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

DogRiverDude

Heavyhauler16 wrote: »

Awesome job, I am super motivated by your story

Hey thank you HH! It's amazing how fast you can turn your life around (in regards to weight). My best wishes to you and your goal.

Seffell

Wow, this the best success story I've read. You sound so positive! Well done for your success. You've made a tremendous achievement in your life! Thank you for sharing this with us! You look amazing!

DogRiverDude

moremonica wrote: »

FANTASTIC job! An amazing effort and your almond milk story brought a smile to my face. I also tried to do it when I was told how easy it was. What a mess! Keep up the great work.

Hey thanks so much Monica! Yeah, LMAO... I bought this giant bag of Almonds and thought I could make my own Almond Milk (better and cheaper). I don't believe it was any cheaper,... it may have tasted slightly better than the store bought brand but good grief... THE MESS! Almond Milk all over the place (including me), Almond bits permanently stuck in the straining cloth and sieves, and the cleanup... oh my... washing dishes for an eternity! The YouTube videos make it look easy-peasy but I beg to differ hehe! I'm glad I tried it, just so I can say I did it, but it's one of those things where I sacrifice processed over homemade. Yogurt is another... it's possible to make yogurt at home but WHO the heck does that (more than once) hehe.

Anyways... best wishes with whatever goals you have set and... BUY your almond milk

Shiggysho

You're really hot x)

DogRiverDude

Cybaby1 wrote: »

Tears...Just what I needed to read at this moment! Congrats to you and thanks!

Awe CyBaby... that's very sweet! I'm so glad the post helped you in some way. Looking back it seemed so easy BUT I do remember that I "had my days". Just glide through the easy days, persevere through the tough ones and you'll be looking back with a smile someday soon too! Best wishes with all your life-goals!

DogRiverDude

JUKN0WPK wrote: »

Great job!! I am on my way from 275 to a goal of 235 for now, hope to be successful as you have been! Only concern is I see you are a Riders Fan, well we gave you a coach so we will see if you can compete with the Esks!

Thanks Juknowpk! What an excellent idea to set micro goals! I did something very similar, albeit by accident. The smaller goals are much easier to achieve and result in less frustration since they don't seem overwhelming. Damn! Another Esks fan. I'll have to look back through the thread but I think the tally is now Riders 3, Esks 2 Gosh... I think we stole the entire coaching staff! It should be an interesting season.

DogRiverDude

jshute71 wrote: »

Wow!!! You look 10-15 years younger! Congratulations!

Thank you Jshute! The trick to looking younger is full frontal lighting to fill in any shadows and smiles that are large enough to show you're happy yet, not so large that crows feet appear haha. That said... I do feel younger though! I've been heavy (putting it lightly) (lightly?! hehe) my entire adult life so all of this is still new to me. Thanks again

DogRiverDude

grrupp wrote: »

I found it inspirational, thank you and Congrats!!!

Thank you grrupp (Grr Up? hehe)! I had fun writing the story, was terrified to click the "Post" button, but in hindsight, so glad I did. It looks like you're almost 20% to goal already, congratulations! Best wishes with the balance... with continued dedication you'll get there very soon!

one235

You did a good job losing the weight. Look at how younger you look. Keep it up and thanks for sharing your story.

NatashaFinklea1

You look great!!! Congats. On a selfish level i needed this motivation thank you for sharing you success with us.

G__Force

Awesome accomplishment. inspiring!

davoiscool

An absolute inspiration!

DogRiverDude

lizlemon4 wrote: »

WOW!!! Amazing and you did it. I dont even know you and I am proud of you. Think of all the years you have added to your life. I have only been with MFP for a week and I am noticing and making HUGE dietary changes for myself. fruits, veggies, and lean meats are the way to go just like you said in your post. You're truely an inspiration. thank you for sharing your story

I don't even know YOU either and I'd still like to thank you hehe! It's funny... when the Insurance dude came for my medical he was running over disease and life expectancy statistics with me and said pretty much the same thing. It's truly a wonderful feeling because I was a medical train-wreck at 290 pounds, eeks! LOL, right... "who knew" that fresh fruits, veggies, and lean protein could make that much of a difference! Seriously, we all know right? It's just a choice we make; eat healthy OR not eat healthy? Thanks again Lizlemon and best wishes achieving your goal; it's a small amount so I'm sure that within a few short weeks you'll nail it!!

willnorton

great

backontheattack

That is incredible.. Good For you!!!

DogRiverDude

nicholemurphy87 wrote: »

Congrats

A person of few words! I sometimes like that! Thanks Nichole!!

DogRiverDude

tennileb wrote: »

Congrats !! fantastic results

Thank you Tennile! The weight loss, especially rate-of-loss was surprising but thanks

DogRiverDude

caperchick78 wrote: »

Congratulations! You worked so hard and it obviously paid off. I've lost half of the weight I want to lose, and have about 80 more to go. Reading success stories such as your own really motivate me on the days where it seems like I'll never get to where I want to be. It's a reminder that it is possible if I just keep moving forward! Thank you! Oh, and GO RIDERS!

Hey thanks CC! The hardest work was meal prep on Sunday, oh, and I suppose some treadmilling hehe. The most difficult part for me was avoiding the unhealthy foods but... those cravings eventually pass. It really helped having ready-to-serve meals... something I still do to this day. Your current loss is fantastic!! Yeah, definitely always look forward and take each day as it comes; there's just no point lamenting about the bad days. You'll get there... you just gotta want it! All my best to you achieving your goal!! And woo-hoo, another point for the Riders! Is it 5-3 Rider over the Eskimos? I'll have to run through the thread and check hehe.

ChrisSr74

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.

You are an inspiration. I'm 285 pounds on day six of my journey. Thank you

minijoanna

Congrats on your transformation. You look 10 years younger!