From dieting to a lifestyle change, inspired by my future (with pictures)

PandoraGreen721

Fantastic job!!

Shull_rachael

This is so inspiring!

bnovak226

Did u think at 175 that a goal weight for you would EVER be 115? After my 2nd child I was 175 and my goal was 135, that baby is 2 now and I'm 137 and thinking I still have A WAYS to go.

deniseramos125

You and I are in very similar places I our lives with getting married this year and with my yoyo diet. Today I was feeling like I was in the back end of my yoyo but you totally inspired me to keep going. Thanks for sharing! By the way how long did this journey take?

MsSGriff1

I love the pictures!!! You look amazing. You will be a happy and beautiful bride. My only words of wisdom for your wedding day are focus on yourself and your soon to be husband and take joy and comfort in each other. Things will not go 100% according to plan (more than likely), but at the end of the day the only thing that matters is each other and the love and the life you share together.

I never struggled with my weight until my late 20s. I also started a career working at a desk, which doesn't help. I am going to take before pictures to help motivate me. I think it will be nice to have them to compare to the after photo. In 2008, I weighed 130 LBS. Over the last 8 years, I rose to 180 LBS. Now, I am back down to 165 LBS. I have another 35 LBS to go. I'm also doing it slowly and focusing mainly on diet and working to be more active. I don't care if it takes me 10 years. Failure is not an option. I refuse to be short and fat.

annaskiski

Wow! what a difference!!!

I mean, you look good too, but that dog!

skellymama1

You look fantastic, so healthy and strong.

gemmi33

This literally stopped me in my tracks!!!!! You look so fantastic..... massive inspiration x

MegaTunez11

wow nice transformation

ercarroll311 wrote: »

At 25, I had been battling weight for 7 years. I was in grad school, working 4 jobs to have the best chance at getting the job I wanted after graduation. That was my focus, not my health. I was eating out every day, and eating junk when I wasn't out. I made no time for exercise, and spent any free time hanging out on the couch with my roommates. I didn't go near a scale because I didn't want to know the truth.

I had gone through a gallbladder surgery gone very wrong, and knew what poor diet could lead to. I had also shown signs of endometriosis for years, something my mom had that made her nearly unable to have children. My doctor suggested I could have PCOS also. That was it--I wasn't going to have two things holding me back from having a family. I knew the best way to deal with PCOS was to lose weight, so that's what I had to do it. I'd done it before, the crash diet. I ate my 1200 calories and skipped going out with friends, and sweat away after work on an elliptical. I'd get to my goal and slowly slip back to my old ways. Something had to change, for good.

I looked around for inspiration, especially to my parents. 15 years before, my dad had decided to make a change himself. He started walking, cooking better things, logging what he ate (paper and pencil, he used--he's in his 70s, so not online diary for him). Meanwhile, my mom had yo-yo dieted my whole life. Nutrisystem and step aerobics, then gain weight, Weight Watchers and Curves, then gain weight... she was overweight and not doing anything about it anymore. I'd been through cancer and two heart surgeries with my parents, and didn't want that for my kids, if I could help it.

I decided I'd lose the weight slowly, something I'd always known to be better for you, but never wanted to take the time to do. It's frustrating to see the scale move slowly, and those water weight gains can get you down. But I wanted to be able to go out on weekends, enjoy holidays without guilt. I started walking my new 10 lb puppy. Any labrador owners know how much they need their exercise. It was small at first, a couple of half hour walks per day. I found I liked it a lot, could use that time to relax. I'd meal plan, think about upcoming lesson plans (I did get that job I wanted), and schedule out my week.

I also learned some new things. For instance, if I'm not excited about what I'm making for dinner, the likelihood of me eating something less great skyrockets. I decided I'd learn to cook things I love in a healthier way. Skinnytaste and similar blogs were helpful. I tried out Thai, (Americanized) Chinese, Korean, Latin American (this was already really familiar to me), Italian, Mediterranean, Indian... basically I'll try anything! I love it, and I look forward to my own cooking way more than restaurants. It was intimidating at first, looking at long ingredient lists or things I hadn't done, but it's been fun learning.

Fast forward to today: That puppy is 90 lbs heavier and I'm 60 lbs lighter. The walking is about 10 miles per day now, and I run 3x/week and lift weights 3x/week. It's great for stress, and the results get me excited for the gym like I never was before. I cook nearly every night, always trying new things, and can enjoy the special occasions. It's a lifestyle that I'll someday teach to children. I don't have PCOS, by the way, but the endometriosis was surgically diagnosed. My doctor is confident I'll have no trouble conceiving, but for now I'm cherishing my full nights' sleep. I'm getting married this year, and there's no pre-wedding diet to add stress.

MFP has been a big part of my success, and these forums have done everything from answer questions I have, gives me ideas for exercises and recipes and how to be successful, find new people with similar interests, and inspire me. I hope I can inspire someone to make the change, now for the scale or the mirror (though they don't hurt), but for their future and their family's future.

[post edited by MFP moderators]

Of course, gotta have the visual proof:


Before: 175 lbs 5'3"





After 115 lbs (not any taller... )

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eprybs

Amazing transformation! Thank you for sharing!

Mithridites

ercarroll311 wrote: »

chach722 wrote: »

May I ask what kind of exercises you do??

I do three sets of 11-12 exercises on my lifting days.

Truly incredible job! I'm so inspired. I also love your dog, he's adorable.
May I ask how long each weight-lifting session takes you (approximately) ? Do you do supersets, circuits, or rest after each set?

mojonah

Amazing transformation. Congrats.

MyEvolvingJourney

How inspiring! You made a change for your health and that's no easy task! Great work!

AwareOne

Well done!

MichelleLaree13

Wow! You look fantastic! Congratulations on taking control of your future!!

nowornever0430

WOW.... your transformation is amazing and thank you so much for sharing your story!!

RWayne48

Awesome job!

webster23sports

......and same bed and carpet..... congrats your looking great for that wedding.

solieco1

So inspiring and you look great but I think the beautiful pup steals the show

no_moore66

Beautiful all the hard work ,pays off. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding.