After a year I just found this forum!
 

Hi all, My name is Deanna 44 yrs old- uggh :) I have been using Fitday for a year and just found this forum today.

January 1, 2009 I weighed 345. Today I am down to 185. I have lost 160 lbs in one year. I went from a size 32W to a size 12/14. I know the struggle everyone is facing but you CAN DO IT! I have completely changed my way of thinking in terms of food. I now eat to live instead of living to eat. I also have to say that I am tempted by food daily but my new mindset helps me overcome that. I have a husband, a 14 yr old and a 16 yr old. With two teens there is a lot of junk food that comes and goes through this house. While I am cooking much healthier for my family, I do not deprive them because I have a weight problem. I will cook one dinner for them and another for me.

My family and friends have been SO supportive. I think that makes a big difference. My kids give me a high five every week when I report my new weight to them and my husband is always telling me how skinny I am getting! I have to laugh at him because I still do not feel "skinny". But more about that later.

Using Fitday has been a great motivational tool. I faithfully log in the foods that I eat each day. There is no lying to myself on what I have or have not eaten. It is what it is. If you are not responsible to yourself then who are you responsible to?

I have jabbered enough for now- I'd like to get to know all of you!!

I just wanted to tell you that I didn't find this forum either, until a couple weeks ago! And I started using the site in April of 09.

I just wanted to congratulate you!!! You have done fantastic and should be very proud of yourself. I have much less that you to lose and it is very difficult, so your journey is awe inspiring. I lost 21 pounds from April thru Sept, then gained almost all of it back from Sept thru Dec!! So Jan 1 I am starting again. Very difficult.

Again, congrats!!!

Hi Kathie, I have confidence that you will do well! A new year is always a good place to start. Just be accountable to yourself. You know what you need to do- you did it before!

I want to lose another 20 lbs or so which would put me at about 160. I am 5'9" and the charts say that is my "ideal" weight is about 170.

One thing that has helped me tremendously is setting monthly goals. I usually come in within a 2-3 lbs of the goal- both to the good and the bad. My overall goal for last year was to lose 172 lbs- half my body weight. I ended up losing 155 so I wasn't off by much.

While I feel much better, I am not sure I actually look better. It is hard to explain. I have worked so hard to lose the weight and now I am not happy with the way I look. I guess at some point I am going to have to have surgery to remove all of the extra skin. I was really looking forward to looking good this summer in shorts and a swimsuit but in my opinion I will need to wear sweat pants and a long sleeved top to cover everything up LOL! Has anyone else had this problem?

It's good to hear from someone who's had that kind of success and is still on their journey. I started and 290 and am down to 281 with a long road ahead of me. I don't think I'll ever meet what the chart calls an "ideal" weight of 125-140 for my 5'4", but I do come from a family of large-boned women. My mother, at a size 6, weighed 145 pounds. And she's shorter than me. But I knew that I had to start somewhere. So here I go.

The road isn't as long as you think when you take it a mile at a time. Sure I set my goals but I take my days one at a time. I sit down at night and log on to Fitday and enter my food for the next day. I know what I will be eating for the day so there are no surprises or excuses. No more looking through the fridge and the cabinets trying to decide or using the excuse that there wasn't anything good to eat. I make my menu and stick to it- NO deviation! If I know that I want to have something heavier for dinner tomorrow night, then I plan a lighter breakfast or lunch. If I don't do this I am not hurting anyone but myself. No one else can be accountable for what goes in your mouth but you and you have to be true to yourself!

showmenow,

Congratulations on your success! it is sooo good to hear stories like you, it definitely motivates me to keep working hard to eventually see some progress.

I am 24 and 5'4" I need to lose about 50 lbs, its been hard becuase ive see how much weight ive put on over the past 6 years and its made my self confidence and self esteem sink down to the floor.

I started logging on to FitDay about a week ago, I havent weighed myself yet so i dont know if there'll be any progress.

More than just to lose the weight i decided to get a lifestyle change, I wanna be able to one day get married, and look and feel beautiful walking down the aisle, and to become a mother one day and be healthy for my future kids and husband.

Hope it all works out for you and dont worry about the excess skin im sure that with some weight training you may be able to get some toning, thanks for posting your story, its very inspirational!

