I made it! 166 lbs to 135 lbs (5'6" female) - with pics

arussell134

I can hardly believe I've made it here! But, here I am. A little bit about me: up until having children, I was in really great shape. Worked out regularly, ran marathons - weighed right about 135 lbs. After my oldest son in 2006, I was able to get back down to 140 lbs after a bit of work. Then, I got pregnant with my daughter. After her birth, I struggled off and on for the next several years with my weight. I'd tried a number of things including veganism, going on low carb/low calorie type diets, trying special workout programs, but nothing really worked.



Finally, I realized this spring I had to do something. I was at my heaviest - 166 lbs (the pic above was taken at Easter of this year). Maybe not a huge number for some folks, but for me - that meant I was officially "overweight." I was fast growing out of my size 12 pants and feeling really down. Even worse, seeing myself in pictures I saw how badly I'd let myself go.

It's not even like there was this moment where I'm like "let's do this!" because really, nothing in me wanted to start this process. I knew it would take a long time. But, one day in late April, I laced up my running shoes and squeezed into my tightest running shorts and ran 2 miles. Then I did it the next day, and the next, and the next. It really sucked, because in my prime, I'd run 8 milers practically in my sleep - and this was hard work now! But, I tried to be patient with myself and pressed on. On a whim, I decided to sign up for a 12K in mid-June. (Maybe this was foolhardy, given I was just starting out again!) At this point, I'd lost 10 pounds and was starting to feel better. I ended up completing my run with a decent time, and was able to run the entire thing.



After the race, I found that my weight just wasn't budging much. That's when I decided to come back to MFP more seriously and started tracking calories. I quickly ditched the "recommended" 1200 calories realizing that was just not sustainable. I bumped it up to 1550 and then over time over 1650 calories per day.



While the weight was coming off slowly, I was amazed at how easy it was! I didn't adhere to any particular diet per se, but I found that tracking my calories naturally makes me want to make better choices (you get the better bang for your buck, so to speak). One of the best bits of advice I got from the forums here at MFP is to do what you intend to do long term! This is so key. Don't crash diet - be sensible & patient in your approach & trust the process. The picture above was me at about 145 pounds, this summer.



A couple days ago, I realized I'd made it. The scale said 135.6 and I could hardly believe it! After 7 months, I've actually stuck with it and made a change. The best part: not only am I at my goal weight, I'm fitter than I've *ever* been. Last week, I clocked a 5K in 26:24 (and there were HILLS!). I had always considered myself a 10-min/mile runner! I've incorporated heavy weight training, circuit training, speed drills, and long distance running into my week. I workout 6 days a week now and I strive to keep my workouts varied. Oh, and my SIZE 8 jeans are now getting loose! Funny how a few months ago I could barely squeeze into my size 12s!

Where do I go, from here? At this point, I may want to drop a few more pounds to improve racing time. I also want to work on body composition, and incorporate more strength training (I truly believe it had a big impact on my running improvement). I plan to continue to log for the indefinite future, to ensure my hard work is not undone.

There is soooooo much more that I can say about food, fitness, and this process, but I'm already teetering on a novel at this point. I will say: if anyone has questions, please ask away. I'll do my best to answer.

Best wishes on all your journeys - may you find success.

blankiefinder

Congrats, fantastic loss! And great running times!

I started right around where you did (My start was 168.8) and I am now where you are in the middle photo (current is 144.6). I don't feel like I've dropped that much in size though, I'm hoping the last 10 pounds will make a difference there!

Kst76

You are my height and your middle picture is my goal weight. You look great! Good Job!

arussell134

blankiefinder wrote: »

Congrats, fantastic loss! And great running times!

I started right around where you did (My start was 168.8) and I am now where you are in the middle photo (current is 144.6). I don't feel like I've dropped that much in size though, I'm hoping the last 10 pounds will make a difference there!

It probably will. I felt pretty good at 145, but I feel like I look a lot different after those last 10 lbs. Good luck and keep going. You won't regret the work it take to continue to the finish!

arussell134

karintalley wrote: »

You are my height and your middle picture is my goal weight. You look great! Good Job!

