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!

Hello..

I am 46 yrs old.  I have lost a significant amount of weight twice in my life..the 1st time I was 15 and my father said he would pay my sister and I 1 dollar for every pound we lost..My whole family has been overweight my entire life and this time my dad had joined Weight Watchers with my mother, and tried to get us girls motivated to lose weight.  so I dropped 60 lbs..I was 190 when I started.  The 2nd major time was about 7 years ago..I weighed 265, and was just disgusted with myself so I started on a 1200 calorie a day low fat diet and exercised every day...I lost 30 lbs before my husband told me that he was calling it quits on our marriage..then for the next 9 months I lost 70 lbs..stayed that way for about 2 1/2 years until I met my recent hubby..he liked me "bubbly" and I get real bubbly when there is a pizza in one fist and a ice cream cone in another..so in 4 1/2 years I put on 75lbs until on June 27th went to Doc's and weighed in at 235 and my triglycerides are at 297!!!  AAGH! scared me silly..or straight..came home and dumped the 3 1/2 gallons of Breyers I had in the freezer.

I have been a member since July...and have lost 19lbs so far total. 

I tend to start strong, barn burner strong and then lose sight of my goals.  I need help to keep the goals I have set for myself in sight. 

I am a production control planner at my job in Ohio..I love to play video games, read, cook, dance, quilt and needlework.  I have an insanely cute Chocolate Lab that is named Coco.  I have 2 grown children My daughter is 29 and married this past month, and my son is 25 and going to be married next year.  My stepdaughter would rather contract measles than to spend anytime with me or her father..which is a shame..I would love to get to know her better. 

 

Hi -

I'm in my mid-thirties, and am hoping to spend my late-thirties in a much happier place with myself.

1. History with weight loss: Successful when I've tried, but can become discouraged easily by those around me. And when I regain weight, I tend to add to what I was before. I'm now ridiculously overweight and it is embarrassing.
2. History with Calorie Count: New to calorie count, but have been using the calorie database for a while without joining.
3. Reason for joining this group: Support.
4. Some interesting details about yourself, such as your job, your family, your pets and your interests: I work at a desk job, for my primary career, and have frequent business meals to attend. I also have a more active side career, for which I would like to be healthier. I have one husband, one son (toddler) and one cat. I don't have a ton of time for exercise and am stuck with what can be accomplished in under 20 minutes, while watching a toddler most days, due to my work schedule, commute and family life. I do try and take frequent walks on the weekends and my days off with my family.

My goal is to be a size 12 again. That may same like a huge size to some, but that is an attainable goal for me, I believe, and would help me feel "normal," and not like a "blimp."

That is my story! More is in my bio, too.

Greetings!

My name is Val, and I live north of Dallas with my fun-loving 15 year-old son, a cat who shows signs of neurological damage and an emotionally-needy dog. I am a widow. I teach psychology and sociology at a local community college, and while I don't love the bureaucracy of education, I sure love the classroom. :)

I love food! I eat fairly healthy foods, but I really am terrible about controlling portions. Being active and outdoorsy has kept my weight down for the most part in my adult life, but having taken on some more sedentary admin tasks at work, combined with getting older, I have gained roughly 10 lbs per year for the last five years. When I finally hit 196 (at 5'3") and saw some photos of myself, I suddenly realized just how out of control my weight had gotten.

I joined CC in January 08 and started taking honest account of portions, and the weight is steadily coming off. I am currently at 167, with a goal of 140.

I thought this group might be a nice place for support and also because there are differences in the concerns of the 50lbs+ crowd and other CCers who may be looking at maintenance or need-to-gain issues. While it is nice to read and chat with all CCers, sometimes it is especially nice to touch base with folks in your particular "place."

Hello

My name is Linda.  I'm 48 getting close to 49.  I'm married and we have two grown children and 7 grandchildren. 

A couple of years ago I quit drinking, 6 months ago I quit smoking.  I now weight 215 pounds, and am 5'4".  I began Calorie Counters a few days ago, joined a gym and got a personal trainer.  I'm an all or nothing kind of person, great starter but have difficulty maintaing momentum.  Looking at recent family pictures such had an impact on me!  Wow, who is that fat lady?

