Here weeeeeeeeeee go!!!!!!! :)

M

Meggymay

New member
So here I am. I have frequented this website for a few years now and I must say it is truly inspiring to see people take control of their life and health. Reinvention. I want to take the same journey! I am highly motivated and excited about the process!

I am 24 years old. 5’4”. Currently 161 pounds. I was an extremely active child and teenager. I was one of those people who was just naturally athletic. I gained muscle easily and was able to excel at any sport I tried. (Glory days) haha! I was a solid ~140 pounds and very fit. Everything changed after I moved away to university....

At 18 I moved away to go to school...and like many others – my eating habits changed drastically. I became sedentary and stagnant. I gained close to 30 pounds in six months (by eating A LOT and everything horrible you could imagine). Eating became my crutch. I used to eat when I was bored, when I was upset, I would binge like crazy. I think my body was shocked by the drastic change.

I lost my identity. I no longer felt like ‘me.’ This impacted my self esteem and self efficacy. I would put on a happy face when around others but I mostly just hid myself away.

My highest weight was around 185 pounds. For three years I hovered around 170-180. Then in 2009 I finally decided to take control back over my life. I started working out every day hard and I got my eating habits back under control. I was able to lose close to 20 or more pounds. I was lucky that I was able to easily transition back into being active. I loved it! I played sports, went to fitness classes including kick boxing, weight training, resistance training, step classes, aerobics and on and on. I had never felt better. I was down to around 150 pounds. Then I stopped being so regimented. And I gained back ten pounds. And that is where I stand right now. I have been sitting at 155-160 pounds for over a year. I am proud of myself that I have been able to keep a lot of the weight off but I am nowhere near where I want and need to be.

The reason why I am starting my journey right now is because I am graduating with my second degree in May. After this I am going to be starting my ‘real’ life as I call it haha! I have been in university now for seven years. I would love to have my eating and exercising under control for when I start my career. I want to experience everything life has to offer and not have to focus on weight issues.

Because I don’t identify myself as a bigger person – I have never been able to be happy since I gained the weight. Every day for years I would plan what I was going to eat/do for exercise and every day I wouldn’t follow the plan. It is emotionally exhausting to live in this constant state of failure. SO I am ready and cannot wait to see where this journey takes me!! :)

My plan is to exercise 1-2 hours a day. I love going to the gym and fitness classes so I will try my hardest to make going a priority (the gym is in my building – I have no excuse)! Haha

I plan on eating 1200 calories per day. The healthier the food the better. I eat relatively healthy right now. But I have a huge problem with binging and portion control.

My goal weight is around 125 pounds but I am not too concerned about reaching a particular number. I will know when I look in the mirror/know by how I feel whether I am where I should be.

I plan on writing what I do on here every day. Life is out there – I just have to go grab it! :) Cannot wait!!!

“The future depends on what we do in the present” - Ghandi
 
Day number one!

Weight: 158 pounds
Food:
Breakfast: oatmeal: 210 cal
apple sauce: 80 cal
yogurt: 70 cal

Lunch:
chicken strips: 172 cal
soup: 136 cal

Snack: granola bar: 140 cal
apple sauce: 80 cal

Supper:
chicken balls: 200 cal
yogurt: 105 cal
Total: 1193 calories
(Haha! As you can see there are no veggies on there - I should probably work on that!)

