Going from 321 to 117 and maintaining!

BarbaraR5563

Hi I'm Barbara Rooney. I'm 5ft tall and yes I did weigh 321 lbs. I want people to know there is hope and not to give up. Exercise is a key part of losing weight and keeping it off. I will tell my story if it will help anyone. I swore if I lost the weight that if I helped one person in my lifetime I would be happy.

ernestmartin3

Always interested in hearing about success stories

determined_100

Wow what an inspiration!!! Great work!!

CherylanneCorsini

Hi Barbara, would love to hear your story! You go girl!!

morganb211

I'm only 15 and almost 300lbs and I want to change that... people like you are what inspire me to

Liftng4Lis

Awesome job!

rodamaker2004

Great job! I would love to hear your story.

Cali_125

Please do share! Many of us could use the inspiration.

A_New_Creation

You are amazing Barbara!

BarbaraR5563

Thank you for your kind words. I'm putting a simple blog together about my challenges and how I went from 321 to 117 lbs. It is nothing fancy just an ordinary 5ft petite woman that fought hard to get my life back. I used a lot of different things to keep motivated and make it the long haul. When I have my blog address, I will put it in this section. I do need friends as I am still interested in maintaining my weight and encouraging others. Please add me if you like.

LilannB

That is very impressive. I look forward to reading your story.

BarbaraR5563

My Story

I was a skinny or my ideal weight through my twenties when I started putting on weight of about 40 pounds. I found out I had hypo-thyroid. By then I was depressed and binge eating because I was getting fatter and fatter. Before I knew it I was up to 220 pounds when I went back to college at 28 years old. I remember I could not hardly fit in the school desk where the table comes over your stomach. My table was slanted because of my stomach. I was filled with embarrassment and humiliation. By the time I graduated from college, my weight has increased to about 280. When I was working in my first professional position which was a 15 year stretch. I found myself continuing gaining weight. I finally hit 321 pounds and I was at my ending point. I could barely walk and get to my patient's homes, do rounds at the hospital, and the most embarrassing part is I had to use a hand towel to wipe when I went to the bathroom. I just couldn't go on anymore. Some say it is luck but for me it was my faith in God that he intervened. A good friend from high school happened to be in town and told me about another friend that had Gastric-Bypass Surgery and successfully lost weight and was maintaining it. This is a friend that was always heavy all of her life. I will not get into the Gastric-Bypass now. I will write on that in another section. After I healed from the surgery, I went home and started eating healthier and start the process of exercise. Little did I realize at the time how important exercise was and how much it would affect my life. In order to not get discouraged, I took my weight loss in 25 pound increments. I struggled on the treadmill at 321 and for a long time on a 5ft petite frame.. I did a little every day. My weight loss was a slow process and over the next two years I has shed all of the weight down to 150 pounds. I was exercising using the treadmill and walking outside and going on a trail and really getting addicted to exercise. I was struggling getting that last 50 pounds off so I turned to a Weight Loss organization for motivation and one that was a little strict because I had to eat pretty strict at first post-op. I had my 50 pounds off in 2005 and I weighed 115 to 119. This is the weight I've maintained from 2005 through 2015. I will say I got sick with some stomach problems in 2014 and had to be bedridden and so I put on about 40 pounds. Yes by being inactive. I had purchased a Fitbit Force in January, 2014. I decided I could do this on my own and continue to eat healthy and increase my exercise. I have continued the exercise and hit goals I never imagined I would. I'm at 119 and feel awesome. This weight loss but more so the exercising has affected me in so many positive ways. I have decreased depression, minimal stress, decreased/minimal anxiety, I feel happy and refreshed daily and I appreciate each day as it comes. I believe the serontonin going to the brain is making the difference in my life. I know this that my combination of healthy eating, exercise, and my sprirituality gives me balance whichs makes my life no matter what situation I am in or face bareable and I am just more at peace. If my journey in anyway can inspire you if you are reading this, I promise it is no special diets, pills, equipment, except I do use the Fitbit Charge HR, but it is up to you making the decision to first make the choice of a life style/lifetime change and taking action. I am by nature a person that motivates, inspires, and loves to see people get to be their best potential/the best you you can be. When you get there, you will have more confidence, find peace, and be able to face life's challenges with greater ease with having a clearer mind from three things, eating healthy, faith/higher being, and exercise. Lets reach out and help others. It's the right thing to do and it sure feels good! Let's get healthy and stay there!

ptkat28

I LOVE LOVE LOVE your story!!! U r an inspiration to us all!!!! Please friend me so I may keep up with you!!!

BarbaraR5563

This is me at Christmas and me now. I am at the weight I have been for 17 years. I had a medical problem and was in bed for three months and without exercise I put the weight on. This shows how imperative exercise is. I do NOT miss a day or if I do it is rare!