I would guess that the excess skin will shrink to a point, but not all the way back. You might need surgery to correct it, but did you know you could donate that skin to burn victims?? What a wonderful thing to do with something you don't want!!

In the meantime you might want to get some spanx, just to hold everything in....you don't think those ladies on The Biggest Loser don't have excess skin???? But do you see it?? Nope it is all nicely tucked into Spanx.

I never even considered planning my meals ahead...duh! I always plan them in the morning...sort of. I like that idea a lot, and I will try and put it into practice. Great tip, thanks.

I also agree that we are responsible for everything that we put in our mouths, and by "cheating", we cheat nobody but ourselves. My goal is to hit 150 lbs, and am now sitting around 168, started at 175...so I am making some progress. Now I need to get MOVING! In the winter I find it very difficult to get up and move. What have you been doing for exercise?

J Ramirez-Your body does not make you-you. I know you have heard it a million times before just like I have, it is what's inside that counts. I know you have confidence in yourself or you wouldn't be trying to lose weight. You know that you can do it! If you didn't you would still be sitting around not trying and thinking "why bother?".

Just take it a day at a time and you will see progress. I know there are a lot of people who take a day and cheat a little. I absolutely have not done that. I am only hurting myself if I do. I have not eaten ANY fast food since Jan 1 2009. I have not had anything fried or unhealthy. If I do eat out, it is at a restaurant where I can order a grilled chicken breast, a plain baked potato and salad. Like I said before I won't deprive my family. I actually had a plan to eat McDonalds on New Years Day for a celebration but then decided against it. I figured I have gone a year without it, why sabatoge myself at this point. I probably would have gotten sick from all the grease anyway LOL!

You have absolutely the right mindset on a lifestyle change. That is what I did. I get so much enjoyment out of other things in life now, that food does not have to be one of them! I no longer feel like I am on a "diet". It is now the way I eat and everyone knows it. Nobody tempts with "just take a bite or just have some of this". They know I don't eat it. I don't think most people would tempt a vegetarian with "just take a bite of this hamburger". So why do people do that to others who are trying to eat more healthier?

Just keep your mind in the right place and positive things will happen. Don't let your friends or family keep you down. Do this for yourself! It may not happen quickly but don't let that discourage you. I have my own mini battles. I work from home so I am always around food. It would just be so easy for me to get up, walk to the kitchen and grab something. But my mind always tells me I will only be hurting myself!

Kathie- Sounds like you are making GREAT progress with not much farther to go! Keep up the good work.

I am glad you liked the tip. I figured early on that I didn't want to eat all my calories in the morning and then have nothing for dinner that night :). That is why I plan ahead so I have 3 balanced meals and some sort of evening snack. Starving is one thing I cannot do.

Believe it or not I have never watched the Biggest Loser. I am not much of a tv watcher. I have a home based business/website that keeps me glued to the computer most of the time. I am thinking that one of those old fashioned swimsuits that go to the knees is what I will be needing this summer LOL! It is good to know that skin can be donated. My daughter had to have spinal fusion surgery 2 years ago and had a bone donor. People don't realize that it is not always major organs that help to save a life or make someone's quality of life better.

As for exercising- I walk on the treadmill. I have it in my office so it is always in sight. Don't know if that is good or bad! It is convenient though. I can hop on it whenever I feel and walk for 10 minutes or so if I am short on time or need a break from work. I keep thinking I should do more but then I think- why should I mess with a good thing?

Hi gals, your success stories are so motivating!! I started at 240 in September of 08, and I'm down to 200. I lost the first 15 or 20 quickly, and it's been slower since, then, but still moving in the right direction. I feel like I've lost the same 5-10 lbs. about three times between summer vacation and the holidays! Now, it's a new year, and I'm trying to be more diligent. I've had eleven days now without falling off the wagon, ha, ha!

Like some of you, I just discovered the forums tonight. It's so inspiring, and posting is already making me feel more accountable - thanks!!

Hi Emily, Great to hear you are moving in the >>> right direction! My 2 sisters in law and I did a Biggest Loser weight loss challenge at a local place. It is called the Shake Cafe and they serve all kinds of Metabolife shakes there. I tried one the first time (they said to have it in place of a meal). I swear the thing made me even hungrier. I have to have FOOD! I cannot drink my meals LOL. Anyway I faithfully weighed in each week.

