40lbs down, only 20lbs to go!

jpore · April 2014

Hello MFPers!

Growing up I always carried a little extra weight. In high school and college I lost and re-gained about 30lbs at least four times with various methods, such as weight watchers, the south beach diet, and just freak-exercising my butt off. I always played volleyball competitively through college, which helped me manage my weight. But after I graduated things went downhill.

I am originally from the states, but I have moved up to Canada for graduate school where I met my Fiance. Very early on in our relationship he had a very serious work accident that left him bedridden for about 6 months, and with limited movement for about a year. In trying to balance my school work with taking care of him I just ate whatever I wanted and my weight went up to 210 lbs. I could not believe it when I stepped on the scale and saw I was over 200 lbs. I felt disgusting. As my boyfriend rehabilitated I knew that I need to start taking better care of myself.

I took my life back a little over a year ago.
Height: 5'6''
SW: 210lbs size 16 jeans
CW: 170lbs size 10 jeans!!

I am looking to loose another 20lbs and get down to 150lbs! I think that will make me a size 6, which will be amazing!!

What I did . . .
I started by making very little changes (that were sustainable) to my diet, such as not getting cheese on my sandwich. I then tried to add as much movement into my life as possible, examples: taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking as far away as I could, etc. Then I just kept making more and more changes. I frequent the gym about 6 days a week. I do a lot of group exercise classes, mainly spin and step-class, which I love! I also got a fitbit flex in January, which has been super motivating.

I am a huge believer in sustainability. If you are doing something ridiculous to loose weight that you cannot sustain for the rest of your life, it just will not work. There are no shortcuts people!

I am looking for friends that are also on that last 20lbs! Add me!

Pictures! (both taken after working out, so bad hair and greasy face, sorry guys! Usually I don't let anyone see me without makeup)

karlschaeffer · April 2014

Awesome job so far. Thanks for sharing. Don't sweat the pix. You are a great inspiration to the rest of us!

SlimSharonSlim · April 2014

WELL DONE YOU !!!!!!!!

Chickee8586 · April 2014

First off, congratulations. You have an amazing outlook. I really like your simplistic reasoning on getting where you want to be. I also look for sustainability. If it's too hard to keep to now, there isn't any way I'll be able to continue it for the rest of my life.

I do continue to strive for a number, but if the number isn't where I end up, the fitness will be! My grandkids are active little cusses and I want to be able to keep up with them and not be just a cushy grandma. Huggable, yes. Softer than a baby's bottom, not so much.

Best of luck to you, but I'm not at the last 20 pounds point yet.

perseverance14 · April 2014

Nice work, you look great!

Bj0223 · April 2014

Great job!! You look awesome!

beachylove · April 2014

Amazing!!! You look great :flowerforyou: Keep up the great work!

I started at the same weight as you (I am only 5'3" though) and am about at 170 now. Its crazy how much change it is when that first 40 drops off.

Anamikaa2011 · April 2014

Awesome ! So what kind of nutrition / exercise plan do you follow now?

DebraYvonne · April 2014

great job! that's awesome progress!!!!

jpore · April 2014

Awesome ! So what kind of nutrition / exercise plan do you follow now?

Nutrition: I eat around 1500 calories a day, which includes a lot of vegetables and lean protein. Every morning starts with turkey bacon! Which I am obsessed with. I log everything, except maybe for some wine. I think that it is important to snack throughout the day and to eat low-sugar and low-salt foods. I do not drink soda or juice. Only water, coffee, and wine ( a lot of wine). Also, I am not afraid to award myself with a cupcake every now and then. Life is for living!

Exercise: I am at the gym all of the time. Within a week I probably do three group exercise classes, usually 2 spin and 1 step. Days that I am not doing classes I jog on the treadmill and lift heavy weights. I really want to start doing more lifting.

Also, I should add that I do not eat back my exercise calories. At the moment I am loosing about 1lb/week.

starrylioness · April 2014

You look absolutely amazing! Congrats!

rissavai · April 2014

Amazing! Your exactly where I want to be! Thanks for posting!

jpore · April 2014

Thanks for the support everyone! Good luck on your goals!

surgerygeek · April 2014

Thanks for the post. I am at 210 right now and am just starting of mfp. I admire you so much for doing it the right way! All my adult life I have tried to lose weight with diet and exercise and no luck. I've been on all kinds of fad diets and lost only to regain shortly after. It's so frustrating. For some reason I can stick to anything I try. I do have a pretty stressful job and I'm a single mom. And I also have very little support. I want to remain positive despite all of this and find a way to do this for me! Any advice on how to start? What to eat and not to eat? Should I stay away from carbs? I don't wanna do these quick fixes anymore. Any advice that anyone can give me would be really appreciated. Thanks..

