2 years of maintenance - 130+ pounds lost

Cielazul

Thanks for writing this! It contains so much wisdom. I especially appreciate what you say about habits being key, and about how exercise is now an integral, kind of non-negotiable part of your day. It confirms what I have been discovering! The first day I logged onto MFP my plan was to merely observe what I was eating, but by the end of that first day, when I found my total caloric intake was over 4500kcal, I was motivated! The next day I kept my eating below 1500kcal and have been logging ever since, 196 days thus far.

I wish you continued success and I also wish success (and what that means to each person on here is going to be wonderfully unique) for all of us on MFP.

Thanks for being a role model.

Redribbon73

Wow what a transformation you are beautiful! May I add you?

salgal33

This a truly great post. I love Go Kaleo, now I love you too!

fitness4life78

You are an Inspiration !

Jillian130

Very well written and informative. i'm not yet at goal weight, but reading this sure has enlightened me along my journey. Thank you for posting.

sugarkissprincess

beautiful!!

JouerLeFoot

Thanks for posting this, I am just getting started and so much of this is applicable to me. I also love the part where you need to first start the practice of self-love- so important and something I am guilty of not doing. Thanks again!

Sherbear0123

Congrats and thank you so much for sharing this!!!

girlviernes

This is amazing, you are exactly where I want to be, and I've been so scared by the data about people regaining the weight... that has actually set me back in the past. But this post is inspirational and is helping me be confident that I am on the right track and the changes I have been making are sustainable! Can't wait to post a similar thread in about 3 years :P

Mexicanbigfoot

bump

also, you seriously look amazing. Congrats on success and maintaining!! :flowerforyou:

chadya07

awesome post, best ever.

i just have one question.

you can buy the cookie butter successfully? my son is begging and begging every time we go to trader joes after they were passing out samples one day but... i assume it to be like nutella... one you open it it is like a tractor beam...

but if you can do it. i can do it. cookie butter and making it to maintainance and keeping it off.

my son will be very happy.

katarinacortez54

You really look great (and younger ). Thanks so munch for the inspiration. I just started and so far I have seen results from only 3 weeks in the gym (working out 3 days per week). I hardly diet, just eat a little less than normal and a lot less junk. I do sometimes eat the occasional sweet but as my trainer says..."Eat! Just be mindful of WHAT you eat." Thanks again for sharing your story. I'll get there too!!!

CoastGuardBill

Thank you for the post you are an inspiration! May God bless and take care!

loconnor466

You are my new hero! Thank you for such a wonderful and inspiring story. I love your attitude about everything, food, exercise, and most of all, loving yourself. Pretty sure I am printing this out to hang in my office for daily inspiration!

formerfatboy1

Most people will return to their old self by reaching their goal weight and start all over with the sloppy eating habits and lack of exercise, Not knowing that it is a life style that we have to live not just a temporary fix and then gain all the weight back. I will hit my 3 years I been living this lifestyle in November and to me it has become part of my daily routine just like brushing your teeth and I feel I need it daily. I continue to make progress month after month with no intentions of stopping. 130lbs down and loving it!!!! I refuse to go back to the old me. Lets keep killing it!!!

ShannonMpls

you can buy the cookie butter successfully? my son is begging and begging every time we go to trader joes after they were passing out samples one day but... i assume it to be like nutella... one you open it it is like a tractor beam...

Oh, cookie butter. Yes, you're right. It's precisely like nutella. Just a spoonful is fine, right? HA.

To be totally honest, I have a hard time having both cookie butter and nutella in the cupboard. Yet....both are presently in the cupboard. And also a 2.5 pound bag of swedish fish.

Try to make a rule for yourself: no cookie butter/nutella/swedish fish unless you log it.

And by logging it, I mean WEIGHING IT. Actually removing the jar from the cupboard, putting it on the scale, turning it on, taking out a spoonful, then logging the grams takes some of the OMGIMUSTEATITALLRIGHTNOW away.

Let your kid enjoy the cookie butter. And you enjoy it too! Just DO NOT buy the TJ's cookie butter/cocoa spread swirl. It only tastes like nutella, not cookie butter, which is still a good thing but man, the cookie butter is good.

ShannonMpls

This is amazing, you are exactly where I want to be, and I've been so scared by the data about people regaining the weight... that has actually set me back in the past. But this post is inspirational and is helping me be confident that I am on the right track and the changes I have been making are sustainable! Can't wait to post a similar thread in about 3 years :P

Tara Pope's NYT article "The Fat Trap" was a debbie downer, wasn't it? But look at who she profiled: people who lost their weight eating 700 calories a day of fake Medifast food. Should we be surprised that it's hard to return to normal?

Change your definition of normal, and the solution isn't as hard.

that's not to say I'm bulletproof, far from it. A slip in habits, a broken ankle, a prolonged illness, a death in the family...these things could make maintenance hard. But I'll cross that bridge when it comes.

