Me: Morbidly Obese -> Obesity Class II -> Obesity Class I

120weeks
120weeks Posts: 242 Member
I may not be a traditional success story but I feel successful.

My hope is that someone will see this and realize how much better his or her life can be in 30 weeks. My PLAN and my PHILOSOPHY come from a few sources. Included are my personal trial and error from prior weight loss attempts, my lack of knowledge regarding being successful in maintenance, my husband’s personal success story and his first hand knowledge of obesity, the MFP forums and posts by very well-spoken advocates for fitness, advice from successful MFP friends, and just plain common sense.

I started my “ME” project in March when I weighed 275 pounds. I’m 5’9”.

http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/bmi-calculator.html
Using the calculator above, I check my Body Mass Index (BMI).

At week 1, I was in a class called “Morbidly Obese”

At week 10, I was in “Obesity Class II”

At week 20, I was still in “Obesity Class II”

At week 30, I am now in “Obesity Class I”
(see profile picture for a Week 1/Week 30 comparison)

In 30 weeks, I have lost 40 pounds and 43.75 inches (from 12 points on my body). I am on the road to losing 100 pounds along with reaching other fitness and health goals.

MY PLAN
*I have been eating no less than 1900 calories a day and I pre-log. I pre-pack my breakfast, lunch and snacks. I do make substitutions sometimes during the course of the day. As I lose more weight, my plan is to continue eating like an athlete does of my size.
*I know what my Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) estimates are. I keep my caloric intake between those two numbers.
*I don’t eat exercise calories back because I do not know what I burn. I just workout and make it a part of my life. It doesn’t matter to me if I burn 600 calories an hour or 200 calories an hour. What matters is that I am pushing myself and breaking a sweat.
*Protein constitutes 30% of my daily intake. I eat whatever I want but it does have to fit into my caloric/protein goals for the day. When I keep these two numbers at the front of my mind, I seem to be satisfied with where my other macros land. (In the rare time I don't get 100% calcium, I take a Citracal + Vitamin D).
*I am more active. I stand more, I walk more, I don’t mind the errands that require going up and down stairs anymore….things like that.
*I formally exercise 5 hours a week.
*Three of those hours are weightlifting. I started off in the women’s area of my gym for the first 20 weeks and “outgrew” it. I needed heavier weights and different tools to challenge me. I am now in the much larger free weights room. I’ve made friends there. Even though I have a minimum of 60 more pounds to lose, I can see and feel muscles underneath the layers. I have spent 30 weeks of lifting to failure and I’m very strong now. I get stronger each week and I use a free iPhone app called JEFIT to track my progress.
*The other two hours are cardio. Right now I go to a boxing circuit which is 30 minutes of HIIT 4 times a week but I’ve done swimming, dancing, biking and running. I did an International Distance Triathlon last month which did require more cardio during training. I know I will try many other things in my future. On the weeks that I can only commit 3 hours of gym time, I use those for weightlifting and I take a 2 hour hike with my family on the weekend. There are many ways to get cardio in and enjoy it too.
*I don’t worry with the scale. I don’t rationalize gains with “oh too much sodium”, “oh time of the month”, “oh this, oh that”. Believe me, I used to….when I had to weigh-in with someone I was paying to help me lose weight. Forget that! MFP is free and you are only held accountable to you. So, weigh yourself. Or don’t.

For me to have gotten this far and to get even farther, it has taken (and will take):

MY PHILOSOPHY:
PATIENCE
PRIORITY
PLANNING
PRACTICE
PERSERVERANCE
PERSPECTIVE
POSITIVITY

When I keep these at the forefront of my mind each morning, each meal, each decision, I can honestly say, being more fit has not been hard. Not at all. Most of this just takes time and practice. It was very hard at the beginning but because these are habits now, it is very easy for me.

* Whatever your fitness goals are, you will achieve them if you can practice PATIENCE. It will take time. In most cases, it will take longer than you want to admit. Go ahead and settle into the saddle because who knows how long you are going to be there. It will be fun though, if you can stay patient. While you are there, take time to notice and appreciate your NSVs (Non-scale victories). They will become innumerable.

*Only you can determine where your PRIORITY to get fit will lie. In my opinion, you don’t have to make this your number one priority but it does have to rank pretty high otherwise it becomes less of a priority. If you are not ready to rank it high, excuses will take over. This is how I manage my life but it may be different for you: 1) My husband and kids come first. Their schedules, their sporting events and school events come first. I find that when I give to them, I get even more in return. My family wants me to be successful and are cheerleaders for me. 2) My full-time job comes second. I have predictable schedule for the most part. 3) My “ME” project comes third. My food logging, cooking meals for the week, my lunch packing, my workout clothes prep, my exercising, my sleep and my fitness/nutrition research are all included in that. Once those are accounted for, there are still hours upon hours in the week to do other things that I enjoy. My priorities were not always this way. I had to figure out what were non-negotiables for me.

