290 to 178 in 10 Months! (w/photos)

DogRiverDude

nladopoulos wrote: »

Congrats on your amazing transformation. Well done, keep strong, keep up the good fight - Thank you for the inspiration!

Well thank you so much NL! Definitely will "keep up the good fight"! It's so nice that you find my story inspiring!

DogRiverDude

WhovianFitNHealthy wrote: »

Amazing work, man! Congrats!!

Thanks Whovian!!!!

DogRiverDude

x311Tifa wrote: »

Amazing! Congrats!!!

Thanks Tifa!

DogRiverDude

latashatristen wrote: »

You look really good..

Thanks LT! Feeling great for sure :-)

DogRiverDude

always_smilin_D wrote: »

Amazing results... good for you to sticking to it and putting yourself as a priority!!!

Thanks so much D! It got easier each day, each week, and each month! Eating well, exercise, and living well is habit forming. I think I'm there... HOPE I'm there!

tee1922

Great job!

tee1922

Great job!

cranium853

Excellent effort! It's a reminder that diligence pays off. And you look great!

Veryana

You look amazing! Well done! I want to ask something. Is or was there any problems with losing weight so fast? Like nausea for long times or loose skin? I've been thinking should I eat 1200-1400 calories as well or should I keep it the current 1620 calories

johnguitarman

Amazing! You're story was very inspirational. I used to weigh 290lbs but then with MFP got to around 218 lbs. My dad was paralyzed in an Accident and I take care of him. I go through alot of stress and unfortunately have regained alot of weight and am now at 268. I have a newfound dedication and its my goal to get around 170-190. I have a problem with fast food and junk food. Its my vice and I eat it as a comfort. I'm trying to find ways to ditch the bad foods and eat a healthier whole food diet. Also my BP is high and I need to bring that down. I did when I lost alot of weight so I know I can bring it down again. Any advice on how I can kick my fast food and junk food addictions? Keep up the great work!

sexybug6

DogRiverDude wrote: »

"This",… sharing details about my 10-month weight loss journey is NOT something I typically do, especially in a public forum! But a wonderful friend recently reminded me that sometimes I have to put myself "out there", so here I am! I'm not here to brag or boast; instead my purpose is to encourage/motivate just ONE person to do this… to jump in with both feet!

On January 3, 2015 I weighed 290 pounds. My health was failing; blood pressure was through the roof and daily headaches were commonplace. My fitness level and quality of life sucked (for lack of a better word). At 290 pounds I struggled to do much of anything, let alone exercise! Even sleeping was uncomfortable; snoring (because of my weight) caused me to awake in the morning with awful headaches! It was time to lose weight.

Initially I thought that 250 would be a great starting goal. Hey… for the past 30 years I weighed at least 250 so it sounded like a reasonable number to me. During the first 3 months I only lost 15 pounds. Although I was trying to eat healthy, I wasn't tracking my food and was getting a little frustrated with my results.

On March 25, at 275 pounds, I joined MFP and as they say, the rest is history. When you're diligent and (a) faithfully/accurately log your food intake and (b) remain below your calorie goal, you WILL lose weight!

Over the course 7 months I ate EXTREMELY healthy grossing 1200-1400 calories / day. I exercised very little in the beginning (mostly due to lack of motivation and inability) BUT, as the pounds dropped and I saw success on the scale, I found myself exercising more frequency until it became a daily occurrence a few weeks in.

I followed NO DIET PLAN except what made sense to me! I ate mostly whole fruits and vegetables along with lean protein (typically, chicken breast, pork tenderloin, and fish). I made substitutions where possible such as Almond Milk in place of traditional milk, and eliminated virtually all processed food from my diet! I even tried to make my own Almond Milk but found it to be a huge pain in the *kitten*, and OMG… what a mess!

One of the largest factors for me was cooking large quantities of food on the weekend. By having wholesome, hearty food available in the fridge during my busy work week, I had NO EXCUSE but to eat healthy. I also kept fresh (and frozen) fruit on hand for a quick snack. It's surprising how great fruit tastes after a couple months of avoiding junk food!

I never believed in "cheat days" however I did take two vacations over the 10-month period that set me back a little bit. That said, I was able to get back on track immediately which helped immensely.

Goals? As the pounds disappeared I kept lowering my goal… 250, 225, 210, 200, 190, 185, and finally 180… After 10 months I dropped below my ultimate goal and nobody was more surprised than me! 112 pounds in 10 months with a waist reduction of 46" to 30"… I didn't even think that was possible! I've been fluctuating between 178-182 for the past 6 weeks and I'm satisfied with my current weight. I began weight training when I hit my ultimate goal in hopes that I could tone up, if just a little. I'll never be that "ripped 20-year old" BUT, I'm happy with my progress so far! Blood pressure is normal, I'm sleeping great and have no health issues whatsoever. I even passed a comprehensive Life Insurance medical with flying colors last month!

