Motivation

Hi, my name is Suzanne and I am 23 years old. I weigh 258.3 pounds(yikes) and would really like to get down to between 140 and 150. I was wondering if there was anyone else out there in their 20's who has about that much they want to lose. We could work together and stay motivated to reach our goals!!! Also, if there is anyone in their 20's who has lost that much and wants to share their success story, I would love to hear it! Thanks!

will somebody please post something? i didn't wanna do this, but geez!

i'm having a hard time coming up with dinner options... i don't know how to make non-pakistani food.... so i tend to eat lean cuisines or make eggs or have turkey sandwiches... neither of which is all that yummy.  i have whole grain pasta but not sure what to have with that.... i just don't have much time to cook... only on weekends really.... my friend said to make a big bowl of chili at the start of each week... and i make pakistani style egg plant and cauliflower with all the spices... few potatoes to taste it up... but the protein is lacking in those meals... ground beef is easy to make but i can never find low fat style ground beef.... i've also heard that ground beef is not good for losing weight and that i should only eat turkey/grilled chicken/fish.... any ideas?

WatchMeShine - mmm... Pakistani food sounds yummy! lol

I buy Manager's Special meat on sale... which means it's the old meat that is about to expire that needs to be frozen or eaten right away. It's pretty cheap, and actually has really varried up my meals.

I also LOVE to fix huge salads. Go all out... lots of veggies and some cheese and meat... yum!

What about stir-fry or other Asian influenced foods? Those tend to be pretty low cal and good for you.

*Tries to think what else she eats*

soups are always good, and can be incredibly varried. There are really great recipes on this website, have you looked at any of them for ideas? Or like, even magazines usually have recipes with simple ingredients and that are easy to make.

good luck to you!

"Hi alibuch! Welcome to our group! I am 23 too. What made you decide to move to South Korea? Military? Anyhow, I feel bad for you being flanked by 90 lb girls! If it makes you feel any better, I am 2.5 of them!"

Ennazus:

Well, I was supposed to leave for the Peace Corps last June and do to my not being able to sell my car, I couldn't go (you can't have any bills when you sign up). I had a friend who had taught English in Korea the previous year and she suggested I check it out. I desperately wanted to get out of the States for a while so I took a job teaching ESL in Seoul, Korea. It's been the most interesting thing I've ever done. There are so many westerners here teaching ESL so it's really great. I've met loads of awesome people (and a lot of crappy ones). I've changed so much as a person that I'm afraid of what it will be like when I go home. I've been here about 7 months so far and will be going to graduate school here in the fall so i'm going to take 2 weeks in July to go home (basically, buy new clothes) because my dad and cousin will be home from Kuwait/Baghdad (both are in the army) since I won't be able to go home after my teaching contract is finished.

FYI: Anyone who is a recent college grad and can't find a decent job... Korea pays their ESL teachers well (plus pays for your flight here and home and for your apartment) so it's very easy to save money here.

hey alibuch, i had looked into teaching esl abroad, but the requirements looked kinda difficult. what exactly do you have to have experience in?

Well, it's different for each country. Europe is pretty impossible to get a job. The want you to have an EU work permit which you cannot get until you get a job (catch 22)-- they usually just hire people from the UK and Ireland. In Asia it's muchhhhh easier. For most schools in Eastern Asia you just need a bachelor's degree. Korea is the highest paying of all the Asian countries. Japan is second but the cost of living in Japan is insane (which is why I came to Korea). With Korea, the visa regulations have gotten a bit strict since a Canadian teaching here was arrested in Thailand (because he was a pedophile and had a child porn site)... now, you need your BA/BS (in anything)... so that hasn't changed. BUT you have to do a federal background check (not a big deal, but still a hassle), you have to fill out a health questionnaire (about HIV and mental health), and you have to have an interview with a Korean consulate (I know there's a couple in Cali, one in Houston, Chicago and several others)... so traveling to get to one is a pain in the a** if you don't live near one. However, because of this, the pay is going up as well. Once you get your visa and get to Korea, you have 90 days to go to a Korean doctor/hospital and have a drug test and HIV test. It is illegal for you to be in Korea with HIV. If you have it, you are deported within 24 hours (sidenote: if you break your leg, etc, the hospital will automatically do an HIV test).

