HI Everyone...  These boards are sooo inspirational!

Here's my story: 

I'm 23 years old, 5'4" tall, and a month ago at the DR's, I weighed in at a whopping 267lbs.  I'm the thing that escaped from SeaWorld---but I "have such a pretty face!"  Yeah well, I don't want to be just another pretty face anymore!  I want to be the knockout I know I am...under all....*looks down*...this!  To guys, I'm either "the fat girl" or I'm in the "friend zone" (we've all seen Love Actually, right?  Well, its the story of my life!) haha!  My friends are all super skinny, and I hate being seen in public. I've been "overfat" since I was 5.  At age 6, I was 72lbs.  Your average Kindergartener is like 40-50lbs?  Yeahhhh...  Anyway, I can remember the late 90s (1997?), when I entered middle school--bell bottom jeans were like the coolest things ever!  Well, you be 12 or 13 years old, have friends that are a size 2 junior, and you be a size 18w!  At that time, they didn't make "cool clothes" for bigger girls!  It took me a year and a half to find TWO (yes, two!) pairs of size 18w bell bottoms!  I thought I was the cats meow wearing them. Well, I got braces the year after and slimmed down to a size 16.  Then highschool hit...I went from wearing an 16 to wearing a tight 22/24 my senior year of highschool.  That year I also found out that I had hypothyroidism!  Go me!!!  College started....my weight began going up..and up...and up.  Finally, in the summer of '05 I decided to join a ladies gym.  The first day we had to weigh in with everyone else...of course I had the super skinny people in my group wanting to loose 10lbs...and then there I was....289lbs!  I felt like such an idiot at the gym...because everyone was so much skinnier...that I quit.  Finally on Sept 1, 2006, I joined LA weight Loss at 281 lbs!  By January 2007, I was 254lbs!  I had lost 26lbs and went from a tight 24w to a 20w.  Then, I moved out of state for college.   I somehow managed to get myself down to 246lbs. That summer when I came home, I gained weight...and kept gaining until..pretty much today.  Well, a lot of health problems run in my family....heart disease (my dad had a heart attack at 46 yrs old!), diabetes, osteoporosis, thyroid disease, cancers...you name it...it probably exisits within my family.  I don't want to go down that road. So here I am at 2am, 267lbs and wearing a size 20-22w, telling you my life story.  I'm the type of person who likes instant gratification (blame my generation! hehehe),..but I know it won't happen with this so i am willing to work at it. 

 I have mini goals set for myself:

July 7, 2008 (today) - 267lbs

August 11, 2008-  247 lbs -  * down 20 lbs

September 22, 2008 - 229 lbs -  *down 38 lbs

October 20, 2008 - 217 lbs - *down 50 lbs

December 1, 2008 - 199 lbs -  * down 68 lbs

December 24, 2008 (Christmas Eve!)- 187 lbs - * down 80 lbs

January 26, 2009 - 175 lbs -*down 92 lbs

February 16, 2009 - 166 lbs - * down 101 lbs!

March 23, 2009 ~WEEK BEFORE SPRING BREAK '09' - 151 lbs - *down 116 lbs

Does everyone think that these are able to be reached? 

Let's do this!

Hi!

I'm 23 as well....and when I started Alli in late January I weighed in at 246 lbs, but my high was 249 lbs around Christmas time.  So I definitely can relate to gaining weight while your in college.....I think I gained around 50 lbs during the 4 years I was in college, which I definitely didn't need considering I've always been a little chubby.  I've lost around 30 lbs since starting my weight loss journey in January, and I feel so much better about myself.  It makes a huge difference even if I haven't reached my goal weight.  My goal weight in 150 lbs, and I hope to reach that within a year, but I haven't set a definite date for that. 

Your goals are very aggressive, not to say that it can't be done but I have found for myself that you constantly have to push yourself harder at the gym and be very strict with what you eat if you want to continue to lose a large amount of weight.  I've hit a couple of difficult plateaus but I have manage to get through them, which is always the hardest part to convince yourself not to give up. 

I wish you the best!  Keep us updated on your progess.

