Lost tons of weight without surgery??

Here's my story and I'm sticking to it.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/363746-2-years-and-215-pounds-later

I have *total* lost 85 pounds. I started July 2011 and reached my 80 pounds in June 2012. Here is the secret. You have to be strong enough to want something and fight like hell to get it. I started a weight management program and I never cut anything out except fatty foods (like fried foods) high sugar desserts, and SODA! I was drinking 64+ ounces a day and I cut that cold turkey. Was I a b-word for the first month? oh yeah I was, but that was my body literally learning how to survive without caffeine. I traded little debbie cakes for cucumber and carrots. Was the first month hard? YES but when I was 25 pounds down just from making simple choices I knew this is what I have to do. I weighed and logged every bite of food to go into my mouth. Accountability is KEY!

I, Obviously due to my 330 pound body, did not start exercising like a pro right away. I have been involved with Curves (my family owns one) which is circuit strength training and cardio for a half hour. I started doing that 4 times a week, then after a few weeks bumped to 5. I did just this for approx 6 months. When my knees started to feel better and my heart/lungs could handle more exercise I started walking on the same days I did my curves. My next step up a few months later was adding hour long zumba classes *while still maintaining my 5 days a week curves and walking). Next came the Bicycle. Instead of using my car (see I live in Eugene, OR where we are a VERY bicycle friendly city) I decided to bike myself where I needed to go. My work is 1.5 miles from my house. Did it kill me the first week to have to pedal my butt to work? Yes. However, that baby step led me to where I am now. I ride, on average, over 60 miles a week. I only use my car if I need to go grocery shopping for larger items. One gallon of milk? ok, I will ride there and get it. According to my tracking device I use to calculate my MPH and calories, I have averaged 16 miles an hour on my rides in the last week. This did not happen over night. I picked a goal and said hey, Im going to go for it. Now, on top of the riding, I do curves 3 times a week, Ultimate strength and core 3 times a week, and zumba 4 times a week. I can't stop!

You have to have fight. You have to learn to crawl through the crap that is weight loss sometimes. There will be days you will be up on the scale. There will be weeks that you might not have any loss. There are days that you leave the gym feeling like you can fall to the grass and sleep but you fight through that, take a rest day, and continue on the next. There are days you will go to dinner thinking innocently that you can handle it and leave knowing you ate enough calories to sustain your diet for 3 days. These things happen, but it takes those baby steps. Those little steps to get you on track. I still eat carbs, but they are healthy whole grain/wheat to give me energy. My life change is high protein, plenty of veggies, with fruit, dairy (skim products), and whole carb. It feels wonderful!

You can do it, everyone can. No excuses.

I've been looking for a "secret" since my teenage years - and now at 31 I've finally found it with the helpf of MFP.

I exercise 6 days a week (with a HRM) and I try to add variety to my workouts and track the calories of everything I eat. I've just upped my calories to 1350 - and I eat back about half of my exercise calories. I haven't lost 80 lbs yet - but I'm well on my way to my goal of losing 112 lbs. I've lost 15.2 in 55 days. It's a lifestyle change for me because I've learned that diets just don't work. I wish you the best in your journey - you can do anything you put your mind to - you just have to work for it but that's going to make the victory that much sweeter!

This is pretty much me! Always looking fora quick fix and there just isn't one. It's all diet, exercise, willpower, and compassion for yourself!