People in their 20s that would like support!

I have seen some other folks that are in their 20's that are in a similar situation to me ( I am trying to lose 70 lbs.) I thought maybe we could start supporting each other with diet and exercise tips and maybe even do weigh ins on a particular day to hold ourselves accountable. This thread can be to talk about anything going on in your life that is helping/hindering weight loss.

Wow, I'm really excited that so many people are responding! I like having people to talk to... weighed in today at 183.5 which is down a couple lbs from last time so I am happy.

I am not a big gym person, I can't motivate myself to go to the gym and walk on the treadmill or something. I do like taking the classes at gyms though which is what I'm getting into now. I take willPower & Grace classes which is like a combination of yoga, dance and pilates. I love it! I also have been taking cycling classes which I like because it is such a good workout. I took my first yoga class Tuesday and I really liked it, I am going again tonight actually! I like the gym classes because they have cardio ones and strength ones so you have someone guiding you all the way! And the yoga is nice and relaxing so I can do that between cardio and strength cause it still works some muscles but not so upbeat!

erin - I am going on a cruise in the carribean, leaving from Puerto Rico and going to a different island every day. It was weird, my mom emailed me and was like "I'm going on this cruise, wanna go? I'll pay for the cruise and airfare." So I jumped at the chance!! I am so excited.

glam - I know how you feel about the desk job, I work in an office and since I started working here I gained even more weight cause all I do is sit at my desk and snack! Still working on kicking that habit, its hard when my manager keeps a jar of KitKats and other delicious candy at her desk all the time!

Hi everyone!

I'm Sam, I'm 23, 5'7 and 210lbs.  I live in the UK and have just finished my second year of a psychology degree, with my final year starting in September and not a clue what I want to do after that!  I've never been skinny - something I think most of us share!!

Around 2 years ago I went to the doctors because I was wheezing with only slight exercise and was told that it was because of my weight.  At 230lbs I was then, he told me I was obese and needed to do something about it (in an extremely unsympathetic way!).  My blood pressure was a little high also but not too bad - this has come back to a suitable level now though .

I went on a weigh management programme at the recommendation of my doctor and was not fully on board to start with as I was still anti medical people after how my doc had treated me - he'd made me feel awful about myself.  But I guess in a way it was a good thing as it woke me up to how bad my weight gain had become.  I had been eating really unhealthily and although I was walking a lot (and still do), the calories in were far outweighing the calories burned.  My bad eating habits crept in as soon as I had a job I think and could afford to buy fast food, takeaways etc. (something we'd not had much of growing up as we weren't able to afford it).  It was ok to start with because I was still very active - walking loads, swimming, horse riding and my job was in a shoe shop where I was always on the go.  Then I got an office job and the weight gradually crept on.  To be honest I hardly noticed really apart from I was buying bigger clothes - and shopping was something I avoided already so it wasn't that prominent in my mind.  It's strange, it's like I knew it was happening but like I was denying it to myself... can anyone else identify with this?

Anyway the weight management scheme opened my eyes and helped me to eat more healthily and get back into my exercise. I had regular weigh-ins and someone to motivate me.  Trouble is that this only lasted 6 months and to cut a long story short, I slipped at the end of 6 months... not too badly but still I did.  I have been back on the healthy eating thing for about a year now and am now a bit less than I was than I was after I finished the weight management but feeling much better about it because I know I've done it almost alone.  I got together with my now fiance 3 and a half years ago and since I have been trying to loose weight he has been amazing and has lost with me.  Sometimes though it's easier for him because he seems to loose really quickly and keep it off, whereas I'm more steady and have to give it more effort.  He's also really active in his job which helps I think.  So it would be good to have some people who understand first hand how hard weight loss can be.  Does anyone else think it's easier for men to loose than women or do you think that's too much of a generalisation?

