Half-Way There / 40 Pound Loss (Photo)

I have lost a total of 40 pounds so far. I've been using this site for over a year, but *faithfully* logging for about 10 months. I've tried many things in the last 10 years, but I can honestly say, My Fitness Pal has been the most helpful tool that I have ever used. If I fail to lose the rest of the weight, I have no one to blame but myself, because I now finally understand how to lose weight the healthy way. Eat healthy, logging every bite that goes into my mouth and moving my body. It works!

A little about me:

I injured my back when I fell off our roof in October of 2008, while we were building our home. And while I've battled my weight for years, after this injury, I really packed on a lot of fat. I ended up with 3 herniated discs in my lower back and several bulging discs in my back and neck due to the fall. I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at a young age and have some other medical problems that are made worse by my weight, including high blood pressure and asthma. I've had to use caution on workouts because anyone with herniated dics would probably tell you that if you aren't careful, you'll end up flat on your back for weeks, so this has been a slow, but steady process for me.

Something I am proud of:

I am currently on week 9 of Couch To 5 K program, running for 30 minutes straight with no walking. When I first started the program, I couldn't run for a full minute without huffing and puffing and feeling like I was dying. When the app's running coach said, "You are now a runner", I cried tears of joy, not because I believe I am "a runner", but because I accomplished something that I didn't think I'd ever be able to do. I recently had to take some time off running due to tearing my meniscus in my knee, but I ran yesterday and although it was a tough run to get through because of the time I had taken off in between runs, I made it and felt so awesome afterward. I don't know if I will ever truly be a runner, but I know that I can run a 5K without walking and that is kind of a big deal for me.

Losing weight the right way:

In the past I have lost 30, 50, 60 and even 70 pounds at different times - but I never did it the healthy way. Oh how I regret that now! I abused my body horribly by starving, dieting like crazy then over eating and used food as a comfort and friend instead of how food is supposed to be used - to fuel the body. I'm still working on overcoming triggers for emotional eating, because it's been such a huge part of my life for so long, I still have urges sometimes to just go eat even if I am not hungry because I'm sad, angry, upset, happy - well, you get the picture. Thankfully, I am mostly successful fighting those urges now.

Over the past year, I have learned how to eat healthy and make good choices, and I've realized that my body tells me when it needs protein, vegetables, water, etc. and I've learned to listen. During this time, something clicked and I finally got rid of the "grab a quick fix" mentality that I've had for years. It seems that I am always learning and becoming more aware of how wonderful being healthier feels, and I really like that.

Calories:

When I first began using this site, I let MFP adjust my calories - it set me to 1200 calories a day, and after a couple weeks, I started researching and educating myself a little, I decided that 1200 calories just wasn't enough for me. I manually set my calories higher and am finding success with netting around 1500-1600 on days that I am not working out hard and more calories when I get in a good, heart-pumping, sweaty workout. I know there is a whole huge debate on that issue, so I'm not even going there.

Goals:

When I was first thinking of goals, it was a little overwhelming. I am not interested (right now) in meeting the goal that the BMI index indicates I need to be. For a female starting out at, say, 250 pounds or more, it's daunting to think of ever getting to 135 pounds. I decided to set smaller goals for myself and that seems to be helping me. I have set my goal to lose 80 pounds in 10 pound mini-goals. I am half way there and when I get there, I'll see where I need to go from that point. My ultimate goal is to be healthy and have a good quality of life. It may take me another year to lose the next 40 pounds, but I am alright with that.

I never refer to myself as being on a "diet" because that is a sure way to sabbatoge myself and fail. I also make mistakes and mess up sometimes, but I don't let making a bad food choice cause me to quit, like I used to be famous for. For myself, this has been 80% mental more than it's been physical, even with some physical limitations.

I know that I've written a lot here, but I would love to offer some encouragement to anyone struggling with weight, bad eating habits and bad food choices, and for them to know that they are worth the effort of dragging themselves out of an unhealthy world, that they absolutely CAN get up and move their body, no matter what size they are, and trust me, when you begin to do this, change happens - not only in body, but in mind as well.

There are only a few photos that exist of me in this world after I packed on weight. I was and still am mortified by seeing photos of myself. Someday, I'd like to feel confident to not hide from a camera. Here I am at my heaviest Christmas 2011 and now 40 pounds less. A face photo is all I have of myself; one regret I really have is not doing a full body before shot and progress photos.



I still have quite a way to go, but I know that I can get there.