45 Pounds GONE.
raelbee
Posts: 219
Well, I did it. It's been four and a half months of complete focus and determination. Four and a half months of relearning how to eat, and re-establishing a healthy relationship to food and exercise. I feel like I've gone to school all over again. This time my degree is in nutrition, calories, exercise, and pushing the limits. I wish I had learned this information a long time ago. It has been such an incredibly valuable lesson.
A little background....I had always been thin, very very thin at times, partly due to genetics, partly due to an auto-immune disease that liked to rear it's ugly head occasionally. I have always been able to eat whatever I wanted, without a second thought. This all changed when I became pregnant.
The pregnancy sparked a flare-up of my disease and I lost 25 pounds in a matter of weeks. I spent a week in the hospital during my first trimester, getting blood, magnesium and potassium transfusions. It was terrifying, but I survived (and so did my beautiful daughter). When I was discharged I was put on a high-fat, high-calorie diet so that I would gain weight quickly, and help ensure a healthy baby and pregnancy. I was also taking prednisone, which if you're not familiar with it, it makes your appetite insatiable. It feels like you have no control over what you eat, and you can pack the pounds on quickly. I gained almost 60 pounds over the rest of my pregnancy. I felt like a blimp.
Once my daughter was born, everyone kept telling me that the weight would just fall off. They had lost 40 pounds over night, and so would I. I was nursing and hopeful
It didn't happen. I lost 10 pounds from her birth, and nothing after that. Not a single pound. For 18 months. I had more rounds of prednisone, developed the trademark "moon face" and the pounds just wouldn't budge.
This was my first experience of being overweight and I felt hopeless. My joints hurt, I couldn't go for walks like I used to. Sitting on the floor to play with my baby was uncomfortable. I was embarrassed about the way that I looked,and I was unhappy. I wasn't the mom that I had always envisioned. I didn't know how to change.
March 14th I was fooling around on my iPhone and found the My Fitness Pal app. It was the spark that got things rolling. I started eating clean, cutting out refined sugar and flour, processed foods (all junk! HUGE for me), counting my calories religiously, and I started exercising. Every day.
I convinced my husband that we HAD TO BUY AN ELLIPTICAL. Had to. I'm not a gym person and I was just never going to lose the weight if it depended on me going to a gym. So, everyday I either walked or used the elliptical. I almost died the first time I got on that thing. 12 minutes into my first workout and I'm seeing spots, can't breathe, and just wanted to give up. But i was really, really determined to find myself again. I worked my way up to 60 minutes. One night I even decided I was going to do a "marathon" on that thing and did 26.2 miles in 1h and 57m. Go me I sweat most of my weight off on that thing.
Once I got closer to my goal weight I started using the 30 Day Shred DVD and really saw a huge increase in my strength and stamina. It was hard, but I pushed myself. I've seen such a huge change in not only what my body looks like, but what it can do. I feel like I look better than I ever have, and I'm proud of all of the hard work I've put into this transformation.
I never thought I would reach this point. I've surpassed all of my goals, both fitness and weight related and am now looking to the future. I'm ready to start maintaining and setting new fitness goals. Most importantly, through this process I've involved my family and we've adopted a healthier lifestyle. We're eating better and we do something active every day. We've become the family I knew we could. I want my daughter to be active, strong, and healthy. I knew in order for this to happen, I needed to set an example.
I just want to say thank you to all of you. I've logged in every day for 150 days straight and have read your stories of trial, error, success and failure and they have been so inspiring. I have been so moved by the hard work, dedication, and refusal to quit. I may not post as much as I should, but please know that you have been a part of my weight loss journey. I hope I can inspire and support others in the same way.
Here are a few pictures for you. The first is a pic from a staff Christmas party in December. I had just finished another round of prednisone and felt enormous. When I saw this picture I did not even recognize myself. I cried over it for days. I had let myself go in a way I could not even comprehend. The next picture is from today. I bought myself a new bikini
I've gone from 163 pounds to 118 in 4.5 months. I had no idea that I was capable of this enormous feat, and I'm feeling more than a little proud of myself
A little background....I had always been thin, very very thin at times, partly due to genetics, partly due to an auto-immune disease that liked to rear it's ugly head occasionally. I have always been able to eat whatever I wanted, without a second thought. This all changed when I became pregnant.
The pregnancy sparked a flare-up of my disease and I lost 25 pounds in a matter of weeks. I spent a week in the hospital during my first trimester, getting blood, magnesium and potassium transfusions. It was terrifying, but I survived (and so did my beautiful daughter). When I was discharged I was put on a high-fat, high-calorie diet so that I would gain weight quickly, and help ensure a healthy baby and pregnancy. I was also taking prednisone, which if you're not familiar with it, it makes your appetite insatiable. It feels like you have no control over what you eat, and you can pack the pounds on quickly. I gained almost 60 pounds over the rest of my pregnancy. I felt like a blimp.
Once my daughter was born, everyone kept telling me that the weight would just fall off. They had lost 40 pounds over night, and so would I. I was nursing and hopeful
It didn't happen. I lost 10 pounds from her birth, and nothing after that. Not a single pound. For 18 months. I had more rounds of prednisone, developed the trademark "moon face" and the pounds just wouldn't budge.This was my first experience of being overweight and I felt hopeless. My joints hurt, I couldn't go for walks like I used to. Sitting on the floor to play with my baby was uncomfortable. I was embarrassed about the way that I looked,and I was unhappy. I wasn't the mom that I had always envisioned. I didn't know how to change.
