52 pounds in 52 weeks
jemhh
Posts: 14,261 Member
I really enjoy reading everybody's success stories. They are so inspiring and fun so I thought I'd try my hand at one and holy cow this has been hard to write. The "don't brag" and "you're not there yet" thoughts are strong, is what I'm saying. But I'm just going to tell my brain to shut it for awhile. So here goes.
I was very thin through high school. I graduated at about 115 lbs. at 5'6". I was thin but very weak. I can remember in gym class we had a unit on weightlifting and the gym teacher had me test my bench press first so I could max out immediately and then sit there and record everybody else's lifts so he didn't have to. In college I went up to 127 but was much more fit because I walked a ton. Still didn't do any strength training though.
Once I graduated from college I got an office job and turned into a typical sedentary worker bee. My weight went up, of course, and for the first time ever I started dieting. My starting point was 148 lbs. and I eventually got down to 136. Soon after, I got a promotion at work and exercising fell by the wayside due to working more hours. For the next 10+ years I did the yo-yo diet, on/off exercise thing.
(I posted these in another thread once before, I think. They are the only “before” pictures I have because I avoided getting my picture taken whenever possible. I avoided looking at myself whenever possible, actually, and the only full length mirror in the house was in my daughter’s room. Still is but now I actually use it too
.)
By January 2014, I was 202.5 pounds (50+ lbs. overweight) and extremely out of shape. My self esteem was down in the dumps and my health was headed there as well (sleep apnea, PCOS, etc.) I can remember thinking to myself that I was 37 years old and feeling like garbage due to my body had to stop. I needed to either accept myself as I was and stop moping about it or get it together and make a change.
I decided to make a lot of changes.
At that time, I was a refined carb addict. I couldn’t open a sleeve of saltines without eating the whole thing. I couldn’t eat one piece of cake without eating three pieces. On and on. I knew this was bad and possibly even moreso due to having PCOS and a family history of Type 2 diabetes. So my first change was to severely limit refined carbs. I wanted to be able to add them back in sometime but at that point I had to kill the habit. So for several months I limited them to one serving of grain (bread, pasta, etc.) and one serving of what I will call sweets (ice cream, candy, etc.) each Sunday. That was it. The rest of my carbs came from fruits, veggies, and dairy. I logged all of my food but didn’t count calories. I did a little bit of walking on the treadmill. I lost 15 pounds by the end of February.
Then in March I added in more exercise. I started with walking on the treadmill 2-3 times a week and completing the Nerd Fitness beginner bodyweight workout 2-3 times a week. The first time I did the latter, I was able to do 2 sets of 3 lunges and then I could barely walk for 3 days. I laught about it now but I was so sore at the time. But I stuck with it and added a lot of stretching and it did get easier. I then switched the walking for the C25k program. By the end of April I was at 29.7 pounds lost.
At this point, my weight loss slowed down so I started tracking calories using MFP. I switched over to the Start Bodyweight basic routine, part of which was working toward pull-ups. I had a new goal--pull-ups by the time I was 40. That gave me 2+ years to work on them. In June I also ran a 5k with a time of 34:29, which was a big improvement over the 39:42 I had run a few years prior.
In July I took a one week break to eat at maintenance. Best idea ever. I really needed a recharge at that point. I was up to 42.4 pounds lost but needed a bit of a break. That month I switched over to lifting free weights rather than doing bodyweight strength training. In August I felt confident enough to go to my 20 year high school reunion. Just being able to walk into that was a huge achievement for me.
Since then I have lost another 10 pounds for a total of 52.5 lbs. That doesn’t seem like a lot of weight to lose over six months but my body has really changed along with it. I very much believe in the honeymoon/newbie gains period of weightlifting. As Lyle McDonald puts it, overly fat newbies can build muscle even on a deficit. I think that, all too often, people ignore that and post “you can’t gain muscle when you’re in a deficit” to posters who ask about it.