So yeah, that's the basics. If you're interested in coming to Korea, feel free to send me a PM and I'll give you my email adress.
Phew.

I am going to say again....Yay for not getting my period! I am sorry for all of you who have to suffer!

alibuch: Teaching abroad really sounds interesting! I am glad that you are enjoying your experience. That's one you will always remember. Plus, when you get back to the states, you will have all sorts of bragging rights and interesting stories!

As for clothes: I definitly don't have 80 tops. Maybe I have 30. But I am obsessive about organization, and my closet is in perfect order. My 39 pairs of shoes are in clear shoeboxes, with pictures of the shoes inside on the front of each box. My clothes are organized with tops on the left, pants on the right, and they are not only sorted by sleeve length and style, but also alphabetically by color. I know, I am totally crazy. But it makes me happy to have things so organized.

As for salads, I love a good salad with ligt sweet vidalia onion dressing. It's so good and low in cals.

As for waffles, I don't eat syrup anyway, so it doesn't matter to me. :) I hate most condiments!

Oh, mommycarlen: doesn't it just feel so so great to have your hubby notice? Mine noticed yesterday. He said I look great, and that he can see I am starting to lose weight becuase my belly doens't stick out as much as it used too. Kind of weird way of getting to a good point, but I will take what I can get. He totally meant to be sweet about it!

Happy Leap Day!

alibuch: I can't believe it's illegal in Korea to have hiv. Not that I have it or know any one who does, but in the US that would be classified a blatent discrimination and completely intolerable! It's so surprising to see how different the rest of the world is from the US

having an off day.... so i usually weigh myself mondays and thursdays but i couldn't weigh in yesterday. 

last monday, i was at 271 lbs.  since i had been 273 the preceding thursday, i figured i really had lost 2 lbs in the 4 days time (esp cuz i had a few work outs in between and was really good all weekend).  i weighed in this morning.... and instead of seeing it at something less than 271, it was a whopping 275 lbs. 

WHAT GIVES?!!?!?  i've been doing my crazy work outs, burning 3000-4000 cals a week and i've been eating right... i basically just eat sandwiches, lean cuisines, 100 calorie snack packs, fruits, egg beaters.... sigh.  i'm so disheartened.

also, i started off the month in the high 270s (around 280) and my goal was to lose 10 lbs and enter the 260s (that is, be a 269) by the end of the month.  so, i didn't meet my goal :(

Watchme - I didn't meet my goal this month either. I'm not too worried about it, though, as I bought a new scale and that reading was way different from my old scale, so I have to re-adjust my goals from that.

10 lbs lost in one month is quite a bit. 5 lbs down is SO good! A pound a week is about average, and you're above average ^_- Also, women's weight fluctuates SO much throughout the month, whether it's their Moon Time or not, so keep that in mind. Also also, with all the working out you've been doing, any chance you have muscle? With all of the elliptical you do, I bet your calves are uber strong!

so, don't be so down on yourself. Numbers don't always reflect the reality! and you should also be proud of yourself for trying SO hard and taking the steps you need to take to get happy and healthy. So good for you!! *loves*

ennazus:

Well, since coming here I've just learned to deal with things I don't agree with. After all, this is not my country... I'm only here for a small portion of my life. For example, eating dog (only some do), lack of trash cans, apprehension of hiring ESL teachers who aren't white... etc. It's impossible for me to fix everything here I don't agree with.

And yeah... I'll have great stories when I get home. However, I don't expect many to actually want to hear my stories. It's a huge part of my life but for everyone else, there life continues on it's current boring path... haha

also, happy weekend! does anyone have any fun plans?

hey feddie, my weight watchers coach said the same thing... she said that i'm probably retaining water a) cuz i ate non-whole grain carbs yesterday and b) cuz when you work out, the fat is broken down and there's lot of water that you sometimes retain if you started up working out after a "break period" (which for me, was about 10 days, cuz i was on vacation).  still frustrating though!

