Pleased to Meet You! :)

LightRaven

What doesn't kill me.....
Ok, I am very very bored and very much trying not to raid the fridge. I thought it would be neat to learn more about the people who frequent this section of the forum. Okie... I'll start. Please follow.. I'm interested in knowing about everyone here! :D

My name is Heather and I'm 29 years old. I'm a single mother (separated from Husband for a year and a half) to my 2 year old daughter, Ayleigh. I work at a company that distributes laboratory equipment to drug companies like Merck and GlaxoSmithKline.. as well as Universities, like University of Penn and MIT. It's interesting work, but not what I had planned on. I went to college and double majored in Classical performance and Jazz Performance on the Double Bass... I've even had the pleasure of touring Europe twice ( I know many of you are located there... loved it!)... but life throws curve balls and leads you on different paths. I got Carpel Tunnel in my Junior year, and after two attempts at my senior recital... I didn't finish college. I have no classes but the senior recital to do.. but I was burnt out and so were my wrists... and shortly after that, I became pregnant with my beautiful daughter! I taught music for many years, but it wasn't viable when you have a baby on the way! :)

I have been overweight since I was probably 8 or 9. My family had moved from Ohio to Philadelphia when I was 7 and it was a hard culture shock. Didn't have a very nice childhood..and unfortunately, that equated to weight gain and depression. My grandmother, I later found out, always told my mom when I was younger that it wasn't what I was eating, it what was eating me! And how true it was. lol.

I have what is called dysthmia. And about 5 years ago, I had a major depressive episode that nearly landed me in a mental hospital. I was put on a variety of meds, and while yes... I will never deny that the helped me tremendosly... they also made me gain a tremendos amount of weight. And I was already overweight to begin with. One of the meds I was on was the equvialent to smoking pot.... nasty case of the munchies... I'd eat in the middle of the night! I stablized on the medicine and after a few years... Along came Ayleigh. I went off the meds obviously when I found I was pregnant... but the weight didn't come off.... and when Ayleigh was born.. the weight continued to stay, except for about 30 lbs... she was A BIG BABY! LOL!

SO... here I am. Determined to loose the weight and be a better mommy. Ayleigh continues to be a big baby... she is the size of a 3 or 4 year old... she's not heavy.. but very tall...She is proportionate to her height... but I'm very tired of doctors looking at me and assuming I'm stuffing my daughter with junk.

I also don't want her to have body image issues or weight issues.. so I need to do this.

Ok, your turn. :D

LR
 
hi heather, wow what a beautiful daughter, at least something good has come out of your traumatic past! I agree with you about losing weight not to pass any issues on to your children which is always a problem as they are influenced by so much these days that anything will help.

i'm quite a lot older than you (though not in spirit, i feel no different now than when i was 18 lol) and have 3 brilliant children, 1 girl and 2 boys. After each child more and more weight stayed on so its time to say goodbye to it once and for all. Here's hoping x
 
Thanks Sparkel. Yes, Ayleigh is quite beautiful, I'm hoping it doesn't go to her head when she gets older!!! I was not one of those popular pretty girls in school, and I'm hoping she's not either (you know what I mean.... It's not that I don't want her to be beautiful, I don't want her to be super aware of it and think she can use it to her advantage... or be mean to other people because of it.. etc)

Man, I feel older than 18, I'll tell you that! LOL. So good for you!

3 children is wonderful! I'm not sure I want more children. I had a miserable pregnancy... and then a horrible delivery... complete with botched epidural and emergency C-section (her umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck 3 times.. it's a good thing she didn't come out right away!) And quite frankly, She's not even remotely ready to have a sibling... she doesn't share mommy very well. LOL. Of course.. having a husband/significant other would be needed in the equation to LMAO!.

LR
 
Good luck hun, keep reaching for your the stars and you'll get them soon!! xx
 
Hi lightraven, my name is Helen, I am also 29. I have been with my husband for 7 years and we got married last september. I have always struggled with my weight although 5 years ago I did lose almost 4 stone doing Rosemary Conley diet (which you probably have never heard of!) however here I am now weighing almost as much as when I started! My hubby and I are hoping to have a baby and I guess that being a more healthy weight will help with that. He has given up smoking so sacrifices all round!

