The Official Unisex 100+ Pounds to Lose Thread
 

By popular demand, here is the Official Unixex 100+ Pounds to Lose Thread.

I prefer to weigh in on Saturday mornings, but to each his/her own!

Here's the highlights of my history so far:

May 4th 400++ lbs. (my scale's limit is 400 lbs--wearing Levis size 60!)
June 19 393 lbs.
July 31 370 lbs.
Aug 21 356 lbs.
Sept 26 339 lbs.
Oct 30 329 lbs.
Nov 25 311 lbs. (Wearing Levis size 46 :-)

This is a great place to support one another--with all due respect to everyone else here (and I appreciate all of you), only those who have walked (painfully) in our shoes can fully understand the challenges of having 100, 200 or more pounds to lose.

Regards,
Michael

I totally understand your pain Michael!

I'm almost half way through my journey now, but I'm looking to lose 140lbs total.

June 2010 - 298lbs, UK size 22-24.
December 2010 - 228lbs, UK size 16-18.

I also weigh-in on Saturdays, so if I'm welcome here I will post my results.

Thanks for starting this, Michael. It's going to be a long, 190lb journey ahead for me, and I can only wish it's as fulfilling as my first two and a half weeks have been, and that I have something like your and Boo's success.

My limited highlights are in my signature, but I hope to have an epic story to tell by the time I'm done.

I'm really glad there's an experienced community to reach out to when the inevitable tough times come.

Be well,

Matt

Michael, glad you started this because I just came back from my doctor and things do not look good. I am at my highest weight. Don't let the User name fool you. I have only been GAINING lately and that is due to serious water retention and my heart condition which really should be my critical need and motivator to lose. I was told to reduce sodium to 1000 mg daily, reduce fluids to 32 ozs daily, and I'm trying to keep calories under 1600 and to try to walk for 40 minutes daily and tone lightly on alternate days.

As I said I have been gaining and here it is:

12/2010- 270
01/2010 - 264
2009 - 251
2008 - 246
2006 - 234
2004 - 224
2001 - 218
1999 - 206
1998 - 194
1996 - 186
1996 - 182
1995 -170 which is when all my medical problems started occuring.

I lose water weight quickly when I stick to the plan and I look forward to weighing in on Saturdays. Thanks Guys for helping to save my life. Oh I am a female and just 62 inches in height.

Welcome, skinnybonz. We're here for you. Hopefully we can all help each other through the process. Luckily, we have some pretty serious success stories in the thread.

I'll be away for the weekend, so won't have access to my home scale until Sunday night, but I'll jump on the Saturday train next week.

Boo, glad to have you on board--congrats on the awesome progress so far.

SBonz, welcome! My wife is 5'2" and 299 lbs so I know where you're at (for whatever reason, she has no *major* health issues (yet)). Your plan sounds good and I'll bet the weight will peel off quickly.

Detroit, have a great weekend!

I've been pretty good this week, but last Friday and Saturday at camp I figure my intake was greater than my calorie burn so we'll see at weigh-in. I'd be happy to see 309/310 but less would be better!

Have a great Friday everyone!

Michael

I don't know if I'm welcome here or not, but I would love to jump in every now and then. I still have about 20lbs to go, which seems to be taking forever, and after which I have to figure out a way to maintain it. Anyway, glad to see a 100+ thread for both genders.

The more the merrier, almeeker. I've read tons of your posts and they, and your transformation, is inspirational to me. I know i would be thrilled to benefit from your experience.

Enjoy your weekend everyone (I know I'm starting a day early).

Matt

Detriotbreakdown, did you know for a few days after you joined I was trying to figure out if you were a relative of mine? So I have done some careful screening of your posts as well, I like your approach and I feel pretty confident in saying that I fully believe you will reach your goals.

almeeker, I'm honored by your faith and plan to prove you right!

Here's hoping this is a place of success and support for all.

So gang, I only lost a pound this week, though that's OK and about what I expected given Thanksgiving and three days at camp last week.

I still hope to hit my next mini goal of "under 300" by New Years Day but it's going to be awfully close.

Official weight of 310 pounds today.

Have a great day everyone!

Michael

PS Saw some friends that I haven't seen for a while yesterday. They said my "head" had shrunk :eek: My wife says they meant my "face" but now I'm not so sure....

Well done Michael, a pound is still a pound! I hope you reach your upcoming goal!!! :D

(I gained 2lbs this week thanks to my visit from Aunt Flo. :mad:)

Hi everyone. My name is Nora, I'm 56, happily married, a grandma to 3 and work full time at a nuclear plant. Michael, matt, Felicity et al, i'm very happy to meet you. You folks are doing really great. I have 120 pounds to lose, I'm down from 290 to 277 but still have a very long way to go. I'm a type 2 diabetic and have a knee replacement. I'm looking forward to getting the other one done next summer so i can start walking again.

