Replies to '200 Pounds or More to Lose'

Quote From: tnhomebody

Thank you very much for your advice.  I am from Mississippi originally, but now I call Hampshire, TN home.  It's close to Columbia, which is south from Nashville by about an hour or so.  I don't have access to a pool, but I have decided to do what I can do and just try to extend my workout every day and push myself to do more and more. I love music and I play this game on the Playstation 2  to cheer myself up sometime... it's called Karaoke Revolution.  I think I'll start to dance while I sing and just get my body moving and try to do more activity in general.  A lot of times I turn down offers to do activities with my friends because I know how hard it would be just to walk around and shop or things like that.  I know I can't walk around all day at a flea market just yet, but I can open myself up to shorter outings.   It seems like I have let each pound I gain isolate me more from the world.  I've withdrawn from most of the things I used  do, even school and church.   My body image is horrible, and the lymphedema has caused my legs to swell so horribly that concealing them, even under pants is almost impossible.  I constantly worry that my pants will ride up and reveal my freakishly swollen and discolored legs.  I have to really build myself up mentally before I go out in public.  I'm not going to give up though, because I deserve a better quality of life. I just couldn't see it sooner.  Thank you for your encouragement.