Success Stories!
TheVirgoddess
Posts: 4,535 Member
I'll go first.
In late March of 2014, I went to the doctor for the first time in 7 years. I walked out completely overwhelmed with what I'd learned and the changes I was facing.
My diagnoses:
Severe Sleep Deprivation
Moderate-Severe Depression
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Insulin Resistance (Fasting Insulin of 18)
And a BMI of 38.7
This is in addition to my already diagnosed Chiari Malformation (16mm herniation).
I started taking meds to help me sleep, to control my insulin and to start kicking my depressions behind. About a month later, I decided to try the weight loss thing. So I joined MyFitnessPal.
I was really, really overwhelmed with all the changes I was facing. I started reading the forums, where I saw people talking about "moderation". I really thought it was too good to be true - could I really just the same food I always have, and lose weight? Sounded too easy. But, I like easy, so I gave it a try.
A month later, I was down 20 pounds.
It was working. I was eating the same foods, and I was losing weight. I couldn't believe it. I started spending more time on the forums, and following around the same people to see what else I could learn. I learned that it's easier if you weight your food on a scale, so I did it. I learned that you should find exercise that you love, for your health, so I did it. I learned that one day wouldn't undo all my other days.
I started getting more active - taking walks, and I started doing yoga. I went from touching my toes, to doing things like this. I was pretty sure that I was unstoppable.
I started paying a bit more attention to my macros, to see how changes made me feel. I started looking into weight lifting. I started to check myself out in mirrors
Some days were really hard. When you have Chiari Malformation, sometimes you wake up and can't talk, or walk, or swallow - and they can mentally set you back when you know you're capable of SO much more. And you wanted to try that new yoga routine you just wrote, or get your butt to the gym and you just cannot.
I kept going though - I kept pushing. I kept my calories in check and stayed mindfully active. I ate less than I burned and my scale consistently showed my hard work.
And on June 19, 2015, I reached a healthy BMI for the first time in over 10 years.
Nothing about this has been easy - but so much of it was simple - CICO. I had the odds stacked against me, and I beat them. My fasting insulin (as of July 1) is 5.4. I'm no longer insulin resistant. My depression is under my control. I'm happy, healthy and on my way to being my best me. I still have my Chiari Malformation - the only way to try to help that is brain surgery. But, my bad days are fewer and fewer, because I'm taking care of myself.
I'll never be done, because I'm always going to work on myself.
SW: 232.2
CW: 147.2
Achievement Unlocked: Total Bad*ss
In late March of 2014, I went to the doctor for the first time in 7 years. I walked out completely overwhelmed with what I'd learned and the changes I was facing.
My diagnoses:
Severe Sleep Deprivation
Moderate-Severe Depression
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Insulin Resistance (Fasting Insulin of 18)
And a BMI of 38.7
This is in addition to my already diagnosed Chiari Malformation (16mm herniation).
I started taking meds to help me sleep, to control my insulin and to start kicking my depressions behind. About a month later, I decided to try the weight loss thing. So I joined MyFitnessPal.
I was really, really overwhelmed with all the changes I was facing. I started reading the forums, where I saw people talking about "moderation". I really thought it was too good to be true - could I really just the same food I always have, and lose weight? Sounded too easy. But, I like easy, so I gave it a try.
A month later, I was down 20 pounds.
It was working. I was eating the same foods, and I was losing weight. I couldn't believe it. I started spending more time on the forums, and following around the same people to see what else I could learn. I learned that it's easier if you weight your food on a scale, so I did it. I learned that you should find exercise that you love, for your health, so I did it. I learned that one day wouldn't undo all my other days.
I started getting more active - taking walks, and I started doing yoga. I went from touching my toes, to doing things like this. I was pretty sure that I was unstoppable.
I started paying a bit more attention to my macros, to see how changes made me feel. I started looking into weight lifting. I started to check myself out in mirrors
Some days were really hard. When you have Chiari Malformation, sometimes you wake up and can't talk, or walk, or swallow - and they can mentally set you back when you know you're capable of SO much more. And you wanted to try that new yoga routine you just wrote, or get your butt to the gym and you just cannot.
I kept going though - I kept pushing. I kept my calories in check and stayed mindfully active. I ate less than I burned and my scale consistently showed my hard work.