March 14th I was fooling around on my iPhone and found the My Fitness Pal app. It was the spark that got things rolling. I started eating clean, cutting out refined sugar and flour, processed foods (all junk! HUGE for me), counting my calories religiously, and I started exercising. Every day.
I convinced my husband that we HAD TO BUY AN ELLIPTICAL. Had to. I'm not a gym person and I was just never going to lose the weight if it depended on me going to a gym. So, everyday I either walked or used the elliptical. I almost died the first time I got on that thing. 12 minutes into my first workout and I'm seeing spots, can't breathe, and just wanted to give up. But i was really, really determined to find myself again. I worked my way up to 60 minutes. One night I even decided I was going to do a "marathon" on that thing and did 26.2 miles in 1h and 57m. Go me
I sweat most of my weight off on that thing.Once I got closer to my goal weight I started using the 30 Day Shred DVD and really saw a huge increase in my strength and stamina. It was hard, but I pushed myself. I've seen such a huge change in not only what my body looks like, but what it can do. I feel like I look better than I ever have, and I'm proud of all of the hard work I've put into this transformation.
I never thought I would reach this point. I've surpassed all of my goals, both fitness and weight related and am now looking to the future. I'm ready to start maintaining and setting new fitness goals. Most importantly, through this process I've involved my family and we've adopted a healthier lifestyle. We're eating better and we do something active every day. We've become the family I knew we could. I want my daughter to be active, strong, and healthy. I knew in order for this to happen, I needed to set an example.
I just want to say thank you to all of you. I've logged in every day for 150 days straight and have read your stories of trial, error, success and failure and they have been so inspiring. I have been so moved by the hard work, dedication, and refusal to quit. I may not post as much as I should, but please know that you have been a part of my weight loss journey. I hope I can inspire and support others in the same way.
Here are a few pictures for you. The first is a pic from a staff Christmas party in December. I had just finished another round of prednisone and felt enormous. When I saw this picture I did not even recognize myself. I cried over it for days. I had let myself go in a way I could not even comprehend. The next picture is from today. I bought myself a new bikini
I've gone from 163 pounds to 118 in 4.5 months. I had no idea that I was capable of this enormous feat, and I'm feeling more than a little proud of myself
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Replies
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Holy cr*p...you look amazing! That is incredible after everything you've been through. What an inspiration,0
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OMG. That is awesome!!0
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WTG!!!!!! You look magnificent!!! :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: You look so good your hubby may want to hire a bodyguard for you!!!!:bigsmile: :bigsmile:0
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You look absolutely amazing!! WTG, girl!!
I know you feel amazing as well! I can't wait until I'm posing in my two piece! Keep up the good work sexy lady! 0 -
Thank you!!! 0
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you look magnificent. 0
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Amazing! You make me want to push myself harder! Congrats!0
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Wow!
You look fantastic - but not only that - you look so happy, and so comfortable - that's a big ask in a two piece for anyone!
I really take my hat off to you, thats a huge amount of weight in a short amount of time, you must be one hell of a force to be reckoned with!!
What's the next challenge???
Well done - amazingly inspirational!
:bigsmile:0 -
Wow! you look awesome! What an inspiration! :drinker:0
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Thank you very much for sharing your story. What a great motivation for the rest of us!!! Congratulations on everything you have achieved!!0
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you look amazing... nice abs!! 0
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What's the next challenge???
Well done - amazingly inspirational!
:bigsmile:
Thank you!! I've NEVER been a runner, but I'd like to try out the C25K program once it cools off in Atlanta. I'm feeling like I can do anything I set my mind to these days 0 -
GO YOU! You look FABULOUS!
It goes to show everyone out there that all it takes is old fashioned healthy eating, calorie counting and exercise to lose all the weight you want!!! Calories in vs calories out! No tricks or diet pills!
CONGRATS!0 -
WOW you look amazing. thank you for sharing your story. I too gained weight due to health problems and meds. You give me inspiration and hope that It can be done0
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WOW! Amazing! You look like a model!0
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Thank you so much, everyone. Your support means the world to me
We are all in this together, and like kdiamond said, it's all about putting the work into it. We can do this!0 -
Fantabulous!!!!!0
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Total transformation... you look great! 0
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Amazing
How are tall are u?
Kim0 -
Hands down the most inspirational story I've read on here ... Congrats and you deserve every inch of loss! Constistancy, drive, support, overcoming medical issues, and being a full time mother, I'm just completely wowed!
*hugs*0 -
Amazing
How are tall are u?
Kim
(almost) 5'4"0 -
Hands down the most inspirational story I've read on here ... Congrats and you deserve every inch of loss! Constistancy, drive, support, overcoming medical issues, and being a full time mother, I'm just completely wowed!
*hugs*
Thank you SO much! You're gonna make me CRY 0 -
Amazing success! Great job.0
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You look absolutely amazing! Your story is very inspirational and like others said.. it just goes to show that this can be done. You did it with many obsticles in your way. Thanks so much for sharing - your story is probably more inspirational than you even realize.:flowerforyou: Congrats on a job well done - you deserve it!! :happy:0
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OK.....Seriously?? You've got to be kidding me!! You look AMAZING! You are a true inspiration!!0
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You look fabulous!!! And you did it so quickly! I'm totally impressed with your dedication, especially with a family to take care of. You look H.O.T.!!!0
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Good on you! What a great role model you are! And a bikini model too!0
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Wow. Amazing job!!0
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You look phenomenal! Thanks for sharing such a personal and inspiring story -you have really helped get me even more motivated to work off this weight. Congrats on all your success!!0
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You look amazing! I'm dreaming of looking that good again one of these days.0
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