over 300 pounds anyone?
The first step to doing it is to be determined. After that the rest is much easier. I'd lost 100lbs. in 6.5 months by eating healthy foods and walking. Nothing extreme. 1,300-1,500 calories a day and I was walking 3 miles 4 times per week.
I'm still losing weight but it's coming off much slower these days. Partly because I've slacked on walking since I went back to school and work and partly because the closer you get to goal the slower it gets. I'm doing maybe a pound a week or a little over now. Which is considered healthy weight loss and healthy is the way I want to do it.
The last 60lbs. or so will come off slowly but I have faith that if I don't lose sight of my goal they WILL come off. I'm right now at my lowest adult weight ever. I'm still heavy but I went over this mark sometime around the 7th grade and haven't seen it since until now.
My self esteem has improved by leaps and bounds. It still needs some work, as does my body, but both are nothing like the old me.
Don't give up and definitely read stories and posts here. It really does make a difference knowing that there is a whole community of people here to help you and that people know exactly what you are going thru.
Good luck on your journey!
Crystal
http://www.geocities.com/snues208/snuesphotoc opy.html
This was a great link someone put in a forum thread- I printed it out and placed it in a 'Weight-Loss Journey' notebook as inspirational!!!
When I saw your post, I knew I didn't Qualify for a 'buddy' as I started at 206.5, but this link was 363- and WOW! to me, too =)
She really did Good!!! It's hard to visualize yourself losing when you get heavy, sometimes... Hopeless was how I felt...Too much! ...Too long!... These pictures make it seem Truly Possible!!!
Hope it helps you!!! Rooting for you and you buddies in Southern Mississippi!
I know its hard, but remember that its all worth it in the end. Imagine yourself when you've reached your goal weight.
x
I lead a sedamentary life, work at a computer screen all day and mostly a couch potato after work. I've been working on this 'diet', or rather 'plan' which I think is a better way of looking at it since August 14th.
I'm not setting any real goals other than to lose some weight. The idea of getting all the way down to an idea weight (probably something like 175-185) is not my goal at this time. I wanted to get down to about 315 by the second week of October and although I may not make it, I'm not going to be too far off. I do have a secondary goal and that is to break the 300 mark by year end. I'm not looking any further down than that yet.
My initial plan was to cut down on quantity more than anything else. I could eat huge amounts of food before I started. Now, it is amazing how little food I need to eat at one setting to give me a feeling of being full.
I'd say I'm averaging between 1000-1500 calories a day plus I have started doing some weights and a little tredmill work so a continued monitoring of the quantity of food and the exercise will get me to my current goal of 315 and my next goal of less than 300.
One trick I use that most 'experts' seem to discorage is to weigh everyday. If I did the once a week thing, then sure enough if I was 5 days away from my next weigh-in, I'd feel confident that I could work off that extra 2 slices of pizza in time to not show a gain. By weighing everyday, yes I am disappointed most mornings but also encouraged to stay the cource because it's just math... less calories eaten over calories consumed is weight loss over time.
Like most people, I've yo-yo'd many times over my life but frankly, 7 weeks is probably as long as any attempt I've ever made before and if anything, I'm more commited to stay with it then ever before. Don't ask me why... maybe it's because at my age... I know I don't have too many more diet opportunities ahead of me compared to some 20 and 30 somethings.
Last week, one of the people I rarely see 'noticed' and asked if I was losing weight. This was a TREMENDOUS boost to my psyche. I made it a point to tell the people I see everyday that I was on this kick for the express purpose of exposing my plan to aid as yet another incentive. If I fall off it, then I have to explain to them I couldn't do it.
In summary, my tips are as follows:
1) Make sure you have a highly reliable scale - I use one of those doctor's office ones.
2) Focus more on quantity than the right foods initially. Eat slower, chew longer, drink lots of water with each meal. Improve the quality of the food when possible but don't tell yourself you can't have your favorite things... if you do, you just discourage yourself.
3) Set simple goals. Something like 5-8% of your total current weight and just worry about reaching that one and worry about the next goal when you start getting close to making your current one.
4) Force yourself to increase your physical activity to a level higher than it was a month ago. Personally, I like using the weights and the treadmill but don't use them to the point of exhaution. Doig so deters your interest in doing anything at all.
5) Let people who see you every day know what your doing. They will encourage you and you can talk about your progress and this is good reinforcement. Let the people who you see regular be the ones who notice. Sooner or later, even your close aquaintances will notice. Mine haven't yet... it will be a real moral booster when they do.
6) Weigh everyday and use the frequent increase or plateaus to help you stay the course. Use a wall calendar to note each NEW drop obtained. Even when on a plateau, you can always look back a week or three to see that you really have lost weight.
7) If you get to a point where your eating the right stuff for days at a time, give your body a reward and eat some bad stuff now and then to re-assure it your not trying to kill it. Just watch the quantity. I actually broke a minor plateau by splurging and eating half a milk shale one evening. Just enough to satisfy my taste buds and feel a 'little' guilty about it.
8) Stay positive - use your weight of a month ago to keep you motivated. Use your current requirement for being full versus what you needed before you started. Look at the money you are saving by making your groceries last longer.
9) Be flexible... when you hit a plateau, forget about your target weight and focus on just breaking the plateau. The best way in my mind to do this is to increase your fluid intake and increase your physical activity. Cutting down even more on calorie intake or quantity just makes life harder and makes your diet plan more difficult.
