Posts by ophelia181

Well, I have to say I'm glad to find this place. Here's the story, for those who don't mind my telling it: I'm a 26 year old surgical tech student from Georgia. I, like many of you, am and always have been an emotional eater, and always a "big girl" as my friends like to call me.

But recently, big has become out of hand. In my highschool days and first-time college days I ate alot, but was always active. Now, in these last couple of years I've become very sedentary besides school and my job as a local dj. It seems funny how you can just step on the scale and see the weight climbing and climbing, and lose the will to care about it. In this last year particularly, I've gone from 230 pounds to a now staggering 280. And the funny thing is that I don't think I would have tried to change it if it weren't for a couple of things:

Firstly, I met a wonderful man last year, the love of my life, and we are now engaged. In a way that happiness made me comfortable. And being an emotional eater, I realize now that "emotional eater" doesn't just mean I would eat when unhappy, but WHENEVER I had any kind of overwhelming emotion.

And then secondly, my friends and I share a deep love of rollercoasters. We have always tried to go on at least a few trips across the southeast and midwest every year to ride our favorites and the new ones that crop up, but this year was different. For the first time, my fear became real. I always worried that maybe the day would come that I would be too fat to get on a coaster, and that day came. I was devastated and embarrassed in front of not only my close friends but a large line of people I didn't even know, and hearing the gasps and snickers was possibly the worst sound I've ever heard.

So, the time has come. It's time to have the pretty healty body to go with the "oh, you've got such a pretty face" line I was beginning to think I was doomed to hear all my life. I only hope that my struggle will help others to be motivated to begin their own journey. I know we all can do it....it is possible. With the right support and a few simple changes, it can happen. And it WILL happen for me. I'm giving myself one year to lose at least 80 pounds. If it doesn't happen, at least I'll be on my way to that goal. If i do lose it, you'll see a very happy girl back here to tell you all about it. In the meantime, thanks for reading.