Merimcc

Hi Jacklin, my name is Mary and I , too, have started on a lifetime journey. I have a thread under Motivation similar to yours, but you have been way more honest than I have been. I have had lots of trying times as well, but did not go into anywhere close the detail that you did. And, as you can see by your views, you are inspiring many others, including me. I am so jealous that you are down into the 100's again! I am 5'2" and weigh 235 pounds. My highest weight was about 5 years ago at 268. I have been off and on with my weight effort over the years. I am 62, so it is pretty hard to get it off. It is a good thing you are doing this now, before you get any older! Another difference is that I have never been at a normal weight as an adult. In high school, I was about 20 pounds overweight (and I thought I was really FAT!). In college, I hit 150 and was really disappointed in myself. So, over the years, I would gain and lose, gain and lose, etc. I became a single mom and continued my gain and lose habit. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 4 years ago and have been taking metformin since then. I once got down to 200, but could not get another pound below that before I started gaining it back! (Again, major disappointment with myself!) Anyway, my son is now in his 30's and he is the reason I am on this discussion board. He has been "nagging" me for years about my weight and overall lack of good healthy habits. But he actually recently got through to me because he was kind of like your doctor that told you like it really was, only my son didn't use medical terms. It was more about the family and what would happen if I died because I did not take care of myself. I have a granddaughter too, that I want to see grow up and get married and all of that. So I am working with him (I call him my coach), to stay accountable. It is hard because I am a very busy person, even though I am retired, and I don't like to spend all this time on the computer. But if it must be to stay motivated, then I am going to have to post on here more often. You have truly inspired me!
I would like to tell you about another website called Flylady.com. Fly means "finally loving yourself." Her name is Marla Cilley and she and her team help people get organized in every area of their lives, including weight loss. She helps people learn to love themselves so they will keep themselves healthy. There is way more to her than that, but you can learn more on her website.
I wish you the best and I pray that you will stay on your path of getting and keeping yourself and your family healthy! God bless you!

jacklin

Thank you Mary! I actually teared up a little reading your response. I sometimes feel like I'm talking to myself when I'm posting but I've promised myself that I would continue to post the good or bad. One of my issues is that I haven't ever followed up on anything weight related so I'm trying to keep myself accountable. It makes me happy to hear that I can be inspiring or helpful to anyone. Lord knows I'm not perfect so that means alot.

I can relate to looking back at previous weights when I thought I was fat....there was a time when I cringed at the thought of even being in a double digit size...I didn't even know a size 20 and up existed! Now I dream of getting down to a size 12 or 14! My daughter has been a huge inspiration to me. She is only 3 and I joke around that I hope to lose the weight before she realizes that mommy has a weight problem. I joke but it really is a fear so I know that must be hard to hear the concern from your son but isn't it great to have that support and know that he cares? My biggest fear is that my daughter will grow up having the same eating issues that I have and I don't want to see her struggle or be made fun of or taunted by other children. Growing up is hard enough without dealing with a weight issue on top of it!

I will definitely check out the other website you mentioned. It sounds really great! Like you, I'm pretty busy but I'm always looking for new ways to stay motivated. The pounds are coming off but much slower than in the beginning so I have to keep reading other people's success stories and motivating things to keep me going. Thanks so much for sharing! It really means alot!

On a good note, I was down another pound this morning to 193.4 so it's coming off! I have my next doctors appointment next week so wouldn't it be great to report a 180's number??? Wow, that would be amazing. We'll see. My foot is finally improving so I'm going to actually increase my speed a little tomorrow to see how that goes.

Merimcc

No, thank you, Jacklyn, for your inspiration! Congratulations on the progress you have made. Well, I have lost a couple more pounds, but how is beyond me. I did not walk last week at all! I can't believe it, but I really did forget. I have an alarm that goes off every night at 10:30 to remind me to walk (in my back yard, around my pool :-)). It would go off and I would think, I will walk after I finish this (whatever I was doing). But then I would completely forget about it. So now I have to get back on track and get those 15-19 minute walks in. We can do anything for 15 minutes, right?