Today my eating has been pretty good! I kept within my calorie limit and drank only water throughout the day. I've been stuck inside writing papers for university it seems for forever now. Ugh. I never made it to the gym. I am hoping to tomorrow. It is hard as all my major assignments are due next week before Christmas break. Buttttttt I need to make it a priority. It sucks that there isn't as many fitness classes on the weekends because they really motivate me to go. Anyways, I think this has been a pretty successful day so far! Yay for day one :)
 
Day two:
Weight: 156 pounds
Food:
Granola bar: 140cal
Soya milk: 140 cal
Lean chicken balls: 640 cal
Yogurt: 35 cal
Crystal light: 10 cal
Granola bar: 140 cal
Slice of bread: 90 cal
Total: 1195 cal

Not hard to tell I need groceries. Haha! I went and got some this evening so hopefully I`ll have a little more variation in my diet coming up the next week. Another successful eating day though. I have my week planned for the exercise classes I am going to go to so hopefully I`ll be able to follow through. :)

PS: Extra food eaten
--> toast with marjarine: 320 cal
-->banana: 100 cal
Total for the day: 1615 cal
 
Last edited:
Day three
Weight: 155 pounds
Food:
Oatmeal: 300 cal
Banana:100 cal

Granola bar: 140 cal
Orange: 100 cal
Clementine: 40 cal

Soup: 136 cal
Sweet potato fries: 130 cal
Slice of bread: 90 cal

Yogurt: 70 cal
Banana: 100 cal

Total calories for the day: 1206 cal

Today was great! My eating was spot on and I was able to follow my planned meals for the day. I decided to go to the gym tonight and tried a new fitness class. It was “Body Attack” out of the Les Mills program. OHHHHHHHH MAN! It kicked my butt! Talk about high intensity. I thought I was relatively fit until I realized 20 minutes into the class I was already fatigued! I definitely recommend the class to anyone looking for a great cardio workout. Here is a link to the Les Mills classes. They seem to be pretty popular around the world as they are in numerous countries.
Check it out :)
--> Lesmills.com
 
You sound like you're on about the same plan as me!
I'm a 22 y/o female and I'm a student.
Height: 5'5"
Current weight: 138
Goal weight (3-4 months?): 105-111 (I'll stop if I'm getting too thin)
Plan: 1000-1500 calories/day and exercise! (I walk a ton so I can seriously eat anything I want and stay the weight I am... not necessarily a good thing when it's ice cream and cookies though...)

I used to be around 160 when I was binging a lot but I've kept that weight off for a long time now. My body just naturally stays around 138-142 when I eat whatever I want but I want to be thinner and more toned.

Let me know if you want to message each other and have like support because I would love to have a buddy since I know this won't be easy...
 
Hey meggymay, just wanted to pop in and say hi! Seems like you're doing really well and you sound mega motivated! That's awesome!

Those Les Mills class kick butt but they're super fun! I haven't done body attack yet due to being unfit and having an injury, but once I get over that I totally want to go coz it looks super fun! There's also Body Combat that I want to try - I love doing that kind of stuff :)
 
Heyyyyyy!

gonnaweigh105 said:
I used to be around 160 when I was binging a lot but I've kept that weight off for a long time now. My body just naturally stays around 138-142 when I eat whatever I want but I want to be thinner and more toned.

Let me know if you want to message each other and have like support because I would love to have a buddy since I know this won't be easy...
Click to expand...
Haha! Yeah, our situations are a lot alike!
I'd love to have some support throughout this process because I think you're right...it won't be easy...especially with the holidays coming up haha. :)

Man, that is awesome that you have been able to keep that weight off!!! What do you think helped you the most in keeping it off? What type of workouts do you do?

I'm sure we'll be able to keep each other in check haha
I think writing on here every day is going to keep help me be accountable.
 
Hey there!!

aussiegal said:
Hey meggymay, just wanted to pop in and say hi! Seems like you're doing really well and you sound mega motivated! That's awesome!

Those Les Mills class kick butt but they're super fun! I haven't done body attack yet due to being unfit and having an injury, but once I get over that I totally want to go coz it looks super fun! There's also Body Combat that I want to try - I love doing that kind of stuff :)
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Hey there!!! Thanks for the pop in :)

I agree, the Les Mills classes are awesome! Plus, they give options so you can always do a lower impact move if you find something too difficult. :) So much fun! Body combat is one of my faves - also Body Step. I love the how the instructors try and pump you up. Plus, working out with others is always so motivating!

