Weight Loss Questionairre

[Nightporter]

Hello Weight Loss Friends!

I found this weight loss questionairre on TamWalt's diary. I thought it was very interesting and motivating... I hope she doesn't mind that I am posting it! ... I thought everyone could fill out they're own answers and read the answers of other people. I'll fill it out first:


Q. What is your current height, age, and weight?
A. 5'9, 19, 245 lbs

Q. If you were at an ideal weight now, what would that weight be?
A. 125 - 135 lbs... But then again, I do now know how this weight would look on me. Maybe 145-150 will be ideal once I reach it.

Q. At what weight would you like to be at four months from now?
A. 200... My weight loss is usually fairly easy until that point. Onederland is a real challenge to grind through!

Q. Why do you want to lose weight?
A. To feel better about myself, to not be afraid to meet new Sylvian fans, to not be afraid to meet Sylvian HIMSELF. To not have to photoshop every picture of me, to wear a bathingsuit to a public pool. To be able to lounge on the couch without worrying I look like a blawb. ... To be able to walk around without feeling like I'm that animated 'walking coffin'... To be able to sleep easier, get up off of the floor without any struggle, and the list goes on...

Q. Do you want to lose weight for a specific life event such as wedding or reunion? If so, when is that event?
A. No, but if along the course of my near future one of these events should pop up, I DO NOT want to look like this for it!

Q. What obstacles could get between you and your weight loss goals?
A. Restaurants. My family loves to eat out, and my boyfriend is a chef who is an absolute genius when it comes to pastries, pastas, desserts, and anything else. (He's a Thomos Keller fan) To my family, eating out is not just about the food but about sharing good times together. This one will be tough.

Q. Why do you think that you now have a weight problem?
A. When I started 6th grade I was 85 lbs. In the middle of 6th grade I moved to Erie. Ate a lot of unhealthy food and NEVER went outside to play (Waaay too cold all of the time... Factory smoke smelled horrible... No yard) Back in my old house, I played ALL of the time, climbed trees, baseball, swimming, running... ETC. At the end of 6th grade I weighed 122 lbs. I felt really awful. But ever since then I just kept on gaining and gaining. Especially when I moved back to Nashville I was so happy I ate all the time and had already deeply fallen into the bad habit of never being active.

Q. What lifestyle changes do you think would help you lose weight?
A. Getting back into being active. Higher Self confidence. I'm no longer afraid to ride my bike or walk around the neighborhood... Or jump-rope in my backyard!

Q. Have you lost weight in the past? If so, what has worked in the past to help you lose weight?
A. Being depressed after a terrible breakup and not eating for 3 weeks... But let us hope I don't have to go to those extremes again to get down to 170 again! I have a lot of support now from my Boyfriend so that will help a ton.

Q. Why do you believe that you did not lose weight or you gained the weight back?
A. Because I only ever tried Atkins and Slim fast. On one I hated everything I ate, and on the other I was so hungry all the time. I have a better plan now!

Q. 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?
A. Atkins and Slim Fast. I would just get to tired of them I'd end it all and pig out.

Q. Would you try writing down all food and drink consumed for a given period of time?
A. Yes. Once I officially start.

Q. Do you cook at home often? If so, what do you cook?
A. No never! My family loves to go out to eat. And when we do cook at home it's usually something really hearty like steak and potatoes, or hot dogs and hamburgers with potato salad. My boyfriend is going to teach me how to cook though so I can prepare my own diet foods.

Q. How often do you go out to eat? Where do you go?
A. Maybe 3 or 4 times a week! Usually mexican food, pizza, asian, or Italian. I'm proud to say, though, that we almost never eat fast food... And if we do it's either chick-fil-a or Jack N The box (which I noticed both places are far less greasy than the usual suspects)

Q. What are your three favorite foods?
A. Honestly... Pizza, Tacos, and Ice Cream.

Q. What are your three favorite restaurants?
A. Maggiano's Little Italy, Pizza Perfect, and the Melting Pot

Q. What are three things you can do differently when it comes to food?
A. Kick Soda (Never really liked the stuff) Ditch snack foods (like chips and stuff... Don't really care for those either) and Smaller Portions! (I'm pretty sure I can do this, but I tend to get seconds too much!

Q. If you woke up tomorrow and your body was exactly the way you want it, what would be different?
A. I would feel beautiful, confident, and ready to pursue anything I wanted without my weight holding me back. Plus I think I'd have a lot more fun!

Q. Do you eat when you are not hungry?
A. Actually... Not often. But if supper rolls around and I'm not really hungry I'll still eat a regular amount. But I rarely snack.

Q. Do you binge eat (large amounts at a time)?
A. I haven't done it in a while. I usually do it when I'm with the family and we're all really happy and we want to celebrate!

Q. Do you hide your food or eat in secret?
A. Sometimes I'll sneak that extra scoop of ice cream when we have dessert... I usually don't though.

Q. Do you eat when you are sad, nervous, or depressed?
A. No I tend to eat a lot when I'm happy.

Q. Do you eat as a reward?
A. Yes... After a long day's work (usually manual labor or something very tough to do) the family will always treat us (and themselves) with a meal at our favorite restaurant.

Q. Do you eat while watching TV or using the computer?
A. Nope.

Q. What do you normally eat for a meal?
A. Sometimes a meat and 3, pizza, or Restaurant food (For supper) Breakfast is usually an egg and bacon on a bagel, or cereal, and lunch is usually a sandwich.

Q. What type of snacks do you eat?
A. I don't snack often but if I do, It's usually a sandwitch, a buttered bagel, or a peach/apple.

Q. In terms of exercise, what, if anything, are you currently doing?
A. Well... I don't excersize that much! I swim almost every day though. And when I do excersize I do the elliptical, bikeriding and jumprope. I'll be adding walking to that list too.

Q. Where do you go for exercise? A local public gym? School/work gym? Home?
A. I stay at home or around my home. I don't like to be in a building though! The only excersize I do inside is elliptical.

Q. What, if anything, are your three favorite types of exercise?
A. Bikeriding, Swimming, and any kind of sport (Just to play not compete) like 1 on 1 basketball or kicking the ball around and a soccer field.

Q. What is your daily/weekly/monthly/yearly motivation to move towards your goals?
A.

Goal 1: 230 - 12 pound loss (12 total) (Sept. 14th 08)

Goal 2: 190 - 40 pound loss (52 total) (Feb 1st 09)

Goal 3: 165 - 25 pound loss (77 total) (April 22nd 09)

Goal 4: 150 - 15 pound loss (92 total) (June 14th 09)

Goal 5: 125 - 25 pound loss (117 total) (Sept 9th 09)


That's all, folks! I can't wait to see everyones answers.

-N-

 

[amagheti]

ok i'll give it a try..seems fun LOL

Q. What is your current height, age, and weight?
A. 5'7, 20, 139 - started at 161 though

Q. If you were at an ideal weight now, what would that weight be?
A. i think about 135 WITH muscles, therefore im planning to drop to 130 and then attempt to add some muscle at the gym (since this involves me being in a calorie sulprus, then i'll probably by back at 135 by the end of it all)

Q. At what weight would you like to be at four months from now?
A. 135

Q. Why do you want to lose weight?
A. because i believe that i can, and nothing is out of reach. i want to be the best person that i can be both mentally and physically and so through this weight loss process i want to become healthier and change my lifestyle for the better. diabetes also runs in my family so i want to minimize my risks. also, looking super hot after all is done is a great added bonus

Q. Do you want to lose weight for a specific life event such as wedding or reunion? If so, when is that event?
A. no, but i did set my goal of 135 for my bday - july 29 which is SOON so i'll be ok even if i dont loose another 4 pounds by then

Q. What obstacles could get between you and your weight loss goals?
A. my love of food. also, i have an amazing boyfriend who eats nothing but junk food, so staying in line when im around him is especially challanging. also, my boyfriend and i sometimes indulge in a little erm... "herbal cigarettes" LOL wink wink and getting munchies from that makes me want to eat everything in sight

Q. Why do you think that you now have a weight problem?
A. ive been big all my life. in grade 5/6 i was 180!! then highschool i was 150, university put me back up at 175 in my first year. i think that i never realized how many calories certain foods are. or even when i was eating "healthy food" i would have way too much of it. im happy though because since i was little ive never been below 150 so now im super excited to be even below 140 hehe

Q. What lifestyle changes do you think would help you lose weight?
A. keeping track of calories has helped me the most. i will continue to do this even when maintaining

Q. Have you lost weight in the past? If so, what has worked in the past to help you lose weight?
A. i went through a lot of fad diets which did help me loose weight but NOT become healthier. one of these diets was atkins. i lost maybe 8 lbs in a short period of time but had to stop the diet because it was making me feel sick and constipated

Q. Why do you believe that you did not lose weight or you gained the weight back?
A. after atkins, you pretty much over indulge in carbs because your body missed them so much so the weight was back in no time

Q. 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?
A. surprisingly starving myself never helped me loose weight LOL which is because i couldnt keep it up for very long. wow the stupid things i used to do...

