Hey everyone. I'm brand new here, never lurked before. I've been losing weight on my own for 2 years now and figured it was about time I get some support.
I've been overweight since childhood. I can't remember a time that I wasn't fat. I grew up in a Southern household where we had big meals with tons of deep-fried foods. For rewards, my parents used sweets.
Going into my freshman year of college I weighed 200 lbs. I gained the "freshman 15." My BMI was 38 (I'm 5'3"). I hated the way I looked and felt. After failing several diet programs, I decided to become a vegetarian at the end of my freshman year in 2008.
I lost 30 lbs my sophomore year. My junior year I lost another 15 lbs. From the start of this past summer until now, I lost 13 lbs. I was, and still am, on a vegetarian diet the entire time. I did not exercise to lose the weight.
My target weight is 142. I'd love to be 135, but I know it isn't very realistic for my body type. Even with all my weight loss, I've pretty much been a "junk-food vegetarian." I eat mostly grains. I know I need to increase my vegetable and fruit consumption, but it's hard for me to cook every night. So my real goal is not just to lose weight, but to eat better and exercise more.
I know I need help to make that happen. I still have a very poor body image and I want to change that. I want to feel good about myself when I look in the mirror. I want to feel proud of my appearance.
I hope to find others here that I can relate to and encourage and support each other. No one should have to do this all on their own.
I've been overweight since childhood. I can't remember a time that I wasn't fat. I grew up in a Southern household where we had big meals with tons of deep-fried foods. For rewards, my parents used sweets.
Going into my freshman year of college I weighed 200 lbs. I gained the "freshman 15." My BMI was 38 (I'm 5'3"). I hated the way I looked and felt. After failing several diet programs, I decided to become a vegetarian at the end of my freshman year in 2008.
I lost 30 lbs my sophomore year. My junior year I lost another 15 lbs. From the start of this past summer until now, I lost 13 lbs. I was, and still am, on a vegetarian diet the entire time. I did not exercise to lose the weight.
My target weight is 142. I'd love to be 135, but I know it isn't very realistic for my body type. Even with all my weight loss, I've pretty much been a "junk-food vegetarian." I eat mostly grains. I know I need to increase my vegetable and fruit consumption, but it's hard for me to cook every night. So my real goal is not just to lose weight, but to eat better and exercise more.
I know I need help to make that happen. I still have a very poor body image and I want to change that. I want to feel good about myself when I look in the mirror. I want to feel proud of my appearance.
I hope to find others here that I can relate to and encourage and support each other. No one should have to do this all on their own.
