iron-mike's Friends

I feel good, look good and am so excited to make this journey. I've researched myself crazy and seem to have a basic game plan. It's 19 weeks out and I am working on putting on muscle and cutting fat, sodium and sugars from my diet. I've started a cycle workout with tri-sets and need to tweak my delt and glute routines...any suggestions? My legs and abs are good, my lats a work in progress. I plan to take weekly photos tracking my progress. I love this site for all the knowledge, tools and support. Any advice or suggestions are welcome.

BF% around %15 starting, 113-114 and feeling good!

For Epiphany, a once popular weight loss supplement didn't bring the results he wanted. He then embarked on a healthy diet and a fitness regimen bringing his weight down by 75lbs and he couldn’t be more thrilled about it! Having the right mindset has given him the physical and psychological benefits that come with following a healthy lifestyle.

He contacted us through our Share Your Story feature, and provided the following answers to our questionnaire.

1. What made you decide to lose weight this time?

While on vacation I used my sister's scale to measure my weight and was shocked to see it saying 235lbs. I had never been that heavy before and always thought I was 215 at the most. This is when I told myself enough is enough. Time to get healthy!

2. What other "diets" (programs, products, plans, or services) had you tried in the past?

A year before I started I tried Hydroxycut with walking 5 miles a day 3 days a week. Big mistake. The Hydroxycut made me sick and I actually gained 20 pounds.

3. What changes did you make to your usual diet, activity, lifestyle, and attitude?

I started eating healthier versions of usually high fat, high calorie foods. For example, instead of deep frying chicken and fries I would bake the chicken and the fries completely cutting out the extra added oil. I started walking 5 miles a day 6 days a week and gradually worked up to running 7 miles a day 4 days a week. Before I started I had the worst outlook on life but now it's like nothing bothers me. I'm always smiling, always trying to make other people laugh and keeping an open mind about things in my life. Anytime someone asks me how I'm doing I always reply "I'm excellent". It's all about the self-fulfilling prophecy you know.

4. How did Calorie Count help you to lose weight?

The tools here on Calorie Count are a godsend. You will almost never reach a goal unless you know how you are progressing towards that goal. I now use Calorie Count to check the nutritional values of every single "new" food I eat so I can be sure I stay well within my daily calorie and nutritional goals. Calorie Count also has some of the most amazing people that share their stories of success and failures that help to motivate others and help them stay on the right track.

5. What was most challenging about losing weight?

Actually I found weight loss to be a very easy thing. It's just that I feel it takes too long. But if I was to say something was challenging I would have to point my finger at the people around me in my life. While losing weight I was constantly put down by people saying I can't do it and I would fail.  Even after losing 75 pounds I still have people trying to put me down and telling me I will gain all the weight back and more.

6. How long did it take you to see results?

Looking in the mirror I never saw results. Even up to today I still see the same person I saw a few months ago when I look in the mirror. But after about 2 months and 25 pounds lost I started noticing all my clothes getting bigger and baggy and for some odd reason I started having more energy for my workouts and started running instead of just walking.

7. When did you realize that you were a success?

I thought "I'm finally succeeding at this" when people started telling me it looks like I'm losing weight. I've had people come up to me and ask me if I was sick or something. I even had a mini intervention from a few people that didn't know I was actively losing weight to address my "drug problem". I've had complete strangers come up to me and ask me how I did it and people stop me while on my road run almost every day to congratulate me.

8. How do you prevent relapse?

My plan to prevent relapse started two years before I even started actively losing weight. I felt that to stick to anything you have to have good training. I trained myself to accept healthier food that I never liked (veggies), I stopped eating fast food and made the change from mostly fried to mostly steamed or baked foods. I did it slowly over the course of two years so my mind and body would become accustomed to this new lifestyle.

9. How has your life changed now that you've lost weight?

It's amazing the hardships overweight people have to endure. I was constantly made fun of when I was fat. There was nobody in my life that I felt truly close to because everybody focused on my weight, and because of that my attitude was horrible. Now that I'm at a normal weight I've gained more self-esteem, people are much nicer to me and my attitude has made a drastic change for the better.

