How has MFP helped you?

AliDarling

Hello,

On july 8, 2010 at 1:11 pm, at 260 lbs I gave birth to my daughter Pandora. Before I got pregnant, I weighed 204, my grade school weight, and the lowest since age 12. Yea, been in the 200's since I was 12.

In this first year, I lost about 17 pounds, and my daughter weighed 7 of those pounds. Not a good year. Battles with depression, post pardum, and the fact that after i worked my @$$ off, litterly, I had to do it again, which I think was the really depressing thing. My sister in law had her daughter 6 weeks after mine, and at my daughters party, everyone but me was swimming. Two of my sister in laws were in bikini's, yes, one was the one that had a baby 6 weeks after mine, and the other was in this knock out dress. I went to add some pictures to our photo album, and seen that from 3 months to about 10 months I was MIA. I started to cry and feel so guilty that I missed most of her first year cause I was too embarresed to be seen. You can see my hair, a tattoo, and a shoe I believe. I thought how am I supposed to tell her when she's older and asks where I am?

Can we say wake up call? I was looking up exercise tips online, and seen a video from Good Morning America about a woman that used a free site called My Fitness Pal and lost more than 100 lbs. I gave it a shot.

From mid July of this year, to September 23, I've lost a total of 23 pounds thanks to this site. I never knew what I was eating, how many cals I should be eating, and what exercises do what. I used to go to the gym, but certian events like my new job and no baby sitter prevent me from going, but I walk and run around work for 6 hours, and its been showing

Thanks to MFP I have lost more than double the weight in two months than what I lost in a year. The guidlines and everyone on here is so helpful and supportive. I'm still losing weight, and I'm never stopping with this as my helper.

What's your story?

tiggerbounce411

Good fir you!
I have always been the fat kid, as I call it. I never weighed less than 175 pounds from junior high on. I crept up slowly to 180 and then one day I saw a pic of myself and almost fainted..I had ballooned to 230 pounds. I inadvertantly saw something online that horrified me with meat, so I was veg for about a yr or a little less. In that time, I dropped 80 pounds and ended up at 156..wow was I happy.

In 2006 I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, which from time to time has required me to be placed on oral steroids. Thanks to the "marvels" of modern medicine, I am now..again..200 pounds and I am NOT doing it anymore. A good friend of mine that I hadn't seen in person in a while, came through my state and visited. She is on MFP and HOLY WOW what a difference and she has lost even more since I saw her a month ago. I am thrilled for her and inspired beyond belief.

I love this place, it is inspiring and gives you a can do attitude and there are othe people that you can share your story with or encourage, which encourages you as well. I love this site...more than I could evern describe!

believe22

Great job!!
Your daughter and my son are only 20 days apart!!

KeriA

I was not overweight for most of my life. I lost a bit of grad school weight before having my 1 st child. I lost my pregnancy weight after as well in fact maybe a few more. Then I had 2 hard pregnancies where I couldn't keep food down for the first 4 months and it ruined my metabolism. My second child was clingy and made it harder to exercise. C-sections made my stomach look worse. I slowly put on weight. I felt I could get it off when I had more time but I didn't figure on age another metabolism slowing factor. On and off I tried exercising more and didn't really lose. A few years ago I got serious and really started exercising seriously and still didn't lose. I saw an article on a women using MFP who had been on a morning show as well but just more than a year ago and came on here. By logging exercise and food intake I was able to finally lose weight. I also measured as well. I have lost very slowly this past year but I am not going to stop. I try to make this a sustainable process since I have a ways to go. I have lost alot of inches and sizes but still have lots of work to do.