Currently I am eating healthily, drinking lots of water (a new one for me which has really given me a boost), have started some of the activities I love again swimming, horse riding, walking more and have got a wii fit.  I don't really like the gym because I get bored - even if I'm pushing myself hard I still get really bored for some reason - anyone else find this?  My ultimate aim is to loose weight for my wedding which is september 2010 in italy.  I would love to be able to buy a size 14 wedding dress (currently I'm an 18) and that is my goal but short-term I want to have lost around 16lbs before I start my last year of uni which works out at around 1lb per week until then so I think that gives me a similar sort of weekly target to a few people.  I have got my birthday coming up and probably quite a few social events during the summer - which can be quite hard for me so some good support through these times would be much appreciated.

Sorry for the long post - I get a bit carried away sometimes once I get going so please tell me if I'm rambling ever!!  I've probably forgotten to say something really important too... that happens to me a lot as well!!  Excited to get to know everyone and share useful tips and motivation!  Are we going to do a first weigh-in tomorrow???

Wow. Thanks everyone for the support so far!!

Pandia- Thanks for support. The purging/starving was an easier habit to break... but it was because I was in the hospital all the time and they wouldn't let me go to the bathroom! It was either start eating or die. Literally. Desk Jobs suck. My co-worker used to keep a tupperware container of chocolate candy and about 3 months ago I asked her to get rid of it. She was upset, but also overweight and realized how many times SHE ate the candy a day.

Erin- I have a few drinks on the weekends to, however I pay attention to them. No shots, no sugary drinks, no Margaritas (which makes me sad lol). I drink only lite beer or the MGD 64, OR I drink clear rum with diet coke.

SGH- I don't know what it's like in UK but my issue with weight management programs such as weight watchers or ones provided by doctors was the money for me. I was on weight watchers for 3 months, lost 20 lbs... but I couldn't afford it, so once I dropped off I went back to my old ways. The only reason why I think WW worked for me was because you weigh in and the leader of the group sees your weight and records it, and I was always embarassed if my number raised! I find the gym boring too... you'll have to tell me how the Wii fit is!

glam + SGH - I also find gym really boring, everyone I've talked to has liked the Wii Fit, but maybe also look into doing the classes that gyms offer? I like being in a group with everyone, and since there is music and an instructor they make it fun. Also I get a much better workout in a class cause I push myself harder, I am very competitive and I don't want the person next to me to do better. lol

Also, SGH, I do think that men lose weight faster than women, my boyfriend is a perfect example! He gives up soda and loses 10 lbs in like 2 weeks, I give up soda.... I lose maayybe 2 lbs? He doesn't even exercise, eats more fast food than I do and still drops weight!! I don't know how he does it!! Makes me feel terrible because he is like "Oh, I'm beating you I'm down to 180" and I'm stuck at 185. Then he tells me that going to one exercise class a week won't do anything, (which I know) and that I need to be at the gym everyday... yet he doesn't do anything and still loses weight!! Grrrrr makes me so mad! 3

Ok, sorry for the rant! lol

Hi everyone!!!

I'm really excited that this mini-group was created. I haven't been on CC in a long time but hopefully this support group will motivate me to check in every now and again.

My name is Leslie. I'm 22, 5'9, and I currently weigh 240 pounds. Although I share similar backgrounds with some of you I'll skip over my weight story. lol.

I just graduated from undergrad with a ba in economics and I will be pursuing my masters in accounting this fall. My goal is to lose at least 50 pounds (or as much as possible with plain ole diet and exercise) over the summer so I can take my new school by storm.

It took me a while to get to a place where I was willing to monitor and control my eating / exercise regularly. Now that I am in that mindset I know I will be able to accomplish my goal without using negativity or self-hatred as a motivating force.

Continuously monitoring every piece of food you eat and every aspect of one's body can lead to the development of a negative self perception or an obsession with one's physical appearance. So I want to be a support to women and be supported by other women so that we do not allow ourselves to drift into a place of hatred, negativity, or whatever you want to call it.

Best,

Leslie

Well I'm glad 29 is okay - I just read this thread and you all sound like a great group of people for me.  So Glam and Pandia, you've got another oldie in the group with you!

I've been a CC member for awhile and I keep going in and out of eating well; I'm having a really hard time committing though.  I'd do well for a week or so, then I would get really busy with work, etc. and gain back the few pounds lost when doing well.  I had my big deadline at work almost 2 weeks ago, I've took my time off to catch up on some sleep, I made through all of the Memorial Day cookouts and I'm ready to commit to this now!

