Good-BYE 170's, Hel-LO 160's!!-- Revised: Advice Needed

I have just hit a couple milestones this week, and I need to CELEBRATE with some folks who understand (instead of all my friends who have always been thin).

I've officially hit 60 pounds lost since I started this journey a year ago.  Also, I'm no longer in the 170's. I've hit 169 officially, and while I know it's just BARELY into the 160's, it still counts to me. I can't even believe I've made it this far. 

Recently friends from college saw my profile picture and asked how I've managed to stay so slim all this time (which has only been 3 years)! HA! STAY slim? I guess they missed the whole gaining 70 pounds since college thing. But heck, if they think I look as good as I did in college, well ALRIGHT!

It's been a long road, and I'm truly blessed to have come this far!  Just 10 pounds to go, then it's maintenance and toning these muscles!

Hooray for progress!!!

Lauren
No food tastes as good as being healthy feels.

Super Hooray for you!!! Getting into the 160's is a milestone, no matter if it is 169 or 165...it is still the 160's!

Trust me, as soon as I dip under 200, you will see a similar post from me :) The scale could even say 199.5 and I will be rejoicing!

Ah...the simple pleasures in life....

I am right there with you. I am trying to get the scale to tell me I am under 190. It is stuck on 194 I am sure of it. I am tempted to go find another scale because I am starting to think this one at the gym is broken. How's that for ridiculous! Stacy

You look great!

Thanks everyone! Kelleigh, I was OVERJOYED when my scale went below 200 pounds! 199.95 even counts in my book!

Imgonnaloseit, I was pretty sure my scale was stuck on 174. I could NOT get it to move!  Then I tried going one day limiting my liquids and sodium intake, and it moved. Turns out I had a lot of water weight.  It's TERRIBLY frustrating, but trying a new workout pattern could help too. No matter what you decide to do, stick with it, and one of these days you'll get on the scale and you'll be down 3 pounds, I just know it!

Thanks for the encouragement!!!!!

Lauren

i hit 169 today!...but only from 174, but hey it still feels good!

Congratulations!  I'm hoping to be out of the 160's this week.  I will probably cry either way. 

You look great. 

I do fear the people who will start that whole, "you're naturally thin" line of talk.  I will give them an earful and the URL of this place. 

Amonaco and Mrsdagle, congratulations to you both! Those are both big milestones!

I re-evaluated my caloric intake today, and it now recommends that I eat about 200 calories less per day. I'm sure glad I checked! I figured it might be that way since I've lost so much weight. A 200 pound person burns more than a 169 pound person, so now I'm down to 1,400 calories per day.

I guess that's progress too. I can't believe I'm only 10 pounds from my goal!!!!

Lauren

 Also, I'm no longer in the 170's. I've hit 169 officially, and while I know it's just BARELY into the 160's, it still counts to me.

One woman's trash is another woman's treasure.  This week I am celebrating finally hitting the 170's.  For now I will gladly take the 170's off your hands.  Congrats!

Congratulations to you!!! That's a big milestone as well. Go celebrate and be proud. This is no easy thing we're all doing.

:-) Lauren

Congratulations!!!!! I am very happy for you. I wish you continued success on your fitness journey.

Way to go!!! You've done a wonderful job! Let us know how things go.

Thanks everyone for the encouraging words! I feel like I’m on a good track and it will be no time before I’m at my goal.  However, I spoke with my sweet mother-in-law last night on the phone, and I became very self conscious and nervous about their upcoming yearly visit. For those of you who don’t know the story, my motivator for losing all this weight was my in-laws. My husband has a brother (Matt) who got engaged to a 19 year old size 2 Barbie doll who likes to rub it in my face that I’m larger (5’10” big boned, broad shoulders). My mother-in-law would constantly comment on how cute and petite she is around me too. So I set my mind to it last summer and started this journey, mostly because I wanted my husband to be proud that I’m his wife and not be jealous of his brother. My husband has never thought I was anything less than beautiful, and this is just stupid paranoia, but still, I knew I needed to do it. I wanted to become the woman that he married instead of the out-of-shape, unhealthy shell I had become.

