My First Success Story....7 month progress

BobcatGirl110

This is the first time I've posted a success story....perhaps because it's hard to define "success" when you are on a journey that hasn't ended yet. I started in February. I was never overweight when I was younger and I found myself in my 40s with two kids, a hubby, two dogs, a cat, three degrees, a job, and I weighed more than I did through either of two pregnancies. What was even harder for me was to see that I didn't SEE the weight in my head....I was the same person, with the same family, the same outlook, and probably the most detrimental was that I was happy. I wasn't the girl who was unhappy and I had no "AH HA" moment. I just woke up on February 18th and said I was gonna try something new and so I did.

So I started tracking my food....figuring out how many calories I could eat, and started walking. I had the patience for exercise like a 4 year old has the patience for a long car ride. I gave myself 30 minutes. So whatever I could do in 30 minutes was what I did. I walked a mile and a half in that 30 minutes and burned maybe 200 calories (probably less) and I did it consistently. It didn't take me too long to figure out that if I jogged a little in that 30 minutes I could burn a few more calories so I would run a little and walk a little to up my distance to 1.75 miles in 30 minutes. By April I had gone from 204 to about 190 and had read the C25k posts and decided I wanted to try it...I mean technically I was "running and walking" anyway so I started it. It was NOT that easy...but not that hard either and I kept at it...three days a week like I was supposed to and I rested on the days in between. I finished the C25k and kept running. I was never a runner and it's important to say that I didn't intend to become a runner but what running did was allow me a couple critical things: FIRST - alone time....this Mom of two tween/teen girls needed "Mama time" SECOND - weight loss...the weight kept coming off at about 7ish pounds a month being combined with staying in my calorie counts and THIRD - stress relief...running has ended up being the best & cheapest therapy a 45 year old, Mom of two, wife of 17 years could ask for. I am currently at 151 and my goal was originally set to 140. This month has found the loss slowing down; but I've run my fastest 4 mile thus far and my longest run of 7 miles last Saturday. I ran my first 5k in August and signed up for my first 4 miler to be run on Thanksgiving morning.

I hope I can post "goal achieved' sometime soon...but if I never get to it I want to be proud of this moment and what Ive done so far thanks guys....couldn't have done it alone or without MFP. This picture shows the hubby and I in March at a basketball tourney game and again last weekend at a football home game so 6 months between these two pictures.

hmseals77

Congratulations!! You look amazing!! Keep up the great work

jonnyman41

well done, it is the simple ways that work the best.
PS you sound just like me, in my 40s two dogs (cat recently deceased) 2.5 degrees, job married and 2 sons rather than daughters and early 20s now so past those awful teen years.

simsburyjet

not easy what you have done.. You should be so proud and always think back to just how hard it was.
Saying I heard on this site Fat is hard Fit is hard choose your hard.

Heather5223

AWESOME!!!!!!

jonnyman41

oh and I around 147 aiming for 130-135

BobcatGirl110

not easy what you have done.. You should be so proud and always think back to just how hard it was.
Saying I heard on this site Fat is hard Fit is hard choose your hard.

omg...I like that! "Fat is hard....Fit is hard....Choose your hard". :laugh:

BobcatGirl110

oh and I around 147 aiming for 130-135

I should follow you down that path since I'm "headed your way"! so if you feel someone watching/stalking you then maybe it's me

JoelleAnn78

I'm so glad you posted a Success Story!! You ARE a success despite not being to goal yet I love the pictures (and it appears your hubby has slimmed down in the process -- his face looks thinner as well!), and I love that you have found such a love for running. Wish we lived closer as we run at about the same pace. Keep up the amazing work!

BobcatGirl110

awww...I wish we lived close too would be nice to have someone to run with sometimes we I guess we "virtually run together" instead!

LosinItAll2012

You look fantastic! Hubby looks like he's shed a few pounds too! Great Job!!!

gshields89

I am so glad I read your story. You are an inspiration and you look beautiful. Enjoy your success and keep pushing to reach your goals. Thank you for sharing

suzend

Awesome! You both look fantastic! Great work!

Pedalpush

You both look great - you especially! You must be contagious!

newjojie

Amazing! Great job!

annakow

well done!

Leah_Alexis

Amazing job!!!! So happy for you in this journey!

Themuseinme

Congrats on your hard work, fortitude and determination.

I know its not easy to eat less but running and getting in physical shape when fat and unfit is really difficult.

You look great!!

Thanks for the inspiration.:flowerforyou:

Your hubby looks like he's lost some too.

rprobbins

Congrats !!! Always good to read a good story that proves that it is slow and steady that always wins, and there are no quick fixes...

BobcatGirl110

thanks guys...I am not done yet but sure hope to make it to goal in the meantime I am happy with the running successes I've had and hope to keep on "keepin' on" :drinker:

the1coordinator

Thank you for sharing. It's good to hear from someone else who started 'slowly' with the walking and built up to more. The pictures say it all. You've inspired me. Thank you!