Looking For Success Stories.

Hello all. I am 5'2 and 164lbs. I recently joined the site and have been hooked on calorie counting. I am looking to lose 30 pounds by the end of the year so that I can be back to my old wight, (gained the 30 pounds since last november) I am wondering if any of you who use the site often can share some of your weight-loss stories for motivation. When I read about people doing the same things i am doing and talking about how much weight they've been losing, i get extremely motivated to keep working at it. =]

I'm 5'10'' and 37 years old. I started CC in January of this year. My weight loss has went in spurts, with some weeks being much better than others. I started out at 276, and now I'm at 198, with a total weight loss of 78. I still have 18 to go, so I'm not done yet.

My weight loss has increased my self-confidence, but more importantly it has made me healthier. I am no longer on my blood-pressure medicine. Also, my doctor was ready to put me on metformin because I was beginning to show signs of being diabetic. Now things have turned around and my blood sugar numbers are staying down. I am a classic, textbook case of what being overweight can do to your health, and also what a difference it can make when you lose weight and eat healthy. I credit CC for helping me to keep track of what I eat. I love the analyzer that looks at what I've eaten and breaks it down. It's been great.

Good luck and keep going!

I started my new healthy lifestyle with the help of CC on May 21 2008....started at 252 lbs...5'10" tal..38 yrs old....gw 160....with my calorie intake, and exercise...I am down 38 lbs today!!! This is the longest I have ever stuck to a"program" to loose weight. I live by my plan...and eat what I want...but appreciate the empty calories and even if I treat myself....keep in my goal for the day. I also feel so great...best in years...I haven't been able to loose this much in my last 7 years of "fad diet" attempts. Only 54 more to go...but hope to be 200 or less by my birthday Sept 6...wish me luck!!! If I can do this....ANYONE can...everyone keep up the good work!!!

Started Dr. Furhmans eat to live diet on March First after I started feeling neuropathy in my legs.  I weighed in at 260lbs at that point, and i was all fat, very little muscle (im a guy).  Today, august first, i am in at 210 lbs, the weight loss has been coming in short bursts.  I eat more quantity of food than ever, but i continue to lose weight.

The entire trick to this diet IMHO is substitution.  Substitute for the bad things with good things.  Instead of eating a burger king cheeseburger, make yourself a huge garden salad, with all the 0 calorie dressing you could want.  instead of coke, drink water, or better yet, have a nice strawberry, banana, blueberry, light soy milk smoothie that takes about 5 minutes to make and tastes better than any ice cream ive ever had.

The only down side to this diet is because i am eating healthier, and more quantity my food bills have gone up instad of down.  I used to spend about 400 bucks a month for our family of 3 in food, right now its closer to 600 bucks a month, and its mostly because of me.  The problem is healthier food is just more expensive, and since you eat more of it, it drives up that expense.

But the health difference is fairly drastic.  I feel much better, have a lot more energy, and finally can look at myself in the mirror without gagging.  I am still fat, i make no bones about it, but unlike back then, i can actually 1)feel my ribs and 2)imagine myself being a normal weight in another 6 months.

the biggest key to weight loss in my personal opinion.  Soda.  Get rid of it altogether, and you will be so much better off its not even funny.

Hello, I started at 301 pounds and though it took me 2 years, I now weigh 182 pounds. I've been as low as 179 and have gone up as high as 192, all within a 5 day span, which makes me wonder sometimes about this 47 year old, 71 inch tall body of mine.

If you want some encourgement, here is what I've learned over the past two years. My original goal was to get to 200 lbs. When I got there, I wanted to get to 190, then I reached that and my BMI for my height said, in order to get into a normal BMI (vice the overwieght catefory I was in), my weight should be 178 or less. So I made that my goal. I almost hit it and then I looked at my bodyfat percentage, which was just over 12 (and still is) and I decided I had arrived at a good weight for a man my age. The bottom line: only you can decide what your ideal weight is. BMI, height/weight charts, percent bodyfat, other people's opinions, none of them matters. What does matter is what you are comfortable with.

Set a realistic goal and don't be afraid to roll with the flow as you approach it. There is nothing wrong with changing your goal, just remember that 2 steps backwards and one step forward isn't progress.

There will constantly be challenges as you progress towards your goal. Realize that binge eating will happen from time to time. When it does, minimize the impact by not becoming discouraged. Yes, you will feel guilty, but learn from your mistakes, remember your goal, then pick up the pieces and get your nose pointed back at the grindstone.

When you reach your goal, which is where I am at, the next challenge is going to be weight maintenance. I struggle daily with portion control and have come to the conclusion it will be a battle the rest of my life. I still count calories daily, and have accepted that it will be a habit I will keep as well for the rest of my life.

I weigh myself twice daily, morning and evening, and see the results of my eating habits immediately. The weight swing I mentioned in the beginning of this was due to binge eating. Seeing such a dramatic weight shift in such a small amount of time is a learning experience: it made me realize just how much control over my body I actually have. (You would think I'd have realized that over the two years it took me to loose weight, but it wasn't until I did something as stupid as celebrating by eating a bunch of food--yes an eating binge--when I decided I had arrived at my ideal weight. Which just goes to show that losing and keeping weight off are lifelong endeavors.)

I hit weight plateaus while loosing weight. The longest was 10 grueling weeks at 256 lbs. They happen, they suck, but you can win the battle. Stick with what you know works and you will put them behind you.

Finally, the biggest question of all. Is all the trouble of losing weight worth it? If you're motivated by some notion that you will receive accolades from friends and family, probably not. Yes, they will comment that you look good, but that will be shortlived. What gives me comfort is knowing that I am healthy. I was sitting in a cafe just yesterday observing the others around me. There were several overweight folks present, many of whom were just like me before I lost weight--oblivious to the risk all that flab they are toting around puts them at. I am no longer a borderline diabetic, my blood pressure is normal again. I feel good, I have a whole lot more energy than ever before, my lower back problem has disappeared, and I've found a taste for food that makes me wonder how I missed it all those years I was progressing towards 300 lbs. Is watching what you eat and losing weight worth the trouble. Absolutely. I wish you well as you pursue your goal.

i started on jan 30 this year and have lost 3.5 stones                                                         if its over 5 grams off fat per meal i don't have it have moved my main meal to dinner and have a soup for tea .... make sure you have something  every two hours this will keep you ticking over and you,r body will not start storing fat you must eat to lose weight  p.s.  n o salt drink lots off water good luck

hi baremore. thanks for psoting this, it is very motivating!

Hi Everyone, I just joined today and I'm looking forward to posting my success story here in the coming months.  I know its going to be a tough road but reading some of your posts today is building up my confidence, will power and self-esteem.   Can't wait to start losing the weight!!

Hi,

I started my weight loss journey May 2007.  I lost 50 pounds within 6 months.  I joined Weight Watcher's Online and walked 3 miles 4-5 days a week.  I maintained the 50 pound loss from Nov 2007 till July 2008.  I have lost an additional 5 pounds and am currently working on loosing the final 24 pounds!  I decided to take advantage of CCPlus because...it's free!!  I am now walking 3-4 miles 6-7 days a week.  I am hoping to meet my goal by my hubby's birthday, October 21st.