Hey everyone, I'm new here

I'll start off by saying I recently joined a gym because I've gained A LOT of weight in the past year and enough is enough!

I got weighed tonight and I was at 215lbs, this is more than I've ever weighed in MY LIFE and to be honest I was a bit shocked. I really hope I can make some good changes in my life that really stick, I'm sick of buying bigger clothing, not feeling confident, and just feeling all around crappy about my appearance :-/

I'm 5'8 and 215, anyone else around the same and feel the same way? I'd like to have a buddy to email or something about how we're doing with workouts and staying on track with food and such! It's hard living in LA and finding other girls who feel like they struggle with food and weight issues.

Anyways, hopefully I'll talk to some of you soon :)

hi! congrats on making the commitment! i'm 5'7 and at my heaviest ever i would have been around the same weight as you. I'm now around 150lbs last time i checked. 

people are always asking me what pill/program/fad diet i used but i tell them it really is just as easy as making the calorie deficit each week. don't worry if you you eat a little too much/too little in one single day. focus on reaching a deficit at the end of each week.

also for exercise all i've done is walked. i've never been to a gym or lifted a weight in my life (i probably should tho!)

the best advice i can give you is to start by making minor changes like at first making sure you eat breakfast, replace soda with diet soda etc. you will be amazed by what little changes like that can achieve. after each month add some more little changes. little changes make it easier to stick to and eventually it will just become a normal way of life. oh and don't deprive yourself of anything. moderation is key!

losing weight isn't the result of hard to stick to diets where you're always starving, or expensive fancy gym equipment. it is so achievable i don't know why i waited so long to do it! :) good luck!

Painted Lady: You said not to worry if you eat a little too much, or too little in a single day. And it is all about the calorie deficit. How does that work? Excersise is the only way to achieve that correct. I'm just looking for some tips of dealing with that. Thanks!

150 is right around where i'd like to be, congrats!

i've already cut on soda pretty much...i'll have one every once in awhile and if so its always diet coke/diet pepsi. i've also been trying to focus on the extra empty calories i eat and may not notice (sides of dressing, condiments, etc) and trying to make smarter food choices.

i'm still kind of shocked that i weighed in at 215, like i knew i gained weight but i had no idea i had gained as much as i did!

Hi

I am new here as well. Congrats on making the commitment to losing weight and changing your lifestyle. When I started to lose weight I was at 190 and 5'5 in height! I am currently 175 now and I continuing to commit myself to losing more weight. My ideal goal would be around 145. I have struggled because I love food so much! Sometimes I just pig out but the key is moderation. I gained all this weight when I got pregnant and thought...hey, I can eat everything I want! NOT! At first I didn't care and kept eating unhealthy, I felt like I could be happy and big but then I felt so uncomfortable that I just could not take it anymore. I sure was regretful when I stepped on the scale after my baby was born last August. So far I have focused on exercising at least 4 times a week (running and resistance bands) and making healthy choices. Good luck on the journey, it is fun and a challenge at the same time, there may be those days where you just want to eat pie and not exercise but as long as you pick yourself up from that day and get back to your commitment you will get stronger and be healther :)

Original Post by dannimariec:

Painted Lady: You said not to worry if you eat a little too much, or too little in a single day. And it is all about the calorie deficit. How does that work? Excersise is the only way to achieve that correct. I'm just looking for some tips of dealing with that. Thanks!

A deficit is achieved by eating less than you burn in a day (not just while exercising). To do that, you can change how much you eat, or how much you burn, or a combination of both. Exercise, per se, is not required to lose weight, but eating enough really helps, and often it's best to eat enough and use exercise to create the deficit.

Original Post by macker3:

 At first I didn't care and kept eating unhealthy, I felt like I could be happy and big but then I felt so uncomfortable that I just could not take it anymore. 

 i know exactly how you feel!! i thought the same thing, and then my loose clothing wasn't so loose anymore and i was buying bigger sizes and realized that nothing was gonna get better if i kept doing what i was doing!

today will be day 4 for me of working out and eating better, it already seems like it gets a bit easier everyday with making better choices.

Amethystgirl: I would definetely have to agree with you. Eat more ...have you ever seen in the healthy magazine or any magazine where is says you can for example, have a fruit cake or you can have a turkey wrap, fruit and a low fat latte? It is crucial that you eat and not starve yourself, it just depends on what you eat. If you make the right choices with your food, like eating more fruits, veggies, and whole grains then you won't be starving. I have learned that eating a whole grain turkey sandwich will make me more full (and last longer) than eating a big mac and fries from mc donalds. I think your supposed to eat like 6 small meals a day...so eat up! :) As for your answer on exercise, that is a must! In order to lose weight you have to be active....the more exercise, the more calories you burn. So burn baby burn!