*Without PLANNING, you cause unnecessary stress upon yourself which leads to negative thinking about yourself. In all actuality, losing weight and getting fit has nothing to do with who you are as a person. You don’t have a character flaw, you just need to be a better planner and this takes practice, in my opinion.

*PRACTICE small things day in and day out. The menu planning, the logging, the water drinking, the saying “No, thank you’s”. Everything takes time and practice. Practice until you don’t have to think about it. Then keep it up.

*Without PERSERVERANCE, you can’t see your changes at longer term intervals. You will quit. You will switch up your plan because “it’s not working”, etc. You need to settle into YOUR plan and stick with it. Tweak your plan after each month or so if you need to.

*Maintain PERSPECTIVE. Get yourself out of your mess the way you got into it….one step at a time. Remember that someone out there is doing more with less than you have. Less “ME” time, less money, less strength, less support…… That there are worse things in life than the way you feel about your body. Maintaining perspective also means acknowledging that you don’t have to be perfect. That there will be terrible days in your future and you will need to prepare for them…and plan your strategy for overcoming them.

*Without POSITIVITY and positive thinking, you will be miserable. Being positive is a daily mental workout to remember where you came from and where you are going….and to find joy in the things that used to be so difficult. Positive thinking includes smiling and being thankful for the beautiful things that are uniquely you! Being positive means talking kindly to yourself. Being positive means removing drama from your life.

Just know that the weeks are going to pass anyways. Imagine where you can be in 30 weeks (which will be the end of April 2013---I know because I have my fitness map planned out). I know where I am going to be. I am going to be in the “Overweight” category and twice as fit as I am now. I will have completed my Mud Run. Just believe in yourself and trust me….. My Week 1 was just a few blinks ago. March 7th really does seem like yesterday.

You are going to love what you discover about yourself! Just be patient, define your priorities, plan and strategize your life, practice new habits, don’t quit, keep your goals in perspective and be happy! It’s not always easy but at the same time, it’s not that hard.

So go on and enjoy your day and I am going to enjoy my 48 BPM resting heart rate! “Obesity Class I” has nothing on me!

Melissa
We are all athletes. Some of us are just in training.
120weeks.wordpress.com


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/120weeks/view/me-morbidly-obese-obesity-class-ii-obesity-class-i-429019


Add:
It might surprise you to know that my goal weight is in the Overweight category. Once I get there, I will strive for an overall look. It's very possible I will stay overweight just as it is very possible I will lose more and be a normal weight. The BMI scales don't mean much to me. I am obese by BMI standards now but I can do things with my body that most normal weight women cannot. It's not the end all be all. I am just proud to make progress.
«1

Replies

  • jalara
    jalara Posts: 2,599 Member
    Congratulations! You are an inspiration!
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,416 Member
    This is really wonderful.Congratulations, Ms. Sucess Story.
  • debjae
    debjae Posts: 242
    Kudos!!
  • sonyachan
    sonyachan Posts: 518 Member
    Your words are so helpful, true and positive! I wish everyone would read this!
  • KENNEAN1
    KENNEAN1 Posts: 5 Member
    I hear you my friend, today I was worried about the fact that I wasn't losing weight, but inches and gaining muscle. Now I am proud of my success, because now I am able to jog some, sit on the floor, get on my knees, run after the twins, climb stairs, stand and wash dishes, mop floors, rake the yard and etc. These are normal for some but was very hard for me. I will be proud of me and I will keep pushing scale or no scale. I feel better; people say I look better. I will keep on exercising, I will keep on pre-logging my food (which I just started this week and it works good) and I will work on being all that I could be. I am 54yo, today I weigh 330lbs, since I started I've gain weight, but I am stronger than I ever been. COME ON TWINS SEE CAN YOU CATCH AN OLD LADY NOW!!!
  • hydelaa
    hydelaa Posts: 184
    Awesome! :-)
  • lilpoindexter
    lilpoindexter Posts: 1,122 Member
    Congrats. i think the most important thing is to be patient.
  • harlylena
    harlylena Posts: 125 Member
    Wow! Awesome read and congrats on your success!
  • chapparra27
    chapparra27 Posts: 115 Member
    Phenomenal!!! Thank you for posting this! You are very inspirational!
  • labellamireya
    labellamireya Posts: 4 Member
    Way to go!
  • This was awesome to read, thank you very much.
  • 120weeks
    120weeks Posts: 242 Member
    You are welcome. Thank you as well :flowerforyou:
  • Even though I've just started, I completely agree with you. I've only been a member for 25 days and I've already had to overcome the feeling of being bummed when the scale doesn't move. There were a couple of days that I didn't even want to log food!