Q. Would you try writing down all food and drink consumed for a given period of time?
A. i am doing that right now through fitday.com

Q. Do you cook at home often? If so, what do you cook?
A. still live at home with parents and mom does most of the cooking - mind you, everything she makes is super healthy which really helps. however, when im out with the boyfriend we always go out to eat. as long as i stay within my calorie restrictions im ok though

Q. How often do you go out to eat? Where do you go?
A. go out to eat about 4 times a week. subway, pita factory, taco bell, a&w, TCBY

Q. What are your three favorite foods?
A. chicken teriyaki, mom's cabbage rolls, and chips

Q. What are your three favorite restaurants?
A. dont go to restaurants nowadays like we used to but we loved Ennio's (italian) a pasta dish is like 1700 calories!!!!!

Q. What are three things you can do differently when it comes to food?
A. not eat as salty, cut down even more on the fat, try to eat out less often

Q. If you woke up tomorrow and your body was exactly the way you want it, what would be different?
A. nothing. i would still be the exact self i am now only healthier!

Q. Do you eat when you are not hungry?
A. i used to eat a lot out of boredom or when i'd be studying for exams, have cut a lot of that out though recently

Q. Do you binge eat (large amounts at a time)?
A. i only binge when i get the munchies LOL even though im full i'd continue eating because it tastes soooo gooood lol im working on that though

Q. Do you hide your food or eat in secret?
A. never

Q. Do you eat when you are sad, nervous, or depressed?
A. nope. im one of those people that would go the opposite route and not eat if i was experiancing those emotions. but i seldomly do

Q. Do you eat as a reward?
A. i used to in my first year of university. i would always justify buying 6 macadamian cookies for the long study night ahead of me. no more of that though, i just sip on lipton diet green tea

Q. Do you eat while watching TV or using the computer?
A. sometimes

Q. What do you normally eat for a meal?
A. different every day

Q. What type of snacks do you eat?
A. lots of fruits, berries, yogurt, fiber bars, small bags of chips, hashbrowns

Q. In terms of exercise, what, if anything, are you currently doing?
A. i have begun doing HIIT. what a crazy work out!! love it though. after i get to 130 i will begin weight training

Q. Where do you go for exercise? A local public gym? School/work gym? Home?
A.have a gym membership which is close to home

Q. What, if anything, are your three favorite types of exercise?
A. epilliptical (sp). i do my hit sessions on here

Q. What is your daily/weekly/monthly/yearly motivation to move towards your goals?
A. im hoping by the end of the year to be 135 with some muscle definition. then the main goal would be maintaining.

 

[allyphoe]

The questionnaire originated in the sticky thread in the Diary section, here.

(Not saying a thread where everyone puts their answers is out of place, or anything like that.)

 

[Nightporter]

Oh ok!

I never saw that one... But even so, I think it's cool to see other people's answers and be able to think "hey that happened to me!" or "I can do that" or "I relate to this person"

Hope no one is against me putting it up in this context!

-N-

 

[BJJGinger]

Sure! Ill do it too...

Q. What is your current height, age, and weight?
A. 5'3, 19, 160

Q. If you were at an ideal weight now, what would that weight be?
A. 125 - 130 lbs

Q. At what weight would you like to be at four months from now?
A. 130-135

Q. Why do you want to lose weight?
A. To feel better about myself, to re-impress my boyfriend, to make a better first impression on others, to better my martial arts (its just easier when youre thinner... plus its fun to think that I can beat up guys and be hot at the same time. )

Q. Do you want to lose weight for a specific life event such as wedding or reunion? If so, when is that event?
A. Not specifically, but it sure would be nice to be down 10lbs by me and Daniels 3 year anniversary.

Q. What obstacles could get between you and your weight loss goals?
A. Lack of support/ places to exercise/will-power. Ive been trying to lose weight by myself but I dont have anyone to answer to, so I can get away with slacking (not now though, Im spending a month with my mother, and she's keeping an eye on me), my college's gym is closed during summer, I hate jogging, and I loooove snack food.

Q. Why do you think that you now have a weight problem?
A. Freshman 15! I was on a meal plan that allowed me 15 meals a week (super excessive!!), so, to keep from wasting money, I was eating at the less-than-healthy school cafeteria ALL the time. Plus the cafe has cake, delicious, wonderful cake, 24/7.

Q. What lifestyle changes do you think would help you lose weight?
A. Breaking my sugar addiction, drinking only water after breakfast, getting off my lazy butt and getting out of the house.

Q. Have you lost weight in the past? If so, what has worked in the past to help you lose weight?
A. Ive never lost any significant weight before, just 5 lbs before prom to fit into my dress And I lost it on Weight-Watchers; did it for 2 weeks and dropped 5 lbs easily.

Q. Why do you believe that you did not lose weight or you gained the weight back?
A. I gained the weight back because I got off WW and stopped really caring about my diet.

Q. 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?
A. South Beach Diet. I went out and bought a 2 weeks supply of only South Beach-Phase-1-friendly foods, but two days into it, I got sick of everything in the house. What can I eat? Oh, lean meat, certain veggies, string cheese and pistachios. Thats it! I didnt want the food I had available, so I just didnt eat. Yeah.... THATS healthy for a teen who does martial arts 6 days a week. I was truly, truly miserable. I felt nauseus and tired all the time, deprived, bored... and Id never wanted a hamburger so badly in my entire life.

Q. Would you try writing down all food and drink consumed for a given period of time?
A. Yep, I do it right now because Im back on Weight Watchers! And honestly, I like doing it.

Q. Do you cook at home often? If so, what do you cook?
A. Occasionally, I usually just cook lean meats like chicken and fish because I can just slap some seasoning on them and throw em in a skillet. Easy peasy.

Q. How often do you go out to eat? Where do you go?
A. On weekends, and maybe once or twice a week, if my friends invite me. I only get to see my boyfriend on weekends (he lives a few hours away) and he loves treating me to delicious foods. But, seeing as the poor thing cant cook without a microwave (quite literally) we have to go out to get said eatibles.

Q. What are your three favorite foods?
A. Steak, white rice, ice cream

Q. What are your three favorite restaurants?
A. Atlanta/Panera Bread (paninis and muffins!), Fazolis (pasta=yum!) and Chik-Fil-A (that stuff is like crack!)

Q. What are three things you can do differently when it comes to food?
A. Drink only water, snack on healthier foods, PORTION CONTROL!

Q. If you woke up tomorrow and your body was exactly the way you want it, what would be different?
A. I would feel attractive again, I could wear all the cute stuff I wish I could wear, I would be confident, I wouldnt be ashamed to go shopping, I wouldnt hide from every camera I see, I wouldnt feel like a fat, lazy, disgusting blob anymore. I might even strut a little...

Q. Do you eat when you are not hungry?
A. Oh yes.... and it is truly the bane of my very existance.

Q. Do you binge eat (large amounts at a time)?
A. Im learning to stop feeling guilty about not cleaning my plate at restaurants, and to stop eating when my body tells me to, so not anymore.

Q. Do you hide your food or eat in secret?
A. Yup... *droop*

Q. Do you eat when you are sad, nervous, or depressed?
A. Umm, no, I tend to eat a lot regardless of my emotions. n_n'

Q. Do you eat as a reward?
A. Not that Im aware...

Q. Do you eat while watching TV or using the computer?
A. While watching TV yes, but I need both hands for the computer, so no, unless its unbuttered popcorn or some other non-messy finger food.

Q. What do you normally eat for a meal?
A. Psh... anything! My diet is so varied I cant effectively answer this question.

Q. What type of snacks do you eat?
A. I love sweet things, so my snacks were usually some form of dessert, but now, Im sticking to pickles, hotdogs (fat free and low cal. No buns), yogurt, and lots of water to trick myself into thinking Ive eaten.

Q. In terms of exercise, what, if anything, are you currently doing?
A. As of this month, Im walking 1.5 miles to the gym, working out for half an hour on the elliptical at a medium pace with high resistance, then lunges, ab-exercises and free-weights for half an hour or so, swimming for as long as I feel like it (I love swimming!!) then I walk 1.5 miles home. I also take our two dogs out for a half-hour after-dinner walk around the neighborhood. And Im trying to get in touch with a local capoeira instructor, so I dont lose anything while Im away from home.

Q. Where do you go for exercise? A local public gym? School/work gym? Home?
A. This month, the local Ballys. The rest of the year, the university's gym, which is, in quality though not quantity, every bit as nice as the Ballys.

Q. What, if anything, are your three favorite types of exercise?
A. Martial arts, swimming, and hiking.

Q. What is your daily/weekly/monthly/yearly motivation to move towards your goals?
A. Motivation? Havent I already answered that question? To not be fat anymore! .

Q. Do you have rewards for certain goals?
A. No, not especially, just my own personal satisfaction. The real reward will be being hit on by someone other than my boyfriend again. I got hit on a lot when I first started college, but since I gained the weight, not once. Not that I want anyone else, its just that the confidence boost would be nice. Besides, Daniel is really really good looking and it would be nice to look like I actually deserve him.

 

[Peach1]

Q. What is your current height, age, and weight?
A. 5'5 1/2", 27, 130.4 lbs

Q. If you were at an ideal weight now, what would that weight be?
A. I'm already at an ideal weight, but I would like to be 120 lbs.