JS70

I was reading Bob Harper's fb wall one day looking for some motivation. Someone posted a comment about how MFP has worked for them and how great it was. I went straight to the site and signed up. I love it!! It has been so helpful logging my menus and my exercise and the support has been amazing! I have lost 10 pounds in 30 days on this site, something I was not able to do without it. The people on here are so supportive and really keep me motivated! I am so glad I found MFP!

sweetxsour35

I have been overweight ever since second grade, but wasn't aware about it until 5th grade, and at that point, my self confidence dropped. Throughout middle school and my first year of high school, I had low self esteem. Sophomore year, I tried Atkins, which helped me lose 40 pounds, but unfortunately it was all muscle. My body looked exactly the same, except smaller. Essentially, I hadn't lost a lot of fat. I just gave up on Atkins because it was too stressful, and gained 20 lbs back when I started going to the gym again. I was ready to give up, when I saw a forum topic on losing weight. I read some of the replies, and one of them mentioned MFP. I decided to give it a try, and I'm really glad I joined that forum, haha.

PlunderBunneh

This is my second round using MFP, and I just love it. I found it looking for an app to watch my fat-intake (I had been on Alli), and I used it for about two months, before "the move" happened and over the course of six months I gained almost 30 hard lost pounds back. Obviously, I had stopped using MFP, and I was eating like I was about to start a very strict diet again, which I never did.
Wake up call was shopping for a nice dress for a date night with my girlfriend, and finding out that where I had been down to a comfortable 14, I was suddenly having to try on 18's again. I went out to dinner that night, had fabulous fondue until I was stuffed like a thanksgiving turkey, and logged back into my MFP website the next morning.
I had never used the website before, and have been LOVING the community features. I eat better knowing that my diary is viewable to all my buddies (which I collect like beany bag babies) and I know that if I don't log, or stop working out, someone is going to call me out on it.
This time, the weight is coming off slower, and I'm a bit sad and a bit happy over that. I'm focused on losing naturally, in a healthy fashion, by re-learning how and what to eat, and by working out EVERY day. Sometimes it's just a slow walk, but most days I bust my *kitten*. So I'm sad that this is taking what feels like forever, but I'm happy that this lifestyle is sustainable.
So. Yep. Keep on helping me out, MFP!

NattieBoomBattie

Ali, you know I love you dude!
I feel you on the whole picture thing. There are so many pics of Munchkin from when she was little and not very many of them had me in them and I felt AWFUL! I kept saying "she's going to wonder why I wasn't around". I ended up forcing myself to take pictures with her but you can tell in all those old photos that I was NOT happy about it. I didn't want to be seen that way. I only gained 30lbs when I was pregnant with her (my cousin gained more than 60 and lost it and now she's a flippin stick).
Even knowing that I wanted to lose weight, I still steadily gained. It was terrible. I've put on soooo much since getting pregnant and then giving birth and all the aftermath. It's just unreal. Just before Summer I tried tried losing weight again. I was doing all these Biggest Loser videos, walking several several miles each week and was constantly gaining weight. I didn't want to hear that whole 'muscle weighs more than fat' crap because my clothes still weren't fitting any better so blah.
You posted on fb about MFP and I signed up. At first I just skimmed through it for the first few weeks, being the skeptical nerd that I am. Then when I gained 3lbs one week I said "what the hell am I doing? there's this tool that people are swearing by and all I have to do is log in and USE IT!" That was about a month and a half ago and voila! I'm down 16lbs so far.
It's the first time in 3 years that I've started to actually lose! Woo hoo! You are forever my Hero Ali. lol

ratherbeskiing

I also have been overweight most of my life. I was a size 12 in jr high and was a 16 in hs. I did play sports- varsity softball, fieldhockey... shot put. I hated to run so I was the goalie and catcher. I stayed around size 16 in college but should have been an 18. I was around 240 at my biggest. Welcome to college parties and eating a bunch of junk!

