Any Success Stories for Women about 300 Pounds??

aKate_

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aKate_

I'm 5'11" and started out at 308. I took 15 months to reach my goal weight of 175. I've been maintaining in the mid 170s for 13 months.

My main tip is always just START. And then don't stop. The rest is just details.

It's really not that hard...choose a reasonable calorie goal. Count calories 95% of the time. Give yourself leeway some of the time. Exercise, not just to burn calories but also to change your relationship with food and your body. Do not starve yourself.

You might lose weight on a diet, but I don't think you'll maintain if you lose on a diet. So don't diet. Change how you eat and the amount of activity you get. Don't make any changes you will not be able to stick with for a lifetime.

Losing was pretty easy for me; the battle was mostly mental. Maintenance has been ridiculously simple, because I keep doing what I did when I was losing...only with a little more wiggle room. I exercise and eat well most of the time. Sometimes life gets in the way, but I go back to my new habits as soon as possible. I step on the scale once a month or so and am always a little shocked to see that I just stay this weight now. As long as I keep these habits, I am convinced I will be at a healthy weight for life.

Best of luck!

You look fantastic!!!

seltzermint555

Hi,
I started at over 400 pounds on January 2nd 2012,
Here's my advice for what it's worth
Log in everything,
Give yourself a break if you have a not so great day,
Try to concentrate on having one good day instead of how much time you think it might take you.
You just need to have one good day at a time.
Good luck to you,
Feel free to add me if you think it might help you.

I really agree with not focusing on the time it might take you.
Even now, I sometimes get all panicky or competitive at times when I hear someone else lost 77 lb in the time it took me to lose around 50 lb. That is so silly.

Also, I think it's good to set short term goals.
Starting at 262 lb my first goal was 220. I got there and now my goal is 199. I'm already planning for my next goal of 180. I really think for me if my goal was 180 when I was 307 or even 262 lb it would have seemed so overwhelming that I wouldn't have felt nearly as motivated.
Even now, I think "under 200 is a good place to be, and I'm almost there!" instead of "omg, how many months would it take to be 165 lb"

psych101

I'm 5'9 and started at 286lbs. I got down to 160lbs before getting pregnant and having my son at the end of last year. Now I'm 188 and on my way back down again - though these days I'm more interested in how much I can deadlift as opposed to how much I weigh!

Track your food, drink your water, shake your booty a couple of times a week, eat enough and allow little splurges - make this your life xx

ktsmom430

I am 62 years old. I started at 290 March 12, 2012.

The best advice I can give you is to find what works for you and stick with it. Log everything you eat and drink. Avoid "I am just going to have a little taste" because they add up very quickly. If you do have little taste, add the calories into your log. Eat at a deficit and you WILL lose weight. It is as simple as this, but never easy. Barring any health issues, most people will lose weight if they commit themselves to eating less calories per day than they burn and stick with it. Know this, less than 2 years ago, if anyone would have told me where I would be today, I would never have believed it. You can do this too! Best of luck to you!

eleanorblack

Started at 303, have lost 47lbs so far... my tips are track everything, drink water all the time, make sure carbs are kept lowish but you're getting plenty of fibre in, avoid sugar like the plague (I won't eat anything if it's got more than a gram of sugar in it!) and I've also been taking a multivitamin and fish oil to make sure all my bases are covered!

If I really feel like treating myself I try to make sure it's the right kind of treat - I'll splurge on french cheese and olives or have chorizo or a steak or a load of smoked salmon - just not sugar which will make me feel awful afterwards!

I did this all before 7 years ago with zero carbs, trained like mad and lost 110lbs in a year - but then put it all on again by 3 years later! This time round I'm going for a *very* slow approach - just 40 or 50 lbs a year so it will take me about 3 years I reckon but I feel much more comfortable and in control of my life...

My mantra is *just keep going*. I often plateau but I know if I keep eating 1300-400 calories a day for long enough the weight *will go* and I find it often suddenly drops almost overnight after a week or so of being the same. Anything is better than gaining!

