1. What is your current height and weight?
I am 5"8, and currently 199lbs
2. If you were at an ideal weight now, what would that weight be?
I think 161lbs would be the best for my height and build
3. At what weight would you like to be at four months from now?
Hopefully at least 35lbs lighter
4. Why do you want to lose weight?
I've been overweight since I was 9, and I am 26 this month. For years I was happy being a big girl, my friends said I carried my weight well, but I got sick of hiding in baggy clothes, and I realised its not just about how I look, its my health that is at stake as well, I ached and was out of breath, even after doing mild excersise.
I also realised that my weight had been increasing the past year and a half and I want to nip it in the bud before it becomes a real health problem.
I have never lived in a slim body, and I want to be in one before I am 30, I am curious to see how I will feel, and look being slimmer, as I haven't been the right weight since I was 7 or 8 years old, and that is a little scary!
5. Do you want to lose weight for a specific life event such as wedding or reunion? If so, when is that event?
Not particularly, but I want to lose the weight before I hit 30.
6. What obstacles could get between you and your weight loss goals?
I think alcohol is a big one, alot of my friends are still students and have alot of parties, and I tend to overindulge. I think videogames/my computer is a big obstacle too because I can sit for hours playing and neglecting to do any excersise, I have an addictive personality.
I'm lucky in that I enjoy all kinds of food and I love fruit and vegetables and I can take or leave junk food, but I still have it now and again, (and I love chocolate)
7. Why do you think that you now have a weight problem?
I take after my dad's side of the family more than my mothers, we are all tall and large framed, and if we aren't excersising constantly we just get huge!
I have never been a fan of excersise, even since school I would skip PE lessons and if my friends asked me to come on a bike ride or climb trees I would decline and sit indoors on my Sega genesis for hours on end, so I think that is how it started. I think I didn't lose it in my teens because I started drinking alcohol and never excersised then either.
8. What lifestyle changes do you think would help you lose weight?
I have already started as of two weeks ago, and I am seeing the benefits already. I am excersising daily, walking the dog for an hour every morning, then either running or swimming in the evenings.
I have cut out all processed food and stuff with sugars and additives in it, and I only drink tea, milk, water and fresh juice.
I was only eating one meal a day before and skipping breakfast, but now I am eating 3 meals a day.
At the beginning of the fortnight I was getting headaches and cold sweats, and I thought I was getting a cold but I have since realised it was the cutting out of the sugar and crap that was making me feel like that, and now I find I have bags of energy and I am waking up earlier on the morning.
I have also lost 4lbs in the past 2 weeks, so I am definately sticking to what I am doing as I can see that it is working.
I have also joined Slimming World (which is similar to Weight Watchers) and the moral support is a huge boost.
9. Have you lost weight in the past? If so, what has worked in the past to help you lose weight?
I did go down a dress size when I was about 18 years old whilst doing a Paul McKenna hypnosis programme, it did work very well but I found out if you didn't keep listening to the CD it would wear off and I stopped listening to it and I put the weight back on again. (Also I was still to lazy to excersise!)
10. Why do you believe that you did not lose weight or you gained the weight back?
See above answer
11. What, if anything, has not worked for you in the past in helping you to lose weight? Why do you think it did not work?
Fad diets. I did a diet where all I ate was cabbage soup, and the weight did come off but I felt like crap and when I stopped the weight all came back on again.
12. Would you try writing down all food and drink consumed for a given period of time?
I am already keeping a food diary on a site that counts calories of the food you eat and what you burn off through excersise, I am finding it helpful.
13. Do you cook at home often? If so, what do you cook?
Not very often but I am trying, I'm not very good at it! I can make soups and healthy vegetable stir fries, thats about it, but I am open to any ideas if people want to help me with recipies
14. How often do you go out to eat? Where do you go?
Not very often, maybe a couple of times a month, if I am in town with my friends we will sometimes get a Subway or sometimes I go for an Italian meal with my boyfriend if it is a special occasion.
15. What are your three favorite foods?
Pizza
Bacon sandwich with tomato ketchup
Stir fry
16. What are your three favorite restaurants?
Valentinos (Italian restaurant)
Subway
Wetherspoons (UK pub chain that does meals too)
17. What are three things you can do differently when it comes to food?
I'm grilling things rather than frying, and incorporating alot more vegetables and fruit into my diet, and cutting down on bread products too. I've stopped putting sugar in my coffee and tea also.
18. If you woke up tomorrow and your body was exactly the way you want it, what would be different?
I think I would have alot more confidence, I have low self esteem currently because of my size.
19. Do you eat when you are not hungry?
Sometimes, not all the time. If theres stuff already out to pick at, like chips or buffet type foods I will grab it without thinking, especially if I have had an alcoholic drink I will stuff my face even if I am not hungry.
20. Do you binge eat (large amounts at a time)?
When I was at University I didn't because I couldn't afford much food, but I am back at home currently and a full fridge is a temptation, and in the past I would, but if I feel the urge to binge now I head for the fruit bowl or grab a glass of water, or even go for a walk to get my mind off it.
