Hi everyone! My name is Alex. I'm 25 years old, and I'm an American residing permanently in Australia. My husband is Australian, born and raised.

I chose this as my username because I'm basically always "the fat one" in the group. Also, hopefully I might be able to count some of you as friends a little while down the road... here, we can ALL be the fat friend, and enjoy our progress together as we become less and less "the fat friend" and more and more "the funny friend" or "the smart friend" or "the musical friend" or whatever other quality of yourself you want to outshine your weight! My weight is the first thing people notice about me and I'm so, so ready for that to change. BUT, the main reason I need to lose weight is that in a couple of years I want I want I want to have a baby! I am really looking forward to having a child, but I refuse to risk a problematic pregnancy and potential health problems for my baby just because I'm a lazy glot.

At the moment I weigh about 220 lbs and I'm 5'4". My goal weight is about 150 lbs, which is heavy for 5'4" but I have a large frame and the last time I was 150 lbs (age 15!!!) I felt very slim and healthy, so let's start there and see how I go. I've been overweight my whole life, but sometimes less so than other times; occasionally I've even attained a "healthy" weight, but never for very long! I've been pretty successful with weight loss a few different times, losing 20 lbs here, 30 lbs there, but I always gain it back. If only food wasn't so delicious, I'd be quite thin, I'm sure.

I've put a photo of myself in my profile, because I always love to put a face to a name, and I assume many of you are the same way. I'm very glad to have found this site and I really look forward to getting to know as many of you as I can. When I have some progress pictures to show for my efforts, I'll definitely post those, too. I love pictures!

Good luck with that , and welcome!

Alex you're so beautiful!

Looking forward to getting to know you during this crazy journey!

-Charity

Your sound a lot like me! I'm about the same height, in the same weight range, and have pretty much the same goal as you. In other words, I'm 5'3 3/4", weigh 200 lbs, and have a dream of seeing 140 again, but would love 150 just the same! I totally respect your decision of taking care of your physical health before having children. My first pregnancy in 2001 caused me to gain a lot weight due to an unhealthy life style. I had gestational diabetes, hypertension, toxemia... you name it! I gained 80 lbs to birth a 9 lb baby. The weight gain was insane, but I was young. I changed a lot after that. I went from 220 lbs down to 160, and got pregnant again. This time I gained only 35 lbs by drinking plenty of water, eating healthier (although healthy eating is a jorney I am working on), and walking. I walked every day! I had a 10 1/2 lb baby boy in 2003, very healthy and very beautiful. It was worth all the hard work! I even lost 20 lbs during my hospital stay! I was a decent 175, but I could not stop the gain. I doubt that I tried very hard. I had depression issues and such. So about a year ago, I joined Curves and eventually made it down to 197. At which point I cried. I know I can beat the weight that holds me down. So, dear, if you would like to be my accountability partner, or a sounding board, or if you'd just like to talk and vice versa, please let me know! I think we can benefit from each other!

SoSel

Thanks for the lovely welcome, guys. SoSel, I would love to be accountability buddies with you. I've been working hard on accountability by writing down every single thing that enters my mouth in my "food log" which i'm keeping on my computer instead of in a paper book because I think I'll use it more consistently that way. Are you still going to Curves? There's one two blocks away from my house so I'm really strongly considering joining.

I've been doing okay... yesterday my eating was pretty much under control, and today it will be even better! I'm finding the food log method rather useful. If I'm taking a good, hard look at what I eat every day, it really makes me conscious of how much is too much.

I hope you guys are all feeling awesome!

Hi, your name I like,,,it is good, somethign Im sure alot of us can relate too...My goal weight is 160...Im 5'3 and 3/4...and I weight 216... we are very close together...want some one to walk through this with...I know 160 is alot poundage wise for my frame however if I can get to that and tone I think I iwll be happy...it is a fair amount f weight to loose...Welcome aboard and I am looking forward to followwing your progress

you might want to check out fitday.com or sparkpeple.org to keep track of food and exercise. They make up nice little graphs so you can see how you are doing in an instant!

Heya's and welcome!! We have simalar goals I started out at
255 I weigh 192 now my goal is 145-150 I would be very happy
to see 150! We can do it.Keep up the good work,Tammy

Hullo! And good luck on this crazy journey we're all starting - let us know if you ever need anything =)

Addressing the bit about having a hard time because food is so delicious, ask yourself if the momentary pleasure of tasting and enjoying something that you've tasted and enjoyed many times before is really worth the albatross that it gives you in the form of extra weight.

I've gotten so much mileage out of thinking to myself, "Yes. That food would certainly be delicious, but I've tasted it before and I'd rather feel good about myself and how I look than enjoy a few fleeting moments of transient enjoyment." Easier said than done, I know, but definitely not impossible.

Good luck.

Thanks again, everyone. 100down, I gave a lot of thought to what you said today, and it helped me. I did really well today. It's hard for me to see this as permanent, I keep thinking "diet," but I think it might get more and more familiar and 'normal' over time. I really want to commit myself to this. I don't know what I'll come up with that will make THIS time the time where I actually succeed, but I'm hoping to find something. I need this to happen.

Good Morning, have a happy healthy day!!!