PaulaKro

5' 9" & 61 years old. Was 317 last March, weighed 277 when I was sleeved in June. Weigh 221 now in October. The sleeve helps, but I lost 40 lbs. beforehand, and will need good eating habits to keep it off. I need to stay away from too many carbs, because they're addictive to me. Protein shakes keep me full and nutritious and make it easy to maintain a good lifestyle. Take double multivitamins. Exercise (mild walking). Drink lots of water. Don't eat too many processed food. Track everything I eat religiously. Rely on MFP for support and advice.

I'm staying below 800 cals/day, but could lose slower at 1200/day. 60-80 gm protein day. Under 50 gm cards. 8 glasses of water. Watch the salt and fats (need some but not too much).

peacemongernc

I'm 5'7" and started at 304. Here is my before picture:


And here is a picture of me at 204, about 14 pound heavier than I am now:


The key for me seems to be exercising regularly, but not killing myself doing it... just being as consistent as I can be, and logging every thing. EVERYTHING! I try to keep my fiber intake up, but also try to avoid processed foods. I also try to avoid GMOs. I don't drink calories.

One of the hardest things for me was to put myself ahead of lots of other, seemingly more useful activities. I used to do lots of volunteer work, but I had to cut back on it in order for me to find time for the gym. i still feel a little guilty about it. But I'm not an organized person and time gets away from me, so to make headway on my health, I had to clear the boards for a while and get rid of other priorities and distractions.

I started a job 4 months ago and it has made it much harder to keep up with my exercise. But over time I'm figuring it out and carving out blocks of time to work out. But for me, it was crucial to clear my schedule for a while until I figured out what I was doing.

edited: I'll have to investigate my picture posting... I don't know what I did wrong...

peacemongernc

I love these tips!! Perfect!

Hello! I'm 22 years old, 5'8, and I started at 365 earlier this year in January. I've lost 56 pounds since then and I'm still losing!

The tricks that helped me:

1: Log everything, all the time. I realized that when I didn't log for a few days I started falling back into old habits hard. Logging every day and everything helps keep me accountable.
2: Don't stress over the weight on the scale. Success is also measured in inches lost and an over all increase in health.
3: Don't deprive yourself of anything much. If you want some cake every now and then, go for it! Which leads me to my next point...
4: Moderation! Eat everything in moderation. I used to eat everything like I would never get to have it again!
5: Exercise is also key! For me this is a big part of my transformation.
6: Train your brain. If you crave something, doing something else to distract you instead. I like to chew my favorite gum whenever I have a craving for something bad that I shouldn't necessarily have that day.
7: Friends and family definitely help! My family started watching their weight around the same time I did and it was definitely a big help! We kept each other accountable.

Those are all my tips and tricks lol. I'm always open to friends, if anyone needs one!

LeeMC2013

I started at 293 lbs and have list 60 pounds since April. All I have done is stop drinking soda. I have very little fruit juice, one cup a day if that. Most important is counting calories. Yes I have bad days but I just keep going and get past the bad meal or whatever. I try harder the next day. I run 3-5 days a week for 45-60 minutes. Sometimes more. Best advice I can give is count your calories and don't deprive yourself of everything. I still eat everything I just cut it down and don't do it everyday. I exercise from the start what I could handle. I didn't want to be sore because then it would make me not exercise the next day from pain. When I started I couldn't even run 2 minutes, I thought I was gonna die and now I run upto one hour and a half. I stop for a minute here and there but I keep going. Good luck

Nikoruo

Hey! It's like you are talking to me!
I'm 5'7.5" and i started at 340lbs and now i'm 260lbs.

I 100% agree with this:

1: Log everything, all the time. No ifs ands or buts!
2: Don't stress over the weight on the scale. Success is also measured in inches lost and an overall increase in health.
3: Don't deprive yourself of anything much. If you want some cake every now and then, go for it! Which leads me to my next point...
4: Moderation! Eat everything in moderation. I used to eat everything like I would never get to have it again!
5: Exercise is good. (do it as much as you can but when you do it, push yourself hard)
6: Train your brain. If you crave something, doing something else to distract you instead. Water or something.
7: Friends and family help


Soooooooooooooooooooo Go Go Go you can do it Remember to use will power and lots of it!

