feeling bikini ready after dropping 43 pounds

2Bskinny4good_Stacie

Finally feeling like I am bikini ready for this summer….like I will be able to walk down the beach without being embarrassed by my butt and thighs, using a towel or shorts to try to hide as much of my lower body as I can. Yay!! Last year I turned down all invitations I got to events that involved swimming suits and it makes me a little sad to think how much I let my weight interfere with my enjoyment of life for a few years.

I have very few photos of me from my fat phase of life…but I came across this one that one of my sisters snapped of me at my mom’s birthday party this past August—right before I decided I needed to make a permanent lifestyle change. Although seeing myself as I was, and sharing it with others, embarrasses me greatly I’m doing it. (hopefully the photos I attempt to upload will come through)

For those of you who are interested in how I did it…I focused on eating well balanced portioned controlled foods. I did not cut out specific food groups---I ate carbs of all types (but I did try to stick to whole grains/healthier choices), I drank booze here and there and I allowed myself to have treats …I didn’t deprive myself. I did try to focus on eating mostly fresh vegetables and fruits. I avoided severe calorie restriction but I did (and still do) exercise like a maniac on most days.
Best of luck to those of you who are just starting on this journey or who are still working at getting the pounds off! Logging is key to my success and I plan to continue to do it even though I am now happy where I am at. Thanks MFP!! :happy: :flowerforyou:

It's my first time trying to share photos in a message board so I apologize if they don't come through or are the wrong size :ohwell:

2Bskinny4good_Stacie

sorry that the sized of the bikini shots are off but my profile is open so the full shots are visible there if anyone wants to check them out

Jen8np

Oh my god u look amazing!!!!!! And u got those pics up! U will have to walk me through it one day. U seriously do look amazing!!!

SparkleShine

You look AMAZING!!!!! What is yoru workout schedule like???? Please share!

1_Happy_Camper

Amazing results!!!!

Nix_

As I have said before, amazing job!

thistimeismytime

You're such a rock star girl!! You earned the right to rock that bikini! :flowerforyou:

viser_haut

You look amazing well done! :happy:

kylexii

you look incredible! amazing job (:

Kari089

wow, amazing! well done you rocking that bikini bod!

pg1girl

You are beautiful inside and out Stacie! Congratulations my friend!

Libby81

You look fantastic!! massive congrats for your achievement. Loving your shoulders x

SVMR17

Congrats on the new body! Would love to hear about your exercise routine!

kdiamond

You look amazing girl!! You don't look a day over 30. GOOD JOB!

dvisser1

You think you're bikini ready? You're a bikini bombshell!!!! Wow!!!

CoderGal

You're so flat side on! It's incredible. Fantastic job!

shammxo

you look incredible! definitely show it OFF!

sfoxy219

Jealous! You look amazing, well done.

mznisaelaine

You definitely look great!! and definitely bikini ready!

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

wow--how long did it take you? You look PHENOMENAL!

FatUncleRob

You definitely look great!! and definitely bikini ready!

I agree, enjoy the summer!

kcragg

You look fantastic and should be proud to wear a bikini:)

yessiseguy

Omg!! You look amazing. What an inspiration. You are not only bikini redy BUT ready for pretty much anything! I am glad you posted the pictures. WTG and enjoy the beach!

NewJay12

You look fantastic! Way to go!

shaunte92

Amazing job! Do you mind sharing some of stats ? Height, weight, etc. And what was your routine ?

2Bskinny4good_Stacie

Sure....as far as stats go...

I'm just under 5' 5" and at last weight was 125

I'm wearing a size 4 (USA sizes)

Around 132 I stopped actively pursuing losing weight and began just focusing on strength training to build lean muscle and tone up my butt and thighs...to do that I increased my workouts but ate back as close to 100% of the calories I was burning as I could.

When I first started trying to lose weight I programmed in my stats and set it for lose 2 pounds a week...I set a personal goal of burning no less than 300 calories (as indicated from a heart rate monitor) every morning 7 days a week doing some sort of exercise--DVDs, treadmill, or long walk with my dogs. If I remember correctly I would eat back some of those calories but not all of them.

Over time, as I got closer to goal weight it got harder and harder to stick with what the app told me I would need to restrict my calorie intake to in order to lose 2 pounds a week....#s were in the 900s I believe, pre-exercise. I never allowed myself to eat anything less than 1200 so I had to increase my exercise time to gain more calories so I had at least 1200 to eat. Around this time (probably when I was around 138-135 pounds) I started getting confused, headaches, crabby and feeling like I wanted to rip food out of my husband's hands when he would eat in front of me :grumble: I knew I needed to change my plan so I increased the amount I was eating/slowed the amount of weight I was targeting to lose to 1 pound a week and the confusion, headaches and crabbiness went away...also I suddenly had more energy so I was able to workout more intensely than I was before. I probably increased calories to around the 1350 to 1450 mark without exercise (I would still eat back some of my exercise calories but not all)...

When I got to 132 I started trying to figure out what my maintenance calories would be. I have been gradually increasing the number of calories I eat per day...right now it is set to 1850 pre-exercise and I eat back every calorie I can from exercise...and I have still been losing a little bit of weight and I think a lot in inches. With exercise calories included I usually eat between 2000 and 2400 calories every day and love every minute of it!

The last 2-3 weeks I have doubled my workouts in an attempt to get my lower body to where I wanted it to be. I have been exercising both am and pm and probably burning between 500-800 calories most days (again based on a heart rate monitor reading), some days I burn a little more, some days a little less.

As far as workouts go, I do mostly DVDs in my home. I credit kickboxing routines with the definition I am getting in my arms and stomach because I have been thin before with other workouts but never as muscular/toned as what I am now (this is the first time I have ever included kickboxing in my exercise routines). I also do a lot of circuit training both in DVDs and on the treadmill/incline treadmill. I don't enjoy running much though, I prefer the DVDs. I also think the kickboxing DVD are doing a lot to help with my butt and thighs

forgot to mention, I also do a lot of push-ups...you have to do push ups if you want good arms...start with it on the knees and work up to standard push ups...I am just starting to be able to do more than a couple standard push ups in my workout routines

Hope that gives you some of the answers you asked about...happy to share more if you are interested through PM.

Stacie

kstep88

OMG you look FABULOUS! GREAT WORK!

steve3146

Incredible! heads will turn

kazzari

You look great...definitely bikini ready! I'm a little envious...I set wearing a bikini as a goal for my 45th birthday, even bought the bikini to wear for progress photos. Now that I'm 50 I realize that is never going to happen. If I couldn't wear one at 15 not sure why I'd ever be able to wear one. Congratulations on your hard work and success!

Bovaryoo

Wow, you look amazing! Congratulations on all your hard work!

2Bskinny4good_Stacie

As far as workouts go, I do mostly DVDs in my home. I credit kickboxing routines with the definition I am getting in my arms and stomach because I have been thin before with other workouts but never as muscular/toned as what I am now (this is the first time I have ever included kickboxing in my exercise routines). I also do a lot of circuit training both in DVDs and on the treadmill/incline treadmill. I don't enjoy running much though, I prefer the DVDs. I also think the kickboxing DVD are doing a lot to help with my butt and thighs

forgot to mention, I also do a lot of push-ups...you have to do push ups if you want good arms...start with it on the knees and work up to standard push ups...I am just starting to be able to do more than a couple standard push ups in my workout routines

I just realized I misspoke a little....I do a lot of circuit training in DVDs but it also interval training in the DVDs and that is what I do on the treadmill/incline treadmill (alternating high intensity bursts with lower work periods)...just wanted to point that out.

Stacie