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!

Hi,

I am 33 yo mother or two looking to lose another 30. Harder time losing the weight after my last daughter was born. (She is one!). Anyhow, I live in Marysville washington and am a nurse. My husband has been blessed with a fast metabolism most of his life so I am on my own on this one. I have been a member of cc for a few months but only really started to be serious with it the last 2 weeks. First time I have posted on a group and wouldnt mind some support buddies. Currently I am 150 (I am only 5'3"). I am really a stress eater so work is my worst time controlling my cravings!!! Any ideas?

Take care,

L

I'm 55 years old, tall-5 ft. 10 and currently weigh 204.4 lbs.  I lost 35 pounds about 2 years ago staying on 1,500 calories a day and 50 grams of fat.  I got lazy and careless and it mostly came back.  My husband is happy with whatever I weigh, but I like my clothes to fit much better.

So this time I started in mid September, not really trying very hard, apparently. I wasn't getting much in the way of results, so I did something rather drastic-for me.  I quit drinking any alcohol, gave up my favorite wine and cut my calories-temporarily-to 1,000 or less for about 3 weeks. I made sure to get lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and amped up my workouts to every day. I lost 14 pounds in October alone.

So the pounds are coming off easily.  I am currently doing 75 minutes of cardio every other day, 60 minutes on the other days; I do a full body stretch every day, and usually do 50 push-ups, 100 crunches, about 200 various leg lifts to work my lower abdominal muscles daily and lift light weights every other day. I'm eating somewhere around 1,100 to 1,200 calories a day, and don't feel hungry between meals.  I drink a lot of club soda mixed with a little grapefruit juice all day long.

I feel fabulous.  My clothes are getting loser, even my rings are getting loser. I still cook meals for my husband, but don't partake of what I make him.  I've been eating "Lean Cuisine", "Smart Ones" and "Healthy Choice" meals for dinner along with salads and fat-free dressings.  I usually have a bowl of Muesli with fresh blueberries and non-fat milk, with a slice of OroWheat Light bread and orange marmalade and a 4 ounce glass of grapefruit juice for breakfast. Occasionally I'll have turkey bacon and "Egg Smarts" Southwestern style with a half slice of low-fat swiss and an ounce of diced ham with toast and marmalade for breakfast, but only once in a while.

I have a turkey breast (2 ounces)sandwich with non-fat mayo and lots of vegies-tomatoes, onions, sprouts and lettuce. I add "Eating Right" Salsa or Barbecue flavored crisps (only 10) and a banana to round out my lunch.

 

I feel strong, healthy and slimmer day by day.  I don't think I'm starving myself and haven't had any nasty "side effects" to the diet I'm following.

I'm lucky that I don't have to work outside the home and all my children are grown and on their own.  I have exercise equipment in my home to make it convenient for me to work out without having to go somewhere.

I don't think this particular diet is for everyone, everyone is different and must accommodate their own obligations and life styles.  But this is working for me.

My name is Jill i had my son a little over a year ago and i cant seem to get the weight off i was 140 before preg. 185 at the end of my preg. and right after i had him i was 165 i tried working out daily and eating right and all i got was 5 more pounds. i just recently decided to start drinking tea and i looked into some of the different kinds and found oolong tea is supposed to tell your body to burn fat for energy so since i've been drinking that quite often i've noticed a slight difference in the shape of my stomach but no weight lost yet. i hope this weight starts falling off soon. any suggestions or similar difficulties?

My name is Carrie and I had my 3rd son 4 months ago.  This time around I'm not losing my weight as quickly.  I've only been using Calorie Count for a few days now.  My goal is to lose 30lbs (pre 1st pregnancy weight) but I would be very happy with 20 too (pre 3rd pregnancy weight).

Jill- With my past two children I didn't loose a lot of weight until I went back to work.  I think this is because at home (on maternity leave) I'm not on a schedule.  At home I'm typically busier than I am at work.  I have less time and less of a schedule which means when I do get a chance to eat I do it quickly and eat way too much.  Having a set schedule at home can be hard but it helps keep you from getting too hungry between meals and as an added bonus children thrive on a schedule.  (I've done it both ways and surprisingly we all, children and adults, do better with some type of schedule)  I don't let a schedule keep us from doing fun things though....we sometimes don't cover all food groups, miss naps to go to birthday parties and stay up late for dinners with friends/family.

Carrie

names colby.Im 22 in the army as a medic. I guess you could say im more tacoma area cause i live on the base of ft.lewis. Im not really out of shape i can pass the army physical training test no problem, but the army says i should weigh  160-165 and i weigh 204. So im amping up my exercise from are daily routine and taking wieght loss supplement, as well as counting my intake/outtake on here. ill get some pics up. Anyway i have only been in the area since march always nice to meet new people so message me and just say hi maybe we have something in common,besides wanting to loose wieght.haha.