Q. At what weight would you like to be at four months from now?
A. 120, my final goal weight.

Q. Why do you want to lose weight?
A. My reasons keep changing as I progress. At first, it was to look and feel better, and to be at a healthy BMI. Now that that has been accomplished, it is to look good in a swimsuit and to tone up.

Q. Do you want to lose weight for a specific life event such as wedding or reunion? If so, when is that event?
A. No, but I am going to the beach in a few weeks, and I'm trying to firm up my backside a little before making the trip. But overall, I'm just doing this for myself.

Q. What obstacles could get between you and your weight loss goals?
A. Food prices going up. Little time to exercise.

Q. Why do you think that you now have a weight problem?
A. Well, I don't anymore, but I certainly did for years. I went up and down the scale, especially while I was in the military. And when I got out, I grew very lazy and very heavy.

Q. What lifestyle changes do you think would help you lose weight?
A. Practicing moderation with sweets and high-fat foods, making exercise a priority instead of trying to "fit it in."

Q. Have you lost weight in the past? If so, what has worked in the past to help you lose weight?
A. So far, just staying on track with my daily caloric intake and exercising 6 days a week has been very effective for me.

Q. Why do you believe that you did not lose weight or you gained the weight back?
A. Because I was a yo-yoer who knew very little about proper nutrition and how the body burns fat. I tried Atkins once (gained even more weight), and I was actually successful for a while taking ephedra, and then it got banned. But once I learned that the real secret to weight loss is calories in vs calories out, I've been on track and refuse to fall off.

Q. 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?
A. Everything else I've ever tried. Fad diets, pills, none of those things work long-term.

Q. Would you try writing down all food and drink consumed for a given period of time?
A. I do it every single day. I plan all my meals at the beginning of the day and I stick with them.

Q. Do you cook at home often? If so, what do you cook?
A. Yes. I cook breakfast and dinner on the weekdays. On the weekend, I also cook lunch.

Q. How often do you go out to eat? Where do you go?
A. Almost never. It gets expensive, and I'm on a budget. Once every few months, my office goes to out to lunch together, or every now and then, someone will bring in pizza for everyone. I often pass on the free lunch, and pick the healthiest choices in the restaurants.

Q. What are your three favorite foods?
A. Pizza, bacon, and chocolate. (Is it any wonder why I got fat?)

Q. What are your three favorite restaurants?
A. Cici's Pizza (a pizza buffet... yum), Red Lobster, and IHOP.

Q. What are three things you can do differently when it comes to food?
A. Instead of restaurant-style pizza, I get low-cal frozen pizzas to satisfy that craving. Instead of McDonald's fries, I buy french fries from the store and bake them. Instead of chocolate candy, I go to my nearby Candyopolis and get big chunks of dark chocolate to nibble on. And when I'm in the mood for a juicy burger, it's turkey burgers all the way.

Q. If you woke up tomorrow and your body was exactly the way you want it, what would be different?
A. I'd switch to a maintenance routine, rather than weight loss. And I'd probably just find something else to obsess over.

Q. Do you eat when you are not hungry?
A. I try not to, because my instinct is to eat when I'm bored. I stick to specific times: eat breakfast when I first get up (weekdays: 6 a.m., weekends: 8 a.m.), lunch at 12 p.m., and dinner at 5:30 p.m.

Q. Do you binge eat (large amounts at a time)?
A. No, I'm glad to say that I've never been a binger.

Q. Do you hide your food or eat in secret?
A. Only when I'm stealing someone's candy from their desk bowls. LOL

Q. Do you eat when you are sad, nervous, or depressed?
A. Not anymore.

Q. Do you eat as a reward?
A. I used to, but this is a very bad tactic. Food should only be a reward for pets. When I feel that I have accomplished something, I reward myself in different ways. I go shopping for new (and smaller) clothes, I get my nails or my hair done, I buy a new book or go see a movie, etc.

Q. Do you eat while watching TV or using the computer?
A. Yes. I shouldn't, but I do.

Q. What do you normally eat for a meal?
A. For breakfast, I'll have a small bowl of cereal and either skim or soy milk. Plus, a bacon and egg sandwich on a toasted English muffin. For lunch, I usually bring in something that's microwavable to work with me, plus a small snack (half a cup of pistacchio nuts or raisins, or 100-calorie snack things). For dinner, I try to keep it light with a small bean and cheese burrito.

Q. What type of snacks do you eat?
A. I love various types of nuts: peanuts, pistacchios, etc. I also like snacking on grapes and popcorn. I also get those 100-calorie snacks, like the pecan twirls (my favorite!), chocolate swiss rolls, mini muffins and cupcakes. Gotta have my sugar fix.

Q. In terms of exercise, what, if anything, are you currently doing?
A. I exercise for an hour 6 days a week, often at night. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays are my cardio nights: a combination of Turbo Jam and Tae Bo (I love kickboxing!). Tuesdays and Thursdays are my toning and strength training nights: a combo of Turbo Jam and Hip Hop Abs (very effective for the core). Next month, I'm going to start incorporating Zumba... I've seen it on TV and it looks like fun!

Q. Where do you go for exercise? A local public gym? School/work gym? Home?
A. I exercise at home. I don't like gyms, and I generally don't like working out with other people. Plus, with home as my workout central, I never have any excuse to skip on it.

Q. What, if anything, are your three favorite types of exercise?
A. Kickboxing, swimming, and light weight-lifting.

Q. What is your daily/weekly/monthly/yearly motivation to move towards your goals?
A. Daily: last month, I had a problem with snacking too much during the day, which plateaued me. Then, I got into the habit of writing my daily weight on my hand, to always remind me not to overeat. I stay within my calorie range, and I get in my hourly exercise. As long as I do all that, then it doesn't matter if I lose weight, because I know I tried my best.
Weekly: My official weekly weigh-ins on Sundays. I weigh myself (as recorded on the ticker), and take all my measurements.
Monthly: At the end of each month, I do an assessment and compare it to the previous month, as well as overall.
Yearly: I just want to be at my goal weight by the end of this year. I know I will!

 

[amylosesandwins]

Q. What is your current height, age, and weight?
A. 5' 25 179

Q. If you were at an ideal weight now, what would that weight be?
A. I'd like to be at least in the upper numbers of what's considered a healthy BMI weight for my height, which is around 130-ish

Q. At what weight would you like to be at four months from now?
A. I'd at least like to get down to the 150's by then

Q. Why do you want to lose weight?
A. For the superficial reasons, to look better. I want shopping for clothes to be easy and fun, not a chore. For health reasons, I want to be in better shape and have more stamina and endurance in physical activities. I want my back problems to go away. I want to live longer and avoid future, potential health problems like diabetes and heart disease.

Q. Do you want to lose weight for a specific life event such as wedding or reunion? If so, when is that event?
A. No, I don't really believe in the whole "slim down for an event" mentality. I'm going for a permanent lifestyle change that I can live with for the rest of my life.

Q. What obstacles could get between you and your weight loss goals?
A. Someone else mentioned food prices. That is definitely a big one for me. Luckily for at least part of the year there is a farmer's market where I can get produce for very reasonable prices (AND there's the bonus of putting that money back into my local economy), but in the winter time I can see that it's going to be challenging to afford fresh fruits and veggies, which are the thing that keep me from overeating the more calorie-dense foods.

Another is just my sheer inner desire to keep the weight on. Doing the "fear of thin" exercise posted on this forum may help me with that. I've been putting it off, and I feel like it's time. Part of me doesn't want to let my "fat self" go for various reasons.

Also, I have this awful habit of late-night munching. I need to figure some way around that.

Q. Why do you think that you now have a weight problem?
A. I think it's a combination of a lot of things. I think I need to start seeing a therapist or something to help me work on those. It's mostly mental stuff manifesting into the physical form of being obese. I think one issue is that I have made myself fat over the years to cover up for other failures in my life. If I'm physically stunted, I can blame that for my lack of ambition and drive to complete other life goals, right?

Q. What lifestyle changes do you think would help you lose weight?
A. Making lasting habits that become just a part of my normal routine, and finding some way to eat that works for my body so I don't feel hungry, but I'm not overeating either.

Q. Have you lost weight in the past? If so, what has worked in the past to help you lose weight?
A. Right after high school, I took off about 50 lbs. I exercised like a fiend. I was obsessed with exercise, and probably did it for 5 or 6 hours a day! But I'm older now and I work full-time, so I can't keep up with that kind of schedule these days. I didn't really change my diet that much back in the day because I burned everything off with the excessive exercise I did.

Q. Why do you believe that you did not lose weight or you gained the weight back?
A. For one, I thought I was invincible and wouldn't gain the weight back if I stopped doing what I did to take it off. I got in a relationship and got very comfortable with my partner, and we were very sedentary and ate too much back then. We both gained some weight. I gained ALL of it back!

Q. 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?
A. In my junior year of high school, I tried the Herbalife program. It sucked, and I didn't stick with it and ended up failing at it because it was impossible. You basically had to live on shakes and pills, and you were peeing constantly. It was a huge waste of money.

