44 pounds in 108 days (with photos)

42 pounds loss not 44.

My journey began on April 15th 2012 at 232 pounds and BF of 35.2% and as of July 31st 2012 I achieved my goal of 190 pounds and BF of 24.6%. My waist when I started was 46” and currently it’s 37.750.” I’m 50 years old and I have not been in this good of shape since, forever. I eat what I want but only in moderation, however; most of my meals are better for me than not. I eat a lot of chicken, veggies, fruit and salads with fat fee dressing (boy how do I miss Ranch dressing).









This is what worked for me and may help you on your weight loss journey.

1st, find a few friends here at MFP that will help you stay motivated and have the updates sent to your phone. Without the friends I have here and receiving the “WTG!”, and “keep it going,” etc. on my phone, I know I would not have come as far and as fast as I did.

2nd, read at lease once a day, one weight loss success story. You will be amazed what people have accomplished here and what a boost it will be to your own success.

3rd, don’t have “cheat days.” Eat what you want as long as you say within your daily calorie goal; that said, you are better off eating healthier food. I stopped drinking soda with the exception of Dr. Pepper 10. I stopped drinking juice. I stopped eating potato chips and Doritos (I so miss you my good friends). No pre-packaged foods, all my meals are made at home. No fast foods. Most everyday I have some type of spinach salad. Almost everyday I have chicken. No more than once a week I have red meat or pork. My fish consumption went up and most was tuna and sardines. I eat a lot of homemade chicken soup. I eat a lot of yogurt and mozzarella sticks. I also make sure I always have food ready to eat in the fridge so I’m never tempted to eat out (this could have been its own number).

4th, don’t discount NSV’s. If your weight doesn’t change on your scale but your clothes fit better, or you go into a smaller size, or you no longer have joint pain trust me; it’s a BIG DEAL! Remember if you are exercising (and you should be) during this weight loss journey you will be adding muscle so the scale may not drop and could go up some.

5th, working out. You need to exercise. Period. When I started my cardio workout I needed a non-impact exercise on my knees. After 7 dislocations on the left knee and 6 dislocations on the right knee they are not in the best of shape. So running and even most walking is out of the question and I find bike riding a little boring to do alone. So I purchased an elliptical trainer. My first workout lasted 10 minutes and I may have gone a mile. I needed to take a pain reliever before I worked out just so I could do the 10 minutes. I now run 6 miles a day and most of that is under 36 minutes (6 minute miles) and I don’t use any pain medication. Yea!

6th, working out (yes, I know I listed this a second time). I also use a Bowflex to increase muscle mass. More muscle will burn more calories and in turn help get rid of the extra fat we are looking to lose.

7th, weighing yourself. I weigh myself everyday at the same time in the morning before I eat or drink anything. I feel this gives me my “real” weight. I do this because I want to ensure that I’m headed in the right direction. I know from the past if I don’t weigh myself everyday it’s too easy to get off course and gain weight. I’m never going back to that weight again I tell you, it’s not going to happen.

8th, this is not a diet. Diets don’t work. If you are going to lose weight you have to eat at a calorie deficit, eat better food and exercise. Eat less workout more. Nuff said.

9th, how much weight too lose each week. When I started I had set my goal at 2 pounds a week and I was always hungry. I waited a few weeks and the hunger pangs continued so I adjusted my goal to 1.5 pounds a week and with the increased calories most of the time I felt full. This was better for me. I will now adjust my calorie to maintain my weight.

10th, don’t give up. A year from now the time will have past. You can stay as you are and do nothing, or you can do a little, or you can do a lot. 2 pounds a week in a year will be 104 pounds loss, 1.5 pounds a week will be 78 pounds loss, 1 pound a week will be 52 pounds loss and .5 pounds a week will be 25 pounds loss. Any of these numbers should make you proud if you lose them, and imagine how much better will you feel and look?

Remember:
Being overweight is hard.
Losing weight is hard.
Maintaining weight is hard.
Chooses your hard.