How I lost 80 pounds and managed to maintain my weight.

SteveEighty

This is meant to be a message of support and encouragement for all of you out there who are trying to lose some serious weight, 4 stone +. I've written on this in my profile too.

20 years ago, at the age of thirty, I was 9.5 stone (130 pounds) and a sporty type, mainly swimming and running. Unfortunately, I let myself go big time after experiencing severe stress of a professional nature for years and I subsequently adopted an inappropriate lifestyle. Before I knew it, 10 years later (in 2004), I weighed in at 16 stone.

In 2006, I managed to lose 4 stone, in 4 months. It was incredibly hard work and I was very proud of myself for achieving such a feat. Unfortunately, because I had no firm maintenance plan in place, I put it all back on within 18 months.

At that point, I thought I would never ever be the slim Steve I was at 30. I thought I would never ever have the determination to do it all over again.

In January 2014, I was over 16 stone (for 5 ft 6, BMI 36 +) and crippled with back pains, knee pains, ankle pains, etc. You name it, I had it. I could barely bend over to tie up my shoes. I felt like a wreck, mentally and physically. Out of desperation, I bought an exercise bike, more as an afterthought than anything else.

Two days later, I'd done 30 miles and I was hooked. I then started to eat very healthily (no more than 1.000-1.200 cals/day) and be obsessed about my weight, every hour of the day. It is this obsession that carried me through. On my exercise bike, to motivate me, I'd taped 2 pictures of me: one when I was slim, and the other one as me, a "fat pig". The contrast between the two was horrendous and made me angry. I used that anger positively.
"You ARE A FAT PIG": this is what I used to say to myself while pedalling away. I needed this sort of mental trick to motivate myself for such a long, tough time. When you have nearly 6 stone to lose, you need shock treatment. That's what worked for me anyhow, I realise it might not be for everybody.

I had come to hate my body in order to succeed and I felt I needed to tell myself that, instead of the mollycoddling ways that well-meaning relatives and friends have with grossly overweight people ("You're curvy", etc.). People obviously mean well because they do not want to offend or hurt, but it is counter-productive on the whole. I do not blame them, you cannot say to someone: "You're a fat pig and need to lose 50, 60, 80 pounds" but you can gently influence them to think this way. That is precisely what my (slim) wife did. When I understood her message, I finally clicked.

Within less than 6 months, I'd lost 80 pounds. I feel so much better, physically and mentally.

Since July, I have managed to keep the weight off through careful eating and exercise. I'm now 10'3 (BMI: 23) and plan to stay that weight. After failing in my first attempt in 2006, I know now that I will succeed in my goal to stay slim and healthy. I've got a plan and I stick to it. And I've changed my ways for ever.

You Can Do It. Never Ever Give Up.

cmsu64113

Great job!

GaleHawkins

Yes a great job and a lot of encouragement to me at age 63 with years of yo yo dieting results.

In 1991 after having both hips replace after 5 weeks I was down to 172 pounds which was about what I was at age 18. Was at 250 in 2011 and lost down to 220 then in 2014 was at 250 again. Now I am back down to 220 with a new approach. I have changed my eat style and never plan to go back to carbs because of the pain they can cause me. After I got serious this past Oct at 230 and cut the carbs my pain level has dropped from 7-8+ to 2-3 on a 1-10 scale. The more weight I lose (at 220 now) I expect my damaged joints will have even less pain.

SteveEighty thank you for sharing and congratulations.

RodaRose

You have a great story tell. What an amazing job!

Cortneyrenee04

Congrats on losing the weight.

I definitely encourage others to speak kindly to themselves, and not to think of themselves as fat pigs... Though I guess it worked for you. And also to eat enough calories (1000 is very low).

Hopefully you're in a better place now and can maintain your new weight. I hear it's the hardest part

phyllb

Glad it worked for you , hopefully for most of us tough love will fall somewhere kinder but still truthful

kendalslimmer

Well done sweetie! You've come a long way. I love your 'piggy' mentality, I am going to give it a go myself! I'm glad you have a persistent wife - maybe you owe her a nice bunch of flowers?!

girlviernes

Glad you found something that worked for you, but I have to disagree about the idea that it's going to work well for most people. You followed a very extreme diet that should only be done under medical supervision. And generally, shame is not a good long-term motivator. But, I am glad you are happy with your results, you worked very hard to achieve them!

LINIA

This is over a year later Steve, are you still your new-slim self that you worked so hard to achieve?

rebeccaEsmith

Congrats