10. What five tips do you have for other dieters?

• Respect your body, it's the only one you have.
• If you mess up don't be hard on yourself. The only person that
  never made a mistake has not been born yet. We all mess up once in a
  while and it's what you do after you realize it that counts.
• Don't call your diet a diet. Call it a new way of life. Diets are temporary. A change of life is permanent.
• Don't be secretive about it. Let others know so that if something
  arises because of your changes to life it won't be a shock to them.
• Use your tools!!! By tools I mean Calorie Count. Use the food log,
  the weight log, the activity log. Use your journal, read other
  people's journals. Read the forums, post messages in the forums, reply
  to messages in the forums, and make friends.

11:50 am EST - Just finished talking with Claire and they are discharging her as I type this!!! 

She thanks all of you for the well wishes.

Please see this thread:  http://caloriecount.about.com/claire-post-facebook-ft156605# 17

Boosting her self-esteem was what prompted Cellotlhicks to lose weight. Along the way, she learned many things about the importance of mental discipline. After losing 35 lbs she not only looks better, she feels better as well!

She contacted us through our Share Your Story feature, and provided the following answers to our questionnaire.

1. What made you decide to lose weight this time?

I have struggled with the same 50 lbs or so since I was about 13. A few years back I managed to lose those 50 lbs and was in excellent shape. I taught fitness, had a six pack and wore a size 2-4. A depressing summer, and a more sedentary life in grad school coupled with bad food choices caused me to put on 49 lbs from my low weight. I hated feeling like a failure. I was very low on myself and I am sure I was making things miserable for those around me. I decided to turn it over to God, prayed about it, and stumbled upon this site a few days later. I knew right away that tracking my food was exactly what I needed. Exercise was not my problem as much as food was.

2. What other "diets" (programs, products, plans, or services) had you tried in the past?

I grew up in Tae Kwon Do (received my black belt at 14), and was in ROTC in high school. I credit those two things with giving me lots of discipline and a high tolerance for exercise. In the past when I did lose weight, it was through eating less and moving more, but I never had tools to track it.

3. What changes did you make to your usual diet, activity, lifestyle, and attitude?

My attitude was number one. I had to realize that the guilt, low self esteem and self sabotage were taking deep root and affecting my daily choices. That beating myself down was not producing weight loss. I never called myself fat again after starting this. I put my energy into coming up with different plans and goals, and got excited about them. I would set goals, like 3 days of weights and walk 20 miles this week, and would reward myself when I did that.

4. How did Calorie Count help you to lose weight?

The supportive community has given me a wealth of knowledge. I love my friends here. they are almost better than my real life ones. Writing in my journals has been therapeutic, and reading them over helps me to see how far I have come.  The analysis and other tools have helped me to learn to make much better food choices.

5. What was most challenging about losing weight?

In the beginning, I was shocked at what I was eating, and had to spend lots of time reviewing my choices and reading labels. That has become more second nature now. Also, I hurt my hip and knee, so I have not run in while. I really miss that. Aside from weights and occasionally the elliptical, I can only walk.

6. How long did it take you to see results?

I did not weigh in for a month. Instead of focusing on results right away, I wanted to focus on my mindset and habits, and not allow the scale to control my mood. But I did lose 8 lbs when I weighed myself later, and about 1 month after that I had lost 20 lbs and was halfway to my goal. I'd say that was the moment.

7. When did you realize that you were a success?

There have been many different moments where I have been proud of myself. For example, earlier this week I did 125 push ups (military style, some diamonds). I felt the same way when I was able to lose weight and not get off course even though I was in pain. Not reverting to over-eating again and being able to fit back into old clothes makes me proud as well.  I also realized I had not called myself fat in months, or felt guilty for eating less than perfect food here and there.

8. How do you prevent relapse?

When I start to think that I can pig out, I have to remind myself, that food is not just meant for enjoyment and that all the work I have put in can be reversed. Also, I want to continue logging, until I get the hang of intuitive eating (I do this weekends currently).

9. How has your life changed now that you've lost weight?

My confidence in all areas of life has soared. I know how to forgive myself and love myself for deeper reasons. I no longer have as much knee pain. I feel strong, and love the way I look.