I am a 5'3", 215 lbs, 29 year old, living in Pennsylvania.  I haven't really struggled with weight my entire life b/c I was pretty active as a kid and in high school - actually I was in really decent shape in high school.  I have more of an athletic, muscular build, so I was never actually "skinny," but I was around 125-130 throughout high school and early college.  After a few years of college, I migrated to sedentary jobs (which paid more), so I started packing on the pounds.  I quit smoking 3 and 1/2 years ago and gained an additional 20 lbs within 6 months.  I decided I'd had enough once I reached 185 lbs and joined LA Weight Loss, which I did really well with, losing 35 pounds in about a year.  They happened to close down at the same time that some pretty devastating stuff started going on in my life.  Like most of you, I'm an emotional eater, so I started packing the pounds back on.  Like some of you, I was diagnosed with depression and was put on the dreaded weight-gaining meds 8 months ago.  Since I stopped LA Weight Loss almost 2 years ago, I've gained 65 pounds.

The good news is I've recently divorced my husband (of 3 and 1/2 years) - he was a major source of the problems that lead to the depression and emotional eating.  I've been able to decrease my meds from 60 mg/day to 40 mg/day since he left and that has really helped to slow the weight gain, even without changing my eating and exercising habits.

So, here I am, single for the 1st time in 7 years, heavier than I've ever been in my entire life, and no clothes to wear because I can't bring myself to buy anything over a size 18.  As for the BMI tool, does anyone else think it's completely unrealistic?  It has me at severely overweight - I mean, I know I'm overweight, but severely, really?  Even when I get to my goal weight, I'll still be at the high end of my BMI range - then if I gain a couple pounds with that time of the month, I'll be overweight again!

I also struggle with sleeping problems, which is terrible when you're trying to lose weight.  I know the 3 most important things to losing weight are diet, exercise, and sleep.  I've done  a lot of research on sleeping disorders and have plans laid out for myself to try, but I've been having trouble committing to that too.  Angel, take a look at webmd.com - that's where I did a lot of my research.  Also, try chamomile tea right before you lay down.

Weekends are also a killer for me.  When I do manage to commit for the week, I ALWAYS sabotage myself on the weekend.  My friends are drinkers and I quite enjoy it myself.  I'm quite proud to say that I've been able to cut the drinking out during the week since my husband left - I was drinking nearly 7 days a week for a couple of months because I just couldn't deal with my home life.  I have heard that the all-or-nothing attitude doesn't work, so I think we should get ourselves in the groove of being good during the week, then slowly try to incorporate the weekends.  That's what I'm going to try at least

Sam, I can totally identify with the denial.  I have absolutely hated shopping for years now.  I don't even know what size to try on when I go, so I'll grab a 14, a 16, and an 18 and try not to pay attention to what I'm putting on.  If none of the 3 fit, I'll walk out of the store crying and then go to Dairy Queen for a Blizzard.  Major denial here!  I know what's happening, but have I done anything to reverse it yet?  Also, it's definitely easier for men to lose weight than it is for women.  Their bodies have more muscle, which burns more calories, so they definitely do not have to work as hard as we do - not fair!

So, my big news is I actually met a great guy this past weekend.  He's 26, which kind of bugs me b/c I didn't really want to go with someone younger, but he's very nice, very cute, very active, and very in shape (he's in the National Guard).  I honestly can't understand why he's even interested in me with the shape I'm in now, but I'll see how it goes.  The way my ex-husband was toward my weight still has my self esteem so far into the gutter, even though he's the main reason I gained weight!  Anyway, the new guy seems like he's going to be a really good influence, maybe things do happen for a reason.  I'm starting the Biggest Loser 30-Day Jump Start Program this coming Sunday, so hopefully it won't be long before I start seeing results.

I'm really sorry this post is so long.  I wrote it as I was reading the thread, so I had quite a lot of catching up to do (plus I'm really bored right now).  I look forward to getting to know you all better!

OK, I do think men lose weight faster & easier than women do!  It's all in the metabolism.  Men typically have faster metabolisms than women do - doesn't that suck?!?

