1 year and 30 lbs. later. Pics!

Options
ccruns920
ccruns920 Posts: 14 Member
As of 3/22, I have been logging on MFP for 1 year!

Here's my (ongoing) story:

I am one of those people who had worn the same size for YEARS, even with weight fluctuations. I was starting to believe I was born to be a size 14. If this feels like you, do not give up!

2 years ago in April, my mom got breast cancer and I decided it was time to lower my risk. I weighed about 185-189 and am 5'6". I started a Couch to 5K program. I could barely run 30 seconds. I hid out on a secret treadmill in the far reaches of the gym so no one would see me.

My first 5k was around 35 minutes.

Fast forward to March of last year. Despite running a handful of 5Ks and even a 10K, I hadn't lost any real weight. How frustrating!!! It occurred to me that food might play a bigger role in weight loss than I had thought.

To be honest, I was never a big eater. I think I actually wasn't eating ENOUGH most of the time. A food scale has been my best friend in teaching me how to eat. If you don't have one, get one! As an added bonus, I am way better at estimating calories now when I am out because I use that thing religiously at home.

This entire time, I have kept a similar calorie goal. I eat. A lot. Usually around 1800-2000 calories a day. I have gone from eating just above my BMR plus eating back exercise calories to eating at TDEE-20% without eating back exercise calories. Honestly, both ways gave me a similar calorie total on average. I feel like eating back exercise calories helped me make it to the gym when that was a tough thing for me to stick to. Now, I know I'll work out, regardless of whether it earns me more food for the day:).

I love sweets. I am the crazy person who weighs the grams in her slice of pie.

I do cardio 3-4 times a week and strength/yoga 1 time a week (not including little stuff in front of the TV and my homework from PT). I'm currently fighting a running injury so my cardio has gotten pretty inventive (water jogging anyone?).

I've been stuck at my current weight for about 5 months, but inches are shifting all the time. I have 10ish more pounds to lose. Hello, strength training!

The "before" pics are from about 1 year ago.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is a picture from the infamous Vegas Hard Rock Rehab party. What the @#$! made me think this was the appropriate thing to wear? Only that $20 drink in my hand knows:

dd2f51a0-0c70-4760-b8c9-19c2fd425b59_zpsff106182.jpg

In this picture, I am wearing Spanx so tight, I can't bend over because they will roll down:

e8345459-71f9-4f6d-9e53-ad24b919d5d9_zpsbe6d8925.jpg

Last April, I got married at about 178 lbs.

weddingto_zps5c6970d8.jpg

September, things are looking better!

8252299f-ed97-4ca3-9fac-d12489583f5a_zps22448f8b.jpg

November, I ran my second half marathon:

04ed54d2-46ef-4ea9-8117-bb596a8c14f0_zps707e1d64.jpg

And now, I don't weigh any less than in November, but things have shifted around a little. Sorry, no bikini pictures here. I'm too pale to subject you all to that yet. These are my old work pants:

8fbd0392-e366-4d92-9f08-a324bc4a7e08_zps46d74161.jpg

My jeans today are a 6. And I am, at most, a solid 8 in all brands I've tried. This continues to blow my mind. I still get excited when I see a 14 on sale and then I remember it won't fit!

3 weeks ago I ran a hilly 5K in 27 minutes. My training runs are usually 10.5-11 min miles, but that speed sneaks up on you!

It took me a LONG time to lose the weight this time. But it's better this way. I never feel deprived of any food that I want. I don't beat myself up about not working out on a particular day. I don't get depressed when I have a "bad" food day. I had Costco cake for lunch the other day. I just keep going.

