Welcome to the Group

Welcome! We would love get to know you, so please tell us a little bit about yourself. You can choose any format you'd like, but most of us here share some or all of the following details:

1. History with weight loss:
2. History with Calorie Count:
3. Reason for joining this group:
4. Some interesting details about yourself, such as your job, your family, your pets and your interests:

And now just go ahead and make that first post!

Seems like I'll be the first to post... and an intro is in order.. so here I am!

I'm a ballroom dancer, and I'm just trying to get my Latin costume to fit a little more comfortably--I despise the "anorexic" look that so many dancers have, and Latin dancing allows more curves, so I'm trying to get down to the happy medium between my current "slightly-too-curvy" and the icky-looking "too thin" line that too many of my fellow dancers tend to aim for... I've been on Calorie-Count for quite some time but have only used it sporadically; I'm trying to do better, now, though! I'm down to 135 from 140 lbs and hope to get down to my doctor-recommended ideal weight of 115-120 (I'm short--only 5'0, so it's not as unreasonable as it sounds). I figured I'd join to see who else around here was in a similar struggle--I have some health issues that required meds for a long time which made me gain weight; I was 120 only a short time ago, and it's time to get back there!

I'm a full-time student at UMD as well as a bartender, and the latter has been a big pitfall for me--I feel like I should try all the drinks I serve in order to offer better recommendations to customers, but all those empty calories have added up in addition to the meds.. so I'm trying to space out the "taste-testing" a little more, which has worked well the past few weeks (the 5-lb drop attests to that!), drink more water (I've been horrible about that in the past--lots of water weight got built up, I'm sure), eat better and continue my exercise pattern of cardio and weights to help with dance and weight loss. A lot of things in my life have changed recently--I had been studying abroad, so I'm adjusting to life back in the US again, I moved into my first off-campus apartment, adopted a kitten (unnamed as of yet--still too young to even know the gender! The vet should tell me next week.. but it's an adorable medium-hair black stray that my firefighter friend rescued), got a new job, and so on... so it's time to change my daily diet to meet my goals and still maintain my super-busy lifestyle. 

I love being in the DC area and I would love to investigate healthier options at restaurants around here--my dance team goes out to eat, drink, and party together a lot, and that has been a killer for my dieting goals.. so I'm looking for ideas of what dishes to get at restaurants we already go to (Cheesecake Factory and various diners are popular choices since they're close to the studios we frequently practice in) as well as healthier restaurants to suggest we visit sometime. Luckily, I'm pescetarian (vegetarian + fish... easiest way to keep kosher), and the dishes I can order are usually healthier compared to the meat dishes, so I haven't been too awful... but it's still so hard to tell!

That's all for now... hello, DC, goodbye, extra weight! :)

OK! I'll be second.

I am Cece. Just celebrated my 37th - woo hoo! Almost at first goal weight (I made it by straight numbers for a couple of days around Aug 1st but I am waiting for my "trend" weight to be under 180 to really celebrate).  That would be 100 pounds lost for me since I joined up here Dec 2005.  I lost a lot of it pretty well (like 8 to 10 lbs a month) and then kindof stalled at 190 then went up for a bit but I have a recent trend that is better.  I have been overweight my whole life basically - grew up in a mostly overweight family.  I would like to have a second goal of getting down to 162 - I am about 5'9" almost and that is the healthy weight, although I would probably be happy anywhere between 170 and 180.  I lost all of it with the help of Calorie Count, so I really appreciate this site.  I have met HK and some other locals and find the people here to be super nice and supportive, but I unfortunately don't have loads of time to participate online.

I went to school studying marine science; I work for the government restoring wetlands and other coastal habitats.  I love the ocean and all things related to it. I like being outdoors although I am chronically single and most of my friends are either married or out of the area so I don't have so many people to go out and do things outdoorsy with. But I am making myself go anyway when I can!
I joined the group to keep an eye on local goings-on and because it is nice to have people that you can actually meet face to face.  I have been in the area for about 7 yrs (well, I was down in Springfield but now I am up in Silver Spring). 

Even though I am not particularly "chatty", I am always willing to receive or provide encouragement because it really helps!

R- I have a friend from San Francisco who vows to take me swing dancing next time he is in town.  I know you said you were a Latin dancer, but do you know of any good places to try out dance styles like swing around here?