It's too bad about your injury. I hope you heal up soon!!!!!! If you end up trying some of the classes let me know how it goes. I'd love to hear about your progress :)
 
Meggymay said:
Haha! Yeah, our situations are a lot alike!
I'd love to have some support throughout this process because I think you're right...it won't be easy...especially with the holidays coming up haha. :)

Man, that is awesome that you have been able to keep that weight off!!! What do you think helped you the most in keeping it off? What type of workouts do you do?

I'm sure we'll be able to keep each other in check haha
I think writing on here every day is going to keep help me be accountable.
Click to expand...

Well summer 2009 I lost like 20 lbs too quickly and then I gained like 35 lbs in a year because I was trying to restrict so much that I developed a binge problem and I was going out and partying too much and being super sedentary... so during my summer break 2010 I ate really well and exercised a lot (mostly swimming, watching TV while walking on the treadmill, light weight lifting, push-ups, dancing, basically whatever I felt like doing) and the weight just came off (down to about 138 in 3 months). Now I'm back in school. I moved to Europe from the States so that probably helped contribute to the weight staying off because the lifestyle is so different here (smaller portions, public transit, etc.). I don't work out at ALL because I'm so busy but I walk probably a total of a couple of hours throughout the day to school, up and down stairs, and around town so that's probably why I can eat anything I want here and stay the same weight. However, I don't really eat meat, and I gave up fake sugar... so no diet sodas or splenda in my food or anything (this really helped with the binging I noticed). I would like the be thinner, more in shape, and healthier though so that's why I started this profile!

I noticed that just walking really makes a difference considering I don't make a conscious effort to work out. I want to start running because I noticed how great people look and feel when they run daily but it's so cold here that I don't know if I can do it outside.

Anyway, glad someone else is on the same journey as me and can't wait to see your results and hopefully mine! :)
 
gonnaweigh105 said:
I noticed that just walking really makes a difference considering I don't make a conscious effort to work out. I want to start running because I noticed how great people look and feel when they run daily but it's so cold here that I don't know if I can do it outside.

Anyway, glad someone else is on the same journey as me and can't wait to see your results and hopefully mine! :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the insight!!! I am a huge fake sugar eater (splenda, stevia, equal, sugar twin, diet products)....maybe I should look at getting rid of it from my diet too. I know it isn't the best for the body because of the harsh chemicals...not to mention hard on the kidneys! Hmm...definitely something I need to think about.

Wow, yeah walking seems to be doing the trick for you! That is awesome. Running would be a great idea. I find it hard to run on the streets in the city I am in...so hard on the knees with the concrete...So I always head to a nearby park when I run outside. It's great when the weather is nice...but when it's cold you really have to be quite the trooper to get out there haha

And moving all the way from the States to Europe!!! Quite the move. Did you do that all on your own? haha I am amazed! I am looking to move across Canada in 6 months and that has me worried as it is! :)

Do you keep track of the foods you eat? Are you planning on starting a journal on here? Haha... I am bombarding you with questions!
 
Day four:
Today wasn't the best (as the last couple of Tuesdays haven't been). I am in clinical for university...and every Tuesday we do a 'Journal Club' with different health professions in the mental health setting talking about current research etc. And the sessions are catered...So that basically means free lunch every Tuesday. Haha...So...my daily food plan kind of went out the window today. At the lunch I had a chicken wrap, half of a little roast beef sandwich, salad, a little bit of fruit, and 2 -yes I said TWO - cookies!!! SO needless.

Soooooooooooo my goal for next week is to either bring my own lunch and just pass on the catered food OR just stick to healthy selections (i.e. just the salad and fruit - because the sandwiches aren't really the healthiest. mayo is the worst)! I'll decide next Monday which way I will go. All I know is that I cannot let myself get off track like that. It only goes against everything I want to accomplish.

