No gimmicks-105 pounds lost using CICO
CaptainJoy
Posts: 257 Member
I wrote this in October of 2016:
If anyone would have suggested running or even walking a 10K one year ago I would have laughed. I was old (57) and morbidly obese with bad knees and a bad back. There was no way! Fast forward to today. I am over 100 pounds down with a normal bmi and my first 10K will be in December. I'm actually planning to run a good part of it. Life is good!
I know that a lot of people believe slow and steady wins the race but I was at risk for metabolic syndrome. High cholesterol, borderline high blood pressure, super high triglycerides, and my morbid obesity put me at high risk for heart disease. I couldn't even get a job without doing a sleep study to prove I didn't have sleep apnea. Without work I could not afford to get out of the house much so I was in a rut. I had to change. I had to get my life back. I was not ready to give up on my life or dreams so I downloaded the mfp app and was given a fitness tracker. I set them to lose 2 pounds/week. I was skeptical but somehow knew this would work.
I did not know about ci/co. Honestly. I knew that calories contributed to weight gain but I thought eating too many sweets and fats caused one to get fat. I thought exercise was how to lose weight. I learned that restricting calories and moving more resulted in weight loss. When I couldn't count I estimated. When I couldn't exercise I ate less. When I could get some walks in I ate more. Still, I counted, weighed, and measured my food to ensure I was at a deficit. I measured my activity with my fitness tracker. I did not give up when I had a bad day or week. I enjoyed some sweets during Halloween with the grandkids then got back on track. Most important, I took a multivitamin to ensure I didn't get sick since it's hard to get all the vitamins you need on 1200 calories.
Everybody is different and different approaches work for different people. I ate bread, rice, carbs. I also ate plenty of protein. I tried adding lots of fiber, nuts, and seeds to my diet but that landed me in the ER with diverticulitis and ain't nobody got time for that! I had to forget the nuts and raisins and such and eat what my body needed.
The unintended results of my weight loss include normal and healthy cholesterol and triglycerides, excellent blood pressure, and being able to see the muscles that my fat was hiding. It's unbelievable that I now wear size 6's and small/mediums. I can even wear a girls size 16 (that's a 5 in adult clothing).
Ci/co should be taught and stressed in schools. It is so extremely simple when it is fully understood.
Fast forward to today 7/9/2018:
I didn't initially post the above success story because I thought it might jinx me and I'd regain the weight. Well I have regained about 10 pounds of my 105 pound loss and am wearing mostly a tight 6 or a loose 8 but I'm okay with it. I've finally given away my XL, 2X, and 3X tops. All double digit pants and jeans from size 10 to 24 are gone. I keep a check on my weight a few times a month and I learned what and how much to eat during my journey. What? Anything as long as it fits my calorie needs for the day. How much? A lot less. Portion size. Skip the coke and fries. Enough to satisfy without feeling stuffed. I hate the buffets now because I'll never get my money's worth. I prefer to have a plate of food prepared and served. I changed my eating habits so I can maintain my loss. It's working.
If anyone would have suggested running or even walking a 10K one year ago I would have laughed. I was old (57) and morbidly obese with bad knees and a bad back. There was no way! Fast forward to today. I am over 100 pounds down with a normal bmi and my first 10K will be in December. I'm actually planning to run a good part of it. Life is good!
I know that a lot of people believe slow and steady wins the race but I was at risk for metabolic syndrome. High cholesterol, borderline high blood pressure, super high triglycerides, and my morbid obesity put me at high risk for heart disease. I couldn't even get a job without doing a sleep study to prove I didn't have sleep apnea. Without work I could not afford to get out of the house much so I was in a rut. I had to change. I had to get my life back. I was not ready to give up on my life or dreams so I downloaded the mfp app and was given a fitness tracker. I set them to lose 2 pounds/week. I was skeptical but somehow knew this would work.
I did not know about ci/co. Honestly. I knew that calories contributed to weight gain but I thought eating too many sweets and fats caused one to get fat. I thought exercise was how to lose weight. I learned that restricting calories and moving more resulted in weight loss. When I couldn't count I estimated. When I couldn't exercise I ate less. When I could get some walks in I ate more. Still, I counted, weighed, and measured my food to ensure I was at a deficit. I measured my activity with my fitness tracker. I did not give up when I had a bad day or week. I enjoyed some sweets during Halloween with the grandkids then got back on track. Most important, I took a multivitamin to ensure I didn't get sick since it's hard to get all the vitamins you need on 1200 calories.
Everybody is different and different approaches work for different people. I ate bread, rice, carbs. I also ate plenty of protein. I tried adding lots of fiber, nuts, and seeds to my diet but that landed me in the ER with diverticulitis and ain't nobody got time for that! I had to forget the nuts and raisins and such and eat what my body needed.
The unintended results of my weight loss include normal and healthy cholesterol and triglycerides, excellent blood pressure, and being able to see the muscles that my fat was hiding. It's unbelievable that I now wear size 6's and small/mediums. I can even wear a girls size 16 (that's a 5 in adult clothing).
Ci/co should be taught and stressed in schools. It is so extremely simple when it is fully understood.