 

Cece -- Absolutely! There's K2, Glen Echo, and Chevy Chase Ballroom all have swing nights, and Hollywood Ballroom might as well (they're in Silver Spring, so pretty close to you!). K2's swing parties are on Wednesdays, Glen Echo's change every week I think, and CCB I believe has a live band swing night every Friday night or every other Friday... I haven't been to Hollywood Ballroom yet, but I have friends who go and like it, though I don't know if they go for the swing parties or the Latin parties or something else. I've been to each of the others, though, at least once, and I had a blast. No partner is required by any means--a lot of people go with one friend of the same gender and ask random people to dance; it's a chill, fun environment. Also, almost all of these places will have a beginner lesson prior to the social dance party, so you'll learn new steps beforehand if you want! The parties are also generally pretty cheap--between $5 and $15, it's only more at when they have special events (the DC Lindy Exchange at Glen Echo, for example).

We also give lessons on UMD's campus during the semester which are open to anyone (not only students--we have plenty of grad students and older community members around every week as well, especially later in the semester)--we teach not just swing, though, but I can let you know which nights we schedule a swing lesson if you want since I'm secretary for the team and I'm in charge of the lesson calendar as soon as the rest of the officers agree upon the dance rotation. :)

 

K2: http://www.k2dance.com/

Glen Echo: http://www.glenechopark.org/dancing.htm

CCB: http://www.chevychaseballroom.com/

Hollywood: http://www.hollywoodballroom.com/

Those ought to get you started if nothing else... the UMD's team website is http://www.ballroomatmaryland.com and although the calendar might not be completely updates quite yet, it will be within a few weeks--the semester starts Sept 2 and dance practice/lessons start Sept 10. :)

I love dancing, though my wife and I are only students (Arthur Murray - Vienna School) :)

Perhaps if someone were to try to get a dance meetup together, we'd not be too shy to try. :)

That would be great! My dance partner and I teach sometimes--he and I could even offer a beginner lesson in any ballroom, latin, or swing dance if you wanted, though most places will have lessons if we just want to join in on a social dance party that happens at one of the dozens of dance places around DC. Between the other ballroom officers and myself, we have close contacts with some of the studio owners, so I could figure out a good date for that if we talk to them in advance of their next month's calendar being posted. :) 

I will have to check it out!  Thanks Rachel!

Hello all! I have just recently joined CC wanting a way to count calories and really see how much I am consuming every day (which was a lot).  I am currently at 170.  This is my highest weight since college.  I am very unhappy in my skin and am ready to get that weight off!  The last time I dieted, I was going to an internal medicine doctor to get B12 shots.  I got down to 148!  I felt amazing, but I just couldn't afford the shots every three weeks and eating the same thing every day.  Over a year, I have gained all of the weight back...bringing me to where I am now.  I am a school teacher about to start the new year.  I want to get new clothing, but am scared to go to the store, knowing that the size I want to wear will not fit.  So the journey begins. I hope that starting school will bring me back to a schedule and will aid in the path to my thin future!

Hi!  I'm Kristine.  My weight loss history is a slow one.  I'm finally under 300 pounds.  I didn't always have a weight problem.  I was put on a medicine that made me gain over 100 pounds, and now that I am off of the medicine, I cannot seem to shake the weight.  I joined CC shortly after I got off that medicine, but can't remember when that was.  Doh!

I joined this group so that I could more easily hook up with local folks and local meet-ups.

I'm an artist/composer and am looking forward to getting two kittens/cats around Christmas-time.  I have a son who is studying to become a police officer.  I LOVE music, movies, some art, and I absolutely love to laugh and just be plain silly.  It takes me a little while to get to know folks.  I enjoy reading too.  I love to walk, and that is my main form of exercise.

There has been a lot going on in my life, but now that it has settled down a bit, I can concentrate on myself and my eating/exercising regimen.  It's "me" time now.

Hi I'm Kim. I was born and raised in the DC area. I love it here. I guess its just my hometown pride.

I've done almost every diet there is and some I just made up. I have gone up and down so many times. Each time I gained a little more. This time is not a diet. This is a lifestyle change. I've been with CC since Feb 2006 (Wow). I was told about this site from a guy that I worked with and joined. But then I didn't use the site or any of the tools for 6-9 mos. I saw a thread about one of the DC meet-ups and went. Since then I've been an active member. My weight loss has been slow. I go through periods where I lose then periods where I mantain (up/down 2-3 pound). The main difference this time is I've never given up. I think that is the most important thing I've learned since joining CC. I've also found it to be true that you have to find an exercise that you really like/love. Over the summer I started water aerobics and absolutely loved it. Since I enjoyed it so much I would look forward to classes and wouldn't have to 'make' myself workout. Unfortunately they cancelled classes half way through to do repairs to the pool. But the good news is classes start back up next week. I'm starting a new push to get fit and I know all my CC friends will be here to cheer me on.

