Goal Reached! 135 lbs down--please be encouraged if you have 100+ to lose!

JulieSHelms

It was success photos here on MFP that kept me going, so I'd like to share my own in hopes it will encourage others who feel like they are facing an impossible mountain.

My doctor's advice before I got started? Women with PCOS can't lose weight. The most they can hope for is to maintain...

Age 50
5'8" (& large frame)
SW 300 lbs
GW 165
Duration: 2.3 years (That includes a 7 month break where nothing was lost. Then I started at MFP and got things going again).
History: Overweight since age 18, Obese since age 22, Morbidly obese since 25. I'm now at my high school weight once again...34 years later!


Measurements:
Bust 47"-36" (11" lost)
Waist 47"-31" (16" lost)
Hips 53"-39" (14" lost)

Clothing sizes:
Tops--26 Womens to 6/8 Misses
Pants--24W to 10M
Shoes--10WW to 10B
Bra--44C to 34B

Other improvements:normal sugar, normal cholesterol, resting heart rate--60 (down from 100), removed beta blockers (heart arrhythmia is gone) and cutting back on PCOS meds. I ran 5k for the first time yesterday and exercise 6 days/wk. Before, I could run... not more than 10 steps. I've been strength training for 11 months now. I feel so much younger, stronger, and healthier.



Here is the quick before and after, followed by more of step-by-step progress pictures:







And the progress over 2 years:





A note about excess skin, just a fact of life with the larger amounts of weight loss. I've got quite a bit especially at tummy and thighs. But I think exercising really helped it not be as bad as it could have been--seemed to tighten up the underlying connective tissue. I'm including one last picture that shows the excess skin at my knees and thighs just so you know what to expect (sorry I don't do underwear pics--will just have to leave that excess skin to the imagination!)




Those legs aren't pretty, but damn are they strong now!

Nibornomis

Fantastic! Thank you for posting. I am 50 and have been yo-yo dieter for years. Had WLS and only lost 1/2 of weight which was 150, but I still need to lose 100 more. Thank you! I needed to see your post...:):)

lisabobczuk

Unbelievable! You must be so proud of yourself! You look amazing and so much younger. Your post spurs people on like me! Xx

watercolormama

Really and truly inspirational....love the progress of seeing every 20 lb gone.....Congrats toyou

SleepingSwan

Amazing!!! Well done on your outstanding achievement. I'm sure you will inspire and encourage many people with your story, me included. X x

902140

This is almost unbelievable! So impressed Madam! You look so full of life and joyful! Thank you for inspiring me!

natajane

Wow, you have done so amazingly. Do you have any tips on keeping consistency?

Honestly I wouldn't look at you and see excess knee skin if you were passing in the street either.

Thehardmakesitworthit

Brava! Brava!!!!!! You are stunning and we all know what kind of hard work has been realized! Congrats my friend!

FeraFilia

What an amazing job you've done! Thank you for sharing. I needed to see this today. I'm 1 year and 70 pounds into an effort to lose 160 pounds and I've been feeling like I'm stuck in the unending middle of the road that comes with long term weight loss. It's really nice to see others who have managed to get it done.

Congrats to you!

everher

You look fantastic!!!!

Noreenmarie1234

YOU LOOK INCREDIBLE !!!

SairyGamp

Wow, congratulations, you look amazing. This is sooo motivational.

havronab

Thanks for sharing!! You look fabulous. My starting stats and goals are very similar to yours, so it's very encouraging to see what you have accomplished. Congrats!

JudyKenova1

What kind of a heart arrhythmia did you have?
I have PCOS, fatty liver and PVC's...on beta blocker.

amtyrell

Wonderful way to go

michael1976_ca

wow amazing transformation

ChristineS_51

Wow that is a great result after some dedicated work. You look so strong and happy :-) Thanks for sharing

ZoneFive

Thank you so much for posting this -- you give me more hope! Congratulations, and may you have many healthy years!

JulieSHelms

Thank you everyone for the kind words.

@natajane

Do you have any tips on keeping consistency?

I think the big thing for me (since obviously I have tried and failed at dieting over the last 3 decades) was when I realized I couldn't go on a diet--this just had to be a complete lifestyle change. Somehow that outlook gave me the determination and success because there is no end point, just a new way of doing things forever. My husband asked me why I was still counting calories after I had reached my goal...well, because this is how I do things now.

@JudyKenova1

What kind of a heart arrhythmia did you have?
I have PCOS, fatty liver and PVC's...on beta blocker.

I don't know what kind it was-- no one ever said (it felt like I was dropping beats--like getting punched in the chest). But they suspected it was my thyroid causing it and my thyroid's been wonky for years. I was actually pulled off the beta blocker because my blood pressure has gotten so low since I've lost weight (it runs around 80/40) and they are also a bp med. Thankfully the arrhythmia didn't come back after--so not sure if the weight loss somehow affected that or what. For PCOS, I'm on Spironolactone, also a bp medicine, that I take as a testosterone blocker. So here I already have lowish bp and I was on two bp lowering meds off-label. Two weeks ago I blacked out from low bp and fell face first on a pile of rocks. The dr. wants me off the spiro now, but I just can't because otherwise I will lose my hair. So we compromised and cut it back and are watching my T levels. PCOS just really sucks all around! I'm perimenopause, so just hoping that and weight loss will lessen the PCOS and I can get off all of it.

mallomary

You're not going to tell us how your doctor reacted when you showed him/her that women with PCOS can lose weight?

JulieSHelms

mallomary wrote: »

You're not going to tell us how your doctor reacted when you showed him/her that women with PCOS can lose weight?

Not my doctor anymore.