GamerGirly

When I post it will show I am down 106 but the true number is 116 b/c I moved the scale and gain 10 overnight and had that to lose in the middle of my journey.

For me carbs are an enemy, they make me want to eat none stop. I began with watching calories as I watched and listened to my body and read more I cut carbs to 120 and upped protein to 75. As I continued losing I re-evaluated and am now at 100 or less carbs and 100 or more proteins per day. Does it have to be exact numbers ? No but I try and stay close every day.

I drink btw 12 - 24 cups of water a day. Also there is no food off limits though I do try and work it into my plan so that it doesn't make me go over my daily limits.

I started at 310 I thought but it must have been 320 and I am now 4 lbs from "onederland" I am under the lie that has been on my driver's license forever, I am smaller than when I graduated high school, got married, or had children.

I start each day fresh and focus on my accomplishments rather than on how far I have to go. This is lifestyle journey and not the dreaded d word "diet" b/c it is not something I will NOT be going off and returning to my old ways.

That's awesome! I am totally with you!
Smaller than the day I graduated and had kids!!
Drivers license is NO longer a lie!!!
It's a fabulous feeling!!

I am 28 standing 5'4.5 (yes the half matters!!!) Started out at 288. Currently at 189.

Heather1899

I am 5'7" and used to weigh around 315 pounds...I lost down to 175 but now I hover around 190-195 so I am not sure if that is success or not.
I regularly counted calories and started exercising. I started with Curves, it is easy and 30 minutes. Then I started trying different dvds I would buy because the same thing at Curves got boring. I just kept adding to my gym and that kept fitness fresh and fun...I now have a bunch of dvds, a treadmill, bike, 2 total gyms some free weights and bands.
I now focus as much on the value of my food as the calories. I try to eat lots of fruits and veggies, get my dairy for my bones with milk yogurt, cheese, and protein for my muscles.

peacemongernc

Okay... Just figured out what I was doing wrong with the pictures:

Me at 304, or maybe 299, about the time I started MFP:


Me at 204, 15 pounds ago:

ajfrench

I'm 5'6 and was at 296 when I started. I've lost 50 lbs so far and have about 90 more. What's the biggest thing for me? So silly but PORTION CONTROL!! I thought I was having a cup of this, 8 oz. of that....but I was underestimating all the time.

So I still use measuring cups when I'm packing my lunch in the morning. And I use them when I'm at home. So helpful.

I've always been into working out and I've kept that up. It makes me feel so much better.

Mcgrawhaha

I never weighed 300, but I did weigh almost 250, and i am 5 foot 9.5. I know at first it seems like a long daunting task, and may almost feel impossible and hopeless at times... but I promise its not. Thsi site is great motivation! I use to come on every morning and view all the success threads with before and after pics... I wanted what they had... Day by day, thats all you can do, and each week, youll shrink and melt and shed your weight! Before you know it, your clothes will be falling off! Good luck to you!

easycure

I haven't gotten a chance to read the other posts yet, but I am on my way to being a success story! I am 5ft7in, and I started out at 290 lbs... I am currently about 200 lbs. I want to be 180, and my healthy weight should be 160. So I am almost there. I have been stalled for a long time, and currently restarting about 2 weeks ago! I lost all of mine hiking/walking, and watching my calories. I've broken my lower back 3 different times in the past, and always have severe lower back pain. I used that as an excuse for most of my adult life.... But i'm on my way!! And a lot closer than I was a year and a half ago!

This site, and getting a fitbit really changed my life!!!

evangelistjcmayo

You look great! Can you tell me how you did it?

sarahyourprincess

I started at 390 and I'm around 300 now, it's been almost a year for me

What I found helped, log everything, the good, the bad the ugly
I don't beat myself up if I go over,
and I don't deny myself anything if I want mcdonalds for supper
I make sure I have enough calories to accomodate that
(and if I don't I fore myself to go for a walk, or a class to burn extra :P)

Good luck! you can do this

pittdan77

You gals are all amazing. Great inspiration.