 Wow, that is great!!!  Keep pluggin and you'll get there!   I know when I lost the 26ish lbs. of weight on LA  I found I felt so much better about myself as well.  I just want this weight OFF of me...asap! HAHA.  I won't get discouraged if I don't meet my goals on the exact day but I'd like them pretty close.  I'll work at it. If its not working out, I guess I'll just need to rethink them a little bit.  How often do you workout?  Are you following a WW or other name eating plan?  If you don't mind me asking, what size were you then and what size are you now?  And how tall are you?  I'd really like to be an 8-10.  I just bought a bathing suit today thats a size 20.  Yuck!  I feel like a barrel with arms and legs. :) 

Oh, and did you have any TE's?  Yuck!  I'm not even THINkING about them because I'm going to try and NOT have them happen!  hehehe! :)

Thanks for the encouragement!  :)

I was about a size 20 when I started losing weight.....and now I'm a size 16 - 18 depending on the jeans.  I would love to be a size 8....that would be fantastic.  I'm only 5'5....so the extra weight was really starting to show....I'm just lucky that I still have a small waist, but most the weight is in my thighs (yuck!).  I work out about 4x a week, and I had a personal trainer for the first 12 weeks which really helped because now I know what exercises I should be doing and I don't focus on the machine weights as much as I do things like core strength exercises and exercises that incorporate the medicine ball.  Cardio is my least favorite thing to do....but I generally stick to the treadmill or the elliptical machines. 

As far as TE's go....I've only experienced them twice, but I think it had more to do with having taken Alli so often that it had built up in my system so it didn't matter what I ate.  But they weren't terrible, and I know that I eat well so I don't really worry about having them.  I don't follow an eating plan like WW or anything....I do keep a food journal which I started when I was with my trainer.  I really focus on reading labels on the things I buy.....so I stay away from frozen foods which are usually packed full of stuff you shouldn't eat.  But I also limit my sugars, which is a big deal because I never realized how many foods are packed with sugars (I usually try to stay under 6 - 8 grams of sugar per serving).  Besides that I just make sure and balance meals so that they contain protein and carbs....and I eat about every 3 hrs.  And of course drink plenty of water.

It definitely takes a lot of effort, but it's worth it!

Wow, you're so focused!!!  I hope I can be like that.  It will be easier when I go back to school (Colorado). Right now I'm on the east coast living with my dad so I have generally have to eat what he buys.  I'm trying to get him healthier as well.  When I was on LA and was still living at home, he was doing it with me using my food plan.  He went from 308lbs to 252lbs in 4 months. A size 48X30 to a 42X30.  I was so proud of him.  He was so skinny and looked great.  Since I moved away to finish school, he's gained a little weight and went up to a 44x30.  But yeah, I'm normally a size 20-22.  However, I do think I have lost some weight in the past few days because right now I am wearing a size 18!  Woot Woot!  I love Daisy Fuentes jeans (Kohls!).  haha. :)  I also have some Old Navy 18s around here somewhere, too!  :)  Anyway...yeah, I carry my weight right below my belly button and on my thighs.  Yuck!  I need to start running and biking again.  It would be wonderful to be able to buy clothes right off of a rack and not have to go into the 'overfat' section.  I'm looking forward to loving my body....because right now...it looks like a war zone! :)

I'm going to pick up my Alli pills tomorrow....and hopefully Friday I'll take them.   :)

 Hello, I'm a 35 yr old working mother of a 2 1/2 yr old son & married! ~ It sounds like you HAVE A GREAT PERSONALITY and a great outlook of things! I wish LOTS of luck and can’t wait to hear how you are doing!!!  

I'm 24, 5'10" and I'm 270lbs!  So I'm with ya!  Let me know if you wanna be "buddies"

MUAH!
Katie

 hey all,

I have been on alli since 6/28 and have lost at least five pounds...that is when i finally really got on the scale (four days into the taking the pills) i found out i was 160lbs and then wednesday when i checked in i was 155!  woohoo.  I can't figure out how to change my signature so ignore my optimistic view of what i started at haha.  I have to say the TEs are SO easy to avoid.  I have not had one problem and have taken a pill with every meal except one over the fourth which i thought might be a little too close to 15g of fat for comfort.  Don't be nervous, dive in because being able to cross my legs nice and normally is better than any piece of pie out there!

Rocky- Nice to meet you!  Thanks for all the encouragement.  I look forward to "chatting" with you about my results--as well as yours.  Aww...2.5 yr old! How cute!  I'm a nanny so I'm with kids more or less 24.7. They're ages are: two 1 yr olds, a 3 yr old, an almost 5 yr old and an 8 yr old!

Katie- Cool beans! I'd love to be buddies!