I went to Guatemala on a year long service trip after college and dropped to about 185. (Size 14) Well, coming back and eating food again I went back to 215 (size 16). After years of being at 215 thinking that I could not do anything about it. I was looking at my driod for weight loss things as a joke. I found MFP and started it to "see if it would work"

Well... fast forward today. I have have been on MFP since Feb 28th of this year. I have lost 60lbs which has brought me to 155 (the current weight on my license- that I put on at age 16 and I was lying) and size 10! I have 100+++ more energy and self esteem. I LOVE to exersize. I could never run more then a mile even in hs. I currently run 4miles 3+times a week (I use the nike +) I also just ran my 1st ever 5k this year in 32.09! I also enjoy doing the EA active on the wii and have turned to weights instead of the band and am up to 8lbs soon to be 10lb weights.

I LOVE shopping now and giving away old clothes! I have a friend who is on here and doing it with me and is a size behind me and so we go shopping together so she can see what she is getting next My goal is another 20lbs which will bring me to 135 and "NORMAL" weight. I owe a lot to MFP. THANK YOU!

congrats to everyone who is doing this and thank you for reading!

AliDarling

Ali, you know I love you dude!
I feel you on the whole picture thing. There are so many pics of Munchkin from when she was little and not very many of them had me in them and I felt AWFUL! I kept saying "she's going to wonder why I wasn't around". I ended up forcing myself to take pictures with her but you can tell in all those old photos that I was NOT happy about it. I didn't want to be seen that way. I only gained 30lbs when I was pregnant with her (my cousin gained more than 60 and lost it and now she's a flippin stick).
Even knowing that I wanted to lose weight, I still steadily gained. It was terrible. I've put on soooo much since getting pregnant and then giving birth and all the aftermath. It's just unreal. Just before Summer I tried tried losing weight again. I was doing all these Biggest Loser videos, walking several several miles each week and was constantly gaining weight. I didn't want to hear that whole 'muscle weighs more than fat' crap because my clothes still weren't fitting any better so blah.
You posted on fb about MFP and I signed up. At first I just skimmed through it for the first few weeks, being the skeptical nerd that I am. Then when I gained 3lbs one week I said "what the hell am I doing? there's this tool that people are swearing by and all I have to do is log in and USE IT!" That was about a month and a half ago and voila! I'm down 16lbs so far.
It's the first time in 3 years that I've started to actually lose! Woo hoo! You are forever my Hero Ali. lol

love u too nattie!

Jennieam

At my heaviest weight, I was 113 kg (249 lbs). I managed to lost 30 kg (66 lbs), and got down to 83 kg (183 lbs).

We then moved further away from the city, and had a 100 km journey twice a day. As a result our "exercise" reduced. So over the following 12 years, I gained 12 kgs and ended up back at 95 kg (209 lbs).

Along the way, I was diagnosed as diabetic. My commitment to myself (and to my doctor!) was that I would lose 10 kg. I knew that I would feel happier in myself, as well as it being a big help with controlling my diabetes (which had worsened).

At a friend's suggestion, I joined MFP at the end of August this year. Since then ("weigh-in" is on Monday), I have lost over 4 kg (about 9 lbs) so I am well on the way to meeting my initial goal.

Just as a warning though ... after a week with MFP I had to visit my doctor - my blood sugar levels had changed so dramatically (virtually overnight) so much that my insulin had to be dropped to less than 2/3 of what it was previously!!!

SpeedBump1

MFP has helped me stay within my allowance as well as helping me make better choices. At the moment calories aren't listed in restaurants or when you are on the go and need something quick, no listed calories. Once I plug in what I am thinking of choosing, I either quickly change my mind once I see the nutritional values or it's thumbs up if it is within my allowance. It also help me keep track of my physical activities from the gym to just leisurely walking. I almost forgot, reading informational posts on health, nutrition, recipes, others with questions and pictures are inspirational. I feel I will do it this time with the help of MFP.

manderson27

I was only looking for an easy calorie counter.

But found a whole world of help and support and it is really making a difference in my mind set. Especially when a see all those big numbers lost so inspirational :bigsmile:

I am on my way to a fitter thinner healthier me due to MFP

akashastrega

I've been here 5 weeks and I am lucky to have NBB and Ali on my friends list (you 2 are so supportive, you SO rock).

