Hi ...new member

Hi...I am new to this community and looking for whatever support is available.  I started out weighing 198lbs.  I lost some weight having the zone diet delivered to my door...I just cannot afford it any more.  I also think I need to learn how to feed myself and develop the dicipline to do so in a healthy manner.  I now weigh 172lbs and I want to get down to 135.  The calculator on this site indicates it will take me to feb 2007 ...unh!...I am so mad at myself that I allowed this to happen and now I fear I won't have the patience it is going to take to see this through.  At 44, I have yo yo dieted all my life so I know its going to be slow going. I want to do it right this time, but its hard to trust myself.  My weight inhibits my life so much.


I have taken a month off of work to get my life in order after some personal crises...I am including the goal to get some signficant pounds off... Any advice, words of encouragement to help me (and any others reading this)  stay motivated...will be appreciated.

Welcome mandymy!!  I can certainly say you've come to a great place, everyone here is very supportive.  And, the site is an incredible tool for learning how to feed yourself, as you put it.  Make sure you read through the articles in the library and get a good familiarity with the tools on the site - they will definitely help you get to your goal.

I understand how frustrating seeing that date in the future can be, but it is well worth the wait!!  One of the best parts of this site is the emphasis on slow and healthy weight loss.  It can seem daunting, but you've already made incredible progress.  Congrats on the loss so far!!!!  Any time you are worried that you won't be able to have the patience, just come back here to the forums and post about it - you'll get a ton of friendly advice and support from people who have been in the same boat.

Welcome again, and good luck!!  :)

Hi mandymy!!  I am also new here and I understand your frustration with the weight loss goal.  My goal is april 2010.  But it took us longer than a few months to put this weight on and it will take us longer than a few months to sucessfully, and healthfuly take it off.  I have just weighed in at a whopping 305 and am very very upset with myself.  But I know with a little determination and perserverance I can do this just like you can.  The only positive I have today is that i may have lost 15# prior to starting out.  OF course I would be happy with 2# at this point.  Thank you for being supportive and I hope I helped.
Michelle

Hi I am new too and boy when I see how much I need to lose it is depressing...I stopped smoking six months ago and I guess that didn't help but no excuses...the time has come...the goal for me is for June 21, 2007 and that is 50.5 pounds they say...so that is what I will aim form....

Welcome to Mandy, Ladyflamingo, and sylviep!!  This site is awesome!

I joined CC less than a month ago, and made some major lifestyle/eating changes starting in May.  Posting a profile, entering foods, and reading discussion threads has really been helpful.  Wanting to be healthier is the first step.  Learning how is the second, and I find I'm still doing that even while I'm in the third step, which is exercising, eating better, and losing weight.  If I can do it, YOU can do it!  :-)

My "Big Goal" is to lose 104 more pounds.  I've lost 30.  But, honestly, I've got so many little goals, like drinking lots of water or lowering fat and sodium and sticking to my suggested calorie guidelines and increasing exercise, that I can't let that big 104 left overwhelm me like those long-term dates seem to be overwhelming you all.  Maybe try to take some deep breaths and focus one goal, or one day/week/month, at a time.  You'll have lots of success to celebrate that way, and the journey won't seem so hard.

HANG in there!  We're all pulling for you! 

it is wonderful to "see" new faces here today.  i started back in january, so i'm one of the "old-timers" but i still LOVE this site, and the friendly community.  and so will you.  and i will personally GUARANTEE that this works.  it is a life changing experience, and although i had only 28 lb to lose, it happened a lot quicker than i thought it would.  as with many other things, looking back it seems quicker than it did at the time. . . .   the important thing is to be PATIENT.  it takes a long time to find out what works for you.   don't sweat the "mistakes" ---they are learning experiences!    pretty soon you will join me in the "maintenance" room.  ha ha.  i think of myself as one of the "janitors" now. 

Welcome!  If it's any comfort, I started at 210, January 23, and expect to be at my goal of 130 by April 8, 2008.  I'm in this for the long haul and beyond.  Right now I'm on the verge of 190, just about to break out into the 180s any time.  I'm losing very slowly, but expect to keep the weight off for the rest of my life.

We've chosen a way to get healthy.  It takes some dedication and some time, but the tools here will help you do it.

Hope to see you often!

Welcome Mandymy. Im new here too, I think everyone here is very nice and supportive. Weight loss takes time but hang in there you can do it like so many here have.  Good luck :)

Hi mandymy! The goals CC's calculator sets for you can be ambitious, in terms of how strictly you diet and how fast you lose, so instead of following its 1 1/2 pounds a week target loss I'm going for 56 pounds by August 15, 2007. That's roughly a pound a week. If I lose much faster than that, hey, bonus! I didn't get fat in six months and I don't expect to get thin in six months either.

If you want it you can do it, good luck on your journey.

I am new as well, struggling as I need to loose 41 pounds, most of my life never had to worry about weight, but quitting smoking, having a hysterectemy and turning 40 have not faired well. Its been 9 days eating between 1200- 1500 cal/day and going to the gym daily. Have not seen any results in poundage (is that a word ) but feel a little better. Hoping to start loosing soon. Reading how well  you are doing does give hope.
Congrats to you all

welcome mandy - i too started w zone diet, although not delivered, just
making food myself. it really helped me be aware of balance in diet,
and this site has taught me even more. i have been here only a few
weeks, but it seems that alot of us started with some kind of diet then
begin this  healthy eating plan which is more flexible and feels
like you can do it forever, positive and supportive friends too. create
a profile .... it will help us get to know each other! kathi

Hey Mandi- This site is awesome! Don't get discouraged about how long it'll take you to reach your goal.

Make mini goals: once a week or even daily. For example- my mini goal for today is to stay within my calorie range (approx 1350 cals). My goal for the week is to exercise a total of 400 mins. This helps you to break it down into smaller steps.

Make a member profile so that I can add you as a friend- feel free to add me if you like- we could encourage each other.  

Wow,  thank you all who responded to my request for support!  I am no web wizzard, so I am still figuring out how the site works...and would like to offer my support to others as well...

Hi Mandy, I just wanted to say good luck on your weight loss and my advice is combine weight lifting and cardio at least 3 times a week with diet of 1500 calories or less.  Anyways, I'm a new user as well and hopefully we can support each other to reach our ideal weight :)  See ya.

I joined 2 weeks ago and have lost 2 pounds so far.  Today I noticed that I can take off my wedding ring without using soap to make it slippery.  It still leaves a mark around my finger.  I had to start removing it when I sleep because my finger was too fat and it hurt.  Someday soon I'll be wearing it 24/7 again.  I've got 50 pounds to lose.  The oddest thing I've noticed is that with 2 weeks of eating healthy and exercising, my respiratory allergies have gone away.  When the gym was closed three days in a row for holidays and maintainance, I started to sniffle again.

You've come to a great place!  The people are wonderful, active on the forums, and encouraging!  You've got all the time in the world to reach your goal.  Go at it at the pace you feel comfortable with.  You'll be a success in no time!