Laura- That was hysterical--- "being able to cross my legs nice and normally is better than any piece of pie out there!"  Hahaha!  Wow, you go girl!!!!!  I'll definitely remember that when I'm thinking about chocolate chip cookies.  Speaking of chocolate chip cookies, my mom and i stopped at the doughnut shop for a coffee and I resisted my moms offer for getting a dozen cookies!!!! YES, I RESISTED!!!!  Yes, in my land.... hell froze over AND pigs flew....it was momumental!  hahaha.  My mom didn't think I'd say no....she was kind of like "but why?".  She's natually skinny but likes to force feed me crap. Ugh!  :)

You know what, I think Alli should have a live chat room in addition to these boards...

 hey there Im 24 and starting this tomorrow.........I am so excited ......but nervous too ya know.... I read your  post and it totally feels like the story of my life.... im 5'1 and 230.... so  i feel as if i am going in the right direction I have dedictaed  t changing my entire work schedule just so I can go t the gym in the morning  this is going to be  a long journey but im up for it!!! im ready to be fit and healthy...... who's with me !!!! any ways I wish ya luck stick with ....I am !!!!

 Hey!  I am 26 and just recently started taking Alli.  I'm a divorced mom of 2 toddlers, last year at this time I weighted in at 230# at my 5'1" frame.  Before kids, I was around 175 carrying most of my weight in my thighs and butt...all has changed!  Now, most of my weight I carry in my stomach/chest...it's been a struggle.  I work out 4x a week and eat healthy...I'm a currently down to 190 but I have been stuck here for months with still yet about 60 lbs. to lose!  So...I'm turning to the help or Alli with the okay from my doctor.  I was a size 20w...I am now in a misses 16 and size XL.  My goal is a size 5/6....but my mini goal is a size 8/10 size med.

 Hello Ladies!  I just wanted to join in!  I am 24, 5'6 and 260.  I couldn't believe it when I purchased a scale the other day and stood on it!  I almost died!  I am a recent college graduate, and I too gained a lot of my weight in college.  About 80 to be exact.  My neighbor's daughter saw pictures of me when I was in high school, and she innocently preceeded to tell me how skinny I was then.  She didn't mean anything by it, but it really hit me hard.  She was right, I was a lot thinner then.  I was also a lot more active.  Anyway.... I started Alli on Tuesday.  My goal is to start losing and continue losing until I am at a decent weight.  My current battle is to slow down when I am eating.  I have recently notice that I scarf my food down, so I am now trying to chew slower and even put my fork down between bites.  Is there anyway to add friends on here?  I know there is some circle thing.

hello, my name is pamela and i am also 23im 5'6 and i weigh 207. YUCK and i have taken alli before, last year when it came out and i lost 27 pounds in 2 1/2 mths and then life got crappy and couldnt afford pills and had to buy cheap fast food and stopped working out and poog ended up gaining over 40! my start weight then was 195 and i got to 168! my goal was 150! so i was almost there!! ill do it again!!! no worries, plus i am getting married september 13th 2008!! so i havent got long to shed some pounds!! I went and bought the pills yesterday and i started yesterday! so today is day 2!! keep me posted!! goodluck!!

 HI All...

Just wondering how you all were doing?  I've been sticking to everything...well except for today.  I had a tiny slip up.  I had pizza today...3 slices.  Oops.  The kids I nanny for wanted it, and since I had to get them something for lunch, they had cheese pizza.  Of course the place I went to only served small and large so I had to get the large.  Ugh!  I'm not doing that one again.  Thank goodness I'm not taking the pills until this weekend or I probably would have had to deal with some TE's.  Ugh...just the thought of it!!!!!  :(   *cries*

On a happier note, I feel good.  My clothes feel good.  I'm noticing a change in shape of my face.  Oh life is good.  Anyone else noticing these changes?

Well, I'll talk to you all soon!!!!!!  We can do this!!!

Meg

Hi Meg,

I don't know about you, but pizza is one of the hardest things to resist for me.  Well it's great that you are starting to notice changes in your face and clothes.....that's always encouraging.  As for me....I ran out of Alli this week so I need to go grab another bottle because I have been stuck at 218.2 lbs for 3 weeks....everyday I weigh in I pray that I've lost at least the .2lbs just so I could see 217 for the first time in a long time.  But of course I think the scale is just playing mind games with me......and unfortunately it's winning lol.  My coworkers continue to make comments about how much skinnier I'm looking, so I'm going to trust that maybe even though I'm not losing weight maybe I'm at least toning my muscle so that I'm not all flabby looking.  Hopefully, once I start taking Alli again, I will be able to get down to that 217 mark.  We have a Biggest Loser competition at work that ends July 31st, and I would like to lose 6 more lbs by then...so keep your fingers crossed for me.

Jess