MFP Friends? Look for friends with a positive attitude that have similar goals to you and are serious & dedicated about losing weight (or maintaining as the case may be). Share (healthy) recipes, stories of diet, fitness and exercise, what works for you and, what doesn't work for you. Work with your friends… inspire and motivate each other. You really don't need hundreds of random acquaintances. A small number of close friends has served me well during my weight loss process and we continue to inspire and motivate each other to remain fit.

It's important however to remember WHY you're losing (or maintaining) weight… for YOURSELF! MFP friends will come and go. Maybe, if you're lucky, one may even play an integral role in your success but… NO MFP friend can prevent you from making poor eating choices. The occasional treat is fine but, if you're getting close to your daily calorie goal, please stop for a second and reconsider that "caramel/cheese popcorn" before eating it! The decision to eat healthy is ultimately yours and ONLY yours. If you think about yourself first, you don't have to look… happiness and success will find you!

I wish nothing but the very best to everyone and your weight loss journey. Any goal IS achievable, you just gotta believe and jump in with both feet! Weight loss is NOT hard work BUT does require dedication and devotion. If just one person finds this inspirational, my only hope is that it's "YOU"!

D.

sexybug6

Amazing story well done

DogRiverDude

megan_bright wrote: »

Wow! You look years younger! Great job!

Hey thanks MB, I don't see it but... thank you! Best wishes with your own goal... halfway there I see! Awesome!

Indygirl_81

Wow DogRiverDude! What a great job! I could use some of your motivation.

Devol82

You look amazing and so much happier!! Congrats!!

DogRiverDude

madeleinestella wrote: »

Hi
Wow losing so much weight in 10 months - insanely good work!! You must be very proud.

I am wanting to lose around 70lbs ideally in around a 8-10 month timeframe. Did you find it hard towards the end When it came to continually lowering your calories seeing as you already started off pretty low?

I'm reading some conflicting articles and posts - some say start high and lessen your calories as you lose and others are saying how 1300-1400 calorie diets worked wonders for them. I am paranoid of starting too low and not having anywhere to go when I hit a plateau later down the track.

Guess I'm just wondering if you had any issues or would have done anything differently?

Thank you and congrats again!

Thank you Madeleine! Honestly, "proud" seems a little boastful to me... SURPRISED better describes how I feel!

70 in 8-10 is totally doable. I didn't actually lower my calories, rather, I increased them as I neared my goal (kind of like letting off the gas pedal before coming to a stop sign I suppose). I was aggressive right from the "get-go" netting around 1,000 calories per day (food minus exercise). The great thing about being aggressive from the beginning is that I saw results quickly which is quite motivational in itself.

As I neared my goal I began adding calories little by little to slow my rate of loss. Maybe that's not the traditional way to do things but it made sense and worked for me. As my body leaned, there was less fuel (in the form of body fat) for me to burn so... I needed a few extra calories.

I never experienced any "significant" plateaus; 4-5 days at most. I was (still am) a weighing maniac... I weigh everything that I eat to the gram! I'm a true believer that "you are what you eat" and that your body will react UP or DOWN based on caloric intake. Plateaus are temporary, if you remain confident and steady with your diet, you WILL get past them.

In hindsight, I wouldn't have changed much. Perhaps a little weight training early on, as opposed to "all" cardio. But I'm definitely glad I started aggressive with my calorie intake. Contrary to popular believe, I treated my weight loss journey as a sprint, not a marathon. Now that I'm maintaining,... NOW I'm in that "marathon"

Best wishes with your own goal... it's definitely achievable!!!

*** Just a side note: When aggressively cutting calories, please ensure you're getting ample nutrients!!! MFP tracks major vitamins and minerals so please check them on a regular basis.

Awesomechic64

That is a great achievement, You look fantastic!! Thanks so much for sharing. You are such an inspiration.

AuntSusie7

What an inspiration! Thanks! I did well all week, but cheated yesterday. That set me back. No more cheats. Slow and steady....

You look great. What a blessing for your girls. Congrats.

deniseteas

what an amazing job...I went from 265 to 190 in around the same time frame but was so ashamed of myself at the time I didn't do photos wish I had of! Im in my second phase now down to 173 aiming for 130..... keep up the good work you look amazing...thanks for sharing your success

cruisers64

Congrats to you!! You are very inspirational. Im on my journey to a 100lbs weight loss too, hopefully I can devote the same dedication as you. What a powerful journey you took!!!