Hi!
I’m a 20 year old, third-year university student. I live in a dorm, thus I’m subjected to a mandatory meal plan, which means I buy every meal at various cafes or convenience stores around campus. I don’t have access to a kitchen here, either, so making healthy choices is a bit of challenge sometimes (BUT completely doable - I just need to be smarter about what I eat).
I’ve been overweight since I was about 7 years old. It’s due to a combination of things:
1) I need to exercise regularly.
2) I need to pay more attention to portion control.
3) I need to stop eating when I’m full, rather than when the plate is empty.
4) I need to stop snacking at night.
5) I need to drink more water.
I’m 5’4 and weigh 220 lbs. That number still shocks me, to be honest. I struggled with my weight all through middle and high school, but this is by far an all-time high.
I don’t gain weight constantly; when I’m watching, I’m able to more or less maintain my current weight. It’s when I slip up and stop paying attention for a few weeks or months that I put on weight. So the "throw the scale out" approach doesn't really work for me.
I gained a fair bit of weight in the months after my dad died, when I was 14, and I gained some weight in my last year of high school, because I was so busy that it was easy to neglect my health. I gained weight the following year, too, mostly due to a work schedule that had me eating supper at 10 p.m. some nights. Recently, I’ve put on another 10 lbs, partly due to overconsumption of rich foods during the Christmas season, and partly due to a stressful situation with a close friend.
So, I guess I overeat when I’m under stress, upset, or bored. And that’s when I tend to make unhealthy choices. I’ve tried to lose weight countless times before, but my problem is that my motivation quickly fades, so I rarely stick with any plan for longer than a few days at a time.
I want to get serious about it this time though, because for the first time ever, I’m starting to worry about my health. Despite being overweight, I’ve always been very healthy. After gaining the last 25 lbs or so, though, I’ve started to feel sluggish, moody, and more self-conscious than I used to be. I find that I get tired (both physically and mentally drained) more quickly than I used to, and that’s been a real wake up call for me.
All of the other times I’ve wanted to lose weight, it’s been for concern over how I look, and over how others perceive me. While I won’t lie and say that I don’t care about that anymore - because to some extent, I do, that’s no longer my sole motivation. I want to do everything in my power to continue to enjoy the good health I’ve been lucky enough to have for the past 20 years. Translation: I need this "life change" to work.
So, I guess that’s me in a nutshell. I hope I haven’t rambled on too much! I look forward to getting to know you all and achieving our goals together.
I’m a 20 year old, third-year university student. I live in a dorm, thus I’m subjected to a mandatory meal plan, which means I buy every meal at various cafes or convenience stores around campus. I don’t have access to a kitchen here, either, so making healthy choices is a bit of challenge sometimes (BUT completely doable - I just need to be smarter about what I eat).
I’ve been overweight since I was about 7 years old. It’s due to a combination of things:
1) I need to exercise regularly.
2) I need to pay more attention to portion control.
3) I need to stop eating when I’m full, rather than when the plate is empty.
4) I need to stop snacking at night.
5) I need to drink more water.
I’m 5’4 and weigh 220 lbs. That number still shocks me, to be honest. I struggled with my weight all through middle and high school, but this is by far an all-time high.
I don’t gain weight constantly; when I’m watching, I’m able to more or less maintain my current weight. It’s when I slip up and stop paying attention for a few weeks or months that I put on weight. So the "throw the scale out" approach doesn't really work for me.
I gained a fair bit of weight in the months after my dad died, when I was 14, and I gained some weight in my last year of high school, because I was so busy that it was easy to neglect my health. I gained weight the following year, too, mostly due to a work schedule that had me eating supper at 10 p.m. some nights. Recently, I’ve put on another 10 lbs, partly due to overconsumption of rich foods during the Christmas season, and partly due to a stressful situation with a close friend.
So, I guess I overeat when I’m under stress, upset, or bored. And that’s when I tend to make unhealthy choices. I’ve tried to lose weight countless times before, but my problem is that my motivation quickly fades, so I rarely stick with any plan for longer than a few days at a time.
I want to get serious about it this time though, because for the first time ever, I’m starting to worry about my health. Despite being overweight, I’ve always been very healthy. After gaining the last 25 lbs or so, though, I’ve started to feel sluggish, moody, and more self-conscious than I used to be. I find that I get tired (both physically and mentally drained) more quickly than I used to, and that’s been a real wake up call for me.
All of the other times I’ve wanted to lose weight, it’s been for concern over how I look, and over how others perceive me. While I won’t lie and say that I don’t care about that anymore - because to some extent, I do, that’s no longer my sole motivation. I want to do everything in my power to continue to enjoy the good health I’ve been lucky enough to have for the past 20 years. Translation: I need this "life change" to work.
So, I guess that’s me in a nutshell. I hope I haven’t rambled on too much! I look forward to getting to know you all and achieving our goals together.
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!!