What are the 'real' stories behind the weightloss pictures

Also, people don't tell us if they had Weight Loss Surgery! It's SUPER to lose 75/100...pounds in a year, but if you had WLS the avg person can't follow your regime or a Liquid Diet. So tell us the truth up front. No matter what it is still an accomplishment.

eating right + good exercise = results

I was always in OK shape. Then we struggled to get pregnant with our second child, and I turned to food. I went from 150 to 226lbs * i am 5'8 for reference, in just under a year. I stayed that weigh for almost 3yrs. My dr told me that I would have an easier time conceiving if I was healthier, so I started working out, lost almost 20 lbs and became pregnant (we had stopped trying).

I stayed active while pregnant, gained a healthy 18lbs, had a healthy baby girl . two mths after she was born I began doing Jillian Micheals 30 day shred. I did well with "the shred" and just started rotated JM dvds. I slowly added in running with my dog (which was rough at first, I walked more than anything but I was moving and now I RUN ). I am down 50lbs in the last 7mths. In August I will start Insanity. My goal says 10 more lbs as of right now, but I don't know that for sure. I know I want to eventually be capable of doing a handstand pushups. Why? cause I wanna, thats why lol. I want to just continue exploring fitness and having fun with it. Thats my goal .
Here are some pics.
Before

Down around 20lbs

Down around 40- 45lbs

40-45lbs (this was my goal dress)

Last I promise lol, the legs I was always embarrased by, not so embarrasing anymore. They are why run, oh and that's 50lbs)

Thanks for this response, Dodge. It helped me to read it. Esp. the word "patient". Thanks again!

It just needs to become what you do and eventually the rest happens on its own.

This is GREAT and so true. Well put.

Bump

It's a long story....

Basically, I changed the way I live my life. I made the "healthy lifestyle" become the everyday way I live my life. It has become a habit that I don't think about as much as I used to. Everyday, every hour, every minute used to be a massive struggle, but as time has gone on it has become easier. Not that I don't have struggles anymore, but I feel that I am more equipped to deal with them.

I am always reluctant to tell people specifically how I've lost the weight beyond "Eating right and exercising" because what worked for me may not work for others, and I don't want anyone to feel discouraged.

Once piece of advice I will give is "Live your life the best way you can...everything will fall into place in time. Because this process takes time".

wow you look fantastic like a different person

First of all thanks for a great thread . I lost all my weight with logging my calories and eating clean no take out. I have NOT had surgery and will never have surgery i'm a scaredy cat I had back surgery a few years ago and that scared me so much hence why i don't workout ,it's too painful for me to do it. Add me as a friend all are welcome

I'm not at goal yet, but almost 3/4 of the way there.

Ah, where do I start?

This is my first time posting my whole story on here. It's long, I must warn you.

Well, I was always a slim person. As a baby, I was slim. As a child, I was skinny. And as a teenager, despite my developing curves, I was still very slim and maintained it easily.

When I was 14 years old, due to problems at home and emerging inability to cope with my emotions, I ran away from home. I was gone for four months. In this time, I became very underweight. To the point that ribs, hibs and collarbones jutted out. I remember many weeks of not eating, in fact, one time that comes to mind is not having a proper meal in a week, and begging some guy I knew to give me £1. He eventually relinquished one to me, and I went and bought some chicken and chips. It was a relief. And I, always an animal lover, wouldn't even give one to the dog, who was also starving (wasn't around very nice people, I still think about that poor dog).

Once I came back home, my appetite was phenomenal. It was like nothing I'd ever experienced before. I couldn't get enough food. I was constantly hungry. I would go to people's houses just to eat, and I'd still feel empty and starved. I remember devouring packets of kit kats, yogurts, bananas and crisps, and still feel insatiably hungry.

I put weight back on quickly. But it was nice weight. Nothing drastic. I looked good. But, little did I know, my weight and food troubles were soon to start...

Over the summer of 2008 (I think that was then. I was about 15 or so), I really packed on the lbs. I used to eat whole cakes daily. A favourite of mine was chocolate trifle or chocolate gateaux. By the time I got back to school for my final year, I was noticeably bigger (though, I was still pretty slim). EVERYONE gave me flack for it. I was honestly fine with the way I looked, but after the constant comments, the jokes about food and the shock on people's faces when they saw me eating, I started to feel insecure about my weight.

