Please share your success stories with me :)

I'd love to hear some success stories! How much have you lost? What worked best for you to reach your goals? If you could do it again...would you do anything differently?

 

I just had a particularly calorific weekend and need to get some motivation again. DH and I would like to start trying for another baby (#2) in the next couple of months. I'd like to lose at least 14 pounds of mommy-weight from (#1) before I get pregnant again. :)

This website is what helped me.  Check out my profile I got progress pics...hope that helps some.  Good Luck Im sure you will lose the 14 lbs with no problem!

I've been clicking around on Calorie Count for years.  Last year when my husband proposed and we discussed our dream wedding, I knew there was no way I'd be able to handle it as large as I was.  We wanted it to be in a heavily wooded area, lots of trees around.  We both loved to go out and get lost in metroparks together, but I always wore a knee brace.  My knee brace didn't match my dream wedding dress so there was no real way I could talk myself into getting married with it.

I signed up for a new account on Calorie Count about a month or two months after he proposed and I did a whole bunch of internet research on weight loss.  I decided to give Calorie Count's method a try.  At the time I was eating fast food for a majority of my meals and occassionally snacking around at home on things.  There was soda and beer in the fridge more often than there was milk. 

At the end of July I logged my calories and saw that I was eating way too little, despite all that fast food and soda/beer I was drinking.  I'd seen an article about being overweight on 700 calories, which sounded like something that applied to me.

When August began I started finding ways of getting my calories up to 1200.  I also ate more frequently rather than light snacking during the day and eating most of my food at night.  I worked at a pizza buffet during the night shift and would always find something around there for dinner.

The first week I gained seven pounds, which that article had warned about.  By the second week I'd lost all seven, plus two more.  After that my weight steadily went down two, sometimes a little more or sometimes a little less, pounds every week.  Before I knew it I was 160 pounds, starting at a grand total of 222 pounds, trying to get into the 150's.  That's when I learned that as time goes on, it takes longer to lose weight.  It's not really something you can control, you just need patience.  Keep doing what you're doing, things will eventually get going again.

Over a few months I'd managed to lose another ten pounds.  I was trying so hard to be in the 140's, my original goal for being married.  With six weeks until the big day I hopped on a bicycle, finally being able to ride without that pesky knee brace, and peddled for an hour every day for four weeks, giving myself the last two weeks to rid my legs of bruises and do my final pre-wedding pampering.  I lost two pounds and several inches within that time.

It was so annoying to tailor my wedding dress all those times, but in the end totally worth it.

I got married wearing a size 8/10, a size 8 being my ultimate goal for weight loss, and I sit here typing this all out at 145 pounds, the lowest I've been since I was in elementary school.

And now I need to take my scrawny butt to the bathroom to get dressed for work.  I never, in a million years, thought I'd be wearing size small scrubs.  I used to fit into my mom's, and she wears a 2X.

One thing that kept me motivated doing the workouts in those final weeks before my wedding was listening to the CD with the song we used as our wedding march.  My main motivation for everything was my wedding and wanting to look gorgeous and feel great that day.  It doesn't work for me anymore and now I have to rely on my desire to get into these Uniform Advantage scrub bottoms.  Their sizes run a little small, and while I could let them out about a half inch and they won't fit so awkwardly, I'd rather just continue taking the stairs at work instead of the elevator.

I may look stupid as hell stumbling out of the stairwell after running up 7 flights, but I feel awesome and will feel even more awesome doing that in those scrub bottoms.

Good luck on your fourteen pound goal.  And even more good luck on that little one. (:

Hello, and good luck with the new baby. I have lost 60 pounds in a little over a year. I did it by counting calories and exercising. I started out at 1500 calories a day. I am 5'8" and wieghed 224 pounds April 2007. I now weigh 163 pounds. I joined a support group at work of co-workers who were tryingn to lose weight. A nutritionist leads the group.

I find the group very helpful. It works for me.

I am trying to get off the last few pounds. I am trying to get to 150. Now, I have hit a plateau, and cannot seem to get below 163 and stay there. My weight keeps bouncing up and down. This is where the nutritionist has been helpful. She told me the smaller one gets, the harder and slower it becomes to get the weight off. I now try to keep my calories at 1400 per day and have tried to get in more exercise.