Q. Would you try writing down all food and drink consumed for a given period of time?
A. I do it every single day. I count calories, too. If I eat more calories than planned, I've started planning the exercise that would burn off those excess calories and I incorporate it into my day.

Q. Do you cook at home often? If so, what do you cook?
A. I can't AFFORD not to! It's so expensive to eat out! I cook all my meals, and I take a homemade lunch to work. I try to cook a variety of meals that satisfy all of me and my partner's nutritional needs.

Q. How often do you go out to eat? Where do you go?
A. My folks are really nice and take me and my sister out to dinner once a week. We usually go to a chinese buffet or a steakhouse type place. There are usually healthy options, and I usually go for those.

Q. What are your three favorite foods?
A. BACON, steak, and chocolate...haha

Q. What are your three favorite restaurants?
A. The Mac (a family owned mediterranean restaurant in my town), Puccinni's La Dolce Vita (another locally owned restaurant), Little Tibet (yet ANOTHER local one)

Q. What are three things you can do differently when it comes to food?
A. I bake or grill things instead of frying them, and I measure out any cooking oils I use and count them as part of the calories. I try to follow the "food pyramid" model and give myself the recommended servings (adjusted to my calorie needs) for each food group.

Q. If you woke up tomorrow and your body was exactly the way you want it, what would be different?
A. I'd switch to a maintenance routine, rather than weight loss. Then I'd have to go shopping because nothing would fit me anymore!

Q. Do you eat when you are not hungry?
A. I am guilty of boredom eating, or just eating because something tastes good to me. I haven't gone on an emotional eating binge for a long time because my life situation has improved dramatically, and I have less stress. I need to find some way to combat eating when I'm not really hungry.

Q. Do you binge eat (large amounts at a time)?
A. Not in a long time. I used to stress/sadness binge, but my life situation has improved dramatically, and my self-love factor has gone up, so I don't do that anymore.

Q. Do you hide your food or eat in secret?
A. I used to do this when I binged...ahhh!

Q. Do you eat when you are sad, nervous, or depressed?
A. Not like I used to (see above)

Q. Do you eat as a reward?
A. I used to, but this is dangerous, so I don't anymore/

Q. Do you eat while watching TV or using the computer?
A. Yes. I shouldn't, but I do.

Q. What do you normally eat for a meal?
A. breakfast: some kind of lean protein, a serving of carbohydrates, some fruit, and some kind of dairy-like item

lunch: lots of raw veggies, a sandwich made from lean meats and whole grain bread, a little bit of cheese and crackers is usually what I take to work, usually a piece of fruit too.

snacks: fresh fruits, nuts, and things like cereal bars

dinner: some kind of lean protein, lots of veggies, and a starch (like a baked potato or some brown rice).

Q. What type of snacks do you eat?
A. fresh fruits, nuts, and things like cereal bars.

Q. In terms of exercise, what, if anything, are you currently doing?
A. I have a job that has me burning an average of 2000 calories in a day's work, and I work 5 days a week. I work as a clerk/cashier/stocker at a small grocery store which has stairs! We're always stocking, running up and down the stairs, carrying heavy things, etc. I supplement that built-in exercise with walking and calisthenics. I walk at least a half hour every day.

Q. Where do you go for exercise? A local public gym? School/work gym? Home?
A. I exercise at home. I don't like gyms, and I generally don't like working out with other people. Plus, with home as my workout central, I never have any excuse to skip on it.

Q. What, if anything, are your three favorite types of exercise?
A. I love to swim! I need to find somewhere I can swim...I also love walking and dancing.

Q. What is your daily/weekly/monthly/yearly motivation to move towards your goals?
A: I haven't been working on that, actually....I think I need to!

 

[maleficent]

Q. What are your three favorite foods?
A. BACON, steak, and chocolate...haha

makes this absolutely insane Bacon chocolate bar... sounds weird -but ooooh is it good...

 

[DCarr10760]

Q. What is your current height, age, and weight?
A. 5'-11", 47, 271

Q. If you were at an ideal weight now, what would that weight be?
A. I'd like to be 185 - 190

Q. At what weight would you like to be at four months from now?
A. 235

Q. Why do you want to lose weight?
A. I've had different reasons for losing weight over the years, but for now I want to bcome healthy, with a healthy blood pressure. But beyong this I want to feel good and feel good about myself.

Q. Do you want to lose weight for a specific life event such as wedding or reunion? If so, when is that event?
A. My first goal is to have lost a reasonable amount of weight (say 25 lbs or more) for my follow up Dr.'s appointment in mid October.

Q. What obstacles could get between you and your weight loss goals?
A. Early success that removes the pressure and lulls me into a false sense that the weight loss has become self sustaining. I have to stay mindful and vigilant probably for as long as I live.

Q. Why do you think that you now have a weight problem?
A. I've been fat as long as I can remember. I think that at some point I decided the world is a hostile, unhappy and lonely place and that eating made it seem better, safer and happier.

Q. What lifestyle changes do you think would help you lose weight?
A. Seeing a therapist has helped. Trying to understand why I feel at odds with the world and recognizing that a bowl of ice cream will not make me happy longer than it takes to eat it. Daily exercise and healthy eating will make me feel good and good about myself.

Q. Have you lost weight in the past? If so, what has worked in the past to help you lose weight?
A. I've been on dozens or maybe hundreds of diets in my life. All of them worked as long as I stayed on them. What has helped me to lose weight in the past has been focus.

Q. Why do you believe that you did not lose weight or you gained the weight back?
A. I did lose weight, but at some point I lost the focus on living healthfully and some other thing became my focus (relationship, job, hobby) I assumed that I would stay the course weight-wise and would maintain the healthier weight I'd acheived. This was true for a bit but I becan slowly to revert to old habits and old familiar ways of thinking. Slowly I'd put on the weight. For awhile I'd think It was under control, but eventually I had to accept that it wasn't and I was fat again.

Q. 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?
A. I've never been good at gimmicks, point systems, low carb diets (over the long term) juice diets, cleanses, grapefruit diets, soup diets all failed me. It has to be reasonable and sensible for me to buy into it.

Q. Would you try writing down all food and drink consumed for a given period of time?
A. Yes.

Q. Do you cook at home often? If so, what do you cook?
A. I cook, I cook everything our family eats. I love to cook.

Q. How often do you go out to eat? Where do you go?
A. As a family we generally get a pizza or maybe seafood once a week. At work I take clients out for meals on an occasional basis for lunch I often go to MacDonalds.

Q. What are your three favorite foods?
A. I don't really have favorites, there are things I like alot, but my preferences change with my mood. I love nearly all foods. But I do like London Broil, pork loin roast and apple pie.

Q. What are your three favorite restaurants?
A. Chicago Chop House, Gallaghers Steak House (NYC) and any decent Irish Pub that serves Guinness, Beamish and Irish Whiskey

Q. What are three things you can do differently when it comes to food?
A. Smaller portions, better breakfast and pack healthy lunches

Q. If you woke up tomorrow and your body was exactly the way you want it, what would be different?
A. I would run out in the back yard and play with my three year old son until he dropped from exhaustion (up to now it has been the other way around).

Q. Do you eat when you are not hungry?
A. Yup.

Q. Do you binge eat (large amounts at a time)?
A. Occasionally but only on days that end in the letter "Y"

Q. Do you hide your food or eat in secret?
A. I'll stop on my way home from work and get a pastry and a cup of coffee. When I grocery shop I usually get a treat for myself and I toss the receipt. So yes.

Q. Do you eat when you are sad, nervous, or depressed?
A. Yes, yes and yes, also when I am happy and bored.

Q. Do you eat as a reward?
A. Yes.

Q. Do you eat while watching TV or using the computer?
A. I don't watch TV. I do sometimes have a meal in front of the computer (usually breakfast).

Q. What do you normally eat for a meal?
A. Hard to answer, it varies. On a normal non-diet day I'll have a bowl of cereal with milk, coffee and fruit. For lunch it's 2 double cheeseburgers and a milk shake (no fries, there fattening (Lol) and for dinner it's some kind of meat (lots of it) and a bunch of veggies.

Q. What type of snacks do you eat?
A. Donuts or whatever crap is at work, candy or pastry, junk, junk, junk.

Q. In terms of exercise, what, if anything, are you currently doing?
A. I walk an hour a day when I am dieting. When I am not dieting I do no exercise.

Q. Where do you go for exercise? A local public gym? School/work gym? Home?
A. I walk through town.

Q. What, if anything, are your three favorite types of exercise?
A. Walking, Tennis (I rarely play anymore) and Kayaking.

Q. What is your daily/weekly/monthly/yearly motivation to move towards your goals?
A.

I guess the first motivation is to reduce my blood pressure and regain my health this is done on a daily basis. Weekly I'd like to lose 2-lbs and make continual improvements to my health and fitness levels. Over the months and years ahead I need to maintain the weight loss while working to understand why I have in the past lost sight of these goals and backslid into obesity. I cannot afford to do this again, it will kill me.