Thanks again for hanging in there with me!

Starting weight 240 10-1-13
First goal 235 10/27/13
Second goal 230 11/24/13

lisa968

Jacklin, reading your story made me tear up a little bit. You're sooo encouraging and I love how you are losing weight for all the right reasons and making healthy lifestyle choices! My mother is dying a slow death due to her own inactivity and I see people all the time sentence themselves to a lifetime of diabetes, hypertension, and muscle wasting. You can't eat a diet full of empty calories, cholesterol, sodium, and fat; then sit on the couch all day and expect to have any energy to do anything!

Last year a friend talked me into trying the hcg diet. I lost 20 pounds pretty quick - then put on 25.

This time, I'm doing it for real, too. No gimmicks. Low fat diet (having gall bladder issues, so I either do low fat or I do surgery), lots of water, limiting the "bad stuff", increasing the healthy foods, and MOVING. Routine has been an issue for me as my schedule is all sorts of wacky.

Anyway, I am SO PROUD of your accomplishments! So proud of your healthy outlook! So proud that you're doing this right! Keep on truckin', sister!

lisa

jacklin

Thanks Lisa and Mary for your positive posts! You are right Mary! You can do anything for 15 minutes! I keep telling myself, just one day at a time....next thing you know, we'll be there! FYI, I checked out that website you mentioned and I'm hooked! I love it! Anything about organization and I'm all about it! I started really reading it the other day and I love the monthly plans. I'm really going to start doing those so I can stay better organized with my house. It's really an inspiring, feel good site. Thanks for recommending it!

Lisa, I can so relate to you about what you mentioned about watching your mom dying a slow death... My father has always been overweight and what is sad is that I can remember resenting him when I was little because I wanted him to play with me but he was too tired. (FYI....in no way am I saying you are like this!! This was just my way of dealing with it, right or wrong) When I was older and knew he had been diagnosed with diabetes and saw him eating powdered doughnuts, I would become angry because I knew that he knew better and he was essentially killing himself!! I promised myself I would never become that person.....but I did. It's sad how our environment really can influence us BUT we DO have the power to change that which is what I'm desperately working on now. As I've gotten older, I'm accepting of his lifestyle now but somehow, the anger became more centered at myself at one point...like a self hatred. I'm finding through this process, that I'm slowing finding my way back to some self acceptance as I try to find ways to like/love myself again. Blaming myself or my dad for where I was didn't really get me anywhere....only madder and fatter.

On a serious note, for those of you that are reading my posts....If I can give you one bit of motivation I hope to do it today, right now. I've had 2 more wake up calls within the last 24 hours. My first wake up call was back in June/July when I started this journey and realized that I was really on the verge of putting myself at risk. It wasn't about being pretty or skinny anymore.....it was about being ALIVE for my daughter and husband. I took the news from my doctor to heart and have worked daily to make changes since then. Not everyday has been perfect but I have made slow improvements. I can fit in clothes now that I couldn't before, I can walk up a flight of stairs without being winded...I can play with my daughter without being exhausted...the list goes on. This is what is important to me...This is what is living to me.

Yesterday, I was speaking to a coworker. I was asking her about a phone message that she left for me last Friday...something about needing information about a doctor. She explained, one of the ladies that we work with, that I don't see on a daily basis, I had been encouraging to see my doctor. She too, has high blood pressure. She's a little older than me, and her blood pressure has been higher than mine at times. I told her everything that I had read about the dangers of it and how my doctor had helped me. She told me she was going to make an appointment. I saw her a few weeks later, and she still hadn't made the appointment. I found out last week that she had suffered a stroke. It was described as a mini-stroke and they believe she'll be okay but she was calling to get my doctors name once again. She spent a few days in the hospital so I'm not sure if she'll see him or not.

Today, another friend of mine, a couple of years older suffered a heart attack. As of now, he is okay but still waiting on test results.

THIS is our wake up call. THIS is why we get up early and get on the treadmill, swim in the pool, run laps, etc. THIS is why we choose the healthy food option versus the high fat/high cholesterol that sure tastes good but you'll pay for it later. THIS is why we are here reading these posts.