So far I've changed jobs, changed gyms, and just last month I was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis. The old Shannon would have let any one of these life changes turn into excuses to eat and laze around.

But no longer...one of the first questions I asked my doctor after the DVT diagnosis was "when can I exercise again?" (answer: immediately!).

Very best of luck to you. I can't wait to read your success story.

evitaevita12

Inspirational!!! Well done!

twiggysunshine

I loved your story. It was so inspirational!

sapphire1166

This post was such an inspiration to me. I'm just starting on weight loss journey, and I think I am at the same stage in life as you were when you started (young child) and possibly even about the same weight just looking at your pictures. This was a wonderful motivation. THANK YOU!

cyoung1227

Totally agree with your view on not using the terms dieting and cheat meals/cheat days. I lost 30 pounds a few years ago after deciding to change my lifestyle. I didn't give myself a deadline either to lose x number of pounds. I ate whatever I wanted, but most of the time ate healthy low calorie meals. And I worked out 6 days a week. After an injury and not being able to work out while healing, I gained half of the weight back. A month ago, I decided to go back to that healthy lifestyle and the pounds have started shedding. Again this time, I want eating healthy and working out to be second nature.

girlviernes

Tara Pope's NYT article "The Fat Trap" was a debbie downer, wasn't it? But look at who she profiled: people who lost their weight eating 700 calories a day of fake Medifast food. Should we be surprised that it's hard to return to normal?

Change your definition of normal, and the solution isn't as hard.

that's not to say I'm bulletproof, far from it. A slip in habits, a broken ankle, a prolonged illness, a death in the family...these things could make maintenance hard. But I'll cross that bridge when it comes.

So far I've changed jobs, changed gyms, and just last month I was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis. The old Shannon would have let any one of these life changes turn into excuses to eat and laze around.

But no longer...one of the first questions I asked my doctor after the DVT diagnosis was "when can I exercise again?" (answer: immediately!).

Very best of luck to you. I can't wait to read your success story.

You know, I actually work in this field and have been very interested in the Health at Every Size movement, but the pessimism of it all really got to me. I know that (for me) I am not at a healthy size, and I've gotten to this not healthy size through not engaging in healthy living. It's pretty simple. What I have a lot of control over is living in a different way now, and that gives me a good amount of control over my body shape as well.

I'm sorry to hear about the DVT, but your reaction is inspiring as well. I have some similar issues, and I'm just doing my best to take it seriously and make change.

clakster

Really wonderful words- have moved me along a bit !

gert1985

Great job. Keep on keepin' on.

girlviernes

Totally agree with your view on not using the terms dieting and cheat meals/cheat days. I lost 30 pounds a few years ago after deciding to change my lifestyle. I didn't give myself a deadline either to lose x number of pounds. I ate whatever I wanted, but most of the time ate healthy low calorie meals. And I worked out 6 days a week. After an injury and not being able to work out while healing, I gained half of the weight back. A month ago, I decided to go back to that healthy lifestyle and the pounds have started shedding. Again this time, I want eating healthy and working out to be second nature.

I think instead of 'cheat' days we should say 'treat' days.

upsaluki

Loved this original post. Thanks.

deannasueknutson

Congrats on your 2 years of maintenance. Thank you for sharing your insights.

10Kmiles

congrats!

christhenix

You are a true inspiration. Thank you.

ShannonMpls

Totally agree with your view on not using the terms dieting and cheat meals/cheat days. I lost 30 pounds a few years ago after deciding to change my lifestyle. I didn't give myself a deadline either to lose x number of pounds. I ate whatever I wanted, but most of the time ate healthy low calorie meals. And I worked out 6 days a week. After an injury and not being able to work out while healing, I gained half of the weight back. A month ago, I decided to go back to that healthy lifestyle and the pounds have started shedding. Again this time, I want eating healthy and working out to be second nature.

I think instead of 'cheat' days we should say 'treat' days.

Or just EATING!

While losing, I took at least one (usually 2-3) days off a month. Those are days you might have called cheat days. I would take them on special occasions, weddings, events, etc. It was so lovely to have a day here and there where I did not log, I ate without thinking of calories, and yes - sometimes I would overeat. But I'd usually work out on those days, and I'd get right back to normal the next day. I would bloat up a few pounds but it never slowed my weight loss. It made it MUCH easier to stick with the plan the rest of the time.

Now, I eat whatever I like at least once a week. It's usually over maintenance, but I eat under maintenance during the week so it evens out.

I know some people log everything, every day but I could not face that. The mental break now and then means that when I'm committed, I can more easily stay the course and decline temptations knowing that on my "free" day I can have whatever I like.

It's my system. It might not work for others, but it sure has worked for me - physically and mentally....and we know this is primarily a mental game.