Fast forward two years to sixth form. I was 16, going on 17, and clinical depression took over my life. My eating and binging got out of control, and I dropped out of college. I was disgusted with my appearence, but food was honestly my only friend. My only comfort.

The binging, the bad eating, the comfort eating carried on.

Fast forward, again, to September 2011. I met my ex, and in the same month, started work at Starbucks. Being in a comfortable, serious relationship, dealing with the emotional issues that being with him brought back up and working in a place inundated with sugar = massive weight gain. I got so fat, I had to unbutton my work trousers to avoid stomach aches. It cut into me so bad, I had marks on my skin. I looked massive. I had started to look obese. I am 5"5 and, as far as I know, my highest weight was 196lbs. I honestly hated my body, so much. I couldn't find anything to truly like about my appearence. I felt like a beast.

Then, one day, in March, I was on the app store on my iPhone. I found an app called calorie count, and downloaded it on a whim. I tried it out, liking the concept of being able to log food and scan them (I like scanning things :laugh:). But, to be completely honest, CC was BS. It was rubbish.

So, I downloaded MFP.

I already had a log in, as I joined this site in 2010 (was on a thing called Diet Chef. Lost 11lbs, gained 9 back very soon after). And I stated logging!

30.5lbs later, here I am!

How has this journey been for me?

Amazing. Difficult. Inspiring. Worrying. Confusing. Upsetting. Distressing. Frustrating. Exciting, and many more.

It's not all roses for me. I still have deep set issues with food. I am currently struggling with constant hunger pangs and little to no willpower. I have this constant worry that I'll regain the weight. And sometimes, I get so damned angry that I can't just eat what I want without calorie counting.

But, to see my body change and curves re-emerge, like a flower blooming in summer. To feel my confidence growing. To know I look good.

All worth it

Sorry this was so long!

Wow hun your story really touched a few heart strings. You have definitely being on a life change through weightloss and everything else. We have similar lifestyles and this has given me hope that I can continue no matter what. thanks

Aww, thanks hun. It was definitely hard to share but honesty is key, especially as I need to heal from my past.

You're so welcome, and I wish you all the luck x

BUMP... Amazing and very inspirational stories. thanks for sharing

Here's my story from my 2 year update.

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

I've lost my 107 lbs in less than 8 months;) I have had people question what I did and wonder if I had surgery, etc. Big loss in a short amount of time CAN be done!!:)

I started out by cutting my calories by about 300- I cut those 300 from what MFP said I needed to consume to maintain my weight at that time on a sedentary lifestyle. I did not want to set myself up for failure and try too much too fast. I also began walking 20 mins a day 3 days a week. My first week of loss was 3.4 lbs. After increasing my calorie deficit a little more each week and upping my walking each week (like speed and time and frequency) for the first 8 weeks (I lost 30 lbs in 2 months), I decided I was ready for a big cut. I cut to 1200 calories and exercised 5 or 6 days a week- mostly speed walking and biking. I never veered off my eating plan of 1200 calories and I never exercised less than 3 days a week. If I was hurt or sore, I found something I COULD do, even if it wasn't my usual routine.

I did that and continued to increase my walking to speed walking to jogging intervals and now I run 3 miles a day 3 days a week. I increased my time on the bike and distance and speed and now I bike about 10 miles a day 2 times a week. I in general try to move more and because I've lost so much weight, it is much easier to be regularly active and keep up with it. I play with my kids outside, go on walks, park far away at the store....I try to sneak in as much "uncounted exercise" as possible for bonus exercise:)

After hitting 100 lbs last month, I upped my calories to 1400 and I still remain active. I am hoping to lose 13 more lbs and get to 120. I've never had a week that I didn't lose. I've never stayed the same and never gained- since March 8th of this year. It takes dilligence and persistence, but it can be done! Hope this sheds some light for you!! Good luck!!!!:)

This is a good question because there have been times when I have seen results and I wonder, esp. if it's over 100 lbs. in a short time, was there bypass or lap band involved. It's not really my business but I would like to know so I don't get my hopes up that I too can lose 100 pounds in 7 months without surgery.

For me, three things are primarily contributing to my success:

1. Patience. I have lost more than 2 pounds/week on average, but I often go two, even three weeks without losing.
2. Remembering this is a lifestyle change...no need for all or nothing thinking
3. Being more active by playing, not just exercising.

I have a long way to go, but I feel very strong.

The real story? Oh boy, how many characters do I have available to write this?

