I'm going to chime in with this discussion group too. I need to lose about 20 lbs *sigh*

I had always been overweight and in college ballooned over 300lbs. I felt left out of everything. My friends were dating, shopping, hiking in the mountains and doing cool things that I never thought I could do. With an unhealthy combination of depression and desperation I began counting my calories and exercising. I was so hard on myself that for an entire year I never (and I mean NEVER) ate a meal that I didn't prepare. I exercised EVERY day and never, ever, ever ate more than 1400 calories. At one time I got down to 900 calories. But I realized that I stopped losing weight and had no energy to exercise. I cared more about losing weight than eating less, so I gradually increased my calories back up to 1400. That was 5 years ago.

Anyways, I got help. I'm not depressed anymore, but I also eat more! And I've put on a stubborn 20lbs that my doctor said really should go. So, I'm back to counting my calories but I have a fear of putting myself in that obsessive state again. Hopefully I can find a good balance and we can all help support each other.