Hey guys,   thanks for all the support !! That story I told y'all happened years and years ago but it is great to be supported!!

So anyway I was at work surfing the net when I came upon a website ( www.goveg.org ) and I was so disgusted/repulsed that I am seriously considering becoming a vegetarian, albeit gradually , or at the very least cutting down my meat consumption. I have been reading a lot of info on the vegetarian forums here but what about you guys that aren't already vegetarian? Do you think you could do it? It's supposed to help you loose weight!

 

 

Hey all you beautiful chicas!!!!  I have some exciting news...my 12s fit perfectly!!!!  Woohoo!!  Some of that stupid belly fat went away/moved around and I no longer have that annoying little muffin top that was keeping me in my too baggy 14s.  I've only lost 5.5 pounds this month- which is still good- but until today, that annoying belly fat has been sticking out.  I think my body finally caught up and rearranged itself a little. :)

 Ali: very interesting about not being allowed to have aids in Korea.  What happens if someone that lives there gets aids...where do they deport them?

Jessica:  I've cut way back on my meat consumption.  I don't think I could ever be a strict vegan or even a total vegetarian... but I eat very little red meat and no pork.  I love chicken, turkey and white fish and salmon though!  And other seafood, mmmmmm!  but when I found out it can take your body 72 hours to digest a steak... well that was pretty much the end of that.  I don't need anything in my body for that long!

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend! 

congrats pc!!!!!!  that must be an incredible feeling!!!!  post pics!!! :)

pink: 12s! awesome! you rock!

veganism: couldn't do it. i love love love animal flesh. i'd never even attempt to live a meat-free lifestyle.

weekend: a few friends and i are gonna check out a new (to us) lounge. i got a new dress for it last night. it's black, and i hate wearing black b/c everyone wears black when they go out, but it's cute. kinda sporty, kinda fun. if anyone has a camera, i'll grit my teeth and post pictures. the best part? the dress is a size 16! what?! oh yeah! now, in reality, i'm not a size 16 AT ALL, but the dress was made to fit loosely. i'll post a pic of a similar dress in my photo gallery.

it's the gold dress. the dress i bought is like the bottom of the dress in the pic. it's loose. i don't like wearing loose clothes. so the dress fits me closer than it's supposed to, but it looked really cute on me in the store! i'll soon see how it looks on film.

edit: that "reluctance" with the esl people totally pisses me off. i can't believe that! well, yes i can. i read an article recently where most of the world, when they think of americans, thinks of white people. in this article, a lot of the people interviewed call white americans "real americans." especially blonde americans.

LADIES, do NOT respond with offense! that was not about you, your race, or anything personal. i'm telling you how other countries view our country. thanks.

Pink Cobra: you get deported back to your country. I can understand them not wanting AIDS spread in their country as it isn't a problem here but still....

and dalmalama: I have a big response so I'll PM you. haha

Sorry to have unintentionally hijacked the thread with my Korea B.S. haha

you don't have to apologize, at least not to me. i asked, and you told me what i wanted to know. i'm glad i know, so thanks!

ok, I posted a *gasp* belly pic in my 12s!!!  OK, it's really more of a side of the belly pic.  Prolly the first belly pic of me since I was 5...lol.  Tell me what you think!  And thanks for the congrats guys!

On Reluctance: When I was doing my undergrad I looked into ESL in Korea.  They had reservations about me because I was Korean!  They really do want only white Americans.  I lived in NOLA for awhile (PLEASE, don't think I'm saying anything bad about NOLA or the south or anything, this was just an experience I had) and one of the ladies I worked with, when she found out my husband is white, said "Oh, your hubby is American!"  I was like, ummmm, I'm American too...and she said, Oh you know what I mean.  Yeeeeaaaaahhh.  Thing is, I'm adopted and was raised in a very white family in a very white state- Wyoming.  So culturally I'm very much white.  When racist remarks are made about/to me I very rarely understand them.  Once I was told, "You people should just stick to your nail salons."  I was totally confused and it took me a little while to figure out what the heck she was talking about.

Dalmalama: that dress is adorable!  Post a pic of you in it!!

I'm off to the coast for the wkend.  Be back monday!