65 lbs down, with pics

SilverSheWolf55

You look marvelous! I am so proud for you! I am sure you feel better, also. I agree, you do look 10 years younger. Congratulations on your success!

Allie2060

Great job!

trudie_b

Thank you all so much. I just love how everyone here is rooting for each other.

mylifeisbeautiful

You are a vision of fitness!! Go you!!!

jpena412

Wowzer! You look fantastic! I saw your previous note about a collagen supplement, do you have a brand recommendation? Even as I'm losing weight I'm still dealing with cellulite issues and thinking about trying a supplement. Also, I'd love to know your gym regimen, your arms are bangin'!

jamesgdavenport

wow you look great what did you do to get those results?

trudie_b wrote: »

I posted a couple of weeks back in the photos only success thread, but my after shots were pretty rubbish, so I've taken some better ones.

This is me in 2011, 211lbs, 41/36/47" (5'10"), UK size 18/20.




This is me now, 146lbs, 34/26/38", UK size 8/10.

trudie_b

jpena412 wrote: »

Wowzer! You look fantastic! I saw your previous note about a collagen supplement, do you have a brand recommendation? Even as I'm losing weight I'm still dealing with cellulite issues and thinking about trying a supplement. Also, I'd love to know your gym regimen, your arms are bangin'!

I've tried Great Lakes & Bulletproof - I think I prefer Great Lakes.

I'm not following any programme, I use an app called Fitness Builder, and I've created two routines in that, one upper, one lower. I do 4 x 60 minutes lifting sessions at the gym, and I do it circuit style, lots of super sets (I haven't the patience to rest between sets). I go at it pretty hard. I've only been lifting heavy for 4 months, so I've still got newbie gains going on, I think.

trudie_b

Thanks James! This has been a long journey, I started in August 2014. Initially my focus was health, and I think that was a good thing, because if it had been all about how I looked, I might not have had the patience to see it through.

The first thing I did was cut out sugar, wheat, and processed food. Completely. I did that for a few months, and my health slowly improved. Then I gradually added in exercise (I had to go slowly because of my health problems). I bought a recumbent bike, and worked my way up on that, starting off with just 10 minutes a day. I continued eating healthily, but I didn't count calories or anything (this was pre MFP). That got me down to about 180lbs, so not quite halfway to goal. By then I was getting pretty fit, so I really ramped up my exercise. I do 45 minutes HIIT three times a week, and 60 minutes weight training four times a week. I started tracking my calories about July, mainly because I was so close to my goal weight that it was getting harder to lose. I currently eat approx 1800-1900 calories a day, and I think that's maintenance, because I'm not losing or gaining at this point. It's been trial and error because it's hard to track my calorie output when the exercise I usually do is either weight training or HIIT.

I truly believe that if I can do it, anyone can. It really helped having a bigger incentive than simply my appearance - when you see a big improvement in your health, it's really not hard to keep going. You get daily rewards, instead of having to plug away day after day, waiting for the eventual reward of hitting goal.

My dream was to get to 140lbs, but I know now I could only do that by being skinny, and I'd rather be lean and have muscle, so I'm happy at 147.

szkodzt

Absolutely amazing! One of the best transformations I have seen!

PandoraGreen721

You look incredible..hard to believe you've only been lifting heavy for four months!

Congratulations on all your success! Hard work definitely pays off!

bonnie8714

How has this affected your psychological aspects. ie., seeing yourself as a "different person". What do your closest friends and family think and what type of support system did you use?

judith1969jv

OMG. That's what I'm talking about. Mind set over all.. Congrats!!!

trudie_b

bonnie8714 wrote: »

How has this affected your psychological aspects. ie., seeing yourself as a "different person". What do your closest friends and family think and what type of support system did you use?

It's been a bumpy ride, to be honest. To begin with everyone was supportive, because I was doing it for health reasons, but the more weight I lost, the more negativity I experienced, from close friends even. I went through a period of about three months last summer, where it was beginning to really get me down. I found it really hard to deal with the constant barrage of comments about how I looked, and not all the comments were appropriate, or phrased in kind words. Comments like, "I hate you, we’re all insanely jealous of you, you don't eat now, do you, it’s time to start eating sticks of lard, permission to hate you".

But my husband and best friend both said the same, just wait, people need to get used to your new body, and when they do, it'll ease up. And it has, to some extent, and I've gradually got less sensitive too.

Weight lifting has been tremendously helpful to me psychologically. I have battled anxiety/depression from childhood, and exercise helps, but it's more than that. I love that I’m one of the few women in the free weights section of the gym, I feel so tough and strong when I'm lifting, and having spent my entire life thinking (and being told) that I was fragile and weak and wouldn't be able to do things, that feels pretty amazing. I have more confidence in my ability to cope and to endure difficult things, and that's huge.

b1229

Wow great transformation, you are truly inspirational.

jennamae102

hey girl hey! you look so fit and strong! congrats on all of your hard work

majess1022

You look so fit! Big high five to you!

rachelr1116

Congratulations, you look amazing! And thank you for including your measurements. I'm 5'11" and it's been so long since I've been a normal weight it's nice to know that could actually be possible for me to have a waist measurement under 30"!

trudie_b

Thank you all so much!

AbbottJames

trudie_b wrote: »

I posted a couple of weeks back in the photos only success thread, but my after shots were pretty rubbish, so I've taken some better ones.

This is me in 2011, 211lbs, 41/36/47" (5'10"), UK size 18/20.




This is me now, 146lbs, 34/26/38", UK size 8/10.

Wow! You look amazing! Great work!

Debmal77

You look amazing and so much younger! Great accomplishment!