230 pounds to 165. 30 more to go w/Pics (I hope)

Jamie145 · February 2012

u look like a totally different person!! you look amazing!! i am 5'4 as well at my heaviest i was 245 and now at 228.. Youre making me wanna work even harder just looking at yur pics!! thanks for the inspiration

tabithajoyy · February 2012

Amazing!

pumalama · February 2012

What a positive change! I thought you were mid 20's on your second pic. You look so great! Be proud of your achievement!

MrsB0701 · February 2012

You are BEAUTIFUL!!! How did you succeed?

1FitBabe · February 2012

Congrats!

How long did it take you to lose the weight?

Sabdavis · February 2012

You really look fantastic! I hope you're proud of yourself and really realize what a huge accomplishment that is!

leehenryfox · February 2012

That's amazing, you're HALF the woman! Can I ask you if you ate back your exercise calories, or any other tips?

_Ren · February 2012

Looking awesome! Good job! Keep up the good work!

anzabeth · February 2012

Thanks so much for all of your support! I am not to goal yet, and the closer I get the harder it is to stay motivated, not give up and just say, "ok, good enough." I lost from 230+( still not sure what my real starting weight was - I had an old scale that lied and that I avoided most of the time). Anyway, I got from 230 - to just under 200 on the old scale in 22 days. It wasn't healthy, it was stress induced - if you are interested in all the hairy details - read my blog. After gaining my balance I started to exercise - at first could only do 9 minutes on my elliptical. I had a playlist that I worked out to and every couple of days I made myself stay on for one more song. I took off another 30 pounds over about 6 months. So, now I'm 170 on my old scale - which was probably really mid 180's. Then I met my husband, got complacent and lazy, got stuck in the 170's or so I thought. When I got pregnant and went to the doctor, her scale said I weighed 189. I threw out the old scale and bought a new, accurate, digital one. So for about 2 years I was on a self-induced plateau and then a pregnancy. I gained 31 pounds during my pregnancy, but was back down to 189 when my son was 6 weeks old. I joined MFP (or started using it at least) when I weighed 194. I didn't really start trying to lose again until I weaned him in late October/early November. So, I have lost 24 pounds since November. I don't always eat my exercise calories, but sometimes I do, if I'm really hungry. I am at the gym almost every day. I do at least 30 minutes of cardio (usually the elliptical) plus I have started lifting. The lifting has slowed down my rate of lbs lost, but I am losing inches and getting definition that I have never ever had before. I do 60 minutes of Zumba 2 or 3 days a week, plus lift those days too. Sometimes I have a hard time getting through a workout and realize I haven't had a rest day in 9 or 10 days. The workouts give me sanity in a very crazy, stressful life. I do manage to stay around my 1200 calories most days, but I don't always eat the best foods. That is something I really need to work on now as I get closer to goal. I am a busy mom of 3 boys and it isn't always easy to make myself a priority. Nothing has happened fast for me. But it is happening. I put post-it notes all over my house with goals and reminders. I tear out pictures of success stories from fitness magazines (women my age and similar stories when possible) and post them up everywhere. Every mirror that I see has my next goal and inspirational quotes next to it. Sometimes I want to give up. And sometimes I do give up. But usually only for a day or two at the longest. Sometimes just a few minutes. I have fallen and failed. A LOT! But this time, I just keep getting back up. There is no secret. Gosh, I wish there was.

Edited to add: I always, always, always use my Polar HRM when I work out. The machines at the gym LIE!!!! I am usually only burning 60-80% of what the machine says, even when I enter my weight and age and the machine is picking up my heart rate from my chest strap. So, really knowing what I'm burning helps keep me accountable.