365 Days of Calorie Counting-35 pounds lost

MarisaMSimon

The other day when I logged in to MyFitnessPal, I saw the 365 day streak and almost screamed. I never thought I would get this far, but I’m here. I always would tell myself that I’ll start every Monday and I would make excuses for not exercising or binge eating. Eventually, I woke up one day after scrolling through the MyFitnessPal forums and I decided to make a drastic change to my lifestyle.

I tracked all my calories on a weekly basis and I would eat whatever I wanted in moderation. This was the key for me. I always thought that in order to lose weight, you had to either do one of those fad diets, cleanses or eat 100% healthy (whatever that means). I had to do something that I can do for the rest of my life and this was it. Calories are king.

During this year, I ran my very first 5K and I crossed the finish line at 35 minutes, got my blood pressure from prehypertension to normal, and reduced all of my cholesterol levels on my blood tests. I would say that’s a success! I also went from working out maybe once a week to roughly 5-6 times a week. My doctor was shocked when I told her this and she saw me for the first time since 2017.

I’ve included a couple of before and during pictures below. Wish me luck on the next 35 pounds! I only have 7 pounds left to get out of the obese BMI!

My stats:
Female 5”3 28 years old
Starting weight:219.2 lbs
Starting weight on December 3, 2018: 211.4 lbs
Current weight: 176 lbs
Goal weight: 141 lbs
Ultimate goal weight (middle of normal BMI): 123 lbs

heatherschnitzler

Wow! @MarisaMSimon, you are doing great! You look amazing!
You and I have similar goals! I’m hoping to reach 135lbs by July 2020! I feel like this is attainable for me and isn’t too drastic.
I’m currently at 165-167ish (it fluctuates), but I started at 184lbs.
I tried a bunch of fad diets in the past as well and none of them ever worked; only calorie counting has helped!
Good luck with the rest of your journey!

MarisaMSimon

@heatherschnitzler thanks so much! You can do it! Good luck with your journey as well! 😊

Joyjas

Awesome work!!! Love this post because I am trying to do it the same way. I gave myself a goal to track everyday for one year with the goal of a 50 pound weightloss. I have been good in the past about losing weight but then I stop dieting and gain it all back (and then some). This time I decided to just do it slow have a treat if I want a treat but don’t go overboard. I hope I have your results at my year mark!

MarisaMSimon

@Joyjas I really appreciate it! I think that you'll get there! It's definitely takes time to get in the groove, but once you do, it'll all pay off! I definitely take diet breaks here or there depending on vacation weeks or once I lose some weight and I need a mini break from being on a deficit. Listen to your body!

wapan

123 is my goal weight too! Gorgeous pics. I find that logging has an effect on me within a couple weeks. Took two weeks this time for my brain/stomach connection to kick in.

fitpal4242

Wow- you look amazing!

MarisaMSimon

@wapan thanks so much! And that’s amazing! Good luck with 123! It seems daunting to me now, but with perseverance, we’ll get there 😊

MarisaMSimon

@fitpal4242 thanks so much! I appreciate the support!

bear2303

You look great!!! Congratulations on your success! We’re the same height and I’m aiming for the same goal weight of 123 too!

MarisaMSimon

@bear2303 Thanks so much! We can do this!!!

Pompey66

Refreshing sensible approach, with consistency being the goal. Great effort and well done you x

GummiMundi

What an amazing transformation! Congratulations!

MarisaMSimon

Thanks for the love @Pompey66 and @GummiMundi ! It’s really helpful to keep it going when others see the progress as well!

bobsburgersfan

Wow, you look fantastic! (Check out those sexy calves in the pic with the floral dress. ) Well done, and good luck as you continue!

MarisaMSimon

Thanks @bobsburgersfan 😊
I definitely noticed that after I took the picture!! Thanks to all the fitness classes I take at the gym, I can see some great muscle forming! I appreciate it!

victory291

Amazing work @MarisaMSimon ! I’m so inspired by your post and you look beautiful and vibrant ☺️

ajroseyoung

You’re so inspiring! I’d love to hit 365 consecutive days of tracking. Maybe you inspired my 2020 resolution😊😊

MarisaMSimon

@victory291 thank you! I believe weight loss definitely makes me more confident. I'm so glad that I can inspire you!

@ajroseyoung that's a wonderful new years resolution! It's so doable. I know this sounds cliche, but if I can do it, so can you! I just had to want it enough! Thank you so much for your kind words.

lilann1961

You look amazing and thanks for showing realistic expectations for lifestyle changes and weight loss. It is motivating! You should be very proud!

MarisaMSimon

@lilann1961 my ultimate goal was to be realistic on my weight loss plan so that I can stick to it for the rest of my life. That is one important thing I realized once I got into a routine. Thank you so much!

yweight2020

Amazing progress, beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing.

rockconner

Calorie counting for a year is most impressive, & you're lookin' great! Well done!

Bluetail6

Absolutely amazing job!! Very inspiring!!

buzzcogs

You look amazing! I'm really impressed by your consistency and perseverance .

alisampm

Amazing what a difference a year can make. Way to stay committed!