Thanks, Felicity. I'm sure you'll see a nice loss next week :)

Nora, welcome! I'll wager your knees will feel much better with a little "load" off them--it will come off really fast. My knees and ankles feel SO much better--it was getting very painful just to get up out of my chair--now I can almost hop right up. I'm no Dr., but I've heard many folks have "cured" their diabetes by losing weight. It would be wonderful if that could happen for you.

Regards,
Michael

Good things about losing 100 lbs.
 

Here are a few things I am thankful for. Please feel free to add to the list!

Able to walk more than 50ft. w/o panting for breath.

Able to climb a flight of stairs w/o stopping to rest three times.

No more need for seatbelt extenders.

Able to use the "regular" bathroom stall instead of the "Handicaped" one.

No longer fear the embarassing collapse of folding chairs.

Can now buy clothes at Wal-Mart (they only go up to 3x) instead of costly "Big and Tall" stores that sell 6x and up.

Can fit my entire butt into most chairs with arms instead of perching on the edge.

No longer attract the amazed stares of children and rude people.

Don't have to worry about cracking toilet seats any more.

Can fit into the barber's chair.

Am no longer quite so shy around people with cameras.

Regards,
Michael

Hello there, I was wondering if you tried the HCG drops? I have lost 17 pounds in 27 days and noticed that my body is shaping up. Unlike W/W which I love and lost on, I lost from my head down, but on HCG, its re-shaping my body :) Just a thought for you Thanks Denyce

Hi Nora and Denyce...welcome!

Good work, Michael. A pound lost is great when you're off your schedule, which I just found out...

Bit of a rough week for me. It was oddly front-loaded. I was able to work out the first three days of the week, then things fell apart a bit toward the end and while I was out of town. I tried to be careful about what I ate, but I know I wasn't as successful as I would be at home. I was weighing in on Sunday mornings. Just got home from the road, and at 11:30pm the scale says I stayed the same. I suspect if I weigh myself in the morning after taking a comfy seat for a couple minutes the result would be a bit better. Regardless, I'll get on the Saturday schedule starting next week, but for now, we'll call it the end of week one:

DetroitBreakdown: 343

Unbelievably, at 7lbs down, I have many things to be thankful for thanks to my new lifestlye. I'm thankful for:

Energy that lasts through the whole day and no need for naps.

Gaining 4 pairs of pants back from the "too small" pile.

My face looking less puffy.

Moving a notch on my belt.

Taking the stairs again at work without feeling like someone should call an ambulance (had been taking the elevator for the last year).

The money I'm saving not ordering pizzas or picking up fast food.

My girlfriend's genuine support and her excitement in my feeling better in my health and about myself.

I hope everyone has a great week!

Awesome list Michael, and so very true for so many of us!

I'll add that I'm thankful for;

Being able to visit a supermarket without the temptation to fill my basket with junk food!

Being able to comfortably cross my legs.

Not being restricted to the one shop in my town that did my size.

No longer feeling like I'm good enough for my fiance.

Being comfortable enough again to indulge in certain activities with said fiance... (a'hem)

Not worrying about cracking the shower tray. (I cracked a bath a few years back and it will haunt me forever.)

"Slow"weight loss
 

Jen, I think that is good advice. The last time I got serious about losing weight, I took off around 200 lbs in less than a year. You are absolutely correct about the mind-warp this produces. I don't think I ever did adjust and gradually slipped back into old habits. Going from 400 lbs to 184 in about 9 months was just way too fast--it's like you have a totally foreign body with the same brain. I'd look a store windows when I walked by and not even recognize myself.

This time I decided to take a more reasonable approach and try for 2-3 lbs a week, at least for the first 100 (which I've done).

I wonder if there are any good books/web resources about dealing with this type of adjustment--I'd really like this to be my last weight loss journey and want to be mentally well adjusted if I can.

Regards,
Michael

PS Jen, I'm sure you'll have a good weigh-in, I wish I could do it monthly but it's all I can do to make it only once a week.

When people hug me their arms go all the way 'round, not just part way (especially with the kiddos).

Not only can I keep up with the kids, every now and then I out run them.

I can jump out of the shower and grab a towel and wrap it all the way around me, with enough left over to tuck it in and everything is covered.

I used to wear short sleeves year round because my upper arms were hideous and long sleeves made me sweat. Now I have big stack of tank tops for summer, short sleeves for spring and fall and a whole bunch of long sleeve shirts for winter. I even bought myself some sweaters, which I haven't been able to tolerate for years because I was so well insulated.

