posting a hello message would help get me motivated. I've always been overweight, and last spring I nearly reached 280, which is a little too close to 300 for comfort. I realized I can't do alot of the things I could in high school, (I was in marching band, which kept me around 200 for the most part). Its so upsetting to go up one flight of stairs and be too winded to have a conversation with someone. I have to go hide and catch my breath. I dont like not being able to run, bike, or jog without tiring quickly, and I dont want the gym to kick my butt every friday. I want men to actualy start seeing me for the wonderful woman I am, instead of just seeing me as another one of the guys. And most of all, I want to get healthy and stay healthy for as long as possible so I can be with my family for many, many years.

I started (seriously) dieting this past spring, and I went from 278 to 252 using my own made up diet and excersize routine. But now I've kind of strayed from my purpose (260), and I want to really get down to business and get all the way to 170, which as I calculated is a good body fat percentage for me to be at since I have a naturaly thick frame.

My problems are portion control, curbing hunger and keeping motivated. I posted here because I want to find friends while I make this journey, and hopefully being open and having others that can relate to me will help me stay motivated and actualy drop the weight.

Outside of that, I'm a graphic designer for a small technology company in Huntsville Alabama. I work full time and go to school part time, trying to finish up my Bachelors of Art. I enjoy making and looking at art, science, I love animals and (obviously) I love food and cooking. Nice to meet you!

I'm tired of trying things and failing. This is it, i want this to be the time that I actualy do it.

Replies

  • Livi_Loves_Pink
    Livi_Loves_Pink Posts: 754
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    Welcome!! :flowerforyou:
  • courtney_love2001
    courtney_love2001 Posts: 1,468 Member
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    Hey and welcome! You've come to a great place. I was exactly like you, young and tired of being the fat friend and not ever getting any attention from guys. I hit my max weight and it was too close to "the forbidden weight" for me to handle. I've tried to lose before, but I could never keep up with it. That is, until I came to MFP. Just follow what MFP gives you calorie wise, and be sure to check out the newbie threads (it answers tons of questions).

    If you want to get some exercise in, just start by walking. You would be amazed at how much a simple walk can do for you. And drink tons of water! I don't like wasting calories on drinks when I could be eating those ;) Just be sensible, don't go crazy, and take it slow. It is a long, but totally worth it process.

    We are here to help, so lean on us when you need a hand!
  • MariSama44
    MariSama44 Posts: 340 Member
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    :) Thanks for the welcomes, and thanks for the tips, Courtney. I see that this community is relatively small, which I think will make it easier for me to get social. And I love how simple this site is to use, compared to all the others I've tried.
  • CinthyNair
    CinthyNair Posts: 261
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    Hi there,
    I know what it's like to be the fat kid in school (and the obese adult at the work place). My heaviest was at 260 (somewhere where you are right now).

    It's not a easy road of recovery - I call it recovery coz we had taken many years to get to where we are right now (bad eating habits, no exercise, etc). It will take time to heal.

    First things first, start logging your goals and check in and calculate your calorie intake. Next, diligently log in the food diary everyday (preferably 1 day ahead) so that you can plan what you intend to eat the next day (and make sure you stick to it!).

    Begin incorporating workouts (3-5 times a week), include cardio and strength training.

    Last but not least, drink lots of water.

    The above is not the secret formula, but a work in progress. Occasionally you will have to make some changes, tweak your food intake or exercise, etc. You will begin to loose weight, and more importantly, adopt a healthy eating lifestyle (which is important to maintaining weight loss).

    I wish you all the success, and remember this ... YOU ARE WORTH IT! :flowerforyou:
  • Mommabee
    Mommabee Posts: 103
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    Welcome! You have found a great place to start your journey. There are so many great people here who really want to help and MFP offers really great tools to help you keep track of how you are doing.
    I've always been a fat kid too. Had lots of friends, but not many "boyfriends". I was lucky enough to find and marry a wonderful man who saw past the fat to who I really was and loved me for that alone. I've lost weight before, but always gained it back (and more!) but now that I'm on the other side of 45 it's getting harder and harder to loose, so it's really good that you have decided to do something about your weight while you are still young before you really do serious damage to your body.
    The best advice I can give you is to log EVERYTHING you eat. As one MFP member put it "if you bite it, write it!" It really helps to take a look at what you eat everyday, you'll be suprised at what you put in your mouth! And drink all the water you possibly can! It'll feel like you are floating:drinker: , but it's really worth it!
    So again, welcome and good luck! You can do this, I know you can!
    Hugs! :flowerforyou:
  • LaurelFisher
    LaurelFisher Posts: 407 Member
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    Welcome MariSama. I can vouch for MFP. The people here are very encouraging and understanding when we slip or fall flat on our behinds. What was your diet and exercize program like? Have you tried Leslie Sansone Walk Away the Pounds? When I started at 221 the weight was coming off to the tune of 2 to 7 lbs a week. When we went on vacation for a week I was hiking, biking, eating chicken and veggies for 7 days and I lost 7 lbs. I wish I had the time ( and the weather would cooperate) to do that kind of exercising everyday. Good luck in your journey to better health and weight. We are here for you and look forward to rejoicing with you as you achieve your goal, Rosemary
    :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:
  • tigger2009
    tigger2009 Posts: 66
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    Welcome MariSama! I consider myself still a newbie here after 4 weeks. I have lost 8 lbs just by changing my diet that includes portion control. I had to for my husband as he was diagnosed with Diabetes type 2. It really has been the best thing that has happened in a strange way as we both feel soo much better for it. I am not Diabetic but do have family history of it.

    I too was the fat kid and has always battled with my weight. Take it one day at a time and stay on MFP as it very helpful. I love logging on to enter in my food so I can keep control what I eat. My sister lead me to this site to which we are both supporting each other with it too. I have not even started exersising yet! But I am working towards that as I just purchased a new workout outfit to inspire me! I hope you can feel inspired on this site. There is tons of suppot here!

    Good luck to you and we are here for and each other!
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
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    I'm 36, and I still feel like the fat kid. Welcome to MFP. :)
  • MariSama44
    MariSama44 Posts: 340 Member
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    My diet plan is a few basic rules that I made up after trying lots of other diets.

    1500-2000 calories a day
    Don't overeat, eat slowly. Leave some if you don't want it.
    Count calories. lowfat choices, almond milk when possible.
    No soda whatsoever. Water only, and lots of it.
    Fruits/nuts/veggies/pretzels for snacks.
    Balanced eating. Each meal should have a green, starch and a meat, no duplicates.
    No beef.
    No fried foods.

    and at one point, when I was using my pedometer, 5000 steps a day. I should start doing that again.


    Thanks again for all the warm welcomes. :)
  • tvgal
    tvgal Posts: 87
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    Hey Girl and Welcome!

    I've been exactly where you are - by the time i finished college I was a total mess - all 265 lbs of me. Then one day something snapped and I had had enough. I have been maintaining for a couple of years now around 160, but joined this site to get the rest off (I'm only 5'4''). It's a really great site, and it is really nice to have all this support! You can do this!!! Best of luck!
  • LaurelFisher
    LaurelFisher Posts: 407 Member
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    Hey Marisama, I'm back.....I am 54 and I used to be 5'4" now I'm 5'3". When I was in Jr. highschool (back in the dark ages) LOL I weighed about a 150. That was the days of Twiggy ( a really skinny model for those of you who are tooooo young to know) everyone was stick thin and if you weren't you got called tank, hippo and all sorts of other colorful names. It seems that the chidren today are more tolerant of the "obese" kids because there are more of them, then there are skinny or more proportioned ones.

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