I did this thanks to MFP!
AndiRRT
Posts: 3 Member
"Andi, can you just lose some weight?"
That's what my surgeon said to me. I was there because I had a c-section incision herniate about 6 months after delivery. Entire organs were outside of my abdominal wall and the repair would be brutal. And I was tipping the scale at over 350 lbs. He was offering me a referral for bariatric surgery. I was more than qualified at my weight. I also knew I was otherwise healthy--no hypertension, no diabetes, no cardiac issues. I was just fat.
I had been fat all of my life. My mom used to joke that it took 2 people to put me in a shopping cart as an infant. For the President's Physical Fitness Test in 5th grade, I stepped on the scale and my teacher looked at me grimly: 200 lbs. I remember shopping the women's plus section for middle school clothes.
I knew I was active. I work in healthcare on my feet for 12 hrs a day. And I also knew that if I was honest with myself, I had not really given weight loss my all. I'm a smart person. You just burn more than you take in, right?
"Let me try it by myself first," I begged my surgeon. I know bariatric surgery is a fabulous option for many, but in my mind, it was not justified until it was a last resort.
And so I started counting. Measuring. Weighing. Nothing touched my mouth until my calories were logged. I didn't even care about macros at that point. And then something happened.
50 lbs of me gone. Wow. It's working, so now what? Well, let's get to a gym.
Man, those early days were a joke. Treadmill at 2 mph, 0 incline for 10 minutes and I thought I was going to die. But I did it. Over the following months, the pace increased, then the duration, then the incline.
At 90 lbs lost, my surgeon fixed my massive hernia. He also had to remove some loose skin during the repair. The surgery was brutal and it took a good 6 months before I was healed---complete abdominal wall reconstruction. I was terrified while I couldn't exercise, but by that point, my entire relationship with food had changed. I somehow continued to lose.
I left the plus size section for good. I bawled my eyes out in the fitting room when I zipped those jeans up. I had lost over 100 lbs. My belly was fixed. Now what?
Well, I had found what works for my body. Why should I stop?
So here we are. It has been 3 years. I went from a size 28/ 4X to where I am now: size 8/ Medium in mainstream women's sizes. At the age of 44, I am 8 sizes smaller than I was in middle school.
That 10 minutes on the treadmill at a snail's pace has become 30 minutes a day of high intensity spinning and an hour of lifting heavy 5 days a week. I've just recently added Crossfit into the mix, also. I am 25 lbs from my ultimate goal---the one I swore was a pipe dream back when I was trying to convince my surgeon that I'm just meant to be fat.
I have lost 197 pounds.
That's what my surgeon said to me. I was there because I had a c-section incision herniate about 6 months after delivery. Entire organs were outside of my abdominal wall and the repair would be brutal. And I was tipping the scale at over 350 lbs. He was offering me a referral for bariatric surgery. I was more than qualified at my weight. I also knew I was otherwise healthy--no hypertension, no diabetes, no cardiac issues. I was just fat.
I had been fat all of my life. My mom used to joke that it took 2 people to put me in a shopping cart as an infant. For the President's Physical Fitness Test in 5th grade, I stepped on the scale and my teacher looked at me grimly: 200 lbs. I remember shopping the women's plus section for middle school clothes.
I knew I was active. I work in healthcare on my feet for 12 hrs a day. And I also knew that if I was honest with myself, I had not really given weight loss my all. I'm a smart person. You just burn more than you take in, right?
"Let me try it by myself first," I begged my surgeon. I know bariatric surgery is a fabulous option for many, but in my mind, it was not justified until it was a last resort.
And so I started counting. Measuring. Weighing. Nothing touched my mouth until my calories were logged. I didn't even care about macros at that point. And then something happened.
50 lbs of me gone. Wow. It's working, so now what? Well, let's get to a gym.
Man, those early days were a joke. Treadmill at 2 mph, 0 incline for 10 minutes and I thought I was going to die. But I did it. Over the following months, the pace increased, then the duration, then the incline.