 

[1000Monkeys]

Q. What is your current height, age, and weight?
A. 5'8, 27, 232lbs (was 311lbs when I started).

Q. If you were at an ideal weight now, what would that weight be?
A. 160 -165

Q. At what weight would you like to be at four months from now?
A. Somewhere under 200 lbs.

Q. Why do you want to lose weight?
A. Feel better about myself. Stop people looking at me in public. Stop groups of people shutting up when they see me and then busting with laughter after I pass. Feel pride in my accomplishment. Look better to my girlfriend. Say F you to those who didn't think I could do it. And to become fitter so I can do the cool things my friends do and my girlfriend does that I can't do.

Q. Do you want to lose weight for a specific life event such as wedding or reunion? If so, when is that event?
A. Not when I started, but a friend has just announced that she is getting married Sept 09 - so I would like to be at an ideal weight for my first trip to the states since I was 10.

Q. What obstacles could get between you and your weight loss goals?
A. I rely too heavily on routines and when something goes against that my discipline falls apart. I am behind in my work at the moment and am worried that when I get back into it my routine will fall apart.

Q. Why do you think that you now have a weight problem?
A. I'm an all or nothing guy. I was always big but lost a lot of weight at age 19 - 20. Then I started to drink heavily and started putting the weight back on through stupid food choices (fuelled by the drink). Once I reached a certain point I thought to hell with it - if I'm going to be fat then I'm going to be fat and enjoy myself, and so that's what I did for quite a number of years.

Q. What lifestyle changes do you think would help you lose weight?
A. Well I joined Weight Watchers because I need the discipline of the weekly weigh-ins in front of objective eyes. At first I focused on diet and started moving around more. I cut out all alchohol and foods I like that I shouldn't eat. Gradually, after four or five months, I phased back in some of the foods I like, in moderation, and alcohol, though much, much less than I used to drink. I started going to the gym, but had my gallbladder removed a few weeks ago and haven't been able to get back to the gym again yet.

Q. Have you lost weight in the past? If so, what has worked in the past to help you lose weight?
A. I lost significant weight age 19/20, but not very healthily. It was a time of upheaval and change in my life and basically I was so busy that I didn't have time to eat. When I noticed that I started to slim as a result I kept it up. Needless to say that weight came back on and brought its cousins with it. Have lost smaller amounts on diets here and there, but never really had the conviction and the weight always came back with a vengeance.

Q. Why do you believe that you did not lose weight or you gained the weight back?
A. I felt like it was impossible to lose the weight and maintain my lifestyle (in fact I still believe that. I have changed my lifestyle now, but then I didn't want to). And if I was going to continue to enjoy myself and be fat then what was 20lbs one way or the other, I'm so big to begin with nobody notices 20lbs here or there. Unfortunately 20lbs and 20lbs and 20lbs all add up.

Q. 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?
A. Nothing has ever 'not' worked in dropping small amounts of weight. The problem is maintaining and continuing to lose weight. I would have to be honest though and say that I sabatoged everyone of them before they ever got the chance to 'not' work!

Q. Would you try writing down all food and drink consumed for a given period of time?
A. I would if I thought it was necessary. I do the core plan on weight watchers and so don't do so much calorie and point watching (though I keep an eye on it in my head). I'm sure that as I reach a lower weight it will get harder to keep losing and may then find it benificial to keep a closer eye on what I'm eating. Also, I plan the whole day out in advance and unless my routine gets screwed up I'm very good at sticking to it.

Q. Do you cook at home often? If so, what do you cook?
A. Yes all the time. Sometimes I make chili con carne with wholegrain brown rice. Sometimes grilled salmon and baked potato, roast chicken, lamb stir-fry, etc. Always from scratch (well, I use tinned tomatoes, but...) and with no processed foods (or as little as possible).

Q. How often do you go out to eat? Where do you go?
A. Don't go out to eat as much. If I'm severely hungover though I do cheat and in that case it will be a home delivery . . . and it will be bad!

Q. What are your three favorite foods?
A. Pizza would be the main culprit.

Q. What are your three favorite restaurants?
A. Don't really have specific favourite chains of restaurants.

Q. What are three things you can do differently when it comes to food?
A. I'm doing pretty okay for the moment. But if asked what have been the three things that made the most difference since starting my diet it would probably be eating breakfast, eating less processed food and eating more fruit and veg.

Q. If you woke up tomorrow and your body was exactly the way you want it, what would be different?
A. I would be very freaked out!

Q. Do you eat when you are not hungry?
A. Not anymore, but before I used to all the time.

Q. Do you binge eat (large amounts at a time)?
A. As above.

Q. Do you hide your food or eat in secret?
A. In public yes. At home no. I used to try and get my girlfriend to answer the door whenever the delivery guy came (or at least stand next to me) so he wouldn't think all the food was for me. She never did though.

Q. Do you eat when you are sad, nervous, or depressed?
A. Used to. And you can add happy, bored, excited to the list too.

Q. Do you eat as a reward?
A. Yes. I still sometimes do. Like if I know I have a long day or a lot of work I try to plan it so that I will be eating my most staisying meal soon after I'm finished.

Q. Do you eat while watching TV or using the computer?
A. Yes to the TV, no to the computer.

Q. What do you normally eat for a meal?
A. Depends on the meal.

Q. What type of snacks do you eat?
A. Grapes, apples, oranges, melon pieces, strawberries, sugarsnaps (like mangetout), carrot sticks.

Q. In terms of exercise, what, if anything, are you currently doing?
A. A lot more walking than I used to do for one thing. Before my Op I was going to the gym regularly and had a program made out for me that I was following. Cardio, stretching, weights - the usual.

Q. Where do you go for exercise? A local public gym? School/work gym? Home?
A. Gym.

Q. What, if anything, are your three favorite types of exercise?
A. I hate most sports so I would have to say walking, playing the drums, and anything that isn't sports and gets me moving and doesn't sound like it's exercise! Pathetic, I know!

Q. What is your daily/weekly/monthly/yearly motivation to move towards your goals?
A. Just so long as I'm down something at that weight watchers meeting I'm happy.

 

[maleficent]

Q. What is your current height, age, and weight?
A. 5'9, 43, 191

Q. If you were at an ideal weight now, what would that weight be?
A. 149

Q. At what weight would you like to be at four months from now?
A. 175

Q. Why do you want to lose weight?
A. because I want to be fit enough to be able to run a marathon in 2 years because I hate what I look like when I lookin the mirror, and I hate being the fat girl...

Q. Do you want to lose weight for a specific life event such as wedding or reunion? If so, when is that event?
A. Nope

Q. What obstacles could get between you and your weight loss goals?
A. my head and getting stuck inside it is my biggest obstacle -setting reasonable expectations for myself is hard, i like a challenge, and then get frustrated when I fall short

Q. Why do you think that you now have a weight problem?
A. I was never thin - or skinny. but in high school and college I was somewhat athletic.. I never really had awful eating habits -just ate too much good - healthy foods and spent far too many years travelling... and a workaholic lifestyle added to the weight gain.. then it got to the point where i beleived i had so muchto lose that it'd be impossible.

Q. What lifestyle changes do you think would help you lose weight?
A. Seeing it as a lifestyle change has helped and building new habits.. and being aware of portion sizes

Q. Have you lost weight in the past? If so, what has worked in the past to help you lose weight?
A. i've been on hundreds of diets, spent thousands on pills, gadgets etc -that had me lose a few pounds but I didn't change my mindset... so the weight lost didnt stay off

Q. Why do you believe that you did not lose weight or you gained the weight back?
A. see above answer

Q. 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?
A. fads didn't work for me - because it was about deprivation and I'd develop the mindset that when i'm off the diet then i can have..... now I can have whatever i want whenever i want and a lotof stuff now is not appealing

Q. Would you try writing down all food and drink consumed for a given period of time?
A. Already do

Q. Do you cook at home often? If so, what do you cook?
A. Anything and everything

Q. How often do you go out to eat? Where do you go?
A. Sushi or middl eastern

Q. What are your three favorite foods?
A. seared tuna, mashed potatoes, roasted beets - but not together.

Q. What are your three favorite restaurants?
A. none i can think of - just not chain restuarants

Q. What are three things you can do differently when it comes to food?
A.being aware of what i'm eating

Q. If you woke up tomorrow and your body was exactly the way you want it, what would be different?
A. Not much becuaase after losing almost 200 lbs -i've realize that i'm still me - and my weight or lack of it doesnt change that.

Q. Do you eat when you are not hungry?
A. Yup.

Q. Do you binge eat (large amounts at a time)?
A. sometimes

Q. Do you hide your food or eat in secret?
A.I live alone s- only ginger knows for sure

Q. Do you eat when you are sad, nervous, or depressed?
A. yes, yes, yes

Q. Do you eat as a reward?
A. no

Q. Do you eat while watching TV or using the computer?
A. yes

Q. What do you normally eat for a meal?
A. depends

Q. What type of snacks do you eat?
A. Kashi bars, cereal, almonds, m&ms - whatever is in my desk

Q. In terms of exercise, what, if anything, are you currently doing?
A. walking, weight trainingl starting to run
Q. Where do you go for exercise? A local public gym? School/work gym? Home?
A. Gym and walk the lakefront

Q. What, if anything, are your three favorite types of exercise?
A. walking - weight lifting

Q. What is your daily/weekly/monthly/yearly motivation to move towards your goals?
A. a size 8 donna karan black dress hanging in my closet

 

[Kristi]

questions

I filled this out 2 weeks ago in my journal, so I just copied and pasted it. I did change a few of my answers since there have been a few changes since then.