Hoping to meet like minded people here.  I have a real addictive personality, and fell in love with M&Ms in the last year.  So....I'm hoping to become more moderate in these things.  Trying to maintain a 1500 calorie a day plan.

I enjoy knitting, playing with my dogs and grandkids, fishing, listening to audio booksand/or reading.

Hi,

My name is Becky and my weight is a rollercoaster. I recently started back to the gym and I feel great. I just want to ensure that I remain healthy.

I really love Calorie Count. It helps me by grading my progress during the day. My doctor likes it as well.

I joined this group because you are all like me and we all have a goal.

I have a great support system and a wonderful daughter.

Hey all,

My name is Merriel, I joined Calorie Count in March, lost about 10lbs which took a good 3 months and then got caught up in life, had to work too much overtime for the gym.  I recently changed jobs, I work as an Emergency Communications Dispatcher so my job is rather sedentary...well very. I am currently working midnight shift and have been for the past 4 years but am hoping to transfer to evenings in a month. Usually my day involves eating, going to work, going to the gym, going to bed, repeat. I'm working very very hard to change myself for both me and my boyfried.

My eye opener came this past week when for a family vacation we went white water rafting and I LOOOVED it.  My family also happened to purchase the video and on watching it I wanted to cry. Who I see myself as was not who I saw and it was mortifying.  To make the story short, I loved wwr so much that I want to take it up at as a hobby along w any other outdoor activities I can find out here in VA. BUT I need to slim down and strengthen if I'm really going to make it happen.

I just need that extra shove to push me through those tough days when I get off that 10hr midnight shift and am feeling too tired to go to the gym.

Hi,

So I don't usually do this whole public display of weight loss but I figure nothing has really worked before so maybe this will. Here goes...

1. History with weight loss: Ever since I can remember I've been overweight and ever since I can remember I've been either thinking about or trying to lose weight. When I was 20 (a little over 2 years ago) I lost 20 lbs and was heading in the right direction. Unfortunately stress from school took over and I gained those 20 lbs and added another 20 lbs onto it. Last year I was at my heaviest weighing in at 225 at 5' 3" (that's the first time I've ever written that number... crazy). I would really like to finally be at a healthy weight which is around 125-135 lbs.

2. History with Calorie Count: I've been on and off Calorie Count for a while. This is the first time I'm utilizing all their resources.

3. Reason for joining this group: I'm hoping you guys can keep me in check. I need to know that there are other people struggling. I need to know that people have bad days and can recover. And I need to know that people succeed.

4. Interesting things: Hmmm what do I say here?? I'm a 22 going on 23 yr old female. I am currently in my second year of medical school. Learning about and seeing first hand on a cadaver the adverse affects of obesity has renewed my will to lose this weight. But, the problem with being in med school is that it leaves me with little to no free time for myself. Currently, I've been sacrificing study time to go to the gym. Hopefully, this doesn't hurt me too much come exam time. I've also been on a healthier diet (I still indulge every now and then). So far I've lost 15 lbs and I really hope that I can continue without all the yo-yoing I've done in the past.

Hello everyone,

I'm glad to be joinging this group.  My SW was 241 but  my CW is 244.  MY GW is 143.  

History with Weight Loss: I've been overweight my whole adult life.  I have had times where I've lost 50 lbs but then I just ended up gaining it back.  I tend to start eally good and then I lose motivation. 

History with Calorie Count:  I just started in July.  I love the site but I just now have started really logging all of my food.

Reason for joinging this group:Support and Accountability

Interesting details:  I'm 36 and I really don't want to go into another decade with this issue.  I work in the Accounting department so I'm basically sitting all day.  I have one fur-baby (cat) and I love to go dancing. 

 

Hello,

I stared at my computer screen deciding if I should write something here or not. Here it goes:

1.History with weight loss: Ever since I was very little I was always the chubby kid. As I grew older I just became more and more over weight. My family has always ragged on me because of my weight,but that didn't really help. When I started middle school I would always think about losing weight but never really did anything about it. My older sister has always been skinnier than me and I held that against her for quite some time. When I started high school I joined marching band. During marching season I lost a lot of weight and this motivated to do better.After marching season was over though I would fall back into my habits and not exercise and eat right. A year ago I graduated high school and started college,which has lead to me gaining more weight. I'm finally determined to lose weight for myself(because I want to) and not because everyone else does.