Hello,

My name is Jennifer.  I moved to Seattle in 2006, and I have gained over 60 lbs since I've been here. 

For the most part, I've always been on the heavy side; but my current weight (209 lbs) is the heaviest I've ever been.  I'm only 5'4", so I can't really hide my weight well.  I have very little self-control and willpower.  I start an exercise program, but I only stick with it for about 2 weeks before I begin slacking off.  At first, I used to blame my job because I never had a fixed schedule; therefore, it was somewhat difficult for me to have a workout routine.  However, I've been unemployed for the past few weeks, and now I see it's just my lack of motivation.

I signed up with Calorie Count last year because I was sick of my increasing weight.  I haven't been really active on the site, so I've gained quite a few pounds since I've joined.  I'm trying to get on track, however.  It will be very difficult, especially with the upcoming holidays.

I joined this group because I had hoped to find a walking/jogging groups that meet in my area.  I live in Highland Park (southwest Seattle).

 

Hey, my name is Bri and I live about 40 minutes away from Seattle and that's why I joined this group. I also go there a lot or at least drive through their for my job as a school photographer.
I am 19 years old and have been overweight since I hit puberty. My highest weight was about four or five years ago when I was 250lbs. I am only 5' 5" so 250lbs is a whole lot of extra weight.
I live with my fiance and his father, it's an iffy situation that could easily change which causes much stress on me because we could be kicked out and homeless at any moment should his dad chose to do so. I am an emotional eater and... stress is a constant emotion with me and unhealthy food is always easy to go out, buy, and inhale. I have a cat, Kitty, who has hyper thyroidism and needs two pills every day. He acts a lot like a dog, eats fries, hot dogs, anything he can steal from your plate. I also have two guinea pigs who are sick at the moment but getting better.

With Calorie Count I lost 20lbs (from 200-180lbs) and after going off it I gained it back plus 15lbs. I don't look as big as I did, which makes me think some of it might be muscle, because inches-wise, I did not gain more than 3 inches from when I was 180. My photographer job is fairly new and requires me to carry heavy equipment up and down stairs and lift it out of and into my car on an almost daily basis. But... There is a lot of fat around my tummy and back I did not used to have and would like to lose.

.

Hi I'm Nikki, and a native Western Washingtonian.  I have lost a ton of weight....several times...but yep gained it all back plus more than I ever thought I could.  It started to significantly jeopardize my health so I took measures to lose with my eye on not having to do this again.  I have been a member of of Calorie Count since summer 07.  I have lost 73 pounds, slow but sure this time.  I joined this group for several reasons:

1.  To have others help me problem solv exercise options in our weather.

2.  I'm looking for some one or ones to help motivate me to stick with it.

3.  I thought it would be fun.

I'm not sure I have many interesting details...I'm 47, I love my dog Spike and my partner Chuck, I love my job as a special ed teacher, and I am an avid scrapbooker. 

I'd love to email or chat with anyone.  Cheers!

Hi, I'm Jennifer. I live out in Port Angeles, and I work in Tacoma as a nurse. I've lost 60 pounds 3 times now (ack!) The first time I lost it with mostly just exercise, and regained it post-baby. The second time I lost it on a modified Atkins and regained it post-baby. The third time I lost it on Weight Watchers and regained it thru piggishness. Actually that's how I gained it back all 3 times. It took a year to put it on this time, the irony is that I have been on a really great fitness track most of this past year but I have not been controlling my eating at all. I found Calorie Counters thru a random Google search. I just joined this evening, it's main attraction is that it's free. I used Fitday when I did the Atkins thing and liked it, and WW tracks online as well, but I'm not in a position to spend money right now. I hope to "chat" with you all this year and have a bit of fun while losing weight for the *last* time.

Jennifer

hi all, 

44 yo, female, native seattlite, love the trees and dirt here, and have always been a bit over weight, but strong like an ox, until an auto accident this past year that stopped me in my tracks for several months. i didn't gain so many pounds as i gained lots of flab and lost my usual strength and endurance,

Which puts me here: becoming increasingly conscious about living inside this fabulous but not always so well treated body of mine. i no longer get to take my physical self for granted, a hidden blessing of middle age i suppose, putting me in the middle of a journey that started 9 months ago without me realizing it, 2 months ago as a conscious choice, and im here on cc to nurture those influences that will contribute to my success in having the life i want for myself, which includes a strong and healthy body. 

if i have a wish list, one thing on it would be for a few locals looking for exercise buddies to go walking with or ? whatever your ideas might be. whether we are a small group or 1:1, I dont know. Is this the type of thing I should post a new thread about? maybe I'll do that. 

