12mos, 46 Pounds Lost, Heavy Lifting Mom (5'8")

figureformin

You story is very uplifting, thanks for sharing it with us:)

iAMsmiling

Hot D@mn!
Way to take control.

MindyG150

Thanks for sharing, and congratulations.

cyrena13

Amazing! Congrats on your weight loss. You are right about the weight I use to be when I was in shape with lifting. I can't wait to get back there! I'm 5'8" too

Chipmunk222

Love this!!! Way to go! You look awesome !

DragonSquatter

This is fantastic! I started at almost the same size as you and same height. Working on dropping my last 40 or so lbs.

Congrats!

kmakar

congratulations! You look great- strong, healthy and most of all, happy!

sherisse69

Awesome!!!!

psharma1979

Wow, Congrats to you! You look great! I just started MFP yesterday and your story and pictures are very inspiring.

NHoughton13

You look fantastic! I love that you noted that it didn't take perfection.

Yeah, what she said!! Simply awesome.

ValMartin79

YOU LOOK FANTASTIC!!
You are such a great inspiration to me cause we are (well were in the same boat and I am 34 too though not as tall:sad: ) Hard to believe that maybe I could look as great as you this time next year. Love that you didn't 'diet' either. I haven't dieted since I joined MFP the end of February and really haven't lost much but feel thinner and stronger. I am switching to a healthier eating plan for the next two months just cause I really want to shed 20lbs quick. Then I imagine it will be back to my normal pizza and cheeseburgers.:huh: I am really interested in heavy lifting because I love days that I get to lift now but only have 8lb weights so I have to do a ton of reps to feel the burn and I hate cardio. I would be too shy to go to the gym and try it.
Anyway great tips too.

jalara

You look awesome!
Love the pick shirt too

nomayo

You look awesome.

kmp327

You look great!!!! Great work, you should be very proud of yourself!

Rays_Wife

Awesome success story! It's been fun watching you transform your body! You are an inspiration to all of us, thanks for sharing.

I agree! She has been a huge source of inspiration for me to do this the healthy way. She is proof hard work, determination and above all patience pays off. The epitome of a lifestyle change is what this is! I admire that way more than someone who just crash diets and over exercises to get the weight off quick.

missdibs1

bump

beachgirl172723

Stunning progress. Inspirational.

froggy15

Wow, very inspiring. Great job - you look great!

Beeps2011

From a fellow 5'8" heavy-lifting mom, CONGRATULATIONS!

jenns1964

bumping for future inspiration!

foleyshirley

Great work. Also bumping for the website.

gretchygirl32

Wow! You look fantastic! I really appreciate you taking the time to post what has worked for you. I'm at the beginning of my journey, but I can already tell that heavy lifting is probably going to be what helps me the most. I'm going to check out the links you posted. Thanks! :-)

smmorri

I started lifting heavy weight and eating 2,000 a day is my sweet spot for fat loss. Yes, I eat a minumum of 2,000 calories a day, usually 2,200.

Personally, I find it so hard to reach the minimum of 1200kcal every day. How do you manage to consume 2,000 - 2,200 on a daily basis? Are you going for full fat options? ..I know that I'm not consuming enough calories, and based on my TDEE /BMR, I'm supposed to be eating ~2,100kcal. I just don't understand! If I start eating that many more calories, aren't I going to GAIN weight?

Also, at the gym, I only do cardio. I get on the treadmill for 30-45 minutes, and thats it... But I want to start incorporating weights. However... I thought that you can't target fat loss? ..Thats why cardio is the only way to burn overall fat, throughout the body?? IDK.

Your success is making me question everything I know about losing weight!

metacognition

Wow, you look amazing ! What an inspiration !

metacognition

Also, at the gym, I only do cardio. I get on the treadmill for 30-45 minutes, and thats it... But I want to start incorporating weights. However... I thought that you can't target fat loss? ..Thats why cardio is the only way to burn overall fat, throughout the body?? IDK.

Someone once said that running will make you good in clothes, but weight lifting will make you look good naked.