2.History with calorie count: This is my first time using it,my friend suggested it to me and I decided to try it out.

3.Reason for joining this group: Knowing that other people are struggling just like me to keep the weight off and for support.

4.Interesting things: My name is Michelle.I am 18 years old and in college. I was born and raised in Puerto Rico. Music is a big part of my life. I was in marching band for all my four years in high school. I play clarinet and alto saxophone. I also got interested in winter guard when I was in high school. I'm majoring in criminal justice,with hopes of becoming a lawyer. I write poems and short stories and I also like reading a lot. I've finally decided that I want to change the way I look and feel about myself.

Hello, my name is Rebecca. :)

1. History with weight loss: I've been trying to lose weight for quite a long time, but I have never had any real dedication towards it. It would start off with me deciding, yeah, now is the time for a diet! And then, by the end of the week, not really caring. Even with a dietician! (but I am very thankful for all her help)

Because of my weight, I ended up getting attacks from a gallstone (I still have it). It didn't seem to wake me up and get me serious though, but it did make me more aware about the fat I was eating, and so I kept an eye on only that.

At some point I finally had that hit on the head people get with diets, and I've been sticking to the change since around the time I joined Calorie Count. It's funny, really; I told my dietician that I couldn't keep up with a food diary, but now I'll put foods inside before I even eat them! It's been a great help for me, and I've so far lost around two stone (14 kg).

2. History with Calorie Count: I joined in mid-July time. After reading about a woman who had gone through weight loss surgery, a few people had linked to diaries like these, and so I joined up to keep a better eye on what I was eating.

3. Reason for joining this group: I've still got quite a bit of weight to lose! And I hope that, with this place, I'll be able to read how other people are doing and gain inspiration to continue on. :)

4. About myself: I'm eighteen, and am planning to start a life skills course in September.

Good luck everyone!

Hi Everyone!

My name is Max, and today is my 50th Birthday, and as of today I've lost 45 lbs. since I started in February 08.  Calorie Counter has been a big part of my success.

1. History with weight loss:  Well not much history, I didn't start having any issues with weight until my 40s.  Then January of this year I found myself at the doctor's office weighing in at 210 lbs, I'm only 5'4", and having to take medication for hypertension, and I also had very high cholestrol.  Now granted I didn't go from an average weight to over 200 pounds overnight, I just never gave much thought to a healthy lifestyle or eating right, so there I was.  I wasn't getting much info from my current doctor, so I changed,and my new doctor was great and very blunt and to the point.  Get off my behind and get some exercise, and watch what I eat.  If I just lost the weight, he was pretty sure I wouldn't need the medication.  He provided me with a 1500 calorie diet, and advised at least 30 minutes of activity 5 days a week.  I took it a step further and started with a 1250 calorie diet, and a 30 minute walk daily.  By April I'd lost 20lbs. and since then, I've averaged 4-8 lbs a month.

2. History with Calorie Count: I found Calorie Count in March, when I was looking for a way to easily log my food.  Everything that I had read and heard indicated that people that logged their food were usually more successful with weight loss and maintaing their weight.  Since I'm an IT geek, I wanted to be able to do something on my computer, and since I'm cheap, didn't want to have to buy software to do that.  I googled weightloss programs and found this one, and it's literally been a lifesaver!  I use all of the logs, activities, food and weight, I check out recipes, add my own, and I also enjoy reading about what other people have gone through.  It's very motivational for me.

3. Reason for joining this group:  Well, since I started, I need to lose about 65 lbs which of course falls into this group subject. 

4. Some interesting details about me:  I'm an older gal (have to get used to saying that now) I just turned 50, I'm married to a wonderful man who is also a great partner in our fitness lifestyle.  We have 2 cats and a dog, no kids.  I love to watch TV (Biggest Loser one of my favs and very inspirational), play vidoe games, listen to music and read a ton of books.   I'm an IT consultant and that requires me to travel alot and so staying on track has been challenging, but I've been able to do it with some good planning and great coordination with our travel secretary.

