Lost 55 Pounds

lgstone

I've posted this in the general area but thought I'd put it here as well.
The day after Christmas 2014 my wife and kids and I were sitting around miserable, talking about how fat we were. So my daughter says "Hey, lets set aside one month and all together do some crazy Internet Fad Diet!" We all laughed and said "Sure, why not." So she researched and came up with the Whole30 plan. Reading it, I thought, "NO way I'll last a month on this!" But for some reason, whole "cold turkey" for the Whole30 worked. Not only did I lose 12 pounds that first month, but I felt more energized. I slept better. My GI tract functioned better. A lifetime of "irritable bowel" improved at least by 80%. I quit running and just started walking every day for an hour.
That started January 15, 2014. I weighed 260 pounds (or so). Today, January 11, 2016, I weigh 202 pounds (or so). I kept up with the Whole30 very strictly for 3 months, then gradually started adding in a few foods to see how I responded, then cut back out the foods that bothered me. The result is today I'm still losing weight, though much more slowly as I approach my goal (about 15 pounds to go). My waist has gone from a tight 44 to a 38 on the way to 36. My sport jacket size has gone from a 54 Regular to a lose 44 Regular.
I know some people really hate on the Whole30, but for me it was the perfect way to jump-start my healthy eating. My wife became an expert, amazing Whole30 meal planner and we've had the best year of great eating we can remember. Yes, it wasn't just the year of weight loss. It was the year of wonderful eating! She also reached her weight goal, feels and looks amazing.
I have been on MFP for several years and find it a vital tool for managing my healthy eating habits. I use the Fitbit to keep tabs on my activity.
I just wanted to share this news as an encouragement to others: you can do it!

bbell1424

Wow well done top effort!

craignev

Nicely done to you both! Did the kids see much benefit?

LaceyBirds

Congratulations, that's a great loss, a great life change for your wife and yourself, and a great success story.

rdgfreshstart2016

Congratulations on your success!

mdonnay

That's great! I'll have to look up Whole30. This past November, I did the 22 Day Challenge (plant based diet) and it helped me drop a lot of bad habits -- plus I lost 13 lbs. I was creative with my recipes and was nearly ready to be a vegetarian. I had more energy than I had for the previous 10 months. Since then, I've lost an additional 7 lbs.