My name is Britt "Unpronounceable-Dutch-Name-with-Six-Syllables." I found Traineo yesterday. Extreme morbid obesity pushed me to find this site. I am heavier than I have ever been in my life, quite nearly 300 pounds. Like others here, I am an emotional eater. I use food to help me through depression and the after-effects of trauma.

Last week, I saw a photo of myself taken recently. Generally, I avoid cameras but somehow the photographer escaped my notice. In the photo, I look very much unlike my perception of myself. I am grossly obese, one of those fat women complete strangers approach to say, "You have such a beautiful face. Why don't you lose weight?"

My butt gets stuck in movie theater seats, thus I avoid movies.

I haven't traveled overseas in five years as I would now require two full-fare seats to travel. How embarassing.

My fortieth birthday is this December. I do not want to enter my 40's with an ass as big as the former Soviet Republic of Tajikistan. I'm tired of being tired, finding the simplest tasks exhausting, and avoiding dating and socializing because I dislike my appearance. I feel like I am imprisoned in a fortress of fat and loneliness.

There are notable exceptions, but I believe few morbidly obese people make a noticeable impact in the world. Big boys and girls work at less than half their capacity, as they struggle just to breath and walk. I want to be of greater service in the world. As long as my thighs rival the largest Redwood in circumference, I can't do much.

So. I am here to change. It will be the hardest struggle of my life, I am sure. I have addiction issues surrounding food. Food is a lover, a friend, a confidant and a sanctuary. How pathetic! I have become afraid to live my life. In this prison of fat, I live in fear that I will never regain the person I once was. I hate being this way. It is shameful, really, to be obese in a world where children die of starvation.

Thank you for your warm welcome! I look forward to learning from many of you, and faithfully charting my progress, even when the trend is not positive.

My best to all of you!

Your famine resistant friend,

Britt

Best of luck to you! A lot of good resources here to help you archive your goal.

hey britt!! welcome. there are a lot of supportive, positive people here who should be a great help to you.

check out the Johnson's Up Day Down Day Diet thread. it's fascinating.

Thank you, Nate and Joel!

welcome to the traineo community!! i think you took one of the hardest steps already, deciding that its time to lose the weight...you are about to do something great for yourself and i wish u the best of luck!!!u can do it!

Welcome on board! It's a hard struggle, but it's SO WORTH it!

Welcome! The people here are wonderful and supportive, glad to have you along!

I am glad to be here. Everyone has been extremely kind!

Hola from El Paso, neighbor!!

Brit, you will find acceptance and support and encouragement and creative ideas here--think of it as your cyber-refuge, a place of comfort and safety where you can be yoursef and gain command of your life bit by bit. You dont have to hide from us. We all have varying amounts of weight to lose and varying health concerns as well and will help you in any way possible because we understand what it is like to be at war with our bodies in one way or another.

You have six months to make a difference before that birthday--how wonderful it will be to be able to look back then and see the progress you have made. You wont be "thin" by then, but you will be on the way!

Thank you for your encouragement, Sally! I really appreciate your kind words. Yes, a lot can be accomplished in six months. I am very excited to be on the journey.

Hola, Miss Blest! Nice to see a "neighbor" on here!

Peace to everyone!

Britt

Welcome Britt!

This is just a summary of some of the ideas I've found helpful on Traineo (they're not mine, but they may help you get started).

#1: Get three or four Motivators *now*! They will help keep you on track. When starting a lifestyle change, having Motivators will help you stick with it.

#2: Set mini-goals for yourself. (Thanks Fred L and Jennie W!) Publish them on your profile and discuss them weekly with your Motivators. Update monthly if you can.

#3: Find a few role models and read up on them. You'll find plenty in the Before And After Gallery! Blest is one of them. The stories there are truly inspiring. As Josephine McCulley will point out, BodyBuilding.com's Transformations page is also chock full of inspiring stories. Then there's one of my favorites, Rob Cooper's FormerFatGuy.com site (he's now a Traineo-er, yay!).

#4: Learn, learn, learn! The more you read about nutrition and exercise, the more addictive it can get. Traineo Search is your friend!

#5: Visual reminders help. Notes or posters on your refrigerator and workplace. Desk calendars. Motivational flash cards (used by some therapists I've read). Surround yourself with reminders of your commitment and flood your life with positive messages! Here's where Traineo and especially Motivators can once again help you too.

Best wishes!