I was always THICK. Think A short version of Katarina Witt. Quarterback shoulders, muscular legs, bubble booty, big tata's. I was very athletic. Always moving. As a teen I modeled and did figure skating, in my 20s I walked everywhere because parking is a real pain in SFO and I danced every weekend until the clubs kicked me out. In my 30s I had my twins, lost my BFF to suicide, was diagnosed with cervical cancer, broke my elbow resulting in 3 reconstructive surgeries...all while still dealing with my childhood issues of asthma and the results of childhood kidney disease. Let me just say I never want to repeat my 30s (although I do love my twins more than anything).

It was after my twins that I went on Depo and put on almost 100 pounds in less than a year. A very deep depression from my bestie's suicide left me hopeless and stuffing my emotions with food. Then the cancer treatment further screwed up my hormones and added to my depression...and more eating, then the losing the use of my dominant arm meant my self-esteem taking a dump and more depression. Did I mention I am an emotional eater?? So here I am depressed, getting fat, not moving because of depression, fat, and pain...so I got even bigger...and lazy and unable to workout.

Just before my 40th I went into an age crisis. I was telling a friend on Facebook that I don't want to be 40 and fat. She said...SO DON'T BE. Really?? Is it that easy?? So with her as inspiration (she'd recently lost a ton of weight from changing her diet and exercising) I started looking into ways to take baby steps and ease out of my depression and into a new me. Then my sister-in-law posted on Facebook about MFP. I checked it and and saw that it linked to my droid and jumped in head first!!

I initially lost 5 pounds, then gained 15 (the 5 I lost plus 10). THAT has been killing my motivation, but I am starting to think that it is all the old muscles coming back to life. Everyone comments that I *LOOK* thinner. That my belly no longer sticks out more than my boobs. That I am getting my hourglass back. The scale says otherwise.

So where MFP is helping is through the support of others. When I feel like I want to quit, they kick me in my butt and remind why I need to keep going. It took my 30s to make me into a lump, so I don't expect fast results. The fact that at my skinniest (135 pounds) I looked like I was bigger...probably because of these ginormous tata's and bubble butt. I was always told that my legs were scary muscular, like I could easily snap someones neck using them...so I am now going into my 6th week, with my motivation a bit slowed, but realizing that I have a body (or musculature) that is more suited to WWE than ballet...short and bulky rather than thin and sleek. I know my MFP peeps will keep me going, even when I cannot seem to.

MFP is more than a diet. Sometimes the weight results we want don't always happen the way we want or in the time we want...but it should be more of a lifestyle change than diet. MFP has tools that, for me, have helped me make healthy choices, and people who are going through my ups and downs with me. I want to get back to 160 (the weight that I felt healthiest), but it may or may not happen...what will happen is that I know through the tools and people that I will develop a lifelong way to be healthy...and maybe that is more important goal to shoot for than squeezing back into that little black dress.

AliDarling

love ya aka. sorry to hear of your loss and the cancer. i had to have cysts removed from my overies, and thanks to my mom, im at risk cause she gave me warts at birth. great lady -.- My baby means the world to me, and the fact that 60 lbs resulted in her being totally healthy and just perfect, i can see how it was worth it, but i want my hour glass back, not this full glass. Amazing about the cancer. you beat the crap of that, now its time to go in for round two of the weight loss. my first two weeks i think all i did was yo-yo, but now that im in a sort of groove, its all down hill i think the last time i was 135 i was 8. i've never seen below 200 since 11 or 12. was only 5 pounds away fron onderland when i got pregnant. total slap in the face. i cried every night up untill 6 months after she was born. I still won't let my husband take my picture or see me naked. too ashamed.

altho motivation slows down, its just taking a break to get itself back in the game.

I want to look good for once. be in my stilettos and a nice mini dress. be the hoit woman i know i am, the trophy wife he deserves

I want to take pictures with my daughter. Play with her on the slide, chase her around.

you watch lady, we'll get there