One sister in law did not lose much each week, 1 pound here and a 1/2 pound there. She got really discouraged. I kept trying to tell her that as long as she wasn't GAINING - she was doing great. In the very end - she just stopped trying. So don't stop trying! 11 days is wonderful and 40 lbs lost is nothing to sneeze at.

The holidays are hard but just think how much you can lose between now and the next round of holidays. By that time you will have lost so much you won't want to break the streak you are on and it will be much easier to resist!

Wow, your story is amazing. Can I get some tips from you. What do you try to keep your daily calories at? And also your exercise on the treadmill. Do you jog or walk and for how long.

BTW I am 31, 5'8" and 242lb. Just started this last Monday and have been doing good so far, but any tips you have would be great.

Congratulatins Showmenow, You are an inspiration.

It is wonderful to hear that you are doing good. Heck you are probably doing GREAT! Give yourself credit- it is hard!

For me it is a strict combination of calories and fat grams. I try to stick to about 1000 calories a day, sometimes I do eat a little more. I NEVER eat over 10 grams of fat in a day. Of course I am not a doctor and don't recommend this for anyone else but it has worked for me for a year now. I am ALL about the fat.

1000 calories does not seem like much but I eat 3 healthy meals a day and sometimes have a small snack in the evening. I also drink tons of iced tea :) I stay away from diet pop as it makes me retain water and I can sure tell when I do drink it.

Just an example of what I eat as if anyone cares :)

Today-

Breakfast
2 cups of jumbo, wheat grain Rice Crispies 180c 0f (by the way 2 cups of cereal is a ton!)
1 cup of skim milk 80c 0f
1 slice of light bread 40c .3f
2 slices of ff deli turkey 40c 0f

Lunch
Fat free pringles 70c 0f
1 slice light bread 40c .3f
2 slices of ff deli turkey 40c 0f
1 cup of Campbells Select Harvest Savory Chicken Soup 80c 1f

Dinner
1 plain baked potato- 120c 0f
7 oz. of meatloaf- 220c 5f ( I use venison -extremely low in fat and since our family hunts, that is what we eat)
1 cup broiled zucchini with Ms. Dash herb seasoning and a dash of Cajun seasoning thrown in for some kick 28c 0f
1 slice of low fat bread 40c .3f

Total 980 calories and about 8 grams of fat

I tried something new today that I may have for a snack tonight.

I took canned biscuits, rolled them out and added Sugar Free apple pie filling. Folded them over and pressed shut, making little apple pies. Then I baked them.

Each biscuit only has 50c and 1f . The filling is about 15 calories per biscuit and 0f. Total 65c 1f. If I eat one that will put me at 1043c and 9 grams of fat for the day.

So, as you can see, I don't starve myself. I am full when I am done eating a meal. I usually have a large salad with lunch or dinner ( 3 or 4 days a week with both). Today I was out of salad and was NOT in the mood to go to the store! Any kind of vegetable that I can throw in without adding many calories, the more the better.

As for the carbs- I said in another post that I am a bread/salty chip eater. I absolutely could not cut those things out of my diet. I would have been miserable. So I found a way to make it work for me. I went to fat free or low fat comparable items. If you look at my menu you can see that I had 3 slices of bread today, Pringles AND a baked potato. LOL! One thing I have not had in a year is ANY kind of pasta (which I am not a big fan of anyway so I haven't missed it.) I do eat rice occasionally when I make stir fry. I am also not much of a fruit eater except for bananas so there is very little fruit in my diet.

Enough of my boring menu. On to the exercise. I usually walk on the treadmill for about 30 minutes continuously at about 3.5 MPH. Somedays if I don't have an entire 30 minutes at once, I will break it up and just jump on when I have a few minutes here and there. Other days if I am bored I will just get on and start walking until I am tired. Those are my Forest Gump days.

Just a couple months or so ago I hit a milestone and actually started jogging on it. I am a nasty smoker so my stamina for running is very short. So I will jog for a couple of minutes and then walk awhile- switching back and forth. It really is hard for me to jog on there as it kills my lungs but I was SO happy when I finally reached the point that I could run at all. It was a big day for me.

In all honesty I do not exercise like I should. I should be doing more but what I am doing is working so I am sticking with it. As they say- if it ain't broke, don't fix it :D