Your daughter is gorgeous and what a good reason to stick to the diet!

Good luck for this week...
 
Hi lightraven, my name is Helen, I am also 29. I have been with my husband for 7 years and we got married last september. I have always struggled with my weight although 5 years ago I did lose almost 4 stone doing Rosemary Conley diet (which you probably have never heard of!) however here I am now weighing almost as much as when I started! My hubby and I are hoping to have a baby and I guess that being a more healthy weight will help with that. He has given up smoking so sacrifices all round!

Your daughter is gorgeous and what a good reason to stick to the diet!

Good luck for this week...

Thanks!

I originally lost 80lbs a few years ago, using a the Diet Divas diet (you probably haven't heard of that... they are out of business now).. it was a low carb/high protein diet (not as high as atkins) and I was vegetarian at the time, and so it worked great... but it is a difficult diet to follow. Because I was vegetarian... my protien sources needed to be double.. so I was able to eat alot.... but I'm not vegetarian anymore!

I gained all the weight back with the meds I was on... and then some when I had Ayleigh. Let me tell you.. if there is one thing that I learned.. is being overweight and pregnant don't mix! I didnt gain weight as first because I was so sick.. but eventually I went up to 298 lbs by the end of it.... my legs were constantly swollen, and my feet were so swollen that I couldn't wear shoes! It was depressing and uncomfortable... so if you can.. loose as much weight as you can... you'll be able to enjoy your pregnancy much more because of it!

Are you already trying or just trying to loose the weight first? Good luck either way! :)

LR
 
Hi, my name is Sacha, I am 23 years old and live in Essex (no Im not blond and don't have any white stillettos hohoho!).
I eat when Im bored and have had phases where I have been quite low and eaten cos of this. I did lose 2 st when I was 18 and was a new person but since then I havent been so focussed and not so "all me me me" so have let it slip.
Well not anymore! I want to be happy and feel sexy again and I will!
I'm living at home after having my own place, but changing jobs meant i could no longer afford it. That made me eat as I couldnt be bothered to make the effort to battle for alpha female position in the kitchen! Mums rules in the kitchen aren't what I'm used to after living on my own for a while.. But hey ho, a roof over my head is better than a cardboard box!

So good luck everyone and keep motivated ;o) x
 
well done sacha, it must be hard moving back home when you've been used to your own space and trying to get mum to let you eat what you want as with all mums we think we know best which isn't always right but perhaps helps not to say!
 
But hey ho, a roof over my head is better than a cardboard box!

Meh... sometimes I don't know about that... :8855:j/k

I also live with my mom. Still. Never even got a chance to move out. I commuted to college... and a few months after I essentially dropped out.. my father was diagnosed with Stomach Cancer. We all came home.... that would be me, who never left, and my brother, AND is pregnant girlfriend.. to rally around the family during that time.

During that time, I became pregnant with Ayleigh... so I wasn't going anywhere! LOL! At one point, there were 6 adults and 1 child in the house. :8855:Unfortunately, my father didn't make it long enough to meet Ayleigh, :(, he died 4 months before she was born.

AND we all never left! My husband obviously jetted, but my brother and his girlfriend and their daughter are still here. (And that;s another story all together.. DRAMA! anyways...)

FORTUNATELY, I am best friends with my mom. UNFORTUNATELy, I;m not with my brother and his crew... hehehehe. My mom tries to accomidate my diet, so its all good. I weigh myself in front of her so I have to be accountable to someone. lol.