10) Lastly... get mad at that image of yourself when you walk by a mirror or reflective window. At LOOK at that image as much as possible and as many times a day as possible. You won't notice the improvements hardly at all and let this anger you into staying the course. Think like Yogi Berra... losing weight is half exercise, half eating habits and half mental.
I just joined the site today on the recommendation of my daughter. She's a member as well. I weigh 308 right now which is close to the heaviest I've ever been in my life. My highest weight ever was 325. I'm 38, been married 2 1/2 years to my second husband, and we are both worried about what my weight is doing to my health.
My bad cholesterol was ok at my last doctor's appt in December but my good cholesterol was only at 26 and my VLDL was at 46. I really need to reverse those two numbers. I had to have a heart cath this past summer along with my gall bladder removed. I have PCOS, sleep apnea, and my hip joints, knee joints, and back hurt constantly. My blood pressure was high last summer but I've got it back down under control now with diet alone, although the doctor put me back on my blood pressure meds to slow down my heart rate. I don't have diabetes (yet) but my dad is diabetic and my mom's lvls are close to diabetic range. I've been lucky so far that my blood sugar levels have always been normal.
I know the problems that I'm experiencing can be taken care of with weight loss and exercise. I joined weight watchers back in 2000 when I weighed 325 and lost down to 201 but when my sister died of breast cancer in 2002, I just turned to food to help me deal with the loss and I'm just now getting to the point of turning away from food and realizing my sister would want me to be as healthy as possible and killing myself isn't showing her memory any respect. Not to mention the stress it puts on my husband worrying about me having a heart attack or something because of my weight when he's at work.
That's probably also another factor in my weight issues. My husband is a towboat captain. His job takes him from home 28 days at a time so cooking healthy isn't really something I do. I do quick and easy because it's just me here. Plus, the turning to food for comfort due to being alone so much. I do eat much better when he's home. I know I've got to continue that when he's gone as well. It's just so much easier to fix a sandwich or something instead of cooking healthy. That's a habit I've got to break.
Anyway, that's enough about me. I really hope to make some friends on here and give/receive support in this long journey ahead of me. My first goal is to make it to 280 which is a 10% loss (Roughly) and then to get down around the 200 mark by my 40th birthday in March of 2009.
Right here! I started the year at 346. I'm hovering around the 330 mark right now. So if there's anybody else out there trying to lose some weight, feel free to let me know as well, or add me as a friend.
I'm out to lose 100 pounds this year and I'm doing it, in part, to raise money for charity. I'm blogging my thoughts and meals, and posting videos of the weigh in's on YouTube.
If you wanna know more, message me. I don't want to spam the board with the URL's.
Gary
Edit:
After reading a little more on the forums, it looks like it might be OK to post the URL. Mods, please let me know if it's not.
I was upper 290s, if not over 300 the weeks after going to the doctor. Being at that range doesn't promote weight testing :).
I'm not about 230 with an 18% bf. My muscle mass has increased tremendously, so I firmly believe that I lost 60-70 lbs, easy.
I firmly believe my motivating factors are what allowed me to lose so much weight. I couldn't count on anyone around me. Friends and family want you to be happy, so they don't always promote positive reinforcement. If you look at the way skinny people treat you, that may make you depressed and not want to go to the gym or diet that day. I looked at myself and thought, if I can do so well in other parts of my life, why can't I beat this. That was all it took...a look inside. I thought, I'm a hypocrite until I beat this. I'm still fighting, but I made the exercise and nutrition a part of my life. That's all it took. I imagine some people need others around them to motivate themslves...but people come and go. You have to live with yourself for years go come. If you challenge yourself, then those years will be much more fruitful.
I'm currently at 318. It looks so horrible to write that. But, I was 320 just yesterday so i've lost 2 pounds. yay. I know it isnt too healthy, but I eat one light meal a day with a few snacks such as yogurt and carrots along the way. I am a nurse so it is hard to find time to eat, so i bring those healthy snacks. I eat a baked potato and grilled chicken or fish usually at night. I can't wait to see the 200s again!
Best wishes and good luck!
Christi
You guys can do it. The weight will fall off you so fast, it'll make your head spin. Just stay motivated and committed, and you'll be well on your way to a healthier life in no time at all. I was at 265 lbs just 8 short weeks ago, I'm now at about 224 lbs. Ladies and gents, if I can do it, trust me, you can too.
2beittybitty, thank you so much for that link! The transformation of Susan was VERY inspirational! She looks amazing. I am going back to the site now to see if she blogged. I would love to read her story!
Cute_cheeks18, you are not alone. I have lost almost 30 pounds since the beginning of the year and my DH has lost 50. He is still at 360 but he looks amazing! You can do this!
Karen
I just joined. I got on a scale for the first time in a year today to find out I was 320 pounds. I think a part of me knew I was over 300 but it was still hard to see the numbers show up. I felt so down instantly but I need to use that number as motivation to lose the weight. Its affecting my life now. My periods are irregular, I have swollen feet all the time I can't fit into my clothes anymore and if I do find something my size its definately not my style. I walk alot which is good and I decided I am off soda now.. limiting my food intake and I am going to try my best to drink lots of water and work out more and more. I admit though I am scared. I never thought I could be this weight and I am scared I am not going to get through this and lose it.
hey imnew nd trying 2 lose weight to but my biggest fear is 2 hav excess skin that will only go away with surgery :( but i've been told that im young and that skinn will tighten back up :) , im only 17 nd weight in at 341 i wanna butrn nd build muscles
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