Secrets to Successfully Losing 100+ Pounds

amsthegreat

In 2009 I weighed 265 lbs and was 49% BF. I'm only 5'3," to put that weight a bit more into perspective. I have lost 102 lbs since then. I now weigh in at 163 lbs and am 32% BF. Everyone keeps telling me how great I look and asking for my secrets, so here they are.

1. I work 40+ hours at a job in which I am always on my feet.

2. I walk to and from work most days.

3. Lately I have been neglecting the gym, but I usually hit the gym 4-5 times a week. I also walk to/from the gym.

4. I walk to get groceries. Last week I decided to add up the weight of my groceries out of curiousity and found out that I had walked home (15 blocks) with 50 lbs of groceries.

5. For fun I do things that are active (require some moving around), such as walking down Candy Cane Lane to look at Christmas lights, spending the day at the museum, walks in the park or down by the lake, geocaching, etc.

6. I have to stress this last point because people ask me all the time, "Aren't you trying to lose weight? Should you really be eating that?" or "Aren't you on a diet?" The answer is yes, I am trying to lose weight, but no I am not on a diet and I don't avoid any foods that I love. I DO count calories. I eat approximately 1600 calories on an inactive day, but I eat back ALL the extra calories I burn. Yes, you read correctly. If I burn an extra 900 calories at the gym you'd better believe I will be eating all 900 of those calories back. You'll probably find me at Sobleman's Pub and Grill eating a burger and drinking a Bloody Mary or Kopps having some frozen custard. If I want something high calorie or I find myself hungry at the end of 1600 calories, I eat. I take that as a signal from my body that I didn't give it something it needed during the day. No "dieting" here.

nc805397

Thank you for sharing That makes me feel good about what I am doing too! I have 40 pounds to go!

Jessie169

Thats awesome

Can I ask, how do you find the time for all the walking and going to the gym so often and, I guess getting done all the other everyday stuff you need to - and have the energy for it all. I work just under the same amount of hours you do, but never seem to have enough time or energy to work out as much as i want.

KindaOverThis

Awesome! Thanks for posting this... it's EXACTLY the kind of thing that keeps me motivated to keep going and to never give up!
:drinker:

amsthegreat

nc805397 and WeezieLTD, I'm glad I could motivate/inspire/cheer on. I know you will meet your goals as well.

Jessie169, the reason I have been neglecting the gym lately is partly due to lack of energy. It's the holidays and I work in retail, so I rarely have any energy left at the end of the work day. I try to go to the gym in the mornings or on my days off. I have to make time for all the walking because I don't own a car. Although, I'm not sure I want one. I enjoy the walks and think a car would get little use from me.

MoreBean13

YAY!!!!

So glad you posted this! You are awesome and doing fantastic and doing it the right way!
102 lbs! HOLLA!!!!

pastryari

Love this. Preach!


Congrats on over 100lb loss. That's fantastic.

VelociMama

That is awesome! Congratulations, and THANK YOU for sharing how you got there with us all

DontStopB_Leakin

OMG YOU MEAN YOU CAN EAT AND LOSE WEIGHT?! NO. WAY.


All kidding aside, FANTASTIC job!!


Good on you for not starving yourself and ENJOYING food.


Edited because I'm an idiot. Thanks for pointing that out, Ariel.

amsthegreat

Love this. Preach!

Gotta get the word out somehow.

Thanks Beanzy!

tameko2

That is AWESOME! So good to hear from someone who knows that dieting hard isn't the only way - being active also works!

taso42

And that's how it's done!

Awesome work!

pastryari

OMG YOU MEAN YOU CAN EAT AND LOSE WEIGHT?! NO. WAY.


All kidding aside, FANTASTIC job!!


Good on you for not starving yourself and ENJOYING food.


Edited because I'm an idiot. Thanks for pointing that out, Ariel.

