What are the 'real' stories behind the weightloss pictures

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.