Thank you!! You can do it!

saminabilal

Congrats you look great

HanamiDango

Congrats on your success! You look great. I hope you are right about those last "10 pounds" However in my case it is the last 20 lbs, at 5'6" myself I wish I looked as good as you did at 145!! Thanks for sharing.

eat_hike_b33r

Congrats! you are approx where I am starting and where I hope to go, very motivating to see someone with a similar starting build/size! you look great:)

julzwild

Fabulous! I especially like the picture in the jeans. You're a hot mama now!

jt_alucard

great job on your weight loss!

SaranyaShaji

Congrats on ur Weight loss. Ur an inspiration

alereck

Thank you for sharing, you look great

assthetikk

lean and mean! nicely done

komitra

congrats

aprilricks86

congrats!! wow you carry your weight very well. Honestly I thought the middle picture was your "after" and thought you looked great there before I scrolled down! Great job

heybales

Great job being reasonable it sounds like with goals and what you attempted. Glad you didn't attempt the 1200 on your rest days, which sounds like they would have been the needed recovery days from great workouts.

mxmkenney

Wow! I really found your story inspiring. I am a bit taller than you but have the same story (except I have not reached my goal weight yet!). Maybe you can shed some light on something-
I am about 10 pounds away from reaching my goal weight and it seems like I'm hitting a plateau, bouncing back and forth with 1-2 pounds for a few months. I have upped my workouts and been diligent with tracking, but the weight is not coming off like it did before. Did you find that your weight-loss slowed down a lot once you were within 10 pounds of your goal? If yes, what did you do to finally get there? Less calories, more exercise, eliminating certain foods from your diet? I just want to get to the finish line. Below are my stats and what I've been doing:

Height 5'10"
CW 162
GW 150
3 days a week strength training (30-40 minutes per session)
4 days a week cardio (40-60 minutes per session - usually stationary bike, sometimes walking or jogging.)
I net between 1500-1700 calories most days, which should equal a little less than a pound a week, and I log religiously.

Anything you would suggest I change, or should I just be patient? Thanks for your help and for the motivation to keep trucking along.

petal1991

congratulations!

kendalslimmer

Well done honey!!

NextPage

I love your post. I'm about the same height (5.5 1/2) and your starting weight is my current weight (now down 30 lbs). I'm a lot older so 145 may be better for me than 135 but I'll reassess when I get there. Your approach of combining a reasonable calorie deficit, cardio and strength work is good to hear since it has been my approach also. Your pictures show me that slow and steady progress is worth the wait. You look fantastic.

arussell134

mxmkenney wrote: »

Wow! I really found your story inspiring. I am a bit taller than you but have the same story (except I have not reached my goal weight yet!). Maybe you can shed some light on something-
I am about 10 pounds away from reaching my goal weight and it seems like I'm hitting a plateau, bouncing back and forth with 1-2 pounds for a few months. I have upped my workouts and been diligent with tracking, but the weight is not coming off like it did before. Did you find that your weight-loss slowed down a lot once you were within 10 pounds of your goal? If yes, what did you do to finally get there? Less calories, more exercise, eliminating certain foods from your diet?

Yes, absolutely the last 10 pounds was the hardest (the last 5 particularly so). I was aware this would be the case, and prepared myself mentally for it. It took me from late August until now to lose those last 10 pounds.

Unfortunately I can't say there was anything special I did other than continued to focus. I have upped my workouts, only because I'm in the thick of finishing up a half marathon training cycle and I've done more heavy weight lifting. But I didn't eliminate anything from my diet. (The night before my goal weight weigh in I had a homemade cheeseburger and a glass of Reisling - ha!).

What I've loved about the process is I've realized I'm not a "bad" person for liking foods like burgers, cereal, or wine. I've just learned to put them in their proper place with lots of good-for-me foods and exercise.

Anyways, I'd encourage you to just keep on keepin' on. Be patient (I know you've heard that before) and don't put a time frame on it. If you want to feel like challenging yourself, try something new at the gym. But if you are continuing to eat at a deficit, I personally don't think you *need* to eliminate anything from your diet. Good luck - and feel free to friend me if you want additional support thrown your way until you make it.