I'm a helper! :drinker:

UncleRiotous

On standing up all day, I had a bike accident a couple of weeks ago and managed to badly bruise my coccyx which has made sitting down really painful. I work with a computer all day and have the option to work from home so I spent a week working from home, standing up with the laptop on top of a box to give it some heigh and unable to really exercise. I was amazed by how much weight I lost in that week and I reckon it was largely the standing up all day that did it.

ilovemybuggy

Awesome post!!! Congrats on your loss

nz_deevaa

You are such an inspiration!

kwirky1

Wow

IndigoFlowers

Yay for no dieting and still enjoying burgers!!! YUMMMY! Awesome loss

Sarauk2sf

You are so awesome. Over 100lb - that is totally outbloodystanding. I am so proud of you

somemansdream

I have over a 100 lbs to lose and I LOVE learning how people manage to do this. Excellent job!! Debbie

Melo1966

Awesome thankyou for sharing.

Ellas_Time_4_Change

Awesome Job! :flowerforyou: Thanks for sharing your tips, would love to see photos of your transformation.

sandiburn

thats great. You knowthe other day I was looking at some really old (1920's 1930's) pics with my parents and talking to them about how everyone in our family was thin. We talked and came to the conclusion tht they too walked everywhere. It is how we as humans were designed. Congrats to you!!!

muchmoretolove

number six is exactly my approach

junkmama1

Thanks for the post it gives me hope ...and congrats !

amsthegreat

There are pics on my profile, for anyone who is interested in seeing them.

cboutin89

In 2009 I weighed 265 lbs and was 49% BF. I'm only 5'3," to put that weight a bit more into perspective. I have lost 102 lbs since then. I now weigh in at 163 lbs and am 32% BF. Everyone keeps telling me how great I look and asking for my secrets, so here they are.

1. I work 40+ hours at a job in which I am always on my feet.

2. I walk to and from work most days.

3. Lately I have been neglecting the gym, but I usually hit the gym 4-5 times a week. I also walk to/from the gym.

4. I walk to get groceries. Last week I decided to add up the weight of my groceries out of curiousity and found out that I had walked home (15 blocks) with 50 lbs of groceries.

5. For fun I do things that are active (require some moving around), such as walking down Candy Cane Lane to look at Christmas lights, spending the day at the museum, walks in the park or down by the lake, geocaching, etc.

6. I have to stress this last point because people ask me all the time, "Aren't you trying to lose weight? Should you really be eating that?" or "Aren't you on a diet?" The answer is yes, I am trying to lose weight, but no I am not on a diet and I don't avoid any foods that I love. I DO count calories. I eat approximately 1600 calories on an inactive day, but I eat back ALL the extra calories I burn. Yes, you read correctly. If I burn an extra 900 calories at the gym you'd better believe I will be eating all 900 of those calories back. You'll probably find me at Sobleman's Pub and Grill eating a burger and drinking a Bloody Mary or Kopps having some frozen custard. If I want something high calorie or I find myself hungry at the end of 1600 calories, I eat. I take that as a signal from my body that I didn't give it something it needed during the day. No "dieting" here.

Great for you! I agree with you though. Diets are ineffective and stupid. I believe in the word "cutting back", but yeah I understand because I work 35 hours where I am on my feet mostly. Living in a city area I am able to walk mostly anyway. Some people just don,t get it. You can lose weight if you just moderate what you eat, without giving up your favorite goods.

amsthegreat

It's sad, but the truth is that too many people are far too would about what they are eating rather than how active they are. You can only fit back calories to a point. And how can you who enjoy food and live a normal life of you have to watch what you're eating for the rest of your life? Either the weight will come back or you'll be miserable because you can't goo or with your friends our you can't have foods you love.

Crankstr

WOW
Keep SMASHing!!!!!

mmapags

Awesome job!! You are totally rockin' it!!

PetulantOne

Wow!!! So awesome! Thanks for sharing :happy: