new to any group

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone, my name is . This is the first time I've ever posted

on a site like this, but I figure it will help me be honest with myself

from the get-go.

I found this Intuitive Eating group through the InsideOut Weight Loss

podcast and thought I would give it a try.

I am 26, just graduated with a doctorate in May, and now I'm a

full-fledged grown-up working girl for the first time in my life. Until

now it's been school, school, school.

Ten years ago, when I met my husband, I was an unhappy high school

student, looking good at 135 pounds. From the next year until now, I am

holding steady at around 180-185 (except for the year we got married,

when I somehow got down to 165-170 or so for a few months).

Like most of you, I'm sure, I have a great husband, a mostly satisfying

job, a caring family, yet I am overweight and unhappy about it. I have

high cholesterol (family history doesn't help any, does it?), low

self-esteem, and I refuse to start a family and the next part of my life

until I am healthier. I am a size 14 and pushing it. The thought of

buying a 16 is a mental hurdle I cannot jump, although I know I should

be grateful I am not as overweight as I could be. My 50+ year old

mother has recently lost almost 80 pounds through diet, exercise, and a

drug called Byetta which helps to stabilize her blood sugar so that she

won't develop type II diabetes. She has always been big, and always

bigger than me, but now she is a size 16 and getting smaller by the day.

Although she is a huge inspiration and encourager, I will not turn into

my mother, having to do damage control after half my life is over. I

want to get in control now.

So here I am. I guess I should buy the intuitive eating book, because

reading the 10 principles and the website can only take me so far.

Nice to meet all of you. Good luck to us all!