Looking for your successes!!! Pics would be great!!

Hi everyone.  I love to hear success stories,  so if you have made some successes on this path, please share if you have the time!  How did you do it?  Any bumps along the road?  Where are you now?  What keeps you on track?  If you have any pics you feel comfortable sharing please do we love to see them. :)

No success too small!! 3lbs or 30lbs we're in this together. 

Although, please no offence but I do not want to hear the story of how you ate two lettuce leaves a day and have now dropped down to 78lbs @ 5'10. 

Names Melinda. I've been dieting since July 06, and have currently lost 139 pounds. Went from a size 26 to a size 8, and I'm still going.

How did you do it? 

With time and patience and more patience. Currently eating 1200 cals a day. Dieting for the past 14 months. It's been the best journey I've ever been on.

Any bumps along the road? 

Millions and billions! Especially around TOM. I've had breakdowns, I've cried, I've been so angry at myself for the smallest stupidest things. I've kicked the scale, locked it away, etc etc. It's bound to happen after 14 months. But when push comes to shove, you finally realize that dieting isnt about winning a race. Its about allowing your body to gradually make changes to become the new you. 

Where are you now? 

I am at 155 pounds, with 15 more pounds to reach goal.  I will have officially lost 1/2 of my original body weight after I lose 8 more pounds. I'm excited. 

What keeps you on track? 

Me, myself, and I. I'm young, and I want to be a mother one day. I want to be active and able bodied. I want to be old one day and strong as can ever be. I want to be healthy and fit. I want to be free. 

If you have any pics you feel comfortable sharing please do we love to see them. :)

Before

Before/Current

Lost 19# since spring.  Didn't measure at the very beginning, but log monthly measurements in 3 spots and lost 6".  Went from skin tight size 16, to comfortable size 14.  

Yesterday realized.......happy I have to put away some favorite capris cause they are too baggy, but sad because I loved them.  Maybe will make a little pillow out of the fabric as it has a gorgeous print.

I don't look in mirrors much, but hated my reflection in windows in stores.  Yesterday, realized I don't look too bad now.

I know when I fall off the wagon I will get back on, so my binging, what the heck attitude, isn't as severe since coming to this site.

I want to get down to enough that my BMI is only "slightly overweight" any more would be impossible for me.

Wow Melinda! That's incredible... Congratulations on the weight loss.  You look great!  keep it up

My names Trisha ~~ **loosingthepounds** and I have lost 118 lbs since Jan 14 07. I currently still have 70+ lbs to lose to be at my goal weight of 175. My min goal (origial long term goal) was 220 lbs and i am almost there.  I have plenty of pictures on my profile page.. click my name to the right and see my pics....

How I did it: Eating fruits veggies & lean meats... WILLPOWER is the root of all evil!!!! If it comes in a box or a bag... ITS MAN MADE & UNHEALTHY

BUMPS along the Road : Plenty..... Platueas and knowing not to get discouraged... Dealing with TTOM and wanting Chocolate ( Even though I HATE chocolate)

Where I am I now: I am currently at 245 lbs down from 363 lbs.. and I still am plugging away at it.. Slowly its happeneing!

What keeps me on track:  Knowing I can tie my shoes without holding my breath, being able to cross my legs, ( I coulndt do before), Having more energy, Fitting in the seatbelt in my hubby TRUCK ( FINALLY) having atowel wrap around me now... I wish I could explain the "LITTLE" things that made the world of difference!

If you have any questions please just ask.. I hope to give anyone HOPE that feels like they have none. I am ONLY HUMAN TOO... you guys are what keep me on TRACK!

How did you do it?  Making better food choices, weights/cardio
Any bumps along the road?  Always, discouragment, life getting in the way, temptation..
Where are you now?  I've slowed down as Im at my last 10 lbs, currently it's on hold as hubby had a work accident and back to school and ect... 135lbs, goal was 130 but will re-evalaute when I get there..
What keeps you on track?  Not sure... It just happens



Pics are in my profile, I have a before and current..

Hi Platinumbutterfly,

you look gorgeous! Congrats.

I live in BC too, whereabouts are you from?

I posted this on another thread but here it is again!

I just put this picture in my profile:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v120/cellop hane_star/weigh tloss.jpg

I'm 5'6".... Weights are on the picture. :)

How I did it: DIET & EXERCISE!

Cut out fast food, cutting back on bread and dairy (I limit myself to only 2 pieces of whole grain bread a day and I try not to drink cow's milk anymore, just in yogurt), making sure I eat at least 2-4 servings of fruits and veggies a day, getting a handle on portion control (I measure everything I make myself), drinking water (at least 2 L a day but usually more) and not drinking soft drinks (even diet ones, though I may have a diet coke one once a week).

Eating foods in moderation and determination to stick to a healthy lifestyle are the most important things. 

BUMPS along the Road : Of course. The important thing is to remember tomorrow is another day. If I have something "bad", I'll eat "good" the next day. Eating one bad thing doesn't ruin the whole diet. 

Where I am I now: around 165, looking to be 150 someday.

What keeps me on track:  I NEVER want to be fat again. Once i lost the weight, it was gone and I will never let my eating habits and exercise regime be ignored enough for me to gain back all that weight. The only time I may gain it back is if I ever have a baby but I will be working it off right after!

sabineyvr, do you work at the airport?..lol
Thanks for the compliment, I appreciate it.. I live in the Fraser Valley, ugh

Hi, I'm Val.  I'm around 70# down.  I'm just (hopefully) getting out of a bump in my road now.  Getting to where I am now is what's kept me going so far.  That is because this is the lightest I've been as an adult.  Now that I am at my first major goal I have to instill in myself that this is for life.  That I am still not quite at the halfway point to my ultimate goal and even when I do get to my ultimate goal I should never plan to stop trying to get/stay healthy.

