Reached Healthy BMI Today

Sorry this is so long (pics at the bottom) I’ve been heavy since I was a sophomore in high school. For years I just accepted being overweight.

I was finally ready to lose weight after my mother got diagnosed with Gastroparesis. Her stomach is paralyzed as a side affect of diabetes. If the pill doesn’t work, you have to eat baby food. That scared me. I decided I’d rather have LESS steak and control the portions myself than someday be in a situation where I’d have to have pureed steak.

I’m 37 and started at 210.0 pounds. I’m 5’3.
Today, I’m 140.0

It’s taken me 2.5 years. I lost the first 50 pounds on weight watchers, then switched to MFP.

A couple of things that I learned along the way or that worked for me:

1. Your inner voice is a liar.
My inner voice would tell me things like, “A little bit won’t hurt”, “you’re destined to be fat”, “you can’t run”. Sometimes, you have to tell your inner voice to shut up.

2. Just shut up and do it.
I used to have angst about wanting to exercise. I’d hear about those magical people that get a “runners high”, or wish I had a workout buddy, etc. I have never experienced a runners high…I get satisfaction from a great workout, but that’s about it. I realize now that none of that matters. Exercise is something I do for fitness and health. It’s maintenance on my body. Like brushing my teeth. You wouldn’t wait to brush your teeth until you were motivated, would you?

3. You are stronger than you think.
I never thought I’d be a runner. I hated running. It was uncomfortable…my chest got in the way, I got side stitches, I felt extra fat. Then, I decided to give it a try anyway. I decided to honestly try. Guess what? I like running. I celebrated my weight loss with a 4 mile run this morning. It felt great. It was hard, but I felt strong and powerful. I used the C25k program. I highly recommend it.

4. You’ll have ups and downs- perseverance is required.
During the past year, I’ve been downsized at work, had to sell my home and move in with my parents who eat junk constantly. I’ve sprained my ankle a couple times, etc. Whatever else is going on in your life might make it harder, but it doesn’t make it impossible. Exercise and eating right can only help you feel better, less stressed and stronger.

5. Evaluation is important.
At this point, I don’t think there is only one “right” way. Everybody is different. What works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for the next. The important thing is – if it’s not working – make changes. I had a 6-month plateau…I ended up having to up my calories by about 150 a day and lower my cardio for a while. Lots of people told me to stop…glad I didn’t. Great article: http://fitnesswithnatalie.blogspot.com/2011/05/most-dreaded-word-in-weight-loss.html

I eat normal food. I stay within my calories. I eat some of my exercise calories back, but not all (mostly because I never got a HRM). I have one day a week when I eat over my calories whatever I’m craving – pizza, chocolate, etc. I believe in everything in moderation. I’m going to shoot for another 10-15 more pounds, I’ll see how I feel…and I plan to start heavy lifting in about 5 more pounds.

Good luck to everyone! If I can do it, you can too.

I don’t have any “before” pics…wish I would have taken some.

This one is at about 185 at college graduation


At about 190

140.0 Today: