Champion Slacker
 

Howdy! My name is Ari and I'm from the East Coast. I was skinny in high school because -

1) the cafeteria food was terrible so all I ate at lunch was chicken soup and fruit
2) i didn't have a car and had to walk everywhere
3) i played volleyball

I started getting lazy and overeating during college, then when I got my first job, I became even more sedentary until my weight went from 150lbs in high school to a staggering 246lbs now as a 27 year old.

My "poisons" are pizza, pasta, cookies, cappucinos, french fries, white cheddar popcorn and Powerade. That's pretty much been my diet the last few years. I could probably eat pizza everyday for a week before getting tired of it.

I've tried a few things, such as taking Phentermine so I wouldn't eat & burning 2,000+ calories a day by spending 2 - 3 hours at the gym (I got down to 170lbs, but I couldn't keep that up!); starving myself; the Atkins Diet; the Slim Fast Diet (ugh, it made me gassy); and finally eating nothing but salads.

What I've learned from each of those fads is that I have to find a way to eat and exercise that I can manage the rest of my life. NOT my previous thoughts of, "I'll kill myself losing the weight, then I can slow down once it's off and maintain it".

Aside from weight information, I'm a teacher and kind of artsy fartsy...I love photography, museums, vintage shops and writing is my #1 love. I'm hoping to publish a book someday.

Could you substitute powerade with Gatorade G2? It's a diet version of Gatorade.

How about veggie "white" pizza for standard "all the way" pizza, and cut out the cappos for a while. Go reg. coffees. It'll save the calories and the pocket book.

Start with one substitution at a time. Most people can get used to replacing one food for another over time. But if you try and do it all once you will rebel. Believe me I know... been there/done that.

Keep logging in. There is a ton of experience and a bunch of folks going through everything you are going through. Sharing helps all of us!!!