The best I've ever done with weight loss was when I lost 30 lbs. in exactly three months!  And all I did was cut out the crap food (especially fast food - everything except Subway sandwiches!), cut out all the soda I drank (I dropped that down to maybe diet soda per day) and exercised.  I didn't go to a gym - I actually only worked out at home to work-out DVDs.  And I had 5 and 10 lb. dumbells and that's it, for about 45 minutes every day.  And it worked.  Unfortunately I then went on a cruise and I just went downhill from there!  But the point of the story is, I know I can do it again - it really wasn't that hard once you get into a routine of some sort.  It's the most amazing feeling in the world to have your once-tightest fitting jeans sliding off of you and have your best friend tell you that you need to suck it up and go buy new ones!  This time I just have to stick with it - I think my mentality now that I'm a bit older is different and I really do think that will make all of the difference for me.

Good luck to all my girls in this group - we can do it!!!

Hello everyone! Sorry it took so long to post, I've been busy.

Alright well a little about myself is that I am 20 years old, currently 203.8 pounds, I went down 3 pounds since may 26. (yay!) Anyway, I am a nursing assistant in a home health company and in a nursing home, and I am a full time+ college student taking approx 26 credits per quarter. I have a gym membership at Lifetime Fitness and I also just bought hip hop abs at a garage sale and I love it. I was down a few months ago from 220 to 194 but then I stopped working out and caring what i ate and went back up to 210. Now I've been working out more and made a schedule for working out so that I can work out the correct amount each day and HOPEFULLY make part of my goal by my 21st birthday on Nov 26. I started using my calorie count profile more recently, it really is helping me keep track of calories I take in and use up. I weigh in once or twice a week. But I have to go now, so I will post again later! Good luck to everyone!

GOAL: Lose 85-90 pounds

Awww wow theres loads of us now yay!

Someone suggested camolmile tea at some point and i cant find the post to see who it was to say thank you personally. but thank you whoever it was!! :D  and also about the meditation tips. I know a lil (very little) about it, but i need to practice paitence (which im struggling with atm, cos my housemate is throwing a ball at a wall repeatedly for the last hour and its really getting on my nerves, he does this every day usually for like 10 mins, so its not so bad, but i have a headache at the moment so it worse)

Anyway, I was talking to my boyfriend about 5 mins ago about going out for a meal with some of his friends (i get on with them so its not so bad) but if im going to sit through a whole evening with food and other people im going to need some clothes that fit me. which brings along the dilemia of shopping! now i dread this most of the time anyway, i hate it. but at the moment, when I am at my biggest, its going to be a real slap in the face to find out what actually fits me :(

Now im going to go for a dress i think, as it wont hug to all my chunky bits like a top does, and wont cut across the middle of my tummy (my biggest bit) as trousers do and make me look like im two sacks of potatoes.

Now my initial reason for this whole post was to bring up the point about going out in clothes (obv) but not feeling comfortable. My problem is, if im conscious of the fact that clothes hug all my chunky bits, then i start to worry and hold my stomach in, and the two factors end up doing nothing for me apart from giving me tummy ache from hell, which makes me bloated and i only succeed in making myself look bigger. Not good. But does anyone else find this?

And if there are any UK girlies here, can any one suggest a good place to shop, thats quite cheap (im on a very tight bugget, and i know my other half will help, but i dont want to let him spend too much) but doesnt make you look like youre wearing a potato sack with ribbon around the middle....?

Ah clothes shopping...gotta love it! NOT!

Welcome x0, micki, Leslie, Sam, and Danielle! It's great to have ya'll. All of your stories sound amazingly familiar. I think I definitely had some denial going on as I went up in pants size. I'm not even really sure I realized it as it was happening. One day I was at the store and I just had an OMG moment and that was when I finally decided it was time for a change and that my body was NEVER going to see 203 again!!! I am so happy that everyone seems so motivated to either begin or continue their weight loss journey.

micki- I totally agree with you about the BMI tool. Bc I know I am overweight. But if I am severely overweight then what class are the people in that weigh twice or three times as much as me or are we all grouped together? I don't think that is correct either. And when I weigh 20 pounds lower than my correct BMI (back in the good ole college days when I got down to 110 pounds) I would be considered unhealthy that way too but I could still wear a size 10 jeans!