WE CAN DO THIS. ONE DAY AT A TIME. Life is too short. We need to cherish it and take care of our bodies for the long haul. There is no rewind button in life. Take care.

Kathy13118

'THIS is our wake up call. THIS is why we get up early'

So true!

jacklin

It's a great day! I got up and jumped on the scale and it read 189.8. I have officially lost all of the baby weight and the weight gained from both miscarriages. I remember weighing 190 with my first pregnancy and that was 4 years ago so its been a while. I went back to my doctor and he would like to use my weight chart as an example for others struggling with their weight of how it can be done! So...I'm feeling pretty successful today! Now....onto the 70's.....my next goal. Again, I still have a long ways to go, I'm a shorty here with a small frame, but I KNOW I can make it this time.

Something happened to me this month. I had been talking/complaining to my husband about the exercise. I used to love to exercise (sick, right?) but seriously, I loved being active and loved the feeling of laying down at the end of the day and just feeling the exhaustion in my body knowing that I had worked my body hard that day. I would sleep like a log and would wake up refreshed. As I've started exercising again, for the longest time, I felt truly tired after the work outs....completely wiped out. I kept asking my husband, when is this exercise going to make me start feeling better again?? Then, about 3 weeks ago, it happened. I've been getting up around 4:45 to 5 to get my 30 minutes of walking in before work and feeling sluggish. Then all of a sudden, I'd find myself waking up before the alarm at 4:30, and I started thinking, I think I can walk a little faster today....and I did. Then I thought, I think I can walk a little longer today....and I did!! So for the last couple of weeks, I've been getting up a little earlier and getting in a full hour of walking coupled with light weights. Then I do some stomach crunches and then get ready for work. I've been doing this M-F without fail and I can say I'm FINALLY starting to feel like the old me...the active, athletic me!! I used to come home from work and immediately plop down on the couch until I had to fix dinner only to plop down again until bed. I can honestly say, I don't do that anymore. My house is cleaner...I'm getting things done. I all of a sudden have energy again. I don't know when exactly it happened. It kind of snuck up on me while I was focused on getting there..but it did. From the doctor's readings, I have gained 1.1% of muscle as I lost 9 pounds and 3% body fat since my last visit so it is exciting to see this is working. I FEEL that it is working. Another shocker is that I've lost 7 inches from my waist. I hadn't been keeping track of that at all other than by clothing.

I've got the holidays coming up and I'm not really nervous...I'm cooking for about 10 people but I'm moving forward with all of this positive energy and momentum. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone and cooking for everyone. I'll have small portions and that will be that. There is no way that I'm going to let one day get me off track at this point. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I am running for it!

Merimcc

Thanks so much, Jacklyn, for telling your story and for your encouragement! I am not doing so well, I have not even lost 10 pounds yet. I am still at 7 pounds since Sept. 1. I guess I should not beat myself up though, it is probably counter-productive. I know I need to drink more water - I have been barely drinking any. I usually set my (Flylady) timer for 15 minutes and take a drink every time it goes off. I forget to do that and it is 4 or 5 oclock before I remember to drink some water! When I drink enough water, the pounds come off! I am so glad you liked the Flylady website! I don't read all the emails, but I would if I had time. Even she says to not read them all unless we need the motivation. I read all the daily missions of course, because they help me keep my house picked up. They help motivate me to eat more healthy foods as well. So I will keep it up and I will be successful, just like you are! I am way too comfortable with my fat body since I have had it so many years. I need to love it, but strive to improve it! That is how I need to see this effort - love me, but improve me! I am just typing out loud here.... OK, better go get a drink of water! Have a lovely and blessed Thanksgiving everybody! Remember, taste all you want, but keep it in moderation!

jacklin

Hey Mary, don't beat yourself up about the slow weight loss. A pound lost is a pound lost...period! I started out losing about 10 pounds over a couple of months. I couldn't really do anything because my blood pressure was so high so I couldn't exercise. Now that I look back, it was actually a good thing. I'm usually an all or nothing type of person going for all the exercise and all the diet strategies at once. Then if I messed up once, I would give up. I think by just focusing on one thing (my diet) first, I was able to get that under control and then move onto the next. For some reason it seemed more manageable that way. Besides, I did get a chance to read your other posts and you are dealing with some other health issues, so just remember to take care of YOU....everything else will fall into place. The good thing is, exercise will help all of your ailments (so the doctors say) so just take it one day at a time and you WILL succeed!

