Hi Everyone,

I'm Beth, and I'm a 22 yr old University student. I live in the dorms, which was very very bad for my health. I've gained the freshman 15 four years straight, and I haven't lost much of it. But I was ok with being fat. I'm doing ok in life and didn't really have issues with my weight. Once in a while I would freak out over it, and feel fat and unhappy, but that was only once in a while.

My complacency was my problem. One week ago today, I felt funny. My mother is a diabetic, so I decided to check my blood sugar level. I can’t tell you what in the back of my mind told me to do it, but I did. I'm really glad I did, because it was spiked at 181. That isn't the most definitive number in the case of diabetes, my mother was spiked at 300 - and that tells you for sure that your organs aren't working right. But 181 - in my mind, and my mother's mind, was still a level that might be fixable with exercise, eating properly, and weightloss. I knew that at the ripe old age of 22, I did not want to be a diabetic.

So I decided that I needed to change right then and there. And from that very moment I changed everything. I got a gym membership, cut out 90% of my carbs and joined this website. This is not for vanity, this is for my life. I'm Jewish, and one phrase you hear a lot when you hang out in a synagogue is "Choose Life"; that is exactly what I am doing. With my past lifestyle I was on my way to organ failure and death - I am determined to change that.

So now it is one week later. I have used my gym membership 5 times in the past week, and kept to my diet. My current results are promising - I've lost at least an inch off of my stomach area, and I've lost 1.5 lbs. But most importantly, I woke up yesterday morning and this morning with a blood sugar level of 84. This was not so last week when I was coming in over 100. If I continue in this manner, I'll be able to gain healthy life and lifestyle.

I'm not counting calories, but I am being mindful of what I eat. I am not going to make any major changes now that I am not willing to commit to for the rest of my life. If I am unable to feel successful in my lifestyle once I've succeeded in making all of the changes that I intend on making, then I will revise my lifestyle again, but right now this appears to be working. We will see what happens within the next few weeks.

If you have read everything that I've written (which I understand is quite a lot), I hope you notice that I have not mentioned anything about feeling nervous about possibly not being able to succeed. That is because I must do this, and I must succeed for the very future of my wellbeing. I understand that this is in no way an option in my life, and while I will not stress out about it, I understand its importance. I am happy with my current changes and success, and, at the moment, I can't really ask for more.

Toodles,

Beth

Hi Beth!

You have such a positive outlook on your situation and feel so determined. I have never read someone's post so far so full with serenity but also with such a strong goal in their mind.

Dropping your blood sugar level from over 180 to just over 80 in a week is amazing. Just keep up the good work.

I am Jewish too, and we know that Jewish mom's have the tendency to make us chubby and "cute". Ah us Jews

My name is Katarina by the way, nice to meet you.

Hi,

Thanks Mesmerizing for your support. And, for me, it wasn't my Jewish mother who got me, it was my very very Jewish grandmother. Brisket and kugel in the same dinner, whenever we would go over there. It was totally nuts. But I love her, she is so great.

Toodles,

beth

hey beth,

i know all about the freshmen 15... which turned into the college 100 for me... started college at 240 but 5'10 at 17 and graduated with my bachelors at 6'4 360 lbs.

now that i dont have the stress of finals and school, the weight is coming off!

Jeremy,

Exactly, I'm 5 foot 9 in, adn I started out at 180, and now I'm at 225ish. It is totally rediculous. I live in the dorms, and that makes things even worse. I have one more year to go, and if I can do this through my school time, then I'll feel really accomplished.

toodles,

Beth K

Hi All,

Well the last couple of days I've eaten more calories than I've wanted to, but oh well... I increased my exercise, which is good. I've really got to find some breakfast food that i like, because I'm totally sick of eggs, and I don't even eat them that much.

I woke up over the last two days and my bloodsugar was 95 on both days. I would like to keep that under the 90 mark, so I'll make some more effort to control what I eat. Yesterday I had a BIG hamburger bun at dinner, and that is probably what brought it up. But if that is all it did, I'm pretty lucky. If my mom had that, she would have been at 160, or something like it.

Swam 3/8 of a mile yesterday, and will again today. I want to do that 5-6 times a week. My body is really changing. I've not done this for more than 2 weeks, and I can see changes already. Very odd, but I won't complain!

Hi

Well done with your exercise i think thats the hardest thing to add into your daily routine!
Seeing changes in your body after 2 weeks... you must be doing something right!

Sarah

Sarah,

Thanks! It really is amazing what the body does when you give it the opportunity to. Crazy!

Toodles,


Beth