Age: 30
Height: 5'6"
Highest Weight: 195ish
Starting Weight/Size: 185ish, 12-14
Current Weight/Size: 154, 6-8
Goal Weight/Size: 145, 6

Happy logging, everyone!
«134

Replies

  • jakeVScalories
    jakeVScalories Posts: 107 Member
    Options
    This is legit. Thats some real motivation and so amazing to see ALL these pics. what a transformation. enjoy all the compliments, because girl you straight up earned it!
  • soniabogonia
    soniabogonia Posts: 778 Member
    Options
    Amazing job!!! You have made fantastic progress!!
  • ShaktiB
    ShaktiB Posts: 17
    Options
    Congratulations!! You look great and it's inspirational to know that slow and steady does it.
  • gemini53181
    Options
    Amazing and congrats. You will lose those last few pounds before you know it.
  • Amas77
    Amas77 Posts: 118 Member
    Options
    congrats!!! you look wonderful!
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
    Options
    Congratulations! You look great. :flowerforyou:
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
    Options
    nice work.. my mom is fighting as well.. best of luck
  • BigJza
    BigJza Posts: 116 Member
    Options
    Nice work you should be very proud of yourself
  • bekeyers
    bekeyers Posts: 18
    Options
    Excellent job, you should be proud :)
  • EmmaLA16
    EmmaLA16 Posts: 94 Member
    Options
    Well done, you have worked so hard and look amazing. I'd also like to thank you for this post as it's given me a personal boost. The scale has not been kind recently, everytime I lose a bit the following week it goes back on. But this morning I tried on a skirt that i haven't worn for ages because it was way too tight, and it is now too big. I am so pleased that I have confirmation that my body is changing that I'm not going to listen to what the scale says anymore as my clothes can shout louder. Then to top it off I found your post and it has helped to reinforce what my skirt told me earlier.

    So thank you for posting and good luck with the rest of your journey.
  • whattodo54
    whattodo54 Posts: 26 Member
    Options
    Excellent work ethic! Good for you!
  • ghhosstt
    ghhosstt Posts: 112
    Options
    you look great, congrats. And wow --you're 30? Not old at all, but you could pull of 20 if you wanted to, no kidding.
  • skilvington
    skilvington Posts: 40 Member
    Options
    Congratulations on your success, you are just the motivation that I need; thank you for posting x
  • here_I_go_again
    here_I_go_again Posts: 463 Member
    Options
    Great work, you look amazing!
  • wwmorrow
    wwmorrow Posts: 118 Member
    Options
    You look fantastic. Congratulations!
  • FattieBabs
    FattieBabs Posts: 542 Member
    Options
    Now that is real. Well done and thanks for proving that it is not all about the scales....You look fabulous!
  • getinmabelly
    getinmabelly Posts: 23 Member
    Options
    True congrats for sticking with it - although I would like to point out that you looked great before! I know no one wants to hear that after having put a huge effort in to losing weight, but I still think someone needs to say it. Basically, I do hope you're not beating yourself up about how you looked before, because you really don't need to, you looked lovely (even in your discomfort at wearing spanx - believe me, I empathise!).

    That said, your motivation seems to have been for health reasons, not for looks. I think health needs to be the prime motivation for losing weight, so big thumbs up from me at your persistence with getting healthy because fitness is nowhere near as tangible or visible a motivator as dropping dress sizes.

    Best of luck in your continued path to a healthy lifestyle. It's an ongoing pursuit - but one worth sticking with :-)
  • SexyLovinmeCook
    SexyLovinmeCook Posts: 1,393 Member
    Options
    You look great...Congrats on accomplishing your goals and still pushing forward....Happy 1yr..
  • Snow__White
    Snow__White Posts: 1,650 Member
    Options
    Fabulous! congrats hun you look great!
  • beatricelombule
    beatricelombule Posts: 96 Member
    Options
    Good for you, I also struggled with such weight issues, but since this year started it's actually getting better and i'm feeling good about myself.
Do you Love MyFitnessPal? Have you crushed a goal or improved your life through better nutrition using MyFitnessPal?
Share your success and inspire others. Leave us a review on Apple Or Google Play stores!