So here I am this year, 60 pounds lighter, and the in-laws are coming back to visit for another 10 day stay like last year (in-laws = mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law, and the size 2 Barbie doll). As I was speaking to my mother-in-law last night, she mentioned they want to go to the beach when they visit us…

***Insert horror movie shriek here***

The BEACH? You mean in a BATHING SUIT? I can’t do that!!!! I barely wear bathing suits when it’s just me and my husband hanging out, I can’t wear one in front of all my in-laws and all those judgmental eyes!  AND the size 2 Barbie Doll will be there in another one of her inappropriate swim suits that is basically two pieces of string with some fabric here and there. She might as well be wearing band-aids.

I just want to cry. My husband, brother-in-law, and father-in-law will be around that body all day, where she’s wearing next to nothing. Any man, it doesn’t matter who he is, can’t really OVERLOOK a body like that no matter how hard they try. I’ll be there in my one piece suit with a cover up and skirt feeling like an amazon woman.

I know everyone says it isn’t a contest or a comparison, but it is, and I’m feeling very vulnerable and self conscious. *sigh* Advice? Help? Seriously, I’m near tears right now.

Lauren

Lauren,

First off take a deep breathe.  Here's what I can recommend and trust me it works.  Go to www.suddenlyslender.com and look for someone in your area that does the body wrap.  It's incredible, I lost 12.5 inches all over my body the first time I did it.  A friend of mine had done it before her wedding and she looked great!  It made me look a lot more toned up - after I did that I went and got that spray tan stuff done and my husband said I looked completely different.  The wrap will get all the excess water weight out of your body and it really helps to tighten the skin.  I had some cellulite on the back of my thighs below my butt and after I had that done it was gone!  It freaked me out how well it worked.  It's been 4 months now and I still think I look great!  I had to go to a pool party with a bunch of Barbies but I can honestly say I felt completely comfortable in my suit.  Besides, Barbies as we all know are fake anyway.  Real women have curves, hips, booties - you know some shape.  Good luck!

First off - congrats for getting into the 160's  - what an achievement.  Well done to you.

Now, I'm with Katie on this one.  Go get yourself pampered.  Get a great hair cut, a spray tan, pedicure with kick ass nail varnish, a manicure, a massage, one of those wrap thingies, and go and get fitted for a stylish and tasteful one piece swim suit.  You will feel great about yourself after all that pampering, and when you feel great you will look great.  You can't do anything about the barbie doll or the in-laws, but you can get yourself into the best mental frame of mind possible, and a good old pampering will do the trick.

Good luck, Ax

speaking of bathing suits! I'm pretty comfortable in two pieces..i carry all my weight in my tush and thighs (ugh) but I've been finding some SUPER CUTE and sexy (and not too revealing) once pieces at stores like Old navy and target surprisingly. You should check either out...they have really low cut fronts, or really cute embellishments like belts and what not. so screw size 2 barbie in her trashy string bikinis!

Birds gotta fly, fish gotta swim!  Men are gonna notice her, and women are gonna notice a guy in good physical condition too.  Unless your husband was forced to marry you then the type of woman you are is they type he is turned on by.  If you believe changes need to be made to get you back to that spirit, keep moving forward to make it happen.  That's what I am doing and as long as I am doing the best I can, I feel great, reguardless of what any other woman looks like.  Maybe sometimes I wish I had someone's fill in the blank , but then I remember my wonderful qualities and realize they don't have that, so we're even.  lol  Eh, it gets me thru the rough patches. 

Just remember it isn't fair to feel differently about her perfections than it is for people to feel differently about you for your imperfections. 

Unless you were a size 2 Barbie once upon a time, you have no reason to feel jealous of this person.  In-laws suck, that's a fact.  

I just graduated back into girl bathing suits and I really like the new 2 pieces that have a full top and bigger bottoms.  They are modest and flattering and now that they are popular, they don't belong in the "fat ladies" section anymore.  Meaning, I look normal in them. 

You need to stop concentrating on this girl and concentrate on ignoring mean people who say nasty things.  MIL is just trying to get your goat and possibly even start a rivalry between the two of you.  She sounds like she's got some self-esteem issues of her own. 

You are a tall girl who has a wonderful body.  You have no material reason to feel badly about wearing a bathing suit. 

Congratulations on your milestone!!  What a wonderful accomplishment.  Though I haven't lost as much as you yet, I hit my 160's mark today also and oh what a feeling.  I can definitely relate.  started at 185 lbs... now down to 166.50. (165 is my first goal, 130 in the end)

You should be so proud of yourself! losing 60.... wow!