BookAngel_a · April 2014

Way to go! I'm 5'-6 too, but I'm only just getting started on my journey. I still have over 90 pounds to go. I wanted to say that you carry your weight well - in both of your pictures I think you look smaller than your actual weight!

Great job & best wishes!

jpore · April 2014

Thanks for the post. I am at 210 right now and am just starting of mfp. I admire you so much for doing it the right way! All my adult life I have tried to lose weight with diet and exercise and no luck. I've been on all kinds of fad diets and lost only to regain shortly after. It's so frustrating. For some reason I can stick to anything I try. I do have a pretty stressful job and I'm a single mom. And I also have very little support. I want to remain positive despite all of this and find a way to do this for me! Any advice on how to start? What to eat and not to eat? Should I stay away from carbs? I don't wanna do these quick fixes anymore. Any advice that anyone can give me would be really appreciated. Thanks..

Not looking for quick fixes means that you are in for the long haul. I am sure that you are well aware as to the stuff you probably shouldn't be eating. I would start by just cutting back on the bad stuff rather than just cutting it out completely. Then little by little cut back more and more until you are mostly eating healthy stuff. I have only been at this for a little over a year and I feel like only now I am full-on eating healthy. It took time to teach my body that I didn't want that stuff anymore. If you just get rid of all of it all of the sudden and only eat salad, you are just not going to make it. Remember, no quick fixes, this means no dieting, you are looking at a complete lifestyle change! It takes time.

Eat carbs! Your body needs carbs, if you cut them out of your diet then your body will just start eating muscle! Weight will come off, but it is not fat. The best thing that I can recommend is to find balance in your diet throughout the day. You want to get your metabolism into full gear, which means that you need to be eating throughout the day. Each meal should have protein, carbs, and a little fat. Don't avoid eating just so that you can save up all of your calories for a big dinner. Go for an even distribution of calories at every meal so that your body can get into a rhythm.

I added a lot of lean protein into my diet, I almost never eat beef anymore. I also try to eat only complex carbs like brown rice and whole wheat pasta. White bread and white pasta might as well just be straight sugar.

Good luck!

jpore · April 2014

Way to go! I'm 5'-6 too, but I'm only just getting started on my journey. I still have over 90 pounds to go. I wanted to say that you carry your weight well - in both of your pictures I think you look smaller than your actual weight! Great job & best wishes!

Thanks! When I first started, my driving thought that I always had in my head was "future-me" in a year's time. I didn't want to let her down. I was so successful in my rest of my life, there was no reason that I couldn't be successful at this. Now that it has been a little over a year, I couldn't be more proud of myself. It is a great feeling. I am now thinking of next year's future me and how stoked she is going to be when she is bikini shopping!

Good luck!

Beverlyswan18 · April 2014

I AM SO PROUD OF YOU. MY 3RD WEEK I'VE LOST 7 LBS thanks for inspiring me.

elghee123 · April 2014

love the body shaping up!

Clareel · April 2014

You look amazing! We are the same height & my goal is 150 also

Huge inspiration to see how good you look already!

jpore · May 2014

thanks everyone! I am just going to start a new heavy-lifting program. I will keep you updated on my progress!

ziggypop93 · May 2014

Way to go! I'm 5'-6 too, but I'm only just getting started on my journey. I still have over 90 pounds to go. I wanted to say that you carry your weight well - in both of your pictures I think you look smaller than your actual weight! Great job & best wishes!

Thanks! When I first started, my driving thought that I always had in my head was "future-me" in a year's time. I didn't want to let her down. I was so successful in my rest of my life, there was no reason that I couldn't be successful at this. Now that it has been a little over a year, I couldn't be more proud of myself. It is a great feeling. I am now thinking of next year's future me and how stoked she is going to be when she is bikini shopping!

Good luck!

I love this way of looking at it!