I think what worked best for me initially was to make small incremental changes to my diet and activity. I just tried to get my calories under control without regard for what I was eating, just how much. Now I am more aware of eating foods that are good for me rather than trying to accommodate chips and dips into my daily calories. I had cheat days and even cheat weeks (during Christmas) yet I still managed to keep on losing weight. I don't do that so much now, as I do not feel the need.

I am now so accustomed to weighing and measuring my food that it is as much a part of eating as getting out a plate and silverware.

I started my exercise by walking. Slowly at first then getting faster and taking longer walks. Then, last summer, I added weight lifting to my exercise. I started out very slowly as my main goal at that time was simply not to hurt myself. I lifted very light. Now I am lifting heavier and am in the process of going through the Power 90 boot camp with the goal of finishing that by the beginning of September.

I am much leaner, much stronger, have so much more energy, and feel better than I have in years.

Good luck in your efforts. You can succeed. Make a plan and stick to it. There are a lot of great resources at Calorie Count that can help you whether it be with meals or exercise. I have learned a lot since joining the first of this year and wish I had know about it when I started on my journey last year.

~Karen

 

'm still trying to lose 8lbs, but I did lose 12lbs a few years ago by counting calories, weighing and measuring my food and making sure I controlled my portions. 

If you could do it again...would you do anything differently?

Exercise WAY more. (I wish I could listen to my own advice.)  But an hour of cardio 4-5 days/week - especially if you're not used to it -  makes the weight loss journey twice as fast.

I got on this site three years ago after a holiday party.  I saw a picture of myself, and didn't recognise that it was me.  So I started counting.  I lost 30 pounds then. 

Then I started law school and put back on 5 by the end of the first semester.  Then I seriously injured my knee.  I tore the ACL, MCL and meniscus.  It required surgery.  I postponed surger until the end of the second semester, and had a really hard time.  I was not allowed to do much of anything.  I had to wear a heavy duty knee brace all the time.  I put on another 20.  After surgery I was not allowed to walk, and my fiance feeling really bad for me bought all my favorite junk.  I gained another 10. 

I started physical therapy and lost 10 alomst right away.  I started counting again seriously in September of 07, and have now lost 35.  I am now at 125.  I am 5'2.  My goal is 120.  But I am only 8 pounds heaver than I was in high school 11 years ago.  so YAY for me!

I have learned that I enjoy working out and that it is really good for my stress level.  If I could do anything different I would actually work out more.  I let myself get lazy. 

Hello, I joined this website back in October 2007, at the time I was tipping the scales at 192 (roughly). I lost around 25lbs within the first six months. At this time I am not that sure about my weight.... I have been clocking my weight loss with the inches lost. My chest and back were 42inches when I started, it is now 35 inches.  My waist was a 40 inch waist now down to 32-33 inches it fluctuates over the course of the day, depending on how much exercise I get. My hips were 52 inches, they are now 45 inches. I was wearing a size 20 now I can wear 12/14.  Without this website I would still be FAT, I learned to enjoy cooking lowfat meals at home, and not eat out a whole lot. I have found some very healthy good tasting recipes due to this website....I know will eat a peice of fish instead of a piece of steak or fried chicken.  It works if you work it!!!

Hey! I love reading everyone's stories. It inspires me to keep going and I hope it will inspire you too. I have a six month old baby and since joining CC a little over two months ago I have lost 16 pounds. I did it by counting my calories every day and walking or jogging four mornings a week.

I am now under my pre pregnancy weight and am still dropping. My goal is size 8 pants and I am about two or three weeks away from that! I haven't worn that size since middle school!

You can definately lose those 14 pounds! Good luck to you!

 

 

I went from 240 pounds back in September 2007 to 148 as of right now. The fitness forum is the only thing that helped me out of this website. I did the whole counting calories, deficit, eating healthy thing the first 6 months and I didn't like it. I stopped counting calories and focused more on my exercises which consist of competitive racquetball, skateboarding, HIIT running, and weight lifting, and I have to say that it worked. Now I'm doing those things out of enjoyment. Check out the pictures in my profile if u want horrific images

If I can do it, anyone can. I carried a completely unhealthy diet and was totally sedentary. Just remember that real change won't come overnight. Give yourself time to adjust to a new way of life. Ease your way in to it if you have to, i did. If you stay determined and grounded, you will make it happen.

