New Member, Kat

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone!

My name is Kat, I'm 29, and I'm from San Diego, CA. I love all kinds

of food. I have urges to eat when I'm bored, when I'm stressed, and

for entertainment, but rarely from hunger.

I resent that I spent most of my 20s self-conscious and overweight

instead of slender and having fun -- isn't this supposed to be the

most vibrant years of my life? I yo-yo dieted some, mostly by throwing

massive amounts of exercise at the problem. About two years ago, I

started a program/book called " Body for Life " , and even though I only

did it for 24 weeks, some of the lifestyle changes I made stuck and I

managed to keep the weight off for two years. I started at 155 pounds

(I'm short), and through Body-For-Life, I lost about 20 pounds before

getting tired of it. A few months ago, I started back up again to lose

the remaining weight, just doing basic calorie-counting in addition to

the Body-For-Life principles. I lost an additional 15 pounds, with

10 more pounds to go. But again, I'm getting tired of all the

work it takes to lose weight, and I know that I can't count calories

forever.

I started listening to this podcast last November, and it has

motivated me to keep on course but has also given me new lifestyle

changes to aim for. For example, I never really listened to my hunger

levels; I just mindlessly ate every 2-3 hours (and if I missed a meal,

I'd get so hungry, I'd pig out at the next meal). But now I can

differentiate between when I'm hungry and when I'm just thirsty, and I

listen better to when my body needs a particular nutrient. I'm still

working on knowing when I've had enough to eat. Mostly I rely on

portion sizes and my calorie journal to tell me when I've had enough,

and truthfully, the only times I feel full are when I know I've eaten

way too much and my stomach hurts. If you're trying to lose weight,

are you ever supposed to feel full? Or is never feeling full just one

of those things that I have to learn to accept in my life?

Anyway, I'm looking forward to sharing stories and keeping each other

motivated.