Right now, I’m 150 lbs and my fat is somewhere in the 25-27% range (based on a few different estimating methods.) My goal is to get to 22% bodyfat or, as I keep saying, to whatever point I’m at when I lose the stomach. Like a lot of women with PCOS, I am apple-shaped so I hold a lot of fat in my midsection. I generally try to avoid side shot photos but I’m posting one below since I have on in my before pictures above. I’m guessing that it will take another 10-15 pounds to get to the point where that fat is minimized. I have added back some more grains (1-2 servings a day on average) but I still keep them low because I feel like it helps a lot with the PCOS.
Fitness-wise, I’m walking/running 2-3 times a week for 30 minutes or so but my main interest is lifting right. I do a Greyskull LP style program for my upper body and I’m starting the lower-body only program from Strong Curves. I benched 95 lbs this morning as a 1 rep max. I can do chin-ups. I can lunge and still walk perfectly fine afterwards
My goals in that area are mostly to get stronger and leaner, especially in my lower body which seems to lag compared to my upper body. And I’m still working toward those pull-ups but I think I can get there by age 39 in July, if not earlier.
My “now” pictures:
So that's me. I've come a long way and I'm really happy with my results so far. The biggest keys to my success have been the support of my husband (he is simply the best) and staying flexible, whether with diet breaks or changing exercise programs or a plethora of other things. I really want these changes to stick around for life so flexibility has definitely been the key.
Happy 2015 everybody!
I was very thin through high school. I graduated at about 115 lbs. at 5'6". I was thin but very weak. I can remember in gym class we had a unit on weightlifting and the gym teacher had me test my bench press first so I could max out immediately and then sit there and record everybody else's lifts so he didn't have to. In college I went up to 127 but was much more fit because I walked a ton. Still didn't do any strength training though.
Once I graduated from college I got an office job and turned into a typical sedentary worker bee. My weight went up, of course, and for the first time ever I started dieting. My starting point was 148 lbs. and I eventually got down to 136. Soon after, I got a promotion at work and exercising fell by the wayside due to working more hours. For the next 10+ years I did the yo-yo diet, on/off exercise thing.
(I posted these in another thread once before, I think. They are the only “before” pictures I have because I avoided getting my picture taken whenever possible. I avoided looking at myself whenever possible, actually, and the only full length mirror in the house was in my daughter’s room. Still is but now I actually use it too
.)By January 2014, I was 202.5 pounds (50+ lbs. overweight) and extremely out of shape. My self esteem was down in the dumps and my health was headed there as well (sleep apnea, PCOS, etc.) I can remember thinking to myself that I was 37 years old and feeling like garbage due to my body had to stop. I needed to either accept myself as I was and stop moping about it or get it together and make a change.
I decided to make a lot of changes.
At that time, I was a refined carb addict. I couldn’t open a sleeve of saltines without eating the whole thing. I couldn’t eat one piece of cake without eating three pieces. On and on. I knew this was bad and possibly even moreso due to having PCOS and a family history of Type 2 diabetes. So my first change was to severely limit refined carbs. I wanted to be able to add them back in sometime but at that point I had to kill the habit. So for several months I limited them to one serving of grain (bread, pasta, etc.) and one serving of what I will call sweets (ice cream, candy, etc.) each Sunday. That was it. The rest of my carbs came from fruits, veggies, and dairy. I logged all of my food but didn’t count calories. I did a little bit of walking on the treadmill. I lost 15 pounds by the end of February.
Then in March I added in more exercise. I started with walking on the treadmill 2-3 times a week and completing the Nerd Fitness beginner bodyweight workout 2-3 times a week. The first time I did the latter, I was able to do 2 sets of 3 lunges and then I could barely walk for 3 days. I laught about it now but I was so sore at the time. But I stuck with it and added a lot of stretching and it did get easier. I then switched the walking for the C25k program. By the end of April I was at 29.7 pounds lost.
