staceyalberta

Deanna way to go. What a great thing you've done for yourself & your family. You look GREAT!!! I'm sure you feel even better! You are such an inspiration!

donna ostendorf

Deanna,

I am happy for you...how did you do it? what plan are you on? etc....

they say that the hardest part is keeping it off....how do you intend to do that?

d

foodfrenzied

It is funny how difficult it is to perceive oneself accurately. I believe that most of our problems stem from a lack of accurate perception! For example, before I became interested seriously in achieving my weight goals, I would deny my size to the point where I was sincerely SHOCKED everytime I looked in the mirror at how big I had allowed myself to become.

I was constantly unable to perceive the right amount to eat (before Fit Day) and the right amount to exercise - 40 mins. versus 60, 4 or 7 days a week etc. No matter what my intentions in the past, it has always added up to too little exercise and too much food. Until now, thanks to fit day.

I will not be shocked at all if my lack of self-perception leads me to be unable to see my size for what it truly is at the end of the journey. I hope I can feel skinny though, because that would be just wonderful I think (it's been really hard feeling obese for so long!)

By the way, I am also 177 now, and looking to lose about 50 more pounds. The ambitious goal is just because I am curious to see if it is actually humanly possible for me to lose that much weight and remain healthy. It is also because I want to be lighter than my 130 pound mum.

showmenow

Hi Donna- I am on the "Deanna Plan". I eat 1000 calories a day and never more than 6 or 8 grams of fat. I don't think it will be hard to keep it off because I have completely changed the way I eat. I have not had fast food of ANY kind in over a year, nothing fried and I eat more vegetables than a rabbit. I FEEL so much healthier now and the thought of fat greasy food really almost turns my stomach. Hopefully after doing this for so long it will "stick" and I will never return to my old habits.

I have not let myself have anything unhealthy because I know that it will only take once or twice doing that and my body will crave those kind of things again. As long as I don't taste it- I don't miss it. Very early on I found substitutes for the things that I love. Instead of a McDonalds Big Mac and fries-I now have a Boca burger with fat free cheese and one potato cut into fries and baked in the oven along with a huge helping of brocolli or zuchini or mushrooms and a salad with fat free dressing ( 1g of fat and 350 calories compared to 58g fat and 1120 calories for a McDonalds Big Mac and large fries). Instead of potato chips- I eat fat free pringles or fat free pretzels (no fat and 70 calories compared to 10g fat and 150 calories for Lays). I also make my own homemade Chex mix that is pretty much fat free. I am not much of a sweets person but when I do get a chocolate craving I will have a fat free jello pudding or a no fat chocolate shake instead of a cupcake (no fat and 70-100 calories compared to 10g fat and 200 calories for a Little Debbie). Instead of a Johnsonville Italian sausage, I will have an Italian turkey sausage (1.5g fat and 140 calories compared to 25g fat and 300 calories).

I could go on and on but you get the idea. There is always a more healthy substitute if you look around. I believe it is ALL in the fat and not so much the calories. I think my theory has proved true (for me anyway) since I have lost so much weight but cutting out the fat.

Deanna

SherryDarling

Hi Deanna,

Congratulations on your fantastic success! You are an inspiration to me. I have had yo-yo dieting problems for a long time and really would love to know if you ever faced loss of motivation that almost made you quit. And if you did, how did you handle it so that it didn't stop you? Do you have any tips or advice? I have about 70 pounds to lose and always quit even after being somewhat successful.

Wow, congrats!!!!

showmenow

I have honestly not had a day where I wanted to quit. I decided I wanted to do this and have never looked back. The more success I had, the more it made me want to continue.

I set goals in 2 or 3 month increments. When those months were up and I had met my goal- I set another one. There is an app that I have on my homepage that shows my goal and a graph. It reminds me every week to weigh in and shows me how close I am to reaching my goal. It is right there in my face every time I get on the computer. I work from home on the computer all day so I see it all the time! I also set realistic goals. I think if you expect too much and don't reach it- you will get frustrated and fail.

While food tastes good- you do not need to live for it. You need it to live- period. It is not my sense of enjoyment anymore. Food is just food now- I eat it to sustain life. Sure I like something that tastes good just like anyone else but I enjoy other things now like being able to walk into ANY store and find something that fits, being able to go up and down the stairs without my knees hurting, being able to go for long walks with my kids, being able to get on a plane without wondering if the seatbelt is going to fit around me, being able to sit in a chair without wondering if it is going to hold me. The list goes on and on. Food tastes good for a few minutes- thin feels good forever.

Deanna

SherryDarling

Thanks Deanna for your honesty reply. I will definitely keep everything you said in mind. I wish I could say that's how it is with me, and that's how it feels when I start out, or even for months. Then it just leaves me, even when I am seeing results and going strong. I will honestly think about my expectations, too. Perhaps they are too much. I lost about 6 pounds a month and expected 8-10...mmmmm. Now I do expect 6, so that it is a better goal.

Also, I discovered a time when I hit fear. Fear of changing too much, I guess. Fear of losing who I was, part of my identity even! I felt more like "me" when I ate junk again....terrible thinking!!! This time, I plan to give myself the time to adjust, embrace the positive changes and not let it deter me.

Thanks again, I will keep everything you said in mind, including just making up my mind and going forward no matter what! Congrats, again!

showmenow

Sherry- there is nothing to be afraid of except that you will look great and feel even better. You will still be the same person inside- losing weight won't change that. I wish success and know that you can do it!

Deanna

CALICO8

Thank you for sharing your remarkable success! Are you doing a specific kind of diet, or counting calories? Any tips you'd like to share?
Thanks you.
Lydia

showmenow

Hi Lydia- Read post #24 above and it kind of outlines what I do. I count calories and fat- nothing else.

Deanna