-46 pounds in 8 months. Halfway there! Photos edited.

Frisky_CoastalNative

Great job!!

hmbrandon

Thanks everyone!

MaybeAMonkey

You look great! Thanks for sharing your pictures. it's always great to see the progress of another fellow shortie (I'm only 5 feet and half of an inch).

annielaurie88

that side pic is awesome!! congrats! keep up the good work! cant wait to post my pics on here...

YoYo1951

Wow, what a difference in your neck, butt, and waist. Keep up the good work. Thanks for sharing, it helps motivate me

hmbrandon

You guys are awesome. For those of you who have asked or messages me about how I did it, I will respond after I get out of class and after I meet with my trainer. I am more than happy to share my tips and tricks.

shbmommy110

You look so great!!! good job:)

NannersBalletLegs

Fantastic work there!

hmbrandon

Excellent! You look like you have lost more than 46 lbs:flowerforyou:

That's so sweet, thank you!

tmbowen12

great job girlie!! You are looking great.

brandichula

you look great!!!! awesome job!! Im ust starting myself... its nice to see success stories!!

laura4smith

WOW! You are looking good. Congratulations! And encouraging. Thank you for posting the pics.

cvisner

Great job !! You look good

SharonW2013

WTG!!! Laura

hmbrandon

Thanks for the sweetest, comments, everyone! My hubby is a quiet guy as it is, so he isn't one to say, "Wow! Look at you!" Nice to hear it from you folks!

For those of you who asked how I did it:

I am a former binger, meaning I could just eat and eat and eat. That's how I got so overweight in the first place. Chips, soda, ice cream- I could eat all three the same day and still eat my dinner. I literally couldn't stand the taste of water; my parents never made us drink it as kids. Now, I only eat 1200 calories a day and drink water like it's out of style. I don't remember the last time I bought a beloved Dr. Pepper. I don't deprive myself of a little (food) goody now and then, as long as it fits in to my calories. I don't waste my calories on empty drink calories. However, I don't "fit in" fast food or fried food. My stomach has suddenly become too sensitive for that stuff. I'm sure you know what I mean there.

It has been a long, imperfect process. I have given up. I have cheated. But you know what? I would start the next day like it was the first day. I think that is something that held me back in the past. I would always tell myself I would start over "on Monday" or "next week." No, if you do that, you'll be spending the whole week working off what you gained- and most of it will be water from too much sodium, especially if you go crazy on the pop and the chips like I used to. My "cheat days" are very few and far between now, reserved for when I hit a plateau. I have been lucky to only hit two plateaus, one at 178 and one at 168. I got out of them by increasing my calorie intake for five days. I didn't go crazy and add in all kinds of sugary and fatty food.I just ate another 300 or 400 calories in fruits and veggies every day for 5 days. After I went back to 1200, it would take a couple of days for the scale to balance out the extra calories, but sure enough, I would have a new lower weight in a week. That's how I got past my two plateaus.

Without a doubt, the biggest thing I have done for myself is hire a personal trainer. When I started this journey in January, I didn't want to give myself any excuses. So, I hired a trainer, and I've met with her every week since. She pushes me to limits I never thought I could go before. But guess what? I can! I workout now 4 times a week for 45 mins every time. I don't eat back my exercise calories. I'm a shorty, so anything over 1200 sees a gain on me.

I would be happy to answer any other q's. You guys keep me motivated. Don't want to let you down!

hydelaa

Amazing!!

mortyfit

Great job!
How DO you put photos in a post? I have been on this site for about 9 months but just recently started posting and I have no idea how to put pictures on my comments.

JulieinMaine

you are well on your way, congratulations, keep up the good work

nwhitley

Congratulations!! You look great!!

hmbrandon

Great job!
How DO you put photos in a post? I have been on this site for about 9 months but just recently started posting and I have no idea how to put pictures on my comments.

Thanks, Ladies. As for the pics... it took me a minute to figure it out, but I used the guide at the top of the forum for success stories. It really helped. You just need a Photobucket account.