LR
 
sorry to hear about your dad lightraven, its a shame your daughter will never get to meet her grandpa but at least you've still got your mum who is obviously supporting you with your diet which is great. we all need someone to keep us going through the tough times!

every monday 2 girlfriends come over to weigh in, 1 is on slimming world and the other is doing a tesco calorie counted diet and the support we give each other is fantastic as we haven't told any1 else as fed up with being asked weekly how much have we lost (or not in my case lol) we just moan to each other.

even though i don't live with my sister we are so different that she rubs me up the wrong way as soon as we meet which is a barrel of laughs, not! as the saying goes you can choose your friends but are stuck with family :sigh:

take care x
 
sorry to hear about your dad lightraven, its a shame your daughter will never get to meet her grandpa but at least you've still got your mum who is obviously supporting you with your diet which is great. we all need someone to keep us going through the tough times!

every monday 2 girlfriends come over to weigh in, 1 is on slimming world and the other is doing a tesco calorie counted diet and the support we give each other is fantastic as we haven't told any1 else as fed up with being asked weekly how much have we lost (or not in my case lol) we just moan to each other.

even though i don't live with my sister we are so different that she rubs me up the wrong way as soon as we meet which is a barrel of laughs, not! as the saying goes you can choose your friends but are stuck with family :sigh:

take care x

I'm ok with being stuck with my family.. if I wasn't stuck living with crazy. There is alot of drama that goes on between that section of the family... its difficult to deal with because I get dragged into the middle of it. It's very explosive, and essentially.. that relationship all together is unhealthy. The other problem is that my brother is like my father, and we seriously butted heads when he was alive.. so you can imagine.:rolleyes:

I was very sad that Ayleigh didn't meet my father. As much as my father was a real piece of work.. he was really funny. And as silly as it might sound, we think he is still hanging around. There have been several weird things that have happened since his death, and it is said that small children often can see spirits.... we think Ayleigh has met my dad. :)

I'm home from work today.. need to take Ayleigh to the doctor. She woke up with a strange cough.. sounds like she is honking.. and the nebulizer isn't working. I hate her doctor.:mad:

LR
 
Hope she's ok raven x

My mum tries to help with my diet but i need some space!
 
Thanks Sacha. Apparently its just her asthma. (ha.. "just") The weather change here has triggered it. I am really dreading spring when the trees pollinate. Last year, we had no idea that she had allergy induced asthma, let alone allergies so from November until April, she was sick with this that and the other. She was at the doctors literally every two weeks and now they terrify her. It wasn't until I changed doctors to this guy, who I still hate, that we found out she has a severe tree pollen allergy. She's upstairs right now napping, but coughing away... And Overdue for her next treatment.... wonder if I can give it to her while she is sleeping.... it's very noisy..... hmmmm....

LR
 
Hiya lightraven, aw your poor little girl... i suffered from asthma as a child triggered by lung damage due to bronchitis (have fortunately grown out of it). I never used to like taking my meds, i hope she starts getting better soon!

Now just to introduce myself a tad!

My name is jennie, i'm 19 and i'm a student studying to become a primary school teacher at bath spa university. I have always been overweight and have finally decided i have had enough! I'm doing slimfast as it is cheap enough for me to afford on a student budget and convinient enough for a busy student lifestyle. I have joined a gym and given up drinking and cheese (my favourite snack!). I'm hoping to loose as much as possible by the time me and my boyfriend move into our first house together in June. I would like to loose around 56 pounds but am taking every pound lost as it comes. I've never tried the slimfast diet before but have read many success stories and i love how simple it is to count the calories.

Anyway all i will keep everyone updated on how i'm doing and goodluck to you all!! xx
 
Hiya lightraven, aw your poor little girl... i suffered from asthma as a child triggered by lung damage due to bronchitis (have fortunately grown out of it). I never used to like taking my meds, i hope she starts getting better soon!

Yea, she got bronchitus when she was a little over 1, and that triggered everything after. She is almost destined to get it because:
I had it as a child. Her father had it particularly bad as a child... my mother and grandmother have it...The bronchitus as an infant, then the fact that she is in daycare, and the subsequent colds... also children born via c-section have a higher risk of getting it, as well as children who are born in the fall have a 45% greater chance of getting if.:sigh: I can't win with this one. Hopefully, she'll outgrow it as well.

Good luck on your quest to a thinner and healthier you... to everyone!

LR
 
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