[kimberpc]

Well let me give a short history about myself.... I'm 30 years old with 3 children (ages 12, 6 & 4). I have never been overweight until after I had my 12 year old and the doc suggested I get the Norplant birth control thingie.... well I got it and was weighing 145 (comfortable weight for me and I was very happy with my body!) kept it in for 5 months and demanded the doc take it out. I had gained 50 pounds in the 5 months I had it.... I looked like someone filled me up with air! Oh I was miserable!!!

Doc put me on 1 month of phentermine to help lose the weight.... I took off 20 pounds of it and he said I could do the rest. Oh thanks!! So alot was going on with my life... young son, working, going to college, maintaining a relationship with my boyfriend (now husband).... so didn't go to the gym... didn't lose all of the 30 pounds. Fast forward to 1998.... had lost a decent amount of the weight... I want to say I was 150 or 155... got married... moved from Fl to Nc and got pregnant with my now 6 year old.

Gained 24 pounds during pregnancy.... lost about 10 by the time I left the hospital... I was around 170 I believe. First time away from my family.... always lived in Florida with them all.... over the next 2 years I gained probably 10-15 pounds not even realizing it.

2000 move from NC to MD and get pregnant again (totally not planned) and gain 8 pounds during the entire pregnancy.... have a healthy baby girl. I breastfed her and never had done that... I was only concerned with eating the right foods for her to be healthy. So I didn't lose much weight.... I was depressed with how I let my body slide downhill... it was sad!

Well July 2003 (now living in GA) I get on Atkins because a friend was on it and dropping pounds like crazy! I got on it at 215 and stopped at 170 (size 12/14 for me) and was feeling alot better about myself. I got off it not because that was my goal weight but because I was on it for 5 months and started getting scared of "how will I eat anything once I get off Atkins????" So I went to see a dietitian and she said Atkins was horrible for the body.... that if I wanted to do any "diet" that I should try South Beach because it's more of a healthy diet. I learned a little more about foods than I already knew.... but then moved from Georgia to North Carolina (again) and the stresses from moving.. marriage getting difficult.... going from 2 kids to 3... alot of stuff.... I slowly but surely put back on almost every single pound.. no more... thank God... but back to 211!

So that's where this story gets better.... last Saturday I decided that I was going to put myself back on Phentermine and get my weight under control once and for all!!

I weighed in Saturday morning at 211..... been on Phen everyday since and I weighed this morning at 207. I know you should only weigh once a week but I had already felt changes in my tummy :o) That is always the first place that gets chunky on me and changes back towards flat. WOO HOO already! Anyways I'm feeling great..... taking in about 500 calories a day... wondering where you all are at calorie wise.

I looked at alot of the before and after posts and you people give me so much inspiration!!!! I'd like to say congrats to all of you who are losing weight and feeling better :o) All I want is to be comfortable in my own skin again!!

Oh, I'm Kimber by the way.... hopefully yall will allow me to jump right in and enjoy this wonderful forum... looks like alot of awfully good support going on :o)