21. Do you hide your food or eat in secret?
No, but when I was a little kid I used to spend my lunch money on chocolate and hide it in my room from my mum, but that stopped once I got to about 15 years old.
22. Do you eat when you are sad, nervous, or depressed?
Yes, sometimes, when I have PMT I am the worst, I hit the ice cream like its nobodies business
23. Do you eat as a reward?
No, I reward myself in other ways (like buying a book/game/item of clothing, or I will go out and drink beer with my friends, which I suppose is just as bad.
24. Do you eat while watching TV or using the computer?
I only really eat when I am hungry but now and again I will get a bag of crisps or a couple of cookies, but now when I am at the computer I will pick at grapes or have an orange instead.
25. What do you normally eat for a meal?
Jacket potato with beans or tuna on it with a side salad
26. What type of snacks do you eat?
In the past, crisps, chocolate, cookies, but now I eat fruit, or a slice of dark rye with cottage cheese and pineapple chunks on it, its becoming a favourite of mine
27. In terms of exercise, what, if anything, are you currently doing?
Swimming twice to three times a week, and daily walking, jogging/running; I would like to start lifting weights once I have lost a few more pounds.
28. Where do you go for exercise? A local public gym? School/work gym? Home?
I live in a remote area so there are alot of nature walks/country roads that go on for miles to jog and walk on. I go to the local swimming pool at the leisure centre as well, its a 20 minute bus journey then 10 minute walk away for me.
29. What, if anything, are your three favorite types of exercise?
The only ones I do are my favourite! I want to join the gym when I can afford it, where I would like to try lifting free weights once I have built up some more stamina.
30. What is your daily/weekly/monthly/yearly motivation to move towards your goals?
I'm just excited to see what the result of my hard work will be, I can see the benefits already. I have little goals each day, such as doing at least 30 minutes of excersise, and I plan to eat healthily and even when I have reached my goal weight I will keep up the routine and the eating habits.
Since cutting right down on sugar I have lost the desire for chocolate and stuff thats bad for me, so I don't miss it.
I think it should be easy, and I'm not going to rush it, I'm just taking it day by day, even if it takes over a year to lose the weight I'll be happy as long as I am doing my little goals every day as it all works towards what I want out of it, in the end.
31. Do you have rewards for certain goals?
Well this week I lost 2lbs, so I had some chicken curry for dinner, I think I can still enjoy my treats as long as I use them sparingly, and I enjoy them more when they are used for rewards.
When I drop two more dress sizes I am going to buy a little black dress (I am currently a UK size 16, in two sizes I will be a 12, so its something to look forward to)
I am 5"8, and currently 199lbs
2. If you were at an ideal weight now, what would that weight be?
I think 161lbs would be the best for my height and build
3. At what weight would you like to be at four months from now?
Hopefully at least 35lbs lighter
4. Why do you want to lose weight?
I've been overweight since I was 9, and I am 26 this month. For years I was happy being a big girl, my friends said I carried my weight well, but I got sick of hiding in baggy clothes, and I realised its not just about how I look, its my health that is at stake as well, I ached and was out of breath, even after doing mild excersise.
I also realised that my weight had been increasing the past year and a half and I want to nip it in the bud before it becomes a real health problem.
I have never lived in a slim body, and I want to be in one before I am 30, I am curious to see how I will feel, and look being slimmer, as I haven't been the right weight since I was 7 or 8 years old, and that is a little scary!
5. Do you want to lose weight for a specific life event such as wedding or reunion? If so, when is that event?
Not particularly, but I want to lose the weight before I hit 30.
6. What obstacles could get between you and your weight loss goals?
I think alcohol is a big one, alot of my friends are still students and have alot of parties, and I tend to overindulge. I think videogames/my computer is a big obstacle too because I can sit for hours playing and neglecting to do any excersise, I have an addictive personality.
I'm lucky in that I enjoy all kinds of food and I love fruit and vegetables and I can take or leave junk food, but I still have it now and again, (and I love chocolate)
7. Why do you think that you now have a weight problem?
I take after my dad's side of the family more than my mothers, we are all tall and large framed, and if we aren't excersising constantly we just get huge!
I have never been a fan of excersise, even since school I would skip PE lessons and if my friends asked me to come on a bike ride or climb trees I would decline and sit indoors on my Sega genesis for hours on end, so I think that is how it started. I think I didn't lose it in my teens because I started drinking alcohol and never excersised then either.
8. What lifestyle changes do you think would help you lose weight?
I have already started as of two weeks ago, and I am seeing the benefits already. I am excersising daily, walking the dog for an hour every morning, then either running or swimming in the evenings.
I have cut out all processed food and stuff with sugars and additives in it, and I only drink tea, milk, water and fresh juice.
I was only eating one meal a day before and skipping breakfast, but now I am eating 3 meals a day.
At the beginning of the fortnight I was getting headaches and cold sweats, and I thought I was getting a cold but I have since realised it was the cutting out of the sugar and crap that was making me feel like that, and now I find I have bags of energy and I am waking up earlier on the morning.
I have also lost 4lbs in the past 2 weeks, so I am definately sticking to what I am doing as I can see that it is working.