Fast forward to today 7/9/2018:
I didn't initially post the above success story because I thought it might jinx me and I'd regain the weight. Well I have regained about 10 pounds of my 105 pound loss and am wearing mostly a tight 6 or a loose 8 but I'm okay with it. I've finally given away my XL, 2X, and 3X tops. All double digit pants and jeans from size 10 to 24 are gone. I keep a check on my weight a few times a month and I learned what and how much to eat during my journey. What? Anything as long as it fits my calorie needs for the day. How much? A lot less. Portion size. Skip the coke and fries. Enough to satisfy without feeling stuffed. I hate the buffets now because I'll never get my money's worth. I prefer to have a plate of food prepared and served. I changed my eating habits so I can maintain my loss. It's working.
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Replies
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Very inspiring! Thank you for sharing!2
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Wow! Thanks for sharing your success story. I need to lose 70 more pounds though my doctor would like for me to lose 90 more. I’m just not sure if I can do it. You have inspired me. Thanks.5
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Phenomenal!1
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What a great story and the honesty to say that even after losing 100 lbs you thought you might 'jinx' it! Inspiring and proof that it doesn't have to be complicated! Thank you
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Amazing story thanks so much for posting it, it's been very helpful for me today because I'm struggling with working my backside off with my eating/working out and not losing consistently. You've motivated me to keep plowing on 2
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Wowww! Awesome story!1
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Great job1
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I love your story! Congratulations, you look happy, healthy and younger!1
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YOU LOOK AMAZING....! (So smile
) Congrats you have done a tremendous job, very inspiring! You look 20 years younger. 1 -
Thank you everyone for all the encouraging replies. I decided to post my success to inspire others. It is possible to lose weight when the odds are stacked against you. The journey starts lonely but ends up fulfilling. Lonely because you avoid eating out with friends so your diet isn’t sabotaged. Fulfilling because when you’ve accomplished your goals, there’s so much more energy! I’m humble enough to share my success. I hope and pray for everyone to succeed as I have.5
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Awesome job!
This thread made my day.1 -
Much respect to you on your hard work your dedication and most of all your Common sense approach. I hope that newbies read your story because quite frankly it is a recipe for success. Thanks for sharing! P.s yes CICO should be taught in schools fully agree.3
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Your story is such an inspiration!2
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You are an inspiration. I love your "there is nothing to it, just do CICO". I am currently on my 70 kg / 160 pound weight loss journey (15 kg gone so far). Thank you for your feed back, you are living proof that it can be done! (And that's why MFP is so important to me: success stories and so much more on offer.)2
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That is awesome for you.....and my doctor has always said ...Cico ......there are so many different diets out there I get overwhelmed and like yourself that is living proof it really is as simple as Cico......and exercise .....and of course a lot of heLthy eating ....but not to restrict everything .....I hope to follow your advice2
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What a great success story!2
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You look incredible!!1
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Thank you for all the uplifting replies. I posted my success to give back to this community some of what I learned from my journey. My sustained weight loss has inspired many of my church friends, mostly 60-90 year old ladies, to lose weight through Weight Watchers. They have lost a lot of weight together and are looking and feeling fantastic! Two other friends do the Keto diet. It’s working for them. One had gastric bypass surgery. She was tipping the scales at 500 pounds and felt her life was over. Losing weight saved her life. A few failed because their diet was not sustainable. Having prepared meals delivered to your door is fine if you can do it for life. Most people can’t. That’s why understanding cico is so important.
Tip of the day: Eating fewer calories than you burn results in weight loss.4 -
I have known quite a few people who have gone down the route of having diet plan meals delivered to their door. The meal plans are obviously well balanced, nutritious and provide a good calorie deficit as all those I know lost good amounts of weight and looked fantastic. Most stopped attending family gatherings/social occasions etc where food was on offer as they wanted to stick to their plan until reaching goal weight. However, as soon as they returned to preparing and eating their own food and their social lives they all (of the people I know personally) regained their weight , some even more. You are so right - no gimmicks needed, learning to control portion size and calorie count is all it takes.2
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@motivatedmartha Yes! You said what I was trying to say perfectly.0
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Just wanted to say thank you. There obviously is hope I can't work out three hours a day for 6-7 days aweek anymore...plus I feel hopeless
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You are really an inspiration! Back to basics.1
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Your story and pictures are inspirational. Thanks for sharing the story of your hard work and long term success.1
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Wow! Hats off to you. You are an inspiration. You look fabulous1
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You are an inspiration! I am starting today and I needed to see someone's success because I've been failing for a few years now. Thank you for sharing your story and your pics and WELL DONE!
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@kittykatt021 The first thing I learned was how to measure and weigh foods. Then I learned how to go online and choose my meal before eating out. I knew how many calories I needed to lose weight but I didn’t know how many I was burning in a day. I got a Fitbit. It was a learning process.
Some days I went swimming and some days I walked. Then one day I felt the urge to run. It was amazing. I seldom used the gym, except as a guest, because it was not sustainable for me.
I chose to cut back on or change calorie heavy foods. Instead of ranch dressing, I chose a vinaigrette. I developed a taste for new things. There is power in learning. Education is key.
Food is first and foremost energy. It can be enjoyed but its purpose is to give us energy. Losing weight is hard because we are taking in less energy than we need. It’s normal to feel tired and hungry. Personally, I ate smaller portions throughout the day and sometimes walked in place or danced on the porch before bed if my calories were over for the day.
Don’t give up. It’s worth all the hard work and frustration. If you fail one day, learn from it and get back on track. You CAN do this!1
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