Seconded. (Talking about CairoCarol.)
Reply, I had no idea you could lose weight rock climbing. I thought you had to be fit first.
How much money did you have to sink into the sport? I may start getting into it now!
Hostile Dialect,
Hostile Dialect, Narcissist
At the risk of sounding weird, glasses or not, you have fabulous eyes.
Seconded 
Stole the words right out of my mouth.
Thank you. That means a lot, actually. I went from 250 to 160 but that was when I was in hardcore self-hatred mode. Now I’m back to 180 or so, but I’ve also mellowed out a lot in the process… I’m still going to try and get it down eventually to 150 or so for a healthier body fat ratio, but hopefully not at the expense of my sanity this time. Slow and steady.
I don’t want to hijack this thread so I won’t go into TOO much detail here; I’ll say a bit and if you have more questions or whatnot, please feel free to PM me
I didn’t just climb; it was a complete lifestyle change from a totally sedentary one to one with proper nutrition (NOT a “diet”, but healthy, sustainable lifelong eating habits) combined with climbing, swimming, jogging, martial arts and weight training. It took a beautiful girl, one too many rejections, and a long, hard look in the mirror, but I went all out and it was the second-best thing I ever did with my life.
While it IS possible to lose weight climbing – doing ANY sort of exercise with sufficient duration and intensity will cause muscle gain and/or fat loss – I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it as a starting point if you’re very overweight, if only because it’s going to be, as you suspected, that much harder. I would imagine there’s a break-off point (in terms of body weight) where the difficulty and frustration factor of being unable to pull yourself up more than a few feet will outweigh the enjoyment the sport can give.
That said, it’s definitely not impossible! I started climbing when I was about 200-220 ; keep in mind that I was so weak at the time I could not do a single (not even one) push-up or pull-up and couldn’t even run a mile. I also got a friend who weighed 300-400 lbs (she wouldn’t say) into the sport; she’d only have the energy to do it once or twice a month, but at least it got her motivated and gave her something to really look forward to someday.
But that’s the thing! More than just weight loss or muscle gain (there was both, to be sure), it was the sheer passion of it – I fell in love with the sport, with the fear and the conquest thereof, the adrenaline, the internal growth, the rugged scenery, the people, the feeling of achievement, etc., etc. that it motivated me to do everything else just so I could get better. I’m still not very good, but climbing has already irrevocably changed my life for the better. It took me a year or two before I felt comfortable self-identifying as a climber, but now it’s one of the things I’m most proud of in life.
And it doesn’t have to be an expensive sport at all. For the first year or so, I only spent about $150 on a starter package (shoes, harness, chalk, carabiner) and that’s enough for many types of climbing. My 24 Hour Fitness happened to have an included rock wall, as does my current university, but independent gyms generally run about $30-$50 a month, and of course outdoor climbing is generally free.
Anyway. That’s enough, lol; if you let me, I’ll rave about it for pages 
PM me if you want more info.
Wow! I’ll keep that in mind. I’m somewhere around 220-230 (depending on which scale you ask and which week it is) and I could pump out a halfway-respectable pushup set. I’m 6’0", so if you’re shorter (it sounds like you are if you’re shooting for 150), I’m probably at a closer starting point than you are.
That said, I don’t have $150 period and don’t have a job, so I don’t see that happening. 
Well, I was almost 14. I’d kind of forgotten about my appearance back then, but an explanation: I had smashed up my face several months before the photo was taken. Broken teeth, broken nose, abrasions, contusions, stitches, yada yada yada. I actually had people who knew me scream and run away (literally! - it still makes me laugh when I remember Laura running down the hall at school) when they saw me the first time after the incident. I’d healed to the point where I don’t think anything really shows in the photo, but I look older in the picture than I would look in my driver’s license photo at 16. My upper incisors in the photo were caps Mom made me wear for the picture; I hated the way they felt and they only lasted a few months. Any scars that remain are lost in my wrinkles now.
I’m 5’ 9". You’ll be fine. The added height can be an advantage too Most gyms let you rent equipment for a day too, if you just want to give it a try. And I know you do. You know you do. I can smell the desire emanating from your hands all the way from up here.
I do. I just have no money. Really, between my out-of-state speeding ticket, textbooks next quarter, and saving up to study Spanish dialectology in Spain this summer, I can’t spend a dime on anything that isn’t:
Hostile Dialect,
Hostile Dialect, Narcissist
If you’re a student, your school might have cheap/free climbing facilities. My school rents equipment (harness and shoes) for something like $3-$5 a day. It’s more than a dime, but not much.
Laura before:
Laura after:
Much better, huh? This is fun.
CairoCarol, you look great in the “after” photo, but you seriously don’t need makeup. You’re a beautiful woman! Gorgeous skin! Maybe I’ll do a before and after makeup today. I LOVE playing in eyeshadow.
Wow, there are a lot of really attractive Dopers! Do you think all the Dope makes people prettier?
Good grief - color me jealous. You look great before and after. Actually, I didn’t notice a whole lot of difference before and after. The makeup you wear just enhances already beautiful features.
Nope. I’ve been here for years and it hasn’t worked yet!
I think it’s a more jaded than conceited look. Also, rawr.
Seconded! Too bad California is so far away…
That doesn’t count. You were a babe to begin with.
Hey, that was really nice of you!
I certainly notice the before and after difference. For example, I can MOVE! And, you know, fit in an airplane seat and stuff.
Jaded? Yeah, I guess. Especially after half an hour in that goddamned bathroom. First and last time I ever pose for myself, heh.
And hah, thanks. If you’re single, female, lonely, and desperate, I hear Arcata’s great this time of year It’s only one plane ticket…
Wow, Hazel, your new haircut is stunning!
YOU are awesome. Thank you.