I have also joined Slimming World (which is similar to Weight Watchers) and the moral support is a huge boost.
9. Have you lost weight in the past? If so, what has worked in the past to help you lose weight?
I did go down a dress size when I was about 18 years old whilst doing a Paul McKenna hypnosis programme, it did work very well but I found out if you didn't keep listening to the CD it would wear off and I stopped listening to it and I put the weight back on again. (Also I was still to lazy to excersise!)
10. Why do you believe that you did not lose weight or you gained the weight back?
See above answer
11. What, if anything, has not worked for you in the past in helping you to lose weight? Why do you think it did not work?
Fad diets. I did a diet where all I ate was cabbage soup, and the weight did come off but I felt like crap and when I stopped the weight all came back on again.
12. Would you try writing down all food and drink consumed for a given period of time?
I am already keeping a food diary on a site that counts calories of the food you eat and what you burn off through excersise, I am finding it helpful.
13. Do you cook at home often? If so, what do you cook?
Not very often but I am trying, I'm not very good at it! I can make soups and healthy vegetable stir fries, thats about it, but I am open to any ideas if people want to help me with recipies
14. How often do you go out to eat? Where do you go?
Not very often, maybe a couple of times a month, if I am in town with my friends we will sometimes get a Subway or sometimes I go for an Italian meal with my boyfriend if it is a special occasion.
15. What are your three favorite foods?
Pizza
Bacon sandwich with tomato ketchup
Stir fry
16. What are your three favorite restaurants?
Valentinos (Italian restaurant)
Subway
Wetherspoons (UK pub chain that does meals too)
17. What are three things you can do differently when it comes to food?
I'm grilling things rather than frying, and incorporating alot more vegetables and fruit into my diet, and cutting down on bread products too. I've stopped putting sugar in my coffee and tea also.
18. If you woke up tomorrow and your body was exactly the way you want it, what would be different?
I think I would have alot more confidence, I have low self esteem currently because of my size.
19. Do you eat when you are not hungry?
Sometimes, not all the time. If theres stuff already out to pick at, like chips or buffet type foods I will grab it without thinking, especially if I have had an alcoholic drink I will stuff my face even if I am not hungry.
20. Do you binge eat (large amounts at a time)?
When I was at University I didn't because I couldn't afford much food, but I am back at home currently and a full fridge is a temptation, and in the past I would, but if I feel the urge to binge now I head for the fruit bowl or grab a glass of water, or even go for a walk to get my mind off it.
21. Do you hide your food or eat in secret?
No, but when I was a little kid I used to spend my lunch money on chocolate and hide it in my room from my mum, but that stopped once I got to about 15 years old.
22. Do you eat when you are sad, nervous, or depressed?
Yes, sometimes, when I have PMT I am the worst, I hit the ice cream like its nobodies business
23. Do you eat as a reward?
No, I reward myself in other ways (like buying a book/game/item of clothing, or I will go out and drink beer with my friends, which I suppose is just as bad.
24. Do you eat while watching TV or using the computer?
I only really eat when I am hungry but now and again I will get a bag of crisps or a couple of cookies, but now when I am at the computer I will pick at grapes or have an orange instead.
25. What do you normally eat for a meal?
Jacket potato with beans or tuna on it with a side salad
26. What type of snacks do you eat?
In the past, crisps, chocolate, cookies, but now I eat fruit, or a slice of dark rye with cottage cheese and pineapple chunks on it, its becoming a favourite of mine
27. In terms of exercise, what, if anything, are you currently doing?
Swimming twice to three times a week, and daily walking, jogging/running; I would like to start lifting weights once I have lost a few more pounds.
28. Where do you go for exercise? A local public gym? School/work gym? Home?
I live in a remote area so there are alot of nature walks/country roads that go on for miles to jog and walk on. I go to the local swimming pool at the leisure centre as well, its a 20 minute bus journey then 10 minute walk away for me.
29. What, if anything, are your three favorite types of exercise?
The only ones I do are my favourite! I want to join the gym when I can afford it, where I would like to try lifting free weights once I have built up some more stamina.
30. What is your daily/weekly/monthly/yearly motivation to move towards your goals?
I'm just excited to see what the result of my hard work will be, I can see the benefits already. I have little goals each day, such as doing at least 30 minutes of excersise, and I plan to eat healthily and even when I have reached my goal weight I will keep up the routine and the eating habits.
Since cutting right down on sugar I have lost the desire for chocolate and stuff thats bad for me, so I don't miss it.
I think it should be easy, and I'm not going to rush it, I'm just taking it day by day, even if it takes over a year to lose the weight I'll be happy as long as I am doing my little goals every day as it all works towards what I want out of it, in the end.
31. Do you have rewards for certain goals?
Well this week I lost 2lbs, so I had some chicken curry for dinner, I think I can still enjoy my treats as long as I use them sparingly, and I enjoy them more when they are used for rewards.
When I drop two more dress sizes I am going to buy a little black dress (I am currently a UK size 16, in two sizes I will be a 12, so its something to look forward to
)