10. What five tips do you have for other dieters?

• Know that forgiving yourself and focusing on your goals instead of your failures gives you more power.
• Often, there are other things we have let fall to the wayside along with our weight. Occupy yourself with getting other things back
  on track too so that it does not consume all your thoughts.
• Don't worry about how long it will take. The time will pass by
  either way. Spend it productively.
• Do not try to cheat your body. It will beat you at your own game. Don't eat less than what you need to be healthy.
• Give what you want to receive. The more people you cheer up, the
  more people you give kind advice to - the more people you will have in
  your corner.

This happened in a town about 15 min's from us. 

"I guess we're lucky we added a section to our health and safety manual for when someone leaves a pig in your washroom," Morelli said.


ROFL ... You mean this has happened before?

Inspired by her daughter, Tabbyrabbit has lost over 70lbs and isn’t the “fat mommy” anymore.  In her story she explains that changing her mindset and incorporating healthy food choices with exercise has her “rolling” down hills and enjoying every moment of it.

She contacted us through our Share Your Story feature, and provided the following answers to our questionnaire.

1. What made you decide to lose weight this time?

In February of this year my daughter who is three wanted mommy to go out and play with her, but I was just too tired. I told her just that. She looked at me and said: "No mommy, you are too fat to play with me." That brought tears to my eyes. After years of wanting a baby and finally going to doctors to get help and have her, I turned out to be too fat to play with her. That's when I decided to change.

2. What other "diets" (programs, products, plans, or services) had you tried in the past?

The question should be what haven't I tried. I have done Weight Watchers, Atkins, liquid diets and even tried not eating.

3. What changes did you make to your usual diet, activity, lifestyle, and attitude?

The most important thing I think I have changed is my mindset. Until I set in my mind that I did have to workout and no - I was not going to die if I did not eat that cake. It was a very emotional ride for me. Now my lifestyle is very different. I go to the gym three days a week.  I just eat lean meats, lots of veggies, fruit and of course drink lots of water. I think the most important change for me was my attitude. I was very depressed. I lost my mom two and half years ago very suddenly and then three months later her brother passed away, so I ate to cope.  I realized my mom would want me to be happy and living to my fullest which I was not doing. So every morning I now get up and say: "Today is a new day and yesterday is past".

4. How did Calorie Count help you to lose weight?

It helped me by allowing me to research which foods were healthy and which ones were not. I was surprised by some. I love that Calorie Count has grades by the food. It also was a meeting place to go and meet new people who were just like me and trying to lose weight also.

5. What was most challenging about losing weight?

Motivation to me was the most challenging. I started off doing this with my family, but they have since dropped away.  Having to do this journey on my own was a real challenge.  I had to keep motivated by going to the gym and looking at my daughter.

6. How long did it take you to see results?

Well the first month I lost 19 pounds, but I really didn't see a change in my clothes until about last of April.

7. When did you realize that you were a success?

When my daughter in law came over one day and she told me we have to go through my clothes closet. As we started going through things I realized everything was falling off me.  She told me I have been wearing my clothes way too big and it was time to get rid of them. When she left I had 5 pieces of clothing left. I knew then I had made a huge difference.  Also when our local newspaper did a story on me, I thought: "Wow, I am a success".

8. How do you prevent relapse?

I get up every morning and say: "Today is a new day, yesterday is gone." So it doesn't matter what I ate yesterday because that day is gone. Start fresh today and go on about your day.

9. How has your life changed now that you've lost weight?

I can go out and play with my daughter. For the first time since I was a little girl I rolled down the hill. My little girl wanted mommy roll down the hill and I told her let's go. Boy, that was so much fun and just to see the look of happiness on her face was priceless! I can run and not get winded. I can jump and not get tired. I can walk for miles and enjoy the nature without having to sit down. That's how my life has changed.

10. What five tips do you have for other dieters?

• Take it one day at a time.
• Today is a new day and yesterday is gone.
• You cannot fail if you do not try.
• After each failure, just simply get up and try, try, try, until you get it right.
• Just think you can have new clothes. Could there be a better reason than that!?