At this point, my weight loss slowed down so I started tracking calories using MFP. I switched over to the Start Bodyweight basic routine, part of which was working toward pull-ups. I had a new goal--pull-ups by the time I was 40. That gave me 2+ years to work on them. In June I also ran a 5k with a time of 34:29, which was a big improvement over the 39:42 I had run a few years prior.
In July I took a one week break to eat at maintenance. Best idea ever. I really needed a recharge at that point. I was up to 42.4 pounds lost but needed a bit of a break. That month I switched over to lifting free weights rather than doing bodyweight strength training. In August I felt confident enough to go to my 20 year high school reunion. Just being able to walk into that was a huge achievement for me.
Since then I have lost another 10 pounds for a total of 52.5 lbs. That doesn’t seem like a lot of weight to lose over six months but my body has really changed along with it. I very much believe in the honeymoon/newbie gains period of weightlifting. As Lyle McDonald puts it, overly fat newbies can build muscle even on a deficit. I think that, all too often, people ignore that and post “you can’t gain muscle when you’re in a deficit” to posters who ask about it.
Right now, I’m 150 lbs and my fat is somewhere in the 25-27% range (based on a few different estimating methods.) My goal is to get to 22% bodyfat or, as I keep saying, to whatever point I’m at when I lose the stomach. Like a lot of women with PCOS, I am apple-shaped so I hold a lot of fat in my midsection. I generally try to avoid side shot photos but I’m posting one below since I have on in my before pictures above. I’m guessing that it will take another 10-15 pounds to get to the point where that fat is minimized. I have added back some more grains (1-2 servings a day on average) but I still keep them low because I feel like it helps a lot with the PCOS.
Fitness-wise, I’m walking/running 2-3 times a week for 30 minutes or so but my main interest is lifting right. I do a Greyskull LP style program for my upper body and I’m starting the lower-body only program from Strong Curves. I benched 95 lbs this morning as a 1 rep max. I can do chin-ups. I can lunge and still walk perfectly fine afterwards
My goals in that area are mostly to get stronger and leaner, especially in my lower body which seems to lag compared to my upper body. And I’m still working toward those pull-ups but I think I can get there by age 39 in July, if not earlier.My “now” pictures:
So that's me. I've come a long way and I'm really happy with my results so far. The biggest keys to my success have been the support of my husband (he is simply the best) and staying flexible, whether with diet breaks or changing exercise programs or a plethora of other things. I really want these changes to stick around for life so flexibility has definitely been the key.
Happy 2015 everybody!
7
Replies
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Great post! I can relate to so much of what you said (similar height, skinny but not strong in high school, family history of diabetes, etc.) I am doing C210K now, but I still have 30-35 lbs. to get to where you are. You look amazing, and this inspires me to keep going. Thank you so much for sharing your story.0
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You look amazing. Brilliant work and you're right about the support, it pushes you further. Happy 2015 to you!0
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OH honey, BRAG! WTG You did amazing!0
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Wow, you cut your age in half! WTG!!!!0
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Wow, what a fantastic change! Congratulations.0
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Fantastic and very inspiring. You look marvelous. Loving the jeans and boots combo. Happy New Year0
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Great job! Thanks for your post, you sound like you used to be a lot like me. I know now that there's nothing stopping me but me!0
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Thank you everybody!
I feel a lot younger too. Good grief do I feel younger. It's just so easy to get into that downward spiral and not see how bad it is until one day you realize you can't scratch the middle of your own back anymore or the fact that you have been avoiding walk into work with coworkers because you don't want them to hear you huff and puff on the stairs.