And on June 19, 2015, I reached a healthy BMI for the first time in over 10 years.
Nothing about this has been easy - but so much of it was simple - CICO. I had the odds stacked against me, and I beat them. My fasting insulin (as of July 1) is 5.4. I'm no longer insulin resistant. My depression is under my control. I'm happy, healthy and on my way to being my best me. I still have my Chiari Malformation - the only way to try to help that is brain surgery. But, my bad days are fewer and fewer, because I'm taking care of myself.
I'll never be done, because I'm always going to work on myself.
SW: 232.2
CW: 147.2
Achievement Unlocked: Total Bad*ss
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Replies
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^And Rock Star. Don't forget that. You're totally awesome.0
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I started my weight loss on Jan. 30th 2012 and yes I did the 1200 cals or less
. Loss about 60 some pounds, July 2012, we did a very big move from Colorado to Florida. Had a hard time getting back at it, was tired of doing low calories, so I started reading more on the forums about TDEE's, etc, you know the "mean" people folks, lol, 
, but every time I ate more I would gain weight and get frustrated, so I kept reading the forums, (by this time it was 4-5 months after we moved to Fl. I gained 13 pounds back), that I needed to use digital food scale, so I got one and started using it and up my calories, slowly , loss the 13 pounds I gained back and kept going and hit my goal weight, 110 pounds on Sept. 25, 2014.
Before:
After:
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Such awesome work, Serah!0
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Guess I'll go next
Basically I was very active in high school and ate what ever I wanted. I left for college and continued to eat how I was but, with my studies, I wasn't as active. Kept the ci but reduced the co.
I fell for fad diet after fad diet. I tried diet pills and any quick fix you could think of.
Before I started to count my calories:
My blood sugar was elevated
My cholesterol was elevated
I was pushing 200 pounds ( at 5'6)
I was a size 14 jeans.
I started to track my calories and reduce my portions. I did not eliminate foods that I would normally eat. I eat moderate carbs. I still enjoy eating out.
I found a new love for weight lifting and still do some cardio. A year and a half of calorie counting and potion control has lead me to lose 35 pounds. My blood work has all returned to normal limits. I'm now a size 6 jeans.
Most recent picture:
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You ladies are awesome and a true inspiration!0
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strong_curves wrote: »You ladies are [awesome and a true inspiration!
Cough... Open group... Censor....Cough 0 -
strong_curves wrote: »You ladies are [awesome and a true inspiration!
Cough... Open group... Censor....Cough
my bad
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strong_curves wrote: »strong_curves wrote: »You ladies are [awesome and a true inspiration!
Cough... Open group... Censor....Cough
my bad
Just looking out 0 -
Phenomenal work, Troutsy!
I can't wait to be an after, like y'all. My biggest regret is that I have no true before picture. The picture that I do have is me at around 190-194 ish with no exercise. That's 20 pounds shy of my all time high weight of 214. I was 210 when I started on MFP. No pictures of that, only a face shot.0 -
My turn. For the 2nd time in my life, I hit a weight that shocked me into weight loss. I was too close to 150 at 147.5. That's what did it this time.
So I looked back at what was successful last time and tried to tweak it to be more successful after the weight loss this time. Because in the 10 years between that one and this I'd regained all I'd lost and then some.
So I once again set my budget at 12 x my goal weight. But I set my goal weight to something more reasonable for a sedentary Midwestern US life (as opposed to the life I had in the mountains of the Czech Republic). 125 seemed reasonable so 1500 was my calorie budget.
And of course, I tried to move more. I got a Fitbit and walking 10K steps a day is the major part of my exercise. I do some other minor exercises now and then, usually on work days.
I had to find a picture of me to kind of show the BEFORE:
That's the "wide" me in the white shirt.
Yesterday, I hit my goal of 125 and am now moving to maintenance. Last time, my lower budget (1320) was not something I could live comfortably on so I stopped counting calories and ate more. That's how I gained. So this time, I find 1500 to be reasonable and not depriving. So I'm going to stick with it and see where it leads, and yes, I'm going to keep walking.
Here's my AFTER:
I hope I got those in the right order.
Gabrielle0 -
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