I used to make my kids "go get this" and "go get that", because I was too lazy/tired/fat, but now I jump right up and race them to get stuff.

Every coat I've owned over the past 10-12 years was some big huge black thing that I bought not for the style, but because it was the only choice available that came large enough to fit me. But not anymore, I went out and found a really nice London Fog wool coat that is not only tailored and fits beautifully, but it's really lightweight and the color is fabulous.

I'm looking forward to the ski season for the first time EVER. I'm even looking forward to buying some new ski pants.

I'm no longer steeped in shame while taking my kids to the pool. I'm even looking forward to buying a new swimsuit, because the 2 I have are getting a tad baggy.

I'm a regular at the gym and every now and then one of the uber-fit types asks me a question or compliments my form or my workout.

mecompco, I don't have any book suggestions for you, but I do know that there are a ton of blogs on people losing weight. I also saw a woman on the Today show that lost 178 pounds and wrote a book called "Half Assed", which I think deals with that issue among others, but I can't say for sure because I haven't read it. I've been reading "Eat This Not That", which has been fairly helpful in terms of teaching me how to make better food choices. I've also been thinking about buying "Thin For Life".

Michael, Jen, Almeeker, detroitbreakdown, weightloss boo and all,
thanks very much for your warm welcome. I loved your gratitude stories, I'm at work right now so I can't hang in here for too much longer today but I will tell you htat I';m so grateful that I've found you all and this site. Especially this thread. I feel like I have hope again and knowing that you folksa re all going through the same thing makes me feel much less isolated in my big chunky self. thank you for being here.

sincerely,
Nora

Thanks for sharing--those are great things to be thankful for!

I found an article on "Phantom Fat" here: ?Phantom fat? can linger after weight loss - Health - Women's health - msnbc.com

that is pretty good, but really doesn't give much in the way of advice for actually dealing with the problem. I'll check out "Half Assed" and "Thin for Life"--sounds like it might be what I need. I found a book on eating disorders that really helped me identify and deal with my "all or nothing" attitude towards weight loss. I just don't want to end up like last time.

Hey guys! I'm here to hopefully get some umph back in my life, to keep on making healthy and wise choices. I've lost 70 lbs over the past 3 years and would like to lose another 70. I'm currently at 238 and three months ago I was 218....some crappy circumstances had gotten the better of me, but I WILL NOT let them defeat me. I am looking for a support group to help encourage me to keep on and hold me accountable....Help!!!!!! My goal in June was to be under 200 by Christmas but that's out so I would like to get there by the end of march when my husband and I would like to try and add a fourth child to our litter.

Welcome, Lorilee. Please do join the fun and we'll do our best to support you through your process. It sounds like you've already put in some tremendous work, and we'll be here for you to help you get back on track.

I really find a lot of motivation in tracking my consumption and activities through the resources on the site, and I've found this to be a very supportive community. Feeling accountable to this thread is just a little extra motivation.

There's always room for more.

Good luck!

Hi Lorilee. I'm new here, too. I'm finding the food tab really useful, also the activities tab... I've only been really keeping track for a couple of days but it's keeping me honest. The calorie balance is especially helpful... Welcome!!

Weigh Up to get Down!
 

Hello fit family. I am new to this site. I committed myself today to logging on and staying on to Myfitday.com. I love this site and the forum. :)I am female and my height is 5'5. On November 8, 2010 I weighed in at 242lbs. :( I had the Lap-Band Surgery on 11/16/2010. On 12/2/2010 when I went to my doctors office, I weighed in at 222 lbs.:o I am scared of the scale but this will help me overcome my scale fear. I am going to buy a scale today. I will weigh in every Saturday. Thank you for the thread.:D

My Goal lbs by 10/1/2011
11/8/2010 lbs
12/2/2010 lbs

My Goal 150lbs by 10/1/2011
11/8/2010 242lbs
12/2/2010 222lbs

Welcome, Debbie, and good luck with your new lifestyle. For what it's worth, I am quickly losing my fear of the scale and starting to love it. I hope you end up feeling the same way.

I have to share a bit of good news with the thread. I had a doctor appt. this morning for a med check and review blood work from tests last week. My doc literally did a double take looking at the file. He said I'm down 12lbs since the last time I saw him, my cholesterol has made a radical improvement (169), my blood pressure is better, and my blood sugar has improved.

I was diagnosed with metabolic syndrome last year, which, I'm sure many of you know, is a combination of symptoms that put someone at greater risk for hearth issues and diabetes. Since I was diagnosed I've been on metformin for blood sugar and lisinopril for blood pressure. He wants to see me in three months to see if I'm sticking with the program and if I continue to improve, but he suggests that I could look forward to coming off those medications!!!