I have friends who are health conscious and they are great supports, but none who are in the same struggle to loose 20 or more pounds, so a few people who understand the effort and are working towards their own health goals, that would be a great addition to my world.

I am here, reaching out as one step forward among many. 

hello! and success to us all. 

b. 

I am a 39 year old woman looking to lose 30-40 pounds.  I've never really dieted before.  I used to be very thin then just found myself getting heavier and heavier.  I found this site looking up the calorie count for chicken as I've begun food journalling everything I put in my mouth. 

I joined this group thinking the local flavor might be helpful in terms of local tips and people who know what's happening weather wise etc.  I live and work about a mile apart so I walk to work as often as I can.  I love living here and ski, snow shoe, rock climb and backpack religiously.  My goal for this year is to climb Mt Rainier so the weight loss is really important to help with altitude lethargy.  Why haul more up the hill than I have to right?

Looking forward to hearing from people on local activities etc. 

K

Hi everyone,

I'm a recently turned 37 year old (January 4th, 2009) female from Issaquah who's been struggling with the weight issue since early childhood.  I also have fibromyalgia and post-herpetic neuralgia (from Shingles when I was 25) that makes everyday life rather painful.  Exercise has never been something I've enjoyed save for a few years when I would play raquetball in highschool and go on the occasional hike.  Since my early 20s, though, I've been so out of shape that it's hard doing any kind of exercise for long.  Couple that with a back injury that makes it difficult to stand for more than a few minutes and, well, you get the picture.

I've tried curbing what I eat, but I think because I am so sedentary, nothing I do will work.  Since I am hypoglycemic, I can't go that long without eating or I get a headache and become very irritable.  As you can see, I'm kind of a mess.  I know the basics (and even into some of the advanced theories) of nutrition, calorie counting, exercise, etc. but I still seem to be at a loss as to what to do at this point.  As I've aged, it's gotten increasingly hard to lose weight.  Even when I've tried exercising on a treadmill for a few minutes a day (that's all I can stand because of my back - which I know will get better if I lose weight) and cut my calories and try to be more active in general, I don't seem to lose any weight.

I do like how I feel when I am more active - even getting out more does it because we live in an apartment where you have to walk up stairs to street level.  Unfortunately, I don't get out much because my husband has the car during the day so I'm stuck at home.  We live in an area that's very hilly so walking around my apartment complex isn't an option either.  Our building is surrounded by a small ravine on one side and plantings on the two other sides so the parking lot is about all there is for "walking" around in.

By now, you're thinking "wow, what a sad case" right?  ;)  I'm not typing all this for pity.  I just feel it's best to be up front about my... situation so I don't have to explain later on why I couldn't take someone's advice, etc.  I guess what I'm looking for on here is a little support, but mostly just friends.  Since moving up to the Seattle area last March, I haven't made any friends so I'm pretty lonely when my husband isn't around - and even then, it would be nice to have some other girls to chat to once in awhile.  I am a very shy, reclusive person mainly because I feel insecure in public and around new people.  I'm never sure what someone's thinking when they're around me and I think like many people who've been overweight their entire life, I feel like I'm constantly being judged.

Some other things about me...  I like to cook and bake, I love crafts and I make jewelry and sometimes clothes that I sell on Etsy.com, I have one cat and no kids, I love Desperate Housewives, Lost, Fringe, Futurama, Family Guy, The Simpsons, and reruns of That 70's Show, I also love CSI both the original and NY (hate Miami), Bones, Numb3rs, and Heroes (though I admit I'm not as enamored with it as my husband is), and I think it's an atrocity that Firefly, Dead Like Me, and WonderFalls were all canceled prematurely.

I love nature, but since I hate bugs I rarely go out in it, I'm a bit of a germ freak (not to the point of being ultra paranoid about it), and I, like everyone else, have my issues (sometimes entire subscriptions).  However, I am a loyal friend and usually end up giving a lot more than I get back.

So... all that being said... Hi. :)

As for the stuff you wanted to know:

I have about 200lbs to lose, but would like to start off with smaller goals of, say, 50lbs or even 20lbs initially just to boost my motivation.

I have no experience with Calorie Count, but I've been on other sites before and know the drill.

Hello to Issaquancrafter

My name is Jay and I live in Seattle. Your story sound pretty much like mind with a few changes.We have the same likes and dislikes as well, pretty cool. I am 58 years old and have been morbidly obese my whole life.  I have been a chef by trade for 35 years and now I am in a wheelchair and having to start my life over again, well it is not easy.  I have tried every diet that has even been published and a few that have not. I finally found one believe it or not  on a infomercial. It is call the Michael Thurman Plan.  I know most miracle plans on TV are not worth even watching but this one worked.  I eat 6 times a day, eat not added salt, fat or sugar,low impact exercise 2 times a week when I am not in great pain and it has been great.  I lost 85 pounds this past year. If you would like to converse on this subject let me know or go on line and check it out. Hope to hear from you and anyone else that might be interested.