All that aside - I went to 'Body Combat' tonight at the gym! Which was awesome! So high impact and fun! Haha! I was still kind of hurting from yesterday's workout. But I love the challenge. :) Tomorrow I am planning on going to Fit Mix - which is a class that does intervals of weight training and intervals of cardio (usually step). Here's to keeping this up. I really look at this as a lifelong journey...so I love taking this one day at a time and trying to improve!
 
I like that you track everything so carefully, and plan ahead, I think that's where a lot of people fall short; their inability to do so.

I can tell you're definitely set to reach your goal!
 
Meggymay said:
Do you keep track of the foods you eat? Are you planning on starting a journal on here? Haha... I am bombarding you with questions!
Click to expand...

Yeah I used to eat fake sugar every single day! Like packets of splenda and stevia on anything that could possibly be sweetened, diet soda a few times a day, etc. I feel better not eating that stuff too but that might just be psychological... haha.

I actually moved for medical school so I'll be living in Eastern Europe for the next 3.5 years! Watching all the naturally thin people here changed my habits a bit because almost everyone is thin/fit and they don't eat any sort of fake foods or diet sodas that seem to predominate in the super markets in America.

I started to keep track of everything I ate for the past couple of weeks just to calculate how many calories I naturally want to eat in a day (which turned out to be anywhere from 2000-2600 on a normal busy day and I've been maintaining around 140 without even thinking about weight or exercise). Today was my last 2000+ calorie day and I had a nice big piece of chocolate to enjoy one last time since my caloric intake is now significantly reduced to 1000-1500 starting tomorrow morning and hopefully not include too many sweet/fattening foods.

I'm definitely going to start an online diary and write down food, weight, exercise, and sleep habits so I can keep track myself and show people my progress. I feel like I will do better if I know people are rooting for me and relying on me to actually stick to my plan.

In general, I eat very healthfully besides my lust for sweets! I eat a lot of eggs and egg whites, vegetables of all sorts (lots of zucchini, bell peppers, carrots, red onion, tomatoes), wheat bran and bran cereals, dairy (low fat cheeses, nonfat milk, low fat cottage cheese, etc.), lots of fruits (mostly blueberries, strawberries, apples, and grapefruits), honey and brown sugar to sweeten things if I need it, tons of water, tons of tea, occasionally coffee. I think my calorie goals will easily be reached if I don't eat chocolate, nutella, cookies, cakes, ice cream, etc on a daily basis like I have been. haha
 
You are doing so well. You started at the same as me and have a similar goal too. :) Congrats on the so far and good luck on things to come
 
Schmoops said:
You are doing so well. You started at the same as me and have a similar goal too. :) Congrats on the so far and good luck on things to come
Click to expand...

Thanks so much!! I hope I'll be able to keep it up and move through this second phase of losing weight. :)
 
SoCoSideshow said:
I like that you track everything so carefully, and plan ahead, I think that's where a lot of people fall short; their inability to do so.

I can tell you're definitely set to reach your goal!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the bout of confidence ;)
Self-efficacy is huge! I'll just keep saying to myself 'I know I can, I know I can!!' hahah

Keeping track definitely helps. And planning. I'd be lost without thinking ahead. :)
 
So it has been a week since I started this journal..
I have lost 4.5 pounds... which is pretty awesome!
A great start. My weight fluctuates quite a bit so I am hoping it is actual weight loss and not just fluctuation. Either way I am happy. I haven't been able to post the last couple of days because I have been busy all day/night finishing up some major papers that were due yesterday. But they are done now! All that stands in the way of my Xmas break is four shifts left of my clinical - and one paper. Ugh. Soooo close! I can't wait to go home to my parents' place for a couple weeks (although that is going to be a struggle within itself). I am going to have to be very strict about what I am eating/try to be active in some way when I am home.

This week:
-my goal is to go to the gym every day until Thursday when I go home.
-go all week with my eating on track.

Let's see how I do haha

Today my calorie total was:
1320 cal
not too shabby!
 
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