I'd like to meet some more CC members from the DC area. I was suprised at the large number that have signed up for this group. We have meet-ups fairly regularly and hope to see new faces at the next one!

Hello to all.

I've lived in Washington, DC since 1979, having moved here at age 30.  Guess that makes me a long-time resident.  For many years I had Potomac Fever...but have lost it in the past decade...something about the current administration, maybe?   Anyway, I was thrilled by the excitement of DC when I first came...so different from my hometown in the midwest.

I provide "contracts" consulting to commercial and government contractors and have done that for the past 5 years.  Before that, I did the same type of work on staff for different companies...going back to 1976.

Interestingly enough, one of the reasons I've wanted to lose weight is so I could get back into swing and ballroom dancing.  I feel I need to lose weight partially for vanity (will anyone ask an extra-curvy woman to dance?) and partially because the extra weight is a burden to carry around on the dance floor.

Other info...I have one daughter who turns 20 next month...and I'm trying to sell my single family home in a VA suburb as I write. 

I'm new to CC but not new to weight loss.  As a kid I was chubby...and though I thinned out with puberty...I was always very, very careful with what I ate (1200 cal/day on average for years)...which kept me around 115-130 lb on a 5'4" body...but I could never really "lose" weight.  If I gained it, it was just "there."  However, when I had my daughter, I gained 75 lbs, 20 of them in the first 2 months before I even knew I was pregnant.   Subsequently, I never regained my former figure...or discipline about food and exercise.   

After a divorce at 44, I quickly lost all but the last 20 lbs of the baby weight (4 years later)...but it wasn't a healthy weight loss.  How healthy is living off coffee and cokes for 2 months due to stress??  Interestingly, I was able to keep that lower weight (about 140 lb) until I hit menopause...and then I gained weight rapidly for a couple years.  In my early 50's I was diagnosed as being hypothyroid...probably why I gained so much weight during pregnancy and could never lose any weight if I gained it in the preceding years.  Although the thyroid medications have stabilized my weight and I am no longer gaining, losing it is very difficult.  By the time I was stabilized, my weight was 185. 

My best success with weight loss was a couple of years ago when I used the Diet to Go low-carb plan, but approached it like the Carbohydrate Addict's diet.  That means I ate really low-carb throughout the day and then ate a nicely balanced meal at night.  I was able to lose about 8 lbs in a month...and have kept those pounds off w/o too much trouble since then.  I find the Carbohydrate Addict's diet easy to stick with after the first few days...but it necessitates a lot of cooking which I don't enjoy doing...probably why the Diet to Go was so successful for me. 

Well, that's my story...

By the way...my screenname is my trying to use the "Law of Attraction"...obviously not what I look like today.

Welcome mssvelte! I hope to meet you, lszelenyi, Rachel at one of out meet-up. I've already meet Howard, Cece and Kristen. We always have a great time.

KImne,

I read about the mini golf meetup. I would love to attend, but I am moving from Silver Spring to Alexandria in Sept. It is going to be a little hectic that month so maybe next time!!!!

Thats okay. We have them fairly regularly so I'm sure I'll meet you soon. Have fun moving.

Hello all,

I moved to DC from London almost two years ago. I'm originally from NYC but have moved around loads over the last ten years. I've been overweight for most of my adult life. I go through stages of exercising loads and starving myself to lose weight. I lost nearly 50 pounds this way but have gained it all back and then some. So, this time around I thought I would try keeping a food diary and losing weight the right way.

I would like to lose about 80 pounds the only thing is I love food!! I've been reading loads of the Hungry Girl blog. I think the best way for me is to find healthy, low fat  for foods I love. I'm moving from Fort Totten to Glover Park next week and plan to try out the Hungry Girl recipes when I get my own place. Anyway, enough about food.

I've started taking yoga classes (Hatha) and I joined the YMCA. I quite like spining classes and any dance classes I can find. I'm also trying to meet more people in the area so I glad I found this group.