@sekhmet13 and @marynb67, you can both do it!0 -
Thank-you for sharing your story and your pics... You look stunning & so much happier/healthier!! 0
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Holly cow you look great!!!!0
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Look at you, all healthy and fit! What an inspiration. No doubt you'll get to that pull-up. Happy 2015 to you. 0
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Congrats! You should be proud - you look absolutely amazing!0
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Very impressive transformation! Not just weight loss but you changed your entire body type. Congratulations!0
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You have totally inspired me! Thank you so much for sharing your story, and the pics. are stunning...way to go!0
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awesome job! thanks for posting!0
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You absolutely deserve to post this success story! Way to go!0
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Wow, you look amazing!! Thanks for sharing your journey and photos!0
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Awesome transformation!0
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Wow! Just....Yeah, this is the good stuff! You look fantastic!
What a great illustration as to what a difference a year can make! Go, YOU! 0 -
Amazing job! You look great!
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Just... wow!!! Thank you for sharing your inspiring journey so far
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So wonderful! Congratulations and thanks so much for sharing your story! I love your attitude. I just took a week "off" in maintenance and have been starting to wonder whether it was a good idea, but I'm glad to hear you feel that time off helped you stay on track in the long run.0
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Damn Girl!!! You look great.
Impressive loss!
This is the perfect post for many to see on 1/1/2015.0 -
Great post. You look wonderful and I like that you took the time to try different types of training to find the right combination that works for you.0
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Congrats on your wonderful journey! Brag away!! I love your look of confidence now and also your statement about flexibility. That is something I need to remember as I have somewhat of an "all or nothing" personality. Thanks for a great post and good luck on those last 10-15 lbs (although you look fabulous now!). I'm sure you will reach your goal. 0
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So wonderful! Congratulations and thanks so much for sharing your story! I love your attitude. I just took a week "off" in maintenance and have been starting to wonder whether it was a good idea, but I'm glad to hear you feel that time off helped you stay on track in the long run.
Yes, I am a really big fan of diet breaks. I've done them a few times now. These two articles are my favorites about diet breaks. I usually do one when I get to the point where I am hungry and feeling frustrated/unmotivated. I don't eat at a huge deficit (I maintain at 2200 and right now am eating 1850) so I'm not usually hungry. When I get to the point where all I can think about is food, I know it's time for a break. It's amazing how much they refresh my outlook. I was feeling pretty fed up at the beginning of November and decided to eat at maintenance from that point through January, just for a big break. Well I ate at maintenance for two weeks and felt ready to get back to a deficit but ended up sticking out the break through early December due to a vacation. During that time I gained just 2 pounds but it dropped off within 4 days of going back to a deficit. So don't fear the break!
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You are a great inspiration, thank you for sharing.0
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Congrats on your wonderful journey! Brag away!! I love your look of confidence now and also your statement about flexibility. That is something I need to remember as I have somewhat of an "all or nothing" personality.
My natural tendency is to veer toward all or nothing or disastrous thinking. At one point over the summer my knee hurt so I didn't run for a couple of days. I was bemoaning this to my husband, saying that if I didn't run that day I might never run again and then I'd stop watching what I ate and then I'd gain back all of the weight and then I'd be back where I started boohoohoo. Mind you, my knee just hurt a bit, it wasn't even enough to see a doctor. He looked at me and said "Well...then just don't do all of that." Ha! I was mad for a minute but then had to admit he made sense. So yeah, I definitely have to watch out for that kind of thinking.Thanks for a great post and good luck on those last 10-15 lbs (although you look fabulous now!). I'm sure you will reach your goal.
Thank you. I'm definitely at the point where I don't care what my actual weight is and just want that belly fat mostly gone. I have no delusions about getting an actual flat stomach. I have the normal mom tummy skin issues plus the joy (sarcasm) of holding onto fat in that area the most. I'll admit that when I read the posts from women who want to know how to shrink their thighs or calves I sometimes think oh boy give me your waist and you can have my legs. We all want what we haven't got, eh?0 -
You look great and have plenty to be proud of. Way to go!
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Inspiring story...thanks so much for sharing, and congratulations!0
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