In order for this to REALLY work, something has to click within you. As cliche as it sounds, you must find the desire to change your own life, only you can make this happen. Now in my case, it wasn't a click but a crack. I broke a toilet seat once, ya what of it?! To be fair though, it was a very cheap Dollar General toilet seat that wasn't even "Made in China" quality! Joking aside, one day you will wake up and you will have this "I'm ready to do this!" feeling/mentality. You run with that feeling and you do not stop until you hit your goals. I remember the exact day I woke up and thought to myself that it was time for change. That day is just as important to me than any other significant day in my life. A second birthday of sorts.

Let's rewind a bit in my life, if you're interested in hearing it.

For as long as I can remember, I was always one of the heaviest of my peers. In school, on sports teams, or just within the family. But I was always an active child, too. I played organized baseball from age 5 up until highschool! Not a day went by during my childhood where I wasn't outside being active. Yet I was still the heavy kid? This was a testament to how poorly I was eating, a boy as active as myself, weighing so much. The warning signs were there but I was too young to see them. My activity level died down in HS and as you can imagine I ballooned. My poor eating habits had finally caught up to me big time. I was depressed, constantly alone with only a few friends, and I developed really bad social anxiety. I was bullied all throughout my school years, not only making poor food choices but now using food to cope with my emotions! Unfortunately, my habits continued past my HS days for a few years. I put on more weight and was just not mentally mature enough to concur such a large task.

June 11th 2011 -- The day something clicked for me, I remember it vividly. Waking up and sitting at the edge of my bed on the verge of tears (ya, I'll admit it!), knowing I did NOT want to live like this anymore. It was time to man up and get a handle on my life. I discovered MFP, made an account, set everything up and I was ready. I love numbers, and when I learned that weight loss was essentially a numbers game. It was game over for the fat on my body. I found a lot of inspiration from the amazing transformations I saw that day in the forums, and I was off. Before going to sleep that night I remember texting my best friend and telling him: "Dude, I'm really going to do this. Watch me". 17 months later, and I did exactly that.

As far as exercising goes, you just need to get moving. You don't need to be a runner, you just have to get your heart rate elevated. I started out by just walking, 2 hours/6 days a week. I just walked and walked, thinking of where I've been and where I want to be. Using my past frustrations to get me on the treadmill and my potential future to motivate me to keep going while on it. After dropping some pounds the first few months, I mixed in some strength training and found a routine that fit best for me. M/W/F was strength training | T/T/S were cardio days. Like I said, a nice blend. I've stuck with that for more than a year now.

Knowledge is power. You need to arm yourself with the best knowledge available if you ever want to succeed at anything. I started off very foolishly, eating a mere 1,400 calories. Coming close to fainting on most days, I knew it was time to reevaluate the numbers! Found my BMR, invested in a HRM, and discovered my TDEE. I knew I had to do this the healthy way. I became exceptional at pinpointing my exact calorie burn and intake. Eating at a 2lb/wk loss and constantly pulling in 1.8/2.0/2.2lbs loss weeks. As I got closer to my goals I readjusted to 1.5/wk, started raking in 1.4/1.6 losses. A pure numbers game, and I was really freaking good at it. I lost 195lbs and only plateaued twice the ENTIRE time. One time when I was coming back on carbs after being carb depleted. The other time when I started taking creatine. I guess you could hardly call those plateaus.

Another key component to weight loss is time. You must understand it takes time to lose weight, which is unfortunately the one thing we can not control! If you have a lofty weight loss goal, I recommend focusing on smaller short term goals. Weekly/monthly/fitness goals -- try to hit them, they will keep you going. Looking at the bigger picture will only overwhelm you. Focus on short term goals to slowly chip away at that ultimate goal, this will keep you sane. Then before you know it, you wake up 17 months later weighing 195lbs less.

What keeps me going now? I have an ideal body in mind that I would like to achieve, and I'll be damned if I stop now before I get it. Just like I told my friend in that text message 17 months ago, I will say it again: "Watch me". I can't be stopped.

The entire process was a very humbling experience. There's just something about being at your lowest of lows and fighting your way to the top that you simply cannot put into words. Whenever I think I can't do something, I look back at what I've done here and know that nothing is impossible.

Aaaand that's my "real" story -- Before/Afters are in a link in my bio if you're interested. I answer all questions sent to me, so if anyone needs help with anything, feel free to message me. I really do enjoy helping. I am by no means a professional... but I've been there and I know what it's like.