Everyone is talking about exercise classes at the gym. I had never really associated them with going to the gym. Mainly just treadmills and weights, ya know. But I might have to look into my local gyms and see what kind of classes they offer. That sounds like it could be a lot of fun! Oh and the Wii Fit sounds like fun but I don't really know what it does. Can someone that has one tell me a little more about it. When I get done with my 90 day video session I will have to find something new so my body doesn't get too used to one routine and I want to go ahead and get ideas. I was also thinking of Billy Blanks. I think it is  called Boot Camp or something. My brother said it is a tough workout. Has anyone tried it?

Someone asked about weighing in tomorrow and I am saying yes, definitely. I will do it for sure. I hope everyone else joins in!

I'm curious what are everyone's weaknesses as far as food/ drink go. Personally, I can only diet for a few weeks before I slip up and have to go have Mexican. But I try to be good about it and take some one to eat with me that will share a meal with me so that I am not tempted to eat the whole plate by myself!

Hey Erin-

Billy Blanks Tae-Bo will kick your ass!  That's what I did in college to lose the "freshman 15"...or in my case, 30.  Ha.  It really is a great work out and you'll definitely be sweating!  But it's fun too, so that helps - it doesn't feel like exercise.

I also have a Wii - I play Wii Sports on it (I love tennis, even though I suck in real life at it!) and we also have Wii Fit - which is cool.  I love the yoga on there.  My sister just bought another Wii Fitness game - I think it's called Wii Personal Trainer or something like that.  They also the EA Sports Wii game coming out - I heard that's pretty intense!  Wii is fun, you can do it at home, and if you really do it like you should (not just sit on the sofa and pretend to play baseball) and get into it, it can be a good workout!  Although i don't know that I would do this by itself - you may want to combine it with the Tae-Bo or something.

Hope that helps!

Are you doing that P90X work out at home?  Or whatever the heck it's called?  I heard that really kicks your ass!  If you are, or if any of the other ladies on here are, let me know how you like it!!

Ive already weighed this week. I do mine on mondays... i dont have scales at home, so i can only do it at the gym, and its a pound a go... so im not too keen on doing it twice in one week lol. plus the print out gives me all these fun figures like my height, weight, bmi, fat index fat mass, and tells me on all of them that im over weight (yay!) its good to see some of the numbers going down, but not so good when some of them have gone up. lol

This week I was 174. I was 178 last week. but i dont mind skipping mondays weigh and waiting until the end of the week. (might have to be a thursday i weigh though, fridays my boyf comes home and i dont get to the gym)

Yay four pounds, but i know it wont always be that high.

Has anyone noticed on their home page, where it says goal reached by, that the date keeps changing....?

(oooh two posts in one evening lol)

after thought edit: I did nearly fourty mins on the bike today at the gym... before i could only just manage 20 but for some reason today i was able to go for longer. im going to look at increasing the level/resitance which i know means i wont go for as long but yay small progresses

Oh and things i find hard to resist.... chocolate. mostly. but tea is one thing im struggling to cut out. but starbucks does this cake rocky road. and its gorgeous, ive banned myself from going in there, just because i know ill eat it.

Pandia-  I am doing Power90 it is the precursor to P90x. Power90 is for people that are out of shape and need something sort of easy to start off with. Depending on how this 90 days goes I might try P90x next or I might try to get a little more in shape before I take it on. I just don't want to spend money on it to find out that I can't do it at all! Tae-Bo sounds like fun. I don't know if I could spend so much money on a Wii right now...

Angel- I think any day that you want to weigh is fine as long as it's the same every week. I think that helps (not really sure.) If Mondy is already your routine you should stick with that! I just thought that if everyone posted on the same day it would be easier to keep up with but I don't want our little group to be as strict as some of the others I have seen, lol! I want ours to be fun

Good for you...I am so glad that you are so motivated... keep it girl...you'll get there before u know.

Danielle

Welcome...

We are here to lend support in anyway... I need to loose 50lbs....and I'm doing pretty good so far.

