Hi, my name is Liz, and I'm new to the forum but definitely not new to the weight loss game. I'm over six feet tall and was a very awkward teenager, but I was alway athletic in high school and so the weight didn't pack on until I was 18 and living away from home for the first time. I got up to 230 at my heaviest and was horribly depressed. The worst feeling in the world is being trapped in a body you hate.

So I got out of the bad relationship I was in, moved home, and got a gym membership. There has been a lot of up and down since then, but the biggest lesson I've learned is that I cannot give up food. I can give up unhealthy food, but I cannot give up food in general. I'm not good at limiting my calories to less than 2000 per day. I changed my tastes so that now I mostly eat whole grains like quinoa, oats, and brown rice, lean protein like chicken, lots of fish (I live in Hawaii, so there's plenty), eggwhites, and cottage cheese. I also throw in a variety of fresh local fruits and veggies, and use natural sweetneners like honey and agave syrup instead of refined sugar or cancer-causing artificial sweeteners. While the calorie count doesn't necessarily drop dramatically, the nutrition content is sky-high, and I feel better than ever.

During my diet makeover, though, I noticed that I wasn't cutting calories significantly, and so I opted to up my activity. I've been putting on muscle instead of trying to lose pounds, and I would love to meet other women who love pumping iron. Thanks for welcoming me to the site.

hello

Welcome to the forum!! I'm sure you'll love it here!

I dont' pump iron, but I do like pilates! So anyways, good luck and let me know if you have any questions!

Welcome to the site Liz - we eat the same sorts of things! Wholemeal, fish, cottage cheese, lots of fruit etc. I lost my weight - but some muscle with it, and I'm trying to build up a little again, so that I can tackle the remains of that excess body fat. I love the gym too!