Thanksgiving went great! I decided that I didn't get fat from just one day out of the year....it was the other 364 days that messed me up so I cooked like I normally would for the family but I didn't taste test like I normally did. Instead, I let the familily take turns tasting...determining if something needed more salt, sage, cheese, whatever. There were a total of 10 people there so plenty of taste testers to go around and no one was full by any means from the sampling before the meal was served. They had fun with it and I saved calories. When it came time to eat, I had a sampling of everything on my plate but very small portions and I only had a couple of bites of each food. Since it was very filling foods, the small bites were enough to fill me up and I didn't feel deprived at all....and I didn't feel like the big dieter at the table, so score one for me!

Exercise is going great. I continue to feel stronger as my endurance is coming back and the pounds continue to come off. I'm up to an hour a day on the treadmill while lifting small weights every five minutes for 2 minutes working the bi/triceps followed by stomach crunches and some squats. As of today I'm down to 182. I had some size 12s in my closet that are a little tight but I should be able to get in them by January...that's the goal anyway. I have a ton of size 12, 10 and 8 pants that still have tags on them. Thank goodness I never got rid of them. They are saving me from having to buy a new wardrobe. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

jacklin

Latest check in results......well, I went back to the doctor last week and my blood pressure is up slightly again. Geez...I don't know what is up with that other that the normal daily stress of my life but I'm still on meds which stinks but I'll continue to take them until we are sure I can go off. It's no where near as high as it used to be, its just not where it needs to be. I'm not going to lie, I'm really tired these days. The flu has been spreading throughout the area and I'm not sure if my body is trying to fight that off or what. All I know is that I feel like I could really take a 4 hour nap right now. Who has time for that???

I'm working on my doctorate degree and I should finish up with that in the next few months. I really think that if I can get that off my plate that will be one less thing to worry about and maybe that will help with my BP. TOO MUCH TO DO!!

As far as progress, I continue to truck along. I started doing some pilates only to find that I really need to get some sort of mat (which I should get from Santa). Pilates on a hard wood floor just doesn't cut it. The good news is that all the crunches that I'm doing have really paid off and I wasn't really struggling as much as you would think that I would as a beginner (again). I really loved what Pilates did for me in the past and I'm aiming for the same results. I'm having some major back issues and I'm hoping that by adding some Pilates and Yoga in the mix will help those muscles and alleviate some of the pain I'm feeling. At one point I was down to 178.2 and somehow I'm up to 178.4...hate it when that happens. I'll be out of town for some Christmas festivities but am still feeling strong about my progress. My goal this weekend is to get some sleep. I'm really run down and cannot afford to get sick right now!! Between working on a dissertation and trying to get these workouts in, oh yeah, this thing called Christmas that I'm trying to get ready for.....there are not enough hours in the day and I can't handle getting sick on top of that. Enough whining though, I just need a nap. TGIF

One victory I did notice though....I was playing with my daughter the other day and she was showing me some of her jumps that they do in her gymnastics class. She wanted me to try one of them. Now of course I cant do them, but I at least had to try them because that is all I keep telling her to do when she says she cant do something...just keep trying, just keep trying, honey...You'll get it!!! So I tried it. Now I don't know what it looked like, and really don't care because what I did notice was that my body didn't hurt when I landed. It used to ache if I tried to do anything like that when it was too strenuous for someone of my size. It's amazing how I really feel so much younger now. Not as many aches and pains. Yes, I have the back issues but that has alot to do with my chest size....on a side note, who can lose 60 pounds and not go down a cup size?? Me! That's who! What in the world? But that is another sob story for another day......have a great holiday!