How much weight do you want to lose?80 pounds

What is the time-frame for reaching your target weight? a year would be nice. Even if I am halfway to my goal I will still be very excited.

How do you want to accomplish your goal (what methods do you want to use)? exercise,living an active lifestyle, not overeating--knowing my limits and putting food away when I am full,eating fruits and veggies and high fiber and high protein food. limitations on my caloric intake.


Who or what can support you in reaching your goal? this weight loss community, staying accountable, my family, friends, and most importantly--through God all things are possible. He's rooting for me the most.

How realistic is your goal? Very. With determination and hard work it can be done! From just being a part of this forum for a few days, I can see how realistic it really is. There are so many success stories!

When will you start? 2 weeks ago


What is your current height and weight? 5'5.5'' / 222 lbs.

If you were at an ideal weight now, what would that weight be? 145

At what weight would you like to be at four months from now? below 200. 190

Why do you want to lose weight? for my health, to improve my life, happiness, for my family

Do you want to lose weight for a specific life event such as wedding or reunion? If so, when is that event? I'd like to be below 200 by my 5 wedding anniversary on October 25,2008. I'd have to loose about a pound a week...seems realistic.

What obstacles could get between you and your weight loss goals? Not staying accountable to anyone. Overeating. Laziness.

Why do you think that you now have a weight problem? I didn't care enough to do anything. It happened so fast. I went from 135 in 2002 to 235 in 2007.

What lifestyle changes do you think would help you lose weight? Becoming the active person that I know I am. Stop eating before I become full. Not eating high calorie high fat food.

Have you lost weight in the past? If so, what has worked in the past to help you lose weight? I lost 30 pounds about 6 yrs ago. I weighed 165 and lost 30-35 pounds. I exercised for 1 to 2 hours a day, 5 days a week. I ate small portions and high fiber food.

Why do you believe that you did not lose weight or you gained the weight back? I moved out of state for a year and in that time I was not active and ate unhealthy food. When I moved back, I continued that bad habit.

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? healthy food and exercise is always the way to go. A relative offered me diet pills a couple of years ago, but I turned them down. I don't want a quick fix.

Would you try writing down all food and drink consumed for a given period of time? My Daily Journal-Kristi's journey


Do you cook at home often? If so, what do you cook? I love cooking!

How often do you go out to eat? Where do you go? Once or twice a month. I like local Cajun restaurants and I used to always eat pasta and salad.(not the best thing in the world!) From now on when I go I'll stick with the low-calorie choices, like grilled chicken breast or salads. I do not eat fast food. Maybe once or twice a year. I know better than to add that bad habit to the list!

What are your three favorite foods? bread, cheese, fruit. i could eat that everyday for the rest of my life!

What are your three favorite restaurants? Phares' Oyster Bar, Charley G's, Chef Roy's. (local Cajun restaurants)

What are three things you can do differently when it comes to food? plan ahead, eat slowly and stop when I'm full- save food for later if I am full, not eat so much carbs and cheese!

If you woke up tomorrow and your body was exactly the way you want it, what would be different? hah! I wish! I know the way I feel about myself would be different, and the way others treat me. (mostly family. i am now the heaviest in my entire family)

Do you eat when you are not hungry? sometimes. out of boredom or if I am full and still have food on my plate. I'm working on that though.

Do you binge eat (large amounts at a time)? I'm sure I have. But I don't set out to do it.

Do you hide your food or eat in secret? no (used to when I was younger)

Do you eat when you are sad, nervous, or depressed? not that I know of

Do you eat as a reward? sometimes

Do you eat while watching TV or using the computer? yes. almost always.

What do you normally eat for a meal? food...ahha. ummm, some kind of carb, like crackers or bread, and I have an addiction to cheese.

What type of snacks do you eat? 100 calorie pack or fruit or nuts...protein powder shakes

In terms of exercise, what, if anything, are you currently doing? I have just started working out again to my 10 year old Cindy Crawford tape(just got the DVD), I have access to a swimming pool and I have a treadmill at my house.

Where do you go for exercise? A local public gym? School/work gym? Home?
Home. I have a treadmill and my father has a pool that I swim in and my mom-in-law has a weight machine for arms and legs. I have a few friends/relatives that walk with me from time to time.

What, if anything, are your three favorite types of exercise? swimming, hand-held weights, crunches. And I have to add in biking, b/c it's up there with the other three.

What is your daily/weekly/monthly/yearly motivation to move toward your goals? To become a healthier and better person. I want to live long and enjoy a quality life. I am motivated daily b/c I know that it will produce long term results.

Do you have rewards for certain goals? Shopping for new clothes

 

[Camy]

I have seen the questionaire so many times but never done it myself, now sick and bored out of my mind I will do it!


Q. What is your current height, age, and weight?
A. 5'5, 23 years, as of today 137.5 pounds (started of at about 160 pounds)

Q. If you were at an ideal weight now, what would that weight be?
A. I think 120 pounds, because that is what my friend weighs, who is my body twin (in fact when I was thinner and she was fatter people thought we were actual twins, they wouldn't be able to tell us apart)

Q. At what weight would you like to be at four months from now?
A. I would like to be at goal in 4 months, so at 120 pounds

Q. Why do you want to lose weight?
A. There are many reasons, Nr1. being so that I feel good with myself and in my skin. Also to look great for myself and for the man, to be able to shop without crying, to be able to swap T shirts with my sister in an attempt to bond a bit more, to say I am a dancer and not have people doubt me, to look amazing in a bikini, to be healthy, to be a beautiful bride on my wedding day and a cute pregnant lady one day.

Q. Do you want to lose weight for a specific life event such as wedding or reunion? If so, when is that event?
A. I make mini-goals for special occasions, like my mom's birthday in august, I would like to be about 10 pounds lighter by then... but my main goal is to lose eventually. I would really be very pleased with myself if I could have lost it all by the first week of October. We are moving away, starting a new life, together, in a new country, a clean slate so to speak, and I would love for my body to be the size I always dreamed about when my new life begins. But if not... it is definitely not the end of the world!

Q. What obstacles could get between you and your weight loss goals?
A. Myself. The only thing between me and my goals is myself. I am responsible for what I put in my mouth and if I go to the gym. The only other thing is my thyroid medication, which determines how fast or slow my metabolism is going... but mainly it is just my willpower.

Q. Why do you think that you now have a weight problem?
A. I am not hugely fat, never have been, my problem is that I am quite lazy. I like to sit around, lie around. I like to do sports once I am doing them, but getting my ass all the way to where the sport is done... that is my problem. And I LOVE food. I do, I love everything about it, the taste, the texture, and I love all kinds of food too. But I have learned in the past 7 months that if I love it, I will appreciate it, without stuffing myself. One bite is sometimes enough! And I used to (and still sometimes do) eat when I am not hungry, just because I want something.

Q. What lifestyle changes do you think would help you lose weight?
A. I have changed a lot in the past 7 months. I have changed how and what I eat, I use my head. I know how many calories are in everything to be able to make an informed choice. I do not eat gluten anymore and my health has improved tremendously (nobody would say so if they saw me lying here with pneumonia, but it really has), so have my moods. And I have made exercise part of my life. I run small marathons (5 k), I swim up to 2 k in 1 session, I do sports for fun. All this is helping me on my journey! And are wonderful things to have for the rest of my life!

Q. Have you lost weight in the past? If so, what has worked in the past to help you lose weight?
A. I have attempted to lose weight in the past, but only lost 3 or 4 pounds here and there and piled a lot back up. In January I "clicked" and suddenly it was easier. I really want this, this time. The only thing that I know helped me before is the discovery of tea. I drink a lot of tea and it quenches my hunger sometimes.

Q. Why do you believe that you did not lose weight or you gained the weight back?
A. I wasn't ready to lose the weight. I wasn't dead set on it, I wasn't ready to commit.

Q. 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?
A. Deprivation of a lot of yummies for 2 weeks with overeating of them afterwards....

Q. Would you try writing down all food and drink consumed for a given period of time?
A. I do write down everything I eat every day. It helps me keep track and see where my mistakes may lie.

Q. Do you cook at home often? If so, what do you cook?
A. Yes I love cooking. I make a lot of fish dishes (home made Nicoise, salmon dishes, roasted prawns, fish ratatouille, white fish with veggies in tin foil), I also make stir fries every now and then, risotto, I can make pizza, a wonderful steak stew, soups, moussaka... actually I am quite blessed with a natural ability to cook wonderful food. Almost any recipe I get my hands on I can cook to perfection the first time around.

Q. How often do you go out to eat? Where do you go?
A. Good question... maybe 2 times a week, sometimes more. We go mainly to oriental places since I can't eat normal pizza or pasta. I love sushi and certain chinese meals (Szechuan Prawns... yumm!), but with my girlfriends we often go to very health oriented places (vegan kitchen, for instance). I never eat at fast food places, since I can't eat almost anything there.