I look forward to meeting some or all of you.

Dee

Greetings Dee and welcome to our group. :)

Good luck to you and don't forget to check out the Meetups Board where we discuss the next meetups. Perhaps you can join us then. :) We try to at least keep the meetups near the Metro system.

Hello all, I have been living in the DC are for the past 3 years, and really like the area. I live outside the beltway in Alexandria and work in Old town. I work for a software company as a software tester, and I really love my job.

I don't really have much of a history with weight loss, I would loose weight occasionally, but never on purpose. I used to always loose all the weight I would gain in college over the summer, because I always had a very active summer job, but after that ended, I slowly gained weight till I topped out at about 215. In about April, I decided to start working on my health, less to loose weight, more because while I know that I am 25 and quite healthy, I knew that I should eat more then 2 servings of vegetables a week, and doritos did not make a good dinner. I stumbled on this site almost by accident, after I had decided to make a lasting change in my diet, and have since lost about 30 pounds.

 

Katherine

Hello. I’ve decided to go with the original format, so here goes:

1. History with weight loss: I’ve always been a big girl. I had no problem being “bigger” than everyone else because I was also taller than everyone as well. I first decided to lose weight about 3-4 years ago when I was 20. I weighed in at 260lbs and was  5’11.75 I’d been this size/height pretty much since the 8th grade so I was very comfortable with who I was. In fact (shamefully) I remember being a size 18 in the 6th grade so I guess puberty “thinned me out” So 3-4 years ago I decided to lose weight, I watched what I ate, supplemented meals with Slim Fast and hit the gym. I lost about 40lbs in a few months and maintained that for about 6 months. My downfall was 1. drinking – I’d just turned 21 and it was “cool” to go to happy hour and order nachos grandes every single day. The second thing that really really did me in was my father was diagnosed with cancer in Dec 2005 and passed away in May 2006. I remember deliberately eating and eating until I was literally sick. So over the last 2 years I’ve put back on the 40 I lost AND an additional 20. It took me 2 years to decide I wanted the weight off and about 4 months to do something about it.  

2. History with Calorie Count: I found Calorie Count on Aug 11 by accident. This has taken over any fascination I ever had with myspace or facebook. Since I’ve been here I’ve lost 17lbs from counting calories, working out and being supported by several members.

3. Reason for joining this group: I saw the mini golf outing literally 5 minutes from my house! And then I saw a few of you have lost some serious weight and figured I could ONLY benefit from brushing shoulders ;)

4. Some interesting details about yourself, such as your job, your family, your pets and your interests: I’m 24, I live 2 miles from my job (which I LOVE), I work for a Real Estate company right now…if anyone needs to buy a house let me know. Since my father passed away 2 years ago, now it’s just my mom, me and 3 brothers, and grandma and a bajillion cousins. I stopped going out about 6 months ago which means I now have roughly 4 friends, so I spend a lot of time catching up on Netflix, at the gym and reading. And watching the Redskins. I was born and raised in Arlington so I am a diehard – this year is OUR year :)

SW - 280

CW - 257.75 (i'm a scale junkie)

GW - 200

 

Hi Katherine! Congrats on losing the 30 pounds!

Hi Shizzi! Does that mean you will be joining us on Saturday?

 Actually I'm all booked up for this weekend (baby shower/mom engagements) but I'm definitely putting the zoo on my calendar!

Hi, I am Becky. I am super happy to find this website so that I can have an online place to go to keep track of my eating and excerise together (for free!).

My weight loss history has been up and down about 40lbs. I graduated high school at around 190lbs (I am 5'6"). At this time I was not active at all and ate ALOT of fast food (1-2 meals a day). I went to college and I started eating three healthier balanced meals. I became more active (no car= lots of walking) After a year I had droped about 50 lbs (140ish). It was completely accidentally and I loved it. Then I started runnning, but eating more/less healthy. I calorie counted for about a month and a half or so during this time and it went well. At the time I used calorie counting just to see where I was at and to readjust myself to eating the right amount of food. I loved running in the morning, but had to stop because of weak knees. I joined a gym, but 5 years later I some how gained most of the weight back (damn cookies!).

I just moved to the DC area and I am trying to get back on track (I am around 180 now). My goal is to feel comfortable in my body again, eat healthy (not over eat!), keep track of what I eat and hopefully some weight loss will be worked into this, that I can maintain.