Best of Luck to all who are struggling in this new year.

Jay

My name is Peggy I live in Shoreline. I am 52, work as a land surveyor and have a 16 year old Rocker son.

I have never shared about my weight struggles before, but after looking at other peoples sites on the calorie count website I realize how important it is. I have been inspired by reading others, maybe there is someone out there who could relate to my struggles too.

I have been overweight since puberty. Except for one time when I went on a medically supervised fast I haven't YO-Yo'd like some people I know but my weight has slowly crept up over the years.  I am built very much like my mother who I remember as mostly being over 300 pounds. I haven't reached that yet and hopefully I never will.

 

I am so glad I found calorie count, I think it will help me a lot. I love the tools, it makes it easier to stay on track when you don't have to figure out everything from scratch.

And I am looking forward to getting to know people also dealing with some of the same challenges.

My name is Laura and I live in Olympia,  I am 51 years old, married with bloodhound.  I work with low income families as a child & family therapist and I have a 26-year-old daughter who is a school social worker.  I like to go on Volksmarches and also enjoy gardening, reading, movies.

I started gaining weight in the late 80's.  I was 100 pounds overweight in 2006 when I lost 88 pounds with the support of a dietician.  Unfortunately, due to a divorce and falling in love, I almost immediately gained 50 of those hard-lost pounds in 2007.

I joined CC in September 2008 with the first goal of losing those 50 hate/love pounds.  I have lost 39 pounds as of last Sunday.

I joined this group because I've found reading from like-minded people on CC has really helped me maintain my focus and willingness to stick to my plan.  I have enjoyed the 50's-Something group, and then discovered there were groups by location, so here I am!

My name is Diana, I live in Federal Way and work in Downtown Seattle.

I have used Calorie Count before, but was not a good tracker. That time I did not join any groups.

I am looking to lose about 30-40 lbs. I had a baby a 1 1/2 ago and still have my pregnancy weight. I am now motivated to lose it. I always thought with a baby it would just melt off, yeah right.

I live in a small apartment with a husband, my son and two big ol'dogs. (Junior and Charlee)

1. History with weight loss: As a cancer patient, I first lost a good deal of weight, then, shortly afterward, prednasone was a part of my daily medication. :-( I blew up like a balloon, and was stuck there for a long time due to some post-bone marrow transplant complications. I fluctuated between 130-180 pounds for a while, and when I was finally able to get off the steroids, I settled at 130. When I finally had a little more control over my life--my diet, my exercise, etc. I lost about another then pounds. My weight was pretty consistent through High School, and through most of college, and then I finally (for whatever reason) got motivated, joined a gym, and did the right things to bring myself down to 100 pounds-- my perfect weight. In the last year or so I've gained about 10 pounds back sooooo... here I am. :-)

2. History with Calorie Count: Found it by accident, and initially only used it to find out how many calories were in restaurant foods. Then I started using some of the other tools, wandered the forums a bit, joined the community.

3. Reason for joining this group: I moved to Seattle about a year ago... when I started to gain all this weight back. :-P I guess I'm just hoping for some local support, maybe find some people with an additional common interest that we could share. Hey, calorie-counters bingo night, maybe?

4. Some interesting details about yourself, such as your job, your family, your pets and your interests: Hmmm... I'm 22, will be applying to UW for next winter or spring. Right now I'm the executive assistant at the Arthur Murray School of Dance in Southlake Union. LOVE IT. Ballroom dancing is amazing. You know how therapists use art to help children express themselves? Ballroom dancing is awesome like that. Um.. my mom and dad are down in So Cal, where Im orginally from, along with my older brother and grandma.

What else? I read a lot. I read A LOT. I love to read.  I write occasionally, although I used to write more. I love to bake. I love to cook. I love to dance. I consider myself a Taoist, but I'm probably not.

 

I ramble.

Hello!

My name is Julie and I've been in the Seattle area for about 9 months.  My husband and I moved up here from Texas for his job.  I work at the children's hospital in Seattle and I love it!  I'm also training for my second marathon with Team in Training and looking forward to the summer sun!!

My history with weight loss has been up and done.  I was successful right after college with weight watchers and maintained for 4 years after reaching goal.  Then I got married and the weight started to creep back...

I have only been using calorie count about 3 weeks.

 

Hey, do any of you go running after dark anyplace in the city? where is safe? is green lake safe? i need some after dark things i can do, cuz i dont get enough of a work out in my living room any more. . . (side effect of being in better shape! te-he). so i'm looking for suggestions of places i can practice my running and not have to worry about getting mugged or whatever. thanks!