I'm a chatty person, so if anyone would like to know what my husband and I have been doing to improve hour health, I'd be happy to share with you the details.  I'm also a gadget freak (IT remember), so we both wear pedometers, I also use a heart rate monitor and track all of that information on my computer, and I have a Wii fit that I love to use, it accomplishes two things for me.  Getting healthy while I get to play a video game.

My goal is to get my BMI to 24 by the end of the year, I'm currently at 28.4 and 165 lbs, I've gone from a size 20 to a size 12 for my top, and 10 for my pants.  It's great to be medium again!

Hi =).

I'm a 21 year old university student and I've pretty much had weight problems since I was around 8 or so.  At my peak I weighed 265 lbs (at the very end of High School) and I actually managed to get down to 185 lbs the following year, though I did it by starving myself.  I transferred colleges and started gaining weight rapidly, until I got back to around 265 again, which is when I found Calorie Count. I am quite happy to have lost 35 lbs this summer the right way, but I still have a long trek ahead of me until I reach my goal weight of 175 lbs.

Most of my interests revolve around school and computers, though I am no stranger to the drink and I do enjoy it often with my friends.  I also have a great interest in Ireland and the UK, which is where I plan to move after I finish up with my PhD (in I/O Psychology).  I am also interested in medieval siege weaponry, as my best friend and I built a small-scale replica of one in High School and nearly managed to complete a 52' tall trebuchet during our first year of college before it had to be torn down. 

Hi everyone!

I'm 25 years old, and I work for a non-profit in Chicago. I was born and raised here, and just moved back about a year ago from Michigan (where I went to school). I miss it there a lot, but it's nice to be back.

I've pretty much had problems with my weight as long as I can remember, going back and forth from being really heavy to really thin. I was really thin when I moved back to the city, but I got a breast reduction and gained a ton of weight back and then some. Now I'd like to finally just get to a healthy weight and get toned. I've found that CC is really helpful for me to actually be aware of what I'm eating and how much, instead of just snarfing stuff down without thinking about it at all.

I joined about 2 months ago (two months and a week, about), and also became a vegetarian around that time. I love meat and miss eating it a lot, but I have IBS, and meat was a huge trigger for me, and I have to eat tons of fiber, so now I'm just really too full to even think about having a steak or anything also.

I'm just over half way to my goal, which I feel really great about, since my BMI is now just the teeny tiniest bit above being "normal." I do need a bit of a kick in the butt about working out though, so if anyone can help with that, please feel free.

Hello Everyone!

1. History with weight loss: Well, I was overweight as a child but was pretty thin and healthy in my 20's. I gained a lot of weight with my pregnancy 15 years ago, but lost it with lots of exercise and calorie counting. Then, about 5 years ago I started gaining. Now I am at least 60 lbs overweight. I have not been able to lose it over the past year, in fact I have gained about 6 lbs. GRRRR!

2. History with Calorie Count: Started about two months ago. Looking for help counting calories and support from the comunity.

3. Reason for joining this group: I have never been this big in my life, even when pregnant. It is confusing to me, and I get frustrated and impatient.  I have a very demanding job and need someone to care about me. My husband is a bean-pole who smokes. He does not appreciate how hard it is for me. I hope to find so support and see the scale start to move.

4. Some interesting details about myself: I live in Indianapolis, downtown ,in a victorian. I have a dog, 2 cats and a gekko. I have a 40-50 hour a week job and a teenager.  I like to run, hike, bike, swim, dance, do yoga and lift wieghts.

I want to lose 60-65 lbs.

My name is Rebecca Buchholz. I used to be 130 just 4 years ago. Now here I am after having 2 children one of them a c-section and I haven't lost a pound. I have tried everything and open to any input on how i can get back to my old self.

Hi Everyone!

I've only lost weight twice in my life. Aged 17, after graduating highschool, I went for a job in the army, where they told me I was 20kilos overweight (about 44lbs), but if I lost it in a fortnight, they'd give me the job. They gave me a diet for men in the SAS, on which I lost 18 kilos in a fortnight, but they said it wasn't enough, so I flunked the job... I stayed that weight for about 2 years tho, which was nice.

10 years later, I had my first child, and had put on 30 kilos. (about 66lbs) Using the same diet, I lost it all again, but it took me 2 sets of fornights, with a break of a fortnight in between. It's a really hard diet to stay on though, so I haven't been able to do it since then.