Good look to you

Danielle

Glad you could join us Leslie.... I'm here if you need to talk...are you need tips or ideas on loosing weight....

Best Luck to you and God Bless.

Danielle

Welcome..I'm so glad you decided to join... I am here if you need to talk. I need t loose and addl' 50lbs...so if you have any diet tips or need some of mine..let me know...

Best of luck

Danielle

I weighed in today.... 207 down from 210 a week ago!! Feeling good about my progress now!  That on top of the fact that I had 2 interviews yesterday and got offered both jobs - one for the summer and one part time when I go back to uni in september!! Yay!!

Angel - well done on your loss! we know it won't always be that good but it's a great step in the right direction and a great achievement so congrats! my goal date keeps changing too, i think it adjusts depending on how much you've lost and is set at 1lb a week i think.

Micki and Erin - BMI tool is total rubbish... it's an estimate only and can be very very wrong, for a PROPER BMI you need to have a scan that actually shows how much body fat you have so I would just ignore those BMI things altogether and go with what you know is a good weight for YOU (unless you have the option to get a proper scan done of course )

Glam and Erin - wii fit is really good if done properly but the body test can be a bit discouraging as it asks you why you think you've gained weight when we're talking 1lb!!  BUT on the other hand, that can be quite a good kick!  I love the yoga (someone else said this i think) and there are aerobic exercises like hula hoop, rhythm boxing and step which are good too.  I really get on with it and think it's a great help.  Probably not enough on it's own and you still need to be motivated to do it (obviously).  My mum has one she's hardly used as she just hasn't got into it.

Angel - UK shops I visit would be evans - not that cheap but good if you can afford it coz they're not just scaled up versions of smaller clothes, they're actually made for the appropriate size; matalan have quite a good larger range and are very cheap - i get quite a lot of my clothes from there (being a student on a budget!)  but the trouble is sometimes you can go in there and there'll be loads to choose from and other times it's utter rubbish i find - so i'd recommend going back if you've got time.  Also i always go for a bigger size even though it's hard to take, i find that i feel more comfortable and they end up looking better coz they're not so tight - then i just don't tell anyone what size i am!!!!  George at asda can be quite good too and tescos clothes aren't bad either.

russkm - i have tried classes before but i think you've just given me the inspiration to try again... someone suggested aqua classes because they're REALLY good exercise but without all the sweaty hot bit! lol! so i think i may give that a go... the story with your bf is so familiar although mine is good in that he tries not to rub it in but still, when he's happy for loosing i'm happy with him but a little jealous that i can't do it so quickly!

Glam - the weight management thing was free for me as we have the jolly old nhs and it was my doc who said i needed to do it but yeah if you want to join any groups other than that it is expensive and i haven't really wanted to go coz i can see myself making excuses not to when things go wrong in a week.  i'm much more optimistic about this site tho and it seems to be working so far!!

Erin - i would say my main weakness is crisps but i have found a way around it a bit coz quavers are 87 kcal a pack - much lower than others - and if i'm sensible i can still have them. i'm definitely one to fall for savory treats rather than sweet ones tho.... even though at the wrong time of the month the chocolate craving is enormous! mind you, is there any female who doesn't find this?!?

Wow long post again! hope everything's going ok for everyone.

Sam xx

So I've been avoiding getting out of bed this morning because I don't want to weight myself. I'm legitimately scared that I'll be letdown, which is not something I can handle right now. Yesterday, a co-worker of mine shot herself... it's been a real struggle on campus (I work at my University) to keep it together because everyone is just so upset. I know I'll be able to cope with her death, but today I just don't feel like I could take one more heartbreak... *sigh*

Ok.. I weighed this morning even though I knew the scale was going to be up. I blame it on my vacation last weekend and eating really horribly and drinking a little too much... that being said I was at 197. Up 2 pounds from last Friday. But I was down a pound from the day I got back from the beach so at least I am moving in the right direction sort of, lol!

Sam- way to go on the weight loss and the job offers! That's awesome when things fall into place.

Shadowed- I am so sorry to hear about your co-worker. Let us know if there is anything that you would like to talk about. Unexplained death is just such a tragedy :(