The tests were run just three weeks after I started exercising regularly and eating clean. I'm amazed that there could be this much improvement over such a short period of time, and can only hope it is sustained.

What a motivator this is for me. I'm so happy I just want to jump on an exercise bike :)

Debbie, Lorilee, welcome!

It's amazing how quickly the human body can adapt and repair itself when given half a chance.

Keep up the good work and stay healthy.

Regards,
Michael

Michael,

Was it you that I remember was celebrating being able to use your wii fit balance board?

I ask because to celebrate I bought myself a wii fit. I have been using the EA Sports active. I always wanted the wii fit, but knew I was too heavy. But now that I can honestly imagine being able to use the balance board, I thought I'd bite the bullet.

If it was you, were you able to use it at all before you got under 330lbs, or did you just have to wait it out? If it wasn't you, I'll go looking for who made that post.

Matt

Matt, yes, that was me. If you do a google search, there are a few ways to "fool" the Wii into letting you use the board if you are over the 330 limit. The board itself seems more than able to support the weight--it is more a software thing.

The method I used was to find a piece of heavy packing foam about an inch and a half thick and put it beneath the board--this takes enough stress off to make the Wii think you are lighter than you are.

Once you get under 330 and get rid of the workaround, the Wii will complain your weight has changed but will adjust.

I like the WiiFit Plus Step, Bicycle and Running the best, but some of the others are fun, too. I also have Tetris Party which you can play using the WiiFit board.

Have fun!
Michael

PS I have no doubt you'll be under the 330 mark within a few weeks, anyway :-)

Thanks, Michael. I actually get a pretty good sweat out of the EA sports active, but it's not exactly fun, and it doesn't really have a balance component. My girlfriend loves the Golds Gym Cardio Boxing. I just wanted to have one that had a little fun to it.

If I stick to my program I'm hoping to be able to use the balance board without tricking it by the end of January. The wii can complain all it wants, I'm gonna be doing a happy dance :)

Hi Debbie. Welcome to this forum, I'm new here too. Detroit, that's amazing news... I'm on Metformin now, diabetes scares the bejeebers outa me. You've given me a ray of hope that I can get back to healthy numbers again... thanks.

Believe me, Tyranna, if I can do it, you can. There are all these little rewards that keep coming. I'm getting addicted to the good feelings.

You've got to find "something" to do to keep your mind off the stress and off eating. A movie, read a book, talk to friends, go to bed, read FitDay posts--anything.

If you're hungry, drink some water, perhaps have a salad--that helps fill me up.

I hear you about the back issue--I had back spasms this summer that ended me up at the hospital--worst.pain.ever. To add insult to injury, they had to go get the "big" wheelchair and a burly security guard to get me out of the vehicle and into the chair. :rolleyes:

Hope all goes well and your "problem" is gone for good.

Regards,
Michael

How did things go, Jen? Hope you got the nut case out of your life for good--no one needs that extra stress. Have a great day!

Michael

Happened to glance down in the shower this morning, and what did I see?





















My feet!!! :D

!!!! Michael!!!! That's got to be exciting. Won't be long before you see what everyone thought you were gonna say ;)

Your post reminded me of my experience this morning. I woke up, sat in front of the computer, felt an itch on my back, and thought, "that feels strange. What's wrong with my shoulder? Oh...I have a shoulder! I have a muscle going from my neck to my shoulder. It's all firm and stuff. Where did that come from?"

Jen...I didn't see your post, but I'm interested in others' answers about strategies for dealing with stress. I was also always a stress eater. I've just been fortunate not to be as stressed of late. I do, however, have tons of healthy stuff around the house these days, so I'm hoping that if I ever get in that mood I will munch on a bunch of celery or carrots.

Good luck with getting the roommate out of your life. You're smart to look for support and people to actually be there when she gets her stuff. I hope it went well and ends well for you.

Ha ha--yup--I've also discovered a rib cage, collar bones, all kinds of previously hidden parts--where did those come from? :p

It's been a good week--very odd that all of a sudden "everyone" (I work at a school, so there are lots of co-workers) has mentioned my weight loss--hello--it took over 100 lbs before anyone noticed (or dared to bring it up)? You know you've probably let things go a tiny bit too far if you can lose 100 lbs and nobody notices :cool:

Anyweigh, was feeling "light" so weighed in this morning to a nice 4 lb. loss so at 306 I think I'm in pretty good shape to ring in the New Year at under 300 lbs. and say goodbye to the "three hundreds" (hopefully) forever.

Have a great day everyone!

Michael