hey everyone...im here in hopes to find some support in my weight loss. its really hard when your on your own with no one to encourage you.
So here's my story...
All my life I was a healthy and lean kid. I was always active and carefree. Then several years ago my best friend that I grew up with said our friendship was over. This was the hardest thing ever. She was the only person I was close with and so I was left feeling very alone. As the years went on, I buried my hurt and began making new friends. Then my closest relative revealed that they had been suffering from some life threatening habits. And after that I saw this person drop to a deadly low body weight...as this person is today. I began to develop my own ed and started gorging myself with food. I went from having binging episodes a few times a month, to a few times a week, to everyday, to several times a day. I gained 35lbs over a few months. I stopped exercising out of rebellion and anger. I became very depressed. This was very abnormal for me. I use to be so positive and loved life. I would always have a smile on my face. But over the past year, those grins turned to despair. I would cry myself to sleep everynight and scream out to God to end my life and take me home....
A several months ago, I began to get real. I realized the damage I had done and wanted out. So I began to exercise regularly again...but my diet was still unhealthy. But a few months ago I began to incorporate healthy foods. Its been about a month now that I have been really good.
I've been working hard for about 8 months now...and the weight wont come off. I have developed muscle in place of the fat. This is not what I want though. Yes, I would rather have muscle, but I want to shrink. I one wish is just to fit into my old clothes. I don't want to be super thin, just my old healthy lean and fit self.
My biggest problem area is my butt and thighs. I have gain muscle here and now I look bubbly. I want to shrink these areas.

Any help from anyone would be wonderful. If anyone knows any exercises or foods to help me out...let me know.
THanks for listening...
Rose

Welcome Rose!

It sounds like you've endured some real hardships, and it's great that you have started to make such positive changes in your life! Way to go!

Now, the fun part begins. I, too, recently joined here, and you'll be amazed to see how much information - and how much support - is already waiting in these forums for you.

As for your transformation, please remember that fat does not turn into muscle (and muscle does not turn into fat). They are different cells and tissues in your body! Eliminating the fat helps you see the muscle underneath - and working out will develop more of it. But muscle is far more dense. It takes up a lot less space for the same weight. This means that if you are truly losing fat and gaining muscle, you will find that you need to get smaller clothes! Sometimes people who start working out think that they are burning far more extra calories and, without thinking about it, eat more - meaning that they are gaining fat and muscle at the same time.

Your best bet is to scope things out around here about how to make sure you're eating the right amount for your goal of weight loss. You can do it!

Welcome !

One or 2 other things might help you fine tune your goals and help the rest of us formulate some relevant suggestions as well.


1. What is your body fat % ?

If you want to lose fat, it's always a good idea to first get some rough idea of how much fat you currently have on you. You do this by calculating an estimate of your " body fat % ".

You can use this on-line calculator to ' ballpark ' your body fat %.........

BBLex - Calculator: Bodyfat calculation by US Navy formula



2. How many calories should I be eating each day ?

Here is an on-line calculator you can use to estimate what your ' maintenance calories ' ( just to keep you at your current weight ) might be......

Delaware Consumer Health Information Services



Now in terms of fat loss, you want to make some adjustments to this ' maintenance calories ' number you come up with above. This article below does a really nice job of reviewing the relevance of that ' maintenance calorie ' calc in terms of adjusting it when trying to lose fat.

Calorie Calculations and Calorie Calculators: How Many Calories a Day Should You Eat?



Do you have any idea of how many calories you consume each day ?

Try these calculators and tell us how they turned out.

my bmi is around 22 right now. My healthy percentage is 17 (thats what i was most of my life). And last year during my hard times I got down to 7, which I clearly know is not healthy for me.
Just let you all know, I study nutrition in school and have been exercising (weight training) since I was 12. I played volleyball for 5 years too. I was always considered thin. Everyone would always tell me i was so thin and that i needed to eat something. Even though they have no idea what is healthy for me...and i was eating constantly, i just had a high metabolism. All those comments and all the hardship i was going through, made me very rebellous and angry. Out of pain i completely stopped exercising and started eating unhealthy foods in unhealthy amounts...thats how i got here.
so i want to lose 20 of the 35lbs i gained...because i know i was too low before.
...i will keep pressing on...
and try to find my way around this site...
rose

welcome to the forum.

some of us can help with the details, and workouts, and nutrition, and all that stuff.

Others of us, are just here to say-- GOOD FOR YOU! you are doing something to get what you want!

welcome to the forum.

Sweat Daily!


FF

Also, Rose, if you post your pictures in the "Women's Health Picture Gallery" (I am assuming you are a woman) we can probably assess your needs a little better.

Good luck. I am glad you are apparently over your depression. Depression can be very scary and very dangerous.