Success stories

It takes forever to strike a balance once you have a smaller amount to lose. I wish the last twenty had been half as easy as the first fifty. When I first started losing, the changes I made had a big effect, because I was so far away from a healthy weight and a healthy lifestyle.

After losing the bulk of my weight and increasing my fitness, everything slowed way, way down. . .to the point I was overjoyed if I lost a pound in a month. And now that I'm at goal weight, but still trying to lower my body fat %. . .well. . . .it kind of sucks.

I try (as much as possible) to look at the other benefits of being healthier. Every once in a while, I have a "splurge day" (I in fact just had one yesterday). In short, today I feel terrible. Bloaty, cranky, tired and undernourished. I remember that I used to feel like this (because of my poor eating habits) all of the time.

Especially if you've been in "extreme dieting mode" for a long time, your body is going to take a few weeks just to realize that it's not starving anymore. If you stick with it for a month (which I know feels like an eternity) you will start seeing results. Keep the faith!

I think it would be nice if this site did have a "success stories" section, for those MFPers that have reached their goal weight, with before and after pictures, beginning and ending weight and height as motivation for others on the site who are either just beginning or are having a down day and just need reassurance. I know that when I was in Weight Watchers the success stories kept me going a lot of times. Just a suggestion!

Keep going! It really does work. I started in Jan. with a goal to lose 20 lbs and I reached it a few weeks ago. I stuck to the calories and worked out 4-5 times a week, usually elliptical for 30 min or walking 60-90 min. I had a few cheat meals, but nothing crazy. I am now trying to maintain. I actually put in to lose 1/2 lb a week because I also quit nursing right before I hit my goal. I've maintained for 3 weeks now. I also dropped 2 sizes and now am the size I was when I graduated high school in '93! Of couse I didn't have a mommy belly, but oh well, it can't all be perfect! My husband has also lost about 25 lbs and he cheats way more than I do.

Since I've had no success (started MFP 4/1) I was hoping to read comments and testimonials from others who have used HRM's and MFP to reach goals. Since buying my HRM 7 days ago, I started eating within a 500 calorie deficit. Prior to my HRM, I was going by MFP, which was much lower than my HRM (like 300 calories lower) recommends. Anyway, I read the "700 calorie a day and not losing" thread again to reassure myself that it may take YET ANOTHER month to see results, but i am VERY discouraged today. I was hoping that maybe by reading other people's posts that were under eating, I would feel more encouraged to stick with this what seems to be a high number of calories. I was used to 1200-1300 a day. I go to the gym 4 days a week and nightly I complete my windsor abs pilates and other workouts for toning. Just bummed that I've not seen any results. I'm happy for all of you though and hope to join in the celebrations sometime this century!:brokenheart:

HRM ????

Hi Hamilton... here's my "sucess story"

Your story was so familiar to me. I was born 9lbs to a mom with gestational diabetes, and was declared "obese" at 6 weeks old, and put on watered down formula. :frown: I had a tendency toward being chubby as a kid, but was put into dance lessons 3x a week from the age of 3, which kept me slim. As a teen I packed on the pounds, and was "sort-a-chubby". My prom dress was a size 8, and I thought I was SO fat! :ohwell: I've now worked my but off to get back into an 8, which to me feels slim now!

I've lost 15 lbs in 10 weeks on here, and now have a BMI of 23, which is great because I started "overweight" with a BMI of 26. I've been following the 1200 calories a day, plus eating any exercise calories. I have 7lbs left to go to my first goal.

I constantly feel on "the brink", that I will eat one ice cream cone and gain it all back. I still have weight to lose, but I understand that when you get close to your goal weight, it is very hard.

You look quite slim in your pictures, so it might take a long while. It is my understanding that when you are heavier, it is easier, but once your BMI is in the "healthy range" it is much more challenging.

Good luck!
:flowerforyou:

Hi There.

Your story sounds familiar...I started MFP at the end of February and had absolutely no success, despite monitoring every calorie that went into my mouth, exercising 5x week for 60 minutes, doing weightlifting 3x week, yoga/ pilates 2x week and eating all my exercise calories. I cut out all white flour, sugar, butter and any oil other than healthy oils.

I was COMPLETELY frustrated and didn't know what to do, to the point where I found myself getting jealous of other people's success stories. I stopped weighing myself.

Then, last week I got on the scale and realized that I somewhere along the way I had lost ten pounds!!!!

Without being totally sure why it happened now, I attribute this to two things.
1. I changed my activity level to sedentary. When I'm on a job filming, I'm definitely active, but as I'm on a break, I realized that I needed to adjust that level since I'm far, far less active.
2. I got my HRM two weeks ago and I started really tracking how much I was burning. I also realized that my heartrate is really, really low (about 52bpm), and that I don't burn many calories on "non workout" days. So I'm being rigorous with making sure I keep a calorie deficit.

I'm also trying a system of "exercise cycling" -- alternating one week of big workouts (750+ calories) with a week of low workouts (<500). During the light weeks, I will keep myself within calorie range. This is a new thing for me and right now I'm wrapping up a "heavy week."

I'm sure you will have success, just stick with it. You are doing everything right. And one thing I had to realize, there is enough success to go around! We will all get there.