At 90 lbs lost, my surgeon fixed my massive hernia. He also had to remove some loose skin during the repair. The surgery was brutal and it took a good 6 months before I was healed---complete abdominal wall reconstruction. I was terrified while I couldn't exercise, but by that point, my entire relationship with food had changed. I somehow continued to lose.
I left the plus size section for good. I bawled my eyes out in the fitting room when I zipped those jeans up. I had lost over 100 lbs. My belly was fixed. Now what?
Well, I had found what works for my body. Why should I stop?
So here we are. It has been 3 years. I went from a size 28/ 4X to where I am now: size 8/ Medium in mainstream women's sizes. At the age of 44, I am 8 sizes smaller than I was in middle school.
That 10 minutes on the treadmill at a snail's pace has become 30 minutes a day of high intensity spinning and an hour of lifting heavy 5 days a week. I've just recently added Crossfit into the mix, also. I am 25 lbs from my ultimate goal---the one I swore was a pipe dream back when I was trying to convince my surgeon that I'm just meant to be fat.
I have lost 197 pounds.
156
Replies
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Lots of "WOW" and well-deserved accolades in your testimony 😲. Thank you for all you do as a healthcare professional and congrats on your results!!! 🙌🏿2
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WOW!!! You look fantastic and have everything to be proud of. Thank you for your story.2
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Amazing accomplishment! Your dedication is paying off and inspiring!1
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I hear so much of my story in yours - always been fat, well over 200lbs in grade school, relegated to the plus-size section for back-to-school clothes. Reading about (and seeing!) your transformation is inspiring. Thank you so much for sharing.
Now, could you share where you got those DOPE leggings in your after pic? Those are sweet as hell.6 -
Incredible story - and incredible success! Thanks for giving me today's inspiration to keep at it!1
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Your story is amazing!!! Thank you for sharing this, Andi! This will inspire so many people!
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AMAZING! Wishing you the best in your journey1
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Holy crap, fantastic work! Your bum and legs look amazing too. Love what heavy lifting can do!1
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This is so inspiring. Thank you for sharing!1
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What an inspiration! Bravo 👏🏻1
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You are an amazing testament to the resilience that is in human beings. You have my deepest respect for changing your life in so many positive ways!
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Thank you! And my leggings are from an online company called Constantly Varied Gear. I swear by them. Squat proof, durable, supportive, and lots of cool patterns.
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Holy crap, fantastic work! Your bum and legs look amazing too. Love what heavy lifting can do!
Thanks! My quads and hamstrings are getting stupid big. 582 variations of squats and deadlifts. And the 🍑, well, that was all work because losing that amount completely melted the old one off. We're talking serious Hank Hill action. I had to start from scratch.7 -
Fantastic transformation! I'm trying to rebuild my butt too after having dropped 94 pounds - you did a great job rebuilding yours. LOL1
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You made my day, and thank you for your dedication to your occupation and the inspiration you have given to all of us here reading your post. May you continue your lifestyle journey for a happy healthy long time. Thanks for the online company name.1
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Yours is an amazing story: thank you for sharing!0
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and you are wearing fabulous CVG leggings... those thing are a blessing! LOL1
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Your perseverance and dedication are an inspiration. You have a lot to be proud of. What a transformation!1
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Not only inspiring but motivational too! You prove that any goal is achieved with the right mindset paired and effort!1
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This is terrific! How inspiring❤1
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Wow! Check you out!1
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WOW this is incredible! What an accomplishment.1
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Wonderful. Inspiring. Fabulous. True testament. And another leggings junky!1
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You are awesome! Loved reading your story, you are an inspiration!1
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So inspiring, and you are rocking those CVG leggings! That's my favorite print of the ones I have 1
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Wow! Congrats!1
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Wow!!! What an amazing transformation! You are an inspiration to so many of us. Thank you for sharing your story.1
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Great story and inspiring. You look so good. I bet you feel strong and energized because you look it.1
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You did this thanks to yourself. Mfp was just a useful tool. Amazing work!1
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You have worked so hard! Wishing you a lifetime of good health and happiness.1
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