Q. What are your three favorite foods?
A. Sushi, Artichokes, Palm hearts

Q. What are your three favorite restaurants?
A. Jade Gardens (chinese), Neal's Yard (vegan kitchen), Soho Japan (sushi)

Q. What are three things you can do differently when it comes to food?
A. Portion control, eat with your head (know what you are eating, make informed choices and do damage control if everything has gone to pot!), don't munch in front of the TV, computer, etc... (this is where a cup of tea comes handy!)

Q. If you woke up tomorrow and your body was exactly the way you want it, what would be different?
A. I would be very bendy, so that ballet and contemporary ballet would be much easier! I am not that flexible, but would love to be. I would of course be thinner, with a flat tummy and smaller breasts. And my bikini-region would already be waxed!

Q. Do you eat when you are not hungry?
A. Yes, I used to. I try not to now!

Q. Do you binge eat (large amounts at a time)?
A. No, not really. But I pick food while we are having after-supper chat, I keep picking at food and eating bits and bobs. Even when I am already fairly full.

Q. Do you hide your food or eat in secret?
A. I used to do this a lot when I was a teenager (I have a very controlling mother, a very skinny mother on top of it), now I don't so much anymore, though I do sometimes tell my boyfriend I only had 2 pieces of choc when I have had 3

Q. Do you eat when you are sad, nervous, or depressed?
A. Not more than usually

Q. Do you eat as a reward?
A. Yes, sometimes I do... I will decide what my reward is before starting work and then be allowed the Marsbar or whatever it is, after the work is done.

Q. Do you eat while watching TV or using the computer?
A. Used to, not so much anymore, just lunch when I am all alone at home sometimes.

Q. What do you normally eat for a meal?
A. For breakfast I always eat just fruit, for lunch it will be out at the school cafeteria, or at Planet Organic (always those 2 places), dinner is at home, is always either a big salad with tuna or prawns, or a fish dish. On special occasions (sundays with friends, a birthday, something along those lines) I will cook something more elaborate.

Q. What type of snacks do you eat?
A. I try to snack on fruit (apple, strawberries, banana), but often end up having a coffee at Starbucks (or a frapp).

Q. In terms of exercise, what, if anything, are you currently doing?
A. The plan is to run 3 times a week and to swim 3 times a week. Running (jogging) is in the region of 3 to 5 k per session, and swimming between 1 and 2 k per session. I also do abdominal exercises to strengthen my abdominal muscles in the hope that they will help get me a flatter tummy. I try to do this regime, but it doesn't always work, sometimes something gets in the way, like the weather, or just plan lazyness (or disease as is the case this week).
I also try to do something sporty with my friends and with my man every week (a long walk, rollerblading, an Ikea visit ), and I would like to take a class a week in a dance studio from august onwards.

Q. Where do you go for exercise? A local public gym? School/work gym? Home?
A. I go to the university gym for swimming and elliptical and to the park to run.

Q. What, if anything, are your three favorite types of exercise?
A. Dancing, ice-skating and running I guess...

Q. What is your daily/weekly/monthly/yearly motivation to move towards your goals?
A. My daily motivation is to be 1 day and a few grams closer to my goal, my weekly motivation is to be thinner than last week, to be more beautiful, more sporty and more the person I would like to be. My monthly and yearly motivations are the reasons I gave above of why I want to be thinner. I keep a picture of thin me in my head while doing exercise and work hard to be that person soon!

Camy

 

[tymaboy]

This is a good idea to keep ourself motived.

Q. What is your current height, age, and weight?
A. 5ft 2inches, 37, 150.8lbs

Q. If you were at an ideal weight now, what would that weight be?
A. 125

Q. At what weight would you like to be at four months from now?
A. 135

Q. Why do you want to lose weight?
A. I am have been gaining weight at an alarming pace this yr. I hate feeling the way that I do about myself. If I don't start losing I will need to go shopping to buy larger clothes.

Q. Do you want to lose weight for a specific life event such as wedding or reunion? If so, when is that event?
A. A wedding in September is helping to motivate me in loosing, but I wanted to loose before hand.

Q. What obstacles could get between you and your weight loss goals?
A. My husband has not been very helpful in the process. He knows that I trying to watch what I eat but he is constantly asking if I want something (as in junk food). I need to keep the big picture fresh so I do not give up.

Q. Why do you think that you now have a weight problem?
A. My clothes are way to snug & the scale keeps going up & up.

Q. What lifestyle changes do you think would help you lose weight?
A. As long as my migraines stay abound I should be able to work out on a regular bases. Where the last few yrs I have not been able to work out at all due to them. I also need to watch what I eat – mainly my portions.

Q. Have you lost weight in the past? If so, what has worked in the past to help you lose weight?
A. In 2004 I got married & I did the Atkins Diet for that. That is when I learned that eat way to many carbs & that is much of my problem. Anytime in the past when I realized that I was starting to gain I would cut back my carb intake & I would loose a few pounds.

Q. Why do you believe that you did not lose weight or you gained the weight back?
A. I like foods that are high in carbs & would eat more then I should (portion wise) I'm not sure why I am gaining so much lately but loose it.

Q. 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?
A. If something did not work it because of me – not being committed enough to it or to think that I can make modifications to it, modifications that I should not have done.

Q. Would you try writing down all food and drink consumed for a given period of time?
A. Yes. I have used fitday in the past & have started using it again. I need to stick with fitday cuz it helps me keep my intake under control.

Q. Do you cook at home often? If so, what do you cook?
A. Yes. I do most of the cooking. I try to make a variety of foods, pasta, meat, rice. When I make a meal with meat or rice I try to make a vegable with it.

Q. How often do you go out to eat? Where do you go?
A. We go out atleast once a week – sometimes more. This is mainly cuz I do not feel like cooking & its going out to eat or ordering (& sometimes frozen) pizza

Q. What are your three favorite foods?
A. Pasta is at the top of my list. I really haven't thought about what else other then I have a hard time turning down soft cookies also.

Q. What are your three favorite restaurants?
A. Mongolian Grill, Mexican, Chinese

Q. What are three things you can do differently when it comes to food?
A. Portion control is the big thing. Resist the junk food.

Q. If you woke up tomorrow and your body was exactly the way you want it, what would be different?
A. Other them me being much smaller? I would feel great & be very proud of myself. I would do what I can to keep it that way.

Q. Do you eat when you are not hungry?
A. Most of the time I don't. Maybe once a month I catch myself eating a snack when I really am not hungry.

Q. Do you binge eat (large amounts at a time)?
A. I don't think I do this

Q. Do you hide your food or eat in secret?
A. No I do not. No one care what I eat other then myself.

Q. Do you eat when you are sad, nervous, or depressed?
A. Sometime I notice that I want to eat when I am bored but I do my best to resist.

Q. Do you eat as a reward?
A. We will go out to eat for Mother Day, Fathers Day & Birthdays

Q. Do you eat while watching TV or using the computer?
A. Sometimes we will eat in the living with the TV on instead of in the dinning room.

Q. What do you normally eat for a meal?
A. I try to make a variety of foods, pasta, meat, rice. When I make a meal with meat or rice I try to make a vegable with it.

Q. What type of snacks do you eat?
A. I will munch on some meat & cheese, a slice of apple or orange.

Q. In terms of exercise, what, if anything, are you currently doing?
A. I have an elliptical & a weight bunch (which needs to be cleaned up from when we fixing the basement walls) The elliptical I do atleast 7min twice a week (trying to improve time) I have also gone to the Y a few times with my son to lift weights since our machine needs to be cleaned off. I also need to get my mini trampoline fixed (or get a new one) so I can start jogging in place on it again.

Q. Where do you go for exercise? A local public gym? School/work gym? Home?
A. Home & the Y

Q. What, if anything, are your three favorite types of exercise?
A. Since I starting working out again I realized how much I missed lifting weights.

Q. What is your daily/weekly/monthly/yearly motivation to move towards your goals?
A. I have a couple pictures of my younger days, when I was skinny that I find myself looking at more & more lately. My son is great inspiration for me too, He wants me to work out with him & knows that I want to loose this body. We will be going to NC in September which is just an hour from my folks & I don't want them to see me this heavy.

 

[Butterfly25]

Q. What is your current height, age, and weight?
A. 5'2", 25, 175

Q. If you were at an ideal weight now, what would that weight be?
A. 125-130

Q. At what weight would you like to be at four months from now?
A. at least 140 if not my goal

Q. Why do you want to lose weight?
A. All of the above...lol I want to feel better not only mentally but physically and be a role model for my kids.

Q. Do you want to lose weight for a specific life event such as wedding or reunion? If so, when is that event?
A. Nope

Q. What obstacles could get between you and your weight loss goals?
A. Fast Food mainly.

Q. Why do you think that you now have a weight problem?
A. I've always been a little on the chubby side, which was fine til instead of eating right I overate just cause it tasted good.

