Putting it into perspective. :)

hollyrayburn

You know, it's amazing how just a "small loss" feels. Before anyone ever says "ugh, I've only lost 5 lbs" they need to go to the grocery store, pick up a bag of flour, really FEEL it. Then remember you used to carry that flour on your body 24/7/365.

Years and years ago, I joined weight watchers, and lost about 60 pounds. WW is an amazing group, I'll never put it down because the results and group support are so amazing! I don't know how many time I cried because I was so proud of a team members accomplishments! But you get tired of calculating points on everything. Life prevents you from going to meetings, and 40+ bucks a month? Sucks. So I put it all back on, and then some.

Just before Christmas, I weighed myself. 252. No one believed me since I'm tall, but it sickened me. December 22, I went to a doctor specializing in weight loss. I weighed less(248) on their scales(yay! Lol). I spoke with him, and his nurse that specializes in nutrition. We worked out a food and exercise plan. He did also give me a script of adipex, which I use sparingly, because I know if I take weight off too fast, it comes back. Doc told me to not count calories, but I just gotta Haha. Sure I could eat grilled chicken and Brussels sprouts all day, but it's doing no good if i eat 3000 calories right? So I came back to MFP yet again.

Doc told me to not let this new lifestyle ruin my Christmas. I replied "it's going to make it better. I'll still enjoy it, but I won't feel miserable and I won't gain 10 pounds in a week". And I was right. I had macaroni, sausage balls, dressing, cakes and pies- and still lost weight. Because it was in moderation, and I held myself accountable for every bite in my mouth. Wanna get laughed at? Be the girl holding up the food line because she pulls out her biggest loser digital scale to measure her turkey and pound cake!

I've been eating pretty much what I want, in moderation. Boyfriend and I love delivery pizza and take out. Luckily, working in a jail, the food sucks, so I tend to stick with salads haha. I still have ranch dressing, but not like 6 tbsp. I use 1, then thin it out with jalapeños juice.

I still get a dunkin donuts coffee now and again. But it's less or no sugar, and skim milk.

If I want Wendy's, I get Wendy's. But there's no baconater burger. It's a small dollar menu burger, and a baked potato with chili on it. It feels me up as much as that huge burger and those greasy fries, and it even saves me money!

Last night, I enjoyed some(too much lol) jack Daniels. And still came up with a deficit. Because I planned.

I don't feel hungry all the time. I'm not eating chips simply because I'm lounging in bed watching Roseanne. If I want a snack after work, it's usually tuna, not a pile of crackers. It's crazy how much more energized you feel when you get a substantial amount of protein!

People are commenting that my face looks thinner, and I don't have a butt now due to baggy pants. Last night, I untied my scrub pants, and they fell as I walked into the bedroom.

Yesterday, 1/16, I weighed myself at work. 236. So that's like 16 pounds. Maybe 18-20, if the doctors scale shows less when I follow up Monday. In less than a month.

Here's to all of us that threw away those four pounds of flour that we used to carry on our stomachs. Here's to knowing we can go to that Mexican restaurant and not freak out, because we will carry 2/3 home with us. Here's to looking forward to that quiet walk alone to get me time and meditate, instead of groaning about having to move. Here's to stairs instead of elevators. Here's to carrots and salsa, instead of ruffles and French onion. Everyone of us on this site it's effing amazing.

Sorry for the lengthy post. Just feeling all mushy.

LindaWarden

Wow, I am so happy for you! Congratuations on your weight loss. Your post hit the nail on the head, so to speak. I am a former WW prog. person too. It is an amazing prog. that helped me lose the weight that I needed to lose, but counting points or using their suggested substitutes gets old after awhile. When I heard about MFP from the nutritionist that my Dr. told me to see, I was ready to try this. What I love is that NOTHING is off the table. I can see the nutrition info as soon as I log it into my food diary. For me, the mental change had to come first in wanting to get healthier. I'm taking baby steps with the exercise, but I can feel the results working for me, which helps me to keep striving to exercise 3 days a week for now. My journey to being fit and healthy is a life long journey, so no drastic measures are being taken. It is day by day, and I try to make better food choices and eat the portion that will keep me satisfied and lead me to goal for me. I know that you will succeed in your goal too, b/c you are motivated and have your priorities straight Again YAY for you!!!! You will succeed

hollyrayburn

We all will! We are already success stories simply by hitting that "sign up" button on here !

berto23

Great job. Congratulations in your achievement.

DressedInDreams

Congrats! Great post, thanks for the inspiration.

tannadine

Congrats on a successful first month - you've got this

dr0707

Great post. I was actually thinking the same thing today as I have lost my first 5. I was saying to myself "its "only" 5 lbs, then I thought about a 5 lb bag of sugar and gave myself a pat on the back.

Congratulations and continued success.

yasmine334

Awesome