Wow.  Seriously, wow.  I'm so glad all of would share this with me.  It helps me so much!  I'm getting lots of ideas and continued motivation, which I need as much as anyone.  Thanks so much! 

Keep 'em coming ;)

I started my life style change on July 30 2007.   Since then I have lost 90+#s.  To loose the weight,  I drastically changed what I ate and I started walking or running an average of 7 km per day.  June 12th was my 6 month annaversary of maintaining my goal weight.   wohooo!!!!!

The key to success is to realize that its all about a life style change, not just a diet.  In addition to eating well, find something that moves you "literally".

As mortalmonkey says, "if you stay determined and grounded, you will make it happen."

Good luck with your journey.

Last summer I was 257 and just felt like sh**. I tried tol ose weight but didn't have a clue, I managed to drop 10lbs by starving myself for six months.  Then I found this website on January 7th of this year and have lost over 60 lbs since then by counting calories (1400) and getting my arse off the couch as much as possible.   Check out my before and after pics in my gallery.

I started this website in January because I had trouble sticking to anything longer than 2 weeks.  My original goal was to get to 135 (I'm 5'4") because I hadn't weighed that little since college.  I'm now at 127 (lost 20 pounds) and plan to stay right here.  I took it very slow, allowed days where I could eat more, and just tried to find some way I could stick with a "diet".  I am now maintaining easily because I didn't do anything drastic.  I allowed myself anything I wanted, but just had to eat reasonable portions and "make up for" the calories--either by eating less or exercising more.  I still consider whether the calories are worth it when I eat rather than just shovel in food because it's in front of me (my old way of eating). 

hi rock!

well if u ask me my sucess story you'll only hear me singing about Slim Alli as its helped me loose about 30 pounds just like that evn without keepin a track of what i eat or exercise!!!

can u believe that !yes its true....i love it....i recommend u guys check it out too....

heres the website : www.slimalli.com

Phooey, if pills worked, we'd all be skinny and this site wouldn't be here.

I'm down 7.6# since 5/8/08. 

Alli??  You've got to be kidding (or you're selling them)!  Some of the women I work with tried those pills.  Not pretty... the panic rushes to the john... the 'oops'...!  No thank you!!

I'm down 20lbs since April 1, 2008.  Moderate diet, moderate exercise. Slow and steady!

*headscratch* I'm pretty sure our little discussion just got spammed, LOL. 

I agree w/post #17.

See my progress pics in my gallery.  If I can NOT give up on my last 30 then you cannot give up on your last 14!!!

I cut french fries out of my diet in November of last year.  I was just trying to drop a couple pounds for a holiday party.  It worked!  Seeing the scales move gave me the confidence and motivation to set a goal and work toward it.

I asked for a treadmill for Christmas.  I was on that thing every single night for the first 3-4 months.  I went from struggling through a 2 mile fast walk to now I can run 4 miles straight. 

I've dropped 30 pounds and exceeded my original goal.  I'm currently working on goal #2 which includes being able to see some definition in my abs.  For this I can't count on the treadmill, of course.  I've added crunches and reverse crunches to my routine and I just read up on the bicycle maneuver.  I'll be starting that tonight.

I was always the girl who could eat whatever she wanted and never work out and somehow magically remain thin.  I gained 70 pounds with my first pregnancy and kept about half of it for 4 years.  Until now.  I'm in the best shape of my life.  Not only am I thin, but I have muscles and stamina.  I feel fabulous.

eta:  Good luck with ttc #2.

Went from 400+ to 185 in just under two years (about 30 more lbs to go).  Strictly through good nutrition, portion control, exercise and a positive attitude.  In the process I discovered I had cancer (no symptoms).  Losing weight saved my life in so many ways.  Pics and more info on my profile.

I can't think of a better reason to lose weight then to become a healthy, active parent.  Good luck!!!