Cardio is good for the heart and burns calories. That's all. It won't add definition or keep your metabolism humming after the workout. Body fat will come off from all over your body if you are in a deficit. Where it comes from is genetic.


Weight lifting is very important because the body drops lean body mass as it loses weight.
Your metabolism will slow down as you lose that lean body tissue and it will be harder to stay at a low weight naturally.
You also won't be able to eat as much.
Shifting body composition to more muscle and less fat will make you look trimmer and more fit, even at a higher weight.
You get to eat more and maintain your weight loss. I'm 98 pounds and can maintain at around 1800 - 1900.
You can also target specific muscle groups and build them.

On cardio and body shape, you will lose weight by doing just cardio and eating at a deficit but you will obtain a smaller version of your current body - there will still be fat pockets and a general softness to the figure. It would be hard to tell you apart from a non-exerciser at a healthy weight. Lifting weights will actually give your bod sleek definition under the fat layer and it will make you look athletic.
It will add strength and make your body feel and look thinner. A lot of the women with the best bodies at my gym hit the weights. It's a secret.

jfrankic

I started lifting heavy weight and eating 2,000 a day is my sweet spot for fat loss. Yes, I eat a minumum of 2,000 calories a day, usually 2,200.

Personally, I find it so hard to reach the minimum of 1200kcal every day. How do you manage to consume 2,000 - 2,200 on a daily basis? Are you going for full fat options? ..I know that I'm not consuming enough calories, and based on my TDEE /BMR, I'm supposed to be eating ~2,100kcal. I just don't understand! If I start eating that many more calories, aren't I going to GAIN weight?

Also, at the gym, I only do cardio. I get on the treadmill for 30-45 minutes, and thats it... But I want to start incorporating weights. However... I thought that you can't target fat loss? ..Thats why cardio is the only way to burn overall fat, throughout the body?? IDK.

Your success is making me question everything I know about losing weight!

I commend your enthusiasm and hunger for knowledge!! It is sooooo easy to reach 2000 a day. Seriously, I just ate 1,000 for lunch. Yep, I got home from the gym and made greek yogurt whole wheat pancakes and turkey sausage. Easy 1,000 calories. Start adding calorie dense foods like peanut butter, pasta, meats (steak, yum), oils (sautee veggies in oil), cheese, nuts, eggs, beans. There's no reason, unless you have specific medical conditions, to cut any of these things out of your diet (not using "diet" in terms of calorie restriction, just the foods you eat). Tonight, I will have my weekly pizza from Papa Murphys and easily consume 2,200 by the end of the day. Stop thinking restriction. I don't know what you are eating, but if you are only eating leafy greens and egg beaters (exaggeration here), then it will be hard to reach 1,200...much less the 2,200 I'm eating. I need to note that in addition to the above things I mention, I eat ALOT of leafy greens: salads, broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts and also carrots, celery, cucumbers. Lots of veggies in addition to calorie dense and yummy foods.

To address your other question, read the roadmap link I posted originally. You cannot spot reduce fat from your body, regardless of the type of exercise you do. Cardio does not make you lose fat, but it can help to create a calorie deficit resulting in weight loss. You can be eating 6,000 calories a day and sweating it out with some crazy cardio and still not have a calorie deficit. It comes down to consuming less than you burn. This can be done with or without cardio. There are many health benefits of cardio, but it is not an essential ingredient in fat loss. Lifting weights will help maintain your muscle mass (and burn more calories in the long run), which your body catabolize when eating at a deficit with no strength training. There are lots of great resources out there on this topic, and I'm by no means an expert. Hope this info helps.

meeper123

wow I love the change its so stunning way to go

pjp1125

Incredible transformation. Simply incredible.

Syriene

Congrats! Great way to celebrate your birthday!

ks4e

Wow wow wow! I've been having off days and feeling like there's no way I, a working mom of 2, can ever get to the point of having my dream body. You've totally changed my mind! Great job and thanks so much for posting this!