I'm now 136 kilos (299.8lbs), and starting again, using calorie count. The auto-goal generator says I should get down to 61.3 kilos, but I really think that's too skinny for me. I'd be perfectly happy aiming for 74 to 78 kilos, and in the meantime, am just hoping to make it down to double figures by Christmas.

I found Calorie Count last year, but just couldn't get into it because my life was too hectic. Now, I'm deliberately taking life steady for the next six months to pamper my body with everything it deserves for getting me this far in life. (As far as my profession goes, I'm about as high as it's possible to get, so I figure, if my body doesn't deserve the treat of getting back in shape now, it never will.)

I'm 42 years old and don't want to have the same health problems that my mother has with her weight - which isn't that much bigger than me. I joined Calorie count because I LOVE the toolbar and support. It's fabulous and free!! (If the text message service was available in Australia, I'd be in heaven!)

I live in a remote area of south east queensland on a farm, and although I travel a lot as a children's author, I don't have any chance to network with people like me who need to lose weight.... although one librarian did tell me that she lost a lot of weight and keeps it off, by reading a book for an hour every night, while riding her exercise bike... so I'm off to try that now... hoping that I don't wobble too much to keep the page still! :))

My 2-legged family consists of 2 strapping farm lads (aged 15 and 12), and a hubby of 23 years + my 4-legged family = 3 cats, a dog, 2 horses + 2 foals, 12 sheep (plus 3 sets of twin lambs and a set of triplets!), and about 60 cows, give or take a few dozen of the cutest calves you could ever see.

 

Hi All!

I've tried every diet and given up after a few weeks.  It's not the diet's fault - it's mine.  I have no stick to-it-tive-ness.  I'm totally new to CC and hope that maybe with some support I might be able to not give up so easily.  I joined because I don't like the way I look or the way I feel.  I work full time, have a wonderful husband and two great twenty-something kids who recently struck out on their own.   Thanks for the opportunity to join!

Hi,

I'm going on 24 tomorrow, and have always had problems with weight.  It has gone back since early grade school and has continued on throughout the years.  There has only been a couple of time where I remember being  at a healthy weight, my freshman year of high school, and a couple of years back.  

  I decided to join CC yesterday after my mom recommended it to me, since she's trying to maintain her weight.  

 I've basically tried nearly every diet, and a few diet pills, and yesterday adding the calories woke me up more than any diet I've been on.  I hope to get down to my own goal weight of 140 lbs with the help of this website.

 

Hello group!

I'm a 36 year old, married, mother of one wee little girl and one big old dog. I'm 5'4" and currently weigh 215. 

I've never really had problems with my weight until recently. I was always the little one in school: wearing size 0 all through high school and never topping 125 in college. Over the past 10-12 years, I've gone up and down a bit, but I've never considered myself to be overweight until recently. In April of 2006, I was diagnosed with exhaustion and ordered by my doctor to stop doing a lot of the activities I was doing at the time: skiing, soccer, rock climbing, dog walking. While I will agree that I needed the rest, I think I took it too far. Within 6 months, I had gained about 35 pounds and was up to 175 and not fitting into anything! I started the Fat Smash Diet (first diet ever in my life) and managed to lose about 15 pounds (down to 160) by December of 2006, when I found out I was pregnant. I had a lovely, normal first pregnancy, during which I gained another 35 pounds (up to 195). Eating well and exercising did not fend off those extra pounds during pregnancy, and it didn't fend them off afterward either. Now I find myself a year later even heavier than I was at the end of my pregnancy. I almost choked yesterday when I went to the doctor to see that I had not lost weight in the two months since my last visit (210), but somehow managed to GAIN 5 more pounds. And this is with a marked increase in physical activity since my last visit. 

So today I joined caloriecount.com. I am active every day and I feel that I eat well too, but apparently, I'm not eating as well as I think I am. I'm hoping calorie count will shed some light on where I'm going overboard and whether or not I'm getting enough exercise on a daily basis. 

I'm still breastfeeding the baby, so a real low calorie diet is not possible at this point, but I'm hoping I can still lose weight somehow!!