I am doing it the old fashioned way...diet and exercise. 

My before and current pix are in my gallery.

wow.....you guys are absolutely incredible... I mean it.  Thanks so much for sharing your story with me.  It keeps me going.....Know what I mean?

holy CRAP look at how much weight everyone's lost!!!!  wow what a totally great thread!  thanks for starting it chrissae!!!

My turn:

I'm 38yr old, happily married mom of 2 girls, aged 6 and almost 8yrs old.
I have a home daycare and look after munchkins from 12mos to 5yrs old, 5 days a week, 9hrs a day. 
I'm 5'6" tall.
I started out at 212lbs

How did you do it?
OMG it has been soooooo easy this time!  I've done the weight watchers/slim fast/s. beach diet/etc...after 4-6mos, I'm usually down 25lbs and then just lose interest...or get stressed about life...or whatever...

Every nite after the girlies are in bed, dishes done, I sit down with my cup of green tea and plan out tomorrows food.  I look thru cookbooks, google ingredients and try to come up with interesting dinners -- hubby and I love to cook together -- and I get bored with the same ol' same ol' week after week. 

Once my next day's menu is all planned and analyzed (I'm totally anal and LOVE to get those A's LOL), I print it off and post it on my fridge -- keeps me accountable. 

I also set aside 45-60mins every single day to exercise.  I go for power walks around the neighborhood (very hilly), or on the trail by our house; I use my elliptical trainer; I alternate my winsor pilates 20min workout DVD and another ab DVD; or my stationary bike.

Any bumps along the road? 

ummmmm....ya.  TONS.  like when my whole family got sick with stomach flu and I had to sacrifice my exercise/food logging time to keep up with the pukey laundry.  or when daily stresses just make me , and hubby says, that's IT!  I'm taking you out for dinner!! 

or when I agonized thru a 7 week plateau at 179lbs.  only to break it by upping my daily fibre intake to over 30g/day, and THEN to hit another plateau that lasted 8 weeks at 176lbs!!!!

Where are you now? 

Sitting at my laptop LMAO!!!! 

I'm still 5'6" tall.  But I weigh 170lbs now!!!  that's 42lbs lost baby!  

I'm 20lbs away from my goal of 150lbs.......*sigh*...I know I'll get there.  I just wish that the weight loss didn't slow down so much once you get past the halfway mark.

Like loosingthepounds, I can tie my shoelaces without seeing stars in front of my eyes from the exertion of trying to bend 42lbs of lard in half .

I can cross my legs without having to "discreetly" use my hands to actually GET one thigh over the other!

I can play tag with my kids and actually last longer than they do sometimes.

I love my "new" body, and the fact that I am nurturing and loving ME the way I do everyone else in my life.

What keeps you on track?

Seeing hubby's face when I put on something new....or get out of the shower LOL

LOVING buying my clothes in the "regular" section of the store!  No more 2X, 1X, XXL!!!

Having a dress and jeans size that starts with a "1"

Discovering I have actually added a dozen years to my life expectancy (try googling "life expectancy calculators")

Posting "now" pics in my profile and having all my CC hunnies rah-rah me on!!!

Reading and replying to threads like this one! 

xoxoxoxoxo

My favorite success story doesn't even involve me personally, though it feels like it does.  :)  I'm a fraternal twin.  I was always the skinny one and my sis was always heavy.  She yoyo'ed for years, but never had the right motivation to lose her weight.  Everyone in our family was concerned about her as her weight went up into the 320's.  We have family history of heart disease and diabetes.  Most folks don't think diabetes is that big of a deal, but we watched our grandmother deal with circulation problems and later, amputations.  It was horrible.

My sis was on her way to being diabetic (she was considered pre-diabetic).  That's what did it for her.  She realized that she was slowly killing herself and that she really didn't want to die (thank goodness because I couldn't live without her!).  She was 5'11" and around 320 pounds.  

She'd had small successes with WeightWatchers in the past, so she decided to go to a meeting.  The leader there had lost over 100 pounds, so to my sis, it seemed do-able.  She was very motivated.  She stuck to her WeightWatchers plan religiously, and now, a year and 8 months later, she's down to 180.  She wants to lose about 10 more pounds to get to her ultimate goal.  She's smaller now than she can remember ever being.  She was beautiful before, but now she's even more beautiful and incredibly radiant.  

She stays motivated by keeping her "fat picture" in her purse.  When she's tempted by those bad foods, she looks at her fat picture.  It reminds her that nothing tastes as good as looking the way she does now and it gets her through.  She inspires me to eat better and take better care of myself.  She's my best friend, and I think she's absolutely the most amazing person on the planet (but I'm not at all biased).  :D

Hi :) I feel completely successful, although this last ten lbs has been rough and I have three more to go :)   I went from 208 lbs May 2006 to 128 as of this morning :) 80 Lbs lost as of today :)

Heres how i did it - http://www.calorie-count.com/users/unicat/763 04.html#comments

and then there are pics in my gallery :) 

good job everyone :)

merrymayhem -- OMG I don't even know you and your twin, but wow, I've got tears streaming here.  I am so proud of her and you!  give her a big hug from me

Heheheh!  :)  Thanks tamji!  I give her so many hugs she starts getting annoyed.  When we were teenagers I used to run up behind her in public and give her a big smooch on the cheek.  ...come to think of it, no wonder she was self conscious...hahaha!

atta girl -- LOL!!!