Q. What lifestyle changes do you think would help you lose weight?
A. Eating better and being more active

Q. Have you lost weight in the past? If so, what has worked in the past to help you lose weight?
A. depression caused a 20lb weight lose, but it all crept back up on me

Q. Why do you believe that you did not lose weight or you gained the weight back?
A. I got out of my depression and started eating....ALOT

Q. 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?
A. Everything I tried helped weight lose but I always ended up giving in to temptation

Q. Would you try writing down all food and drink consumed for a given period of time?
A. Sure

Q. Do you cook at home often? If so, what do you cook?
A. I cook everynite for my family, the whole gang doesn't like veggies so it's usually sloppy joes, hamburger helper, ect.

Q. How often do you go out to eat? Where do you go?
A. Maybe once a week, to mcdonald's or other fast food

Q. What are your three favorite foods?
A. Hmmm. thats a tough 1. I like ice cream, snack cakes, and just about anything else sweet. lol

Q. What are your three favorite restaurants?
A. McCalister's, Ryan's and Barnhill's

Q. What are three things you can do differently when it comes to food?
A. smaller portions, get rid of the sodas, and no snack cakes or ice cream

Q. If you woke up tomorrow and your body was exactly the way you want it, what would be different?
A. I'd feel alot better about myself, but I'd still b the same bubbly Gina

Q. Do you eat when you are not hungry?
A. I used to but haven't in the past 9 days

Q. Do you binge eat (large amounts at a time)?
A. I'm working on that

Q. Do you hide your food or eat in secret?
A. Nope

Q. Do you eat when you are sad, nervous, or depressed?
A. Sometimes

Q. Do you eat as a reward?
A. Not unless its a really big deal lol

Q. Do you eat while watching TV or using the computer?
A. Yeah

Q. What do you normally eat for a meal?
A. Depends on what the family wants to eat

Q. What type of snacks do you eat?
A. chips and sweets but i've cut them out.

Q. In terms of exercise, what, if anything, are you currently doing?
A. Been doing a exercise video

Q. Where do you go for exercise? A local public gym? School/work gym? Home?
A. Home

Q. What, if anything, are your three favorite types of exercise?
A. playing with my kids, walking if possible, and the videos

Q. What is your daily/weekly/monthly/yearly motivation to move towards your goals?
A. Every day, week, month, and yearly motivation comes from my kids, they root me on while i'm exercising and remind me to "dance" that day. God I love those little monkeys and i wanna get healthy for them so i may live longer and have grandbabies.

 

[amylosesandwins]

Bacon is king...

Mal, I like Anthony Bourdain feel that pork, namely bacon, is God's perfect meat...tastewise, anyway. I believe that the bacon and the chocolate probably go together. My partner made himself a peanut butter and bacon sandwich recently. I tried a bite, and I'll be damned...it was GOOD..haha

 

[Nightporter]

I love Anthony Bourdain! He inspired me to try other parts of the pig besides Pork Chops. I thought I hated pork, but then I had liver, pork fat, BBQ.... Pork Chops are vile things.

-N-

 

[maleficent]

My partner made himself a peanut butter and bacon sandwich recently.

It's heaven... that was what I practically lived on during the weekends in college... on rye bread toast

 

[hardyb]

Eh, why the hell not.

Q. What is your current height, age, and weight?
A. 5'-11", 25, 207lb

Q. If you were at an ideal weight now, what would that weight be?
A. 185 (for now - I may want to lose more or bulk when I get there)

Q. At what weight would you like to be at four months from now?
A. 185

Q. Why do you want to lose weight?
A. I've always had body image issues. I was the chubby kid, and then even when I wasn't, the mentality stuck with me. Therefore I never watched what I ate, never cared about exercise, etc. As of recently though, I was the heaviest I'd ever been in my life and I absolutely hated it. I decided then and there that I was going to make a commitment.

Q. Do you want to lose weight for a specific life event such as wedding or reunion? If so, when is that event?
A. I'm going to India on September 26th. Was born and raised there, but have not been back in over a decade. Seeing relatives I haven't seen in... well.. a decade. I want to show them the healthy, fit me.

Q. What obstacles could get between you and your weight loss goals?
A. I LOVE fried food!!!!

Q. Why do you think that you now have a weight problem?
A. I've been a chunky guy as long as I can remember. I also remember a small period of hiatus where I was playing football and was healthy as can be. I know I'm no longer at that stage, but I know I can get there.

Q. What lifestyle changes do you think would help you lose weight?
A. I think continuing to focus on eating right and exercising is doing well for me. I feel that I could definitely benefit from less drinking, but I love a few beers on the weekends.

Q. Have you lost weight in the past? If so, what has worked in the past to help you lose weight?
A. Yes. I just went through a phase between 14-18 where I just became skinnier, joined sports, worked out, etc., and that helped. I was aspiring to go play college football, but that didn't work out... so I continued eating the same as I did when playing sports, but just kept gaining and gaining!

Q. Why do you believe that you did not lose weight or you gained the weight back?
A. I continued eating the same as I did when playing sports, without any exercise.

Q. 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?
A. I have never really tried whole heartedly. I would occasionally work out, but that was it. This is my first REAL attempt at weight loss.

Q. Would you try writing down all food and drink consumed for a given period of time?
A. I am, at Fitday.

Q. Do you cook at home often? If so, what do you cook?
A. We do cook at home often, and it's usually something healthy. We have very few unhealthy options in our home. Usually it will be a lean meat (chicken, turkey, buffalo, lean beef, etc.) with whole wheat pasta/brown rice, and veggies. We use balsamic vinegar or low fat ranch as a dressing... doing everything we can to make sure that things we intake are good for us.

Q. How often do you go out to eat? Where do you go?
A. Maybe once or twice a week, depending on what our schedule looks like. It's usually a healthier option, like Subway, or if we go out to a restaurant, we'll make sure to pick something that is a bit healthier (such as Black Bean burger @ Chili's, or Mexican Gumbo @ QDoba... ) Every once in a while we'll splurge on some good Indian food or otherwise, but typically, we do our best to stick to the basics. Eating out often was one of the things that got me to gain the weight - after sticking at my job for a while and starting to make good money, I decided to lavish myself with extravagant dinners almost every night. To get away from that habit, I've not eaten out at a "nice" restaurant in quite some time.

Q. What are your three favorite foods?
A. Indian food (Chicken tikka masala... :: drool :, pizza, and fondue

Q. What are your three favorite restaurants?
A. India House, Melting Pot, Whole Foods pizza

Q. What are three things you can do differently when it comes to food?
A. I think I'm doing everything right for the most part... I think I could drink less, make less rash decisions, and just be more aware of what and when I'm eating.

Q. If you woke up tomorrow and your body was exactly the way you want it, what would be different?
A. Life would be that much better.

Q. Do you eat when you are not hungry?
A. Occasionally, yes. Previously, it was because something sounded good. Now, it's because I need to hit my calories for the day.

Q. Do you binge eat (large amounts at a time)?
A. Sometimes, yes... I haven't in a while though. I give myself one binge-meal per week, so that way I can keep my mind intact and gorge; but I will eat lesser portions throughout the day, and even with a binge meal, will typically stay within my daily limit.

Q. Do you hide your food or eat in secret?
A. Not really. Sometimes I'll have an unquenchable need for something (beef jerky or a piece of chocolate) and I'll swing by the store on my way home... but that's it.

Q. Do you eat when you are sad, nervous, or depressed?
A. Not really, no.

Q. Do you eat as a reward?
A. Yes... but it's usually healthy eating.

Q. Do you eat while watching TV or using the computer?
A. Yes, we'll usually have dinner in front of the TV, and sometimes I'll have lunch in front of my computer at work.

Q. What do you normally eat for a meal?
A. Hmm - here's what my eating schedule looks like:
8:30AM - 2 Eggs + oatmeal OR 2 pieces of WW toast w/ almond butter
11:30AM - Protein Shake, apple
1:30PM - Lean Meat, carb, protein - usually a smaller portion
4:30PM - Protein shake, almonds, yogurt
7:30PM - Lean Meat, carb, protein - usually a smaller portion
9:30PM - Protein shake

Q. What type of snacks do you eat?
A. Almonds, yogurt, fruits, beef jerky... sometimes I'll cheat with a single-serving bag of chips, but usually ones without trans fats and usually lower calories (baked chips, something like that).

Q. In terms of exercise, what, if anything, are you currently doing?
A. Currently doing a 4 day a week workout, Monday, Wed, Thurs, Fri. About 45 minutes a day of weight lifting. I was doing cardio, but have cut that out for the meantime.

Q. Where do you go for exercise? A local public gym? School/work gym? Home?
A. I have some exercise equipment at home that I use (olympic bench/barbell/weights, some dumbbells, a lat pulldown machine, and a treadmill) and I also run outside and do plyometrics outside on occasion.

Q. What, if anything, are your three favorite types of exercise?
A. Lifting (I actually enjoy it!), Trail running, and hiking.

Q. What is your daily/weekly/monthly/yearly motivation to move towards your goals?
A. Just looking in the mirror every day. Any progress I see motivates me to continue pushing, and lack of progress motivates me to push even harder.
I also weigh myself daily, although I only track it weekly. Seeings those numbers drop is an additional bit of help. I have a new fat caliper, and I want to start using that to gauge my progress as well.