    Thank you for laying out your plan for us. Hopefully I can save it and when I need inspiration, I can read it and get over that obstacle.
  • sdurrahMpls
    sdurrahMpls Posts: 75 Member
    There's a reason we are friends on here... because I freaking LOVE you! Great post, great perspective, great advice! I'll meet you at the overweight category :)
  • cassiegal724
    cassiegal724 Posts: 63 Member
    Right on, sister!
  • 120weeks
    120weeks Posts: 242 Member
    There's a reason we are friends on here... because I freaking LOVE you! Great post, great perspective, great advice! I'll meet you at the overweight category :)

    And I ADORE YOU. I am so beating down those doors. I am coming for you! :flowerforyou:
  • SopranogirlCa
    SopranogirlCa Posts: 188 Member
    So amazing, I love your attitude.
  • amandalynnh3
    amandalynnh3 Posts: 15 Member
    Thank you for posting your plan and philosophy Melissa. We have a great deal in common! You are an inspiration! I will definately be focusing on the "P's." What a wonderful way to keep everything in perspective and stay on track!
  • Congratulations and thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed and inspiring post. you have revamped my motivation.. thank you !!
  • 120weeks
    120weeks Posts: 242 Member
    Thank you, ladies! I can't believe this post popped up again after so long. Ironically, I was going to post my updated story today since its my one-year anniversary this week.

    This is funny timing :)
  • Donners185
    Donners185 Posts: 329 Member
    This is an amazing post!!! Well done Melissa!! Very inspiring :)
  • pkw58
    pkw58 Posts: 2,038 Member
    This is one the best motivation posts ever for me to stay on course
  • prudism
    prudism Posts: 149 Member
    so motivating just amazing wow thanx will refer back every time I need to
  • stephske2
    stephske2 Posts: 35
    Congratulations!
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
    I may not be a traditional success story but I feel successful.

    My hope is that someone will see this and realize how much better his or her life can be in 30 weeks. My PLAN and my PHILOSOPHY come from a few sources. Included are my personal trial and error from prior weight loss attempts, my lack of knowledge regarding being successful in maintenance, my husband’s personal success story and his first hand knowledge of obesity, the MFP forums and posts by very well-spoken advocates for fitness, advice from successful MFP friends, and just plain common sense.

    I started my “ME” project in March when I weighed 275 pounds. I’m 5’9”.

    http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/bmi-calculator.html
    Using the calculator above, I check my Body Mass Index (BMI).

    At week 1, I was in a class called “Morbidly Obese”

    At week 10, I was in “Obesity Class II”

    At week 20, I was still in “Obesity Class II”

    At week 30, I am now in “Obesity Class I”
    (see profile picture for a Week 1/Week 30 comparison)

    In 30 weeks, I have lost 40 pounds and 43.75 inches (from 12 points on my body). I am on the road to losing 100 pounds along with reaching other fitness and health goals.

    MY PLAN
    *I have been eating no less than 1900 calories a day and I pre-log. I pre-pack my breakfast, lunch and snacks. I do make substitutions sometimes during the course of the day. As I lose more weight, my plan is to continue eating like an athlete does of my size.
    *I know what my Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) estimates are. I keep my caloric intake between those two numbers.
    *I don’t eat exercise calories back because I do not know what I burn. I just workout and make it a part of my life. It doesn’t matter to me if I burn 600 calories an hour or 200 calories an hour. What matters is that I am pushing myself and breaking a sweat.
    *Protein constitutes 30% of my daily intake. I eat whatever I want but it does have to fit into my caloric/protein goals for the day. When I keep these two numbers at the front of my mind, I seem to be satisfied with where my other macros land. (In the rare time I don't get 100% calcium, I take a Citracal + Vitamin D).
    *I am more active. I stand more, I walk more, I don’t mind the errands that require going up and down stairs anymore….things like that.
    *I formally exercise 5 hours a week.
    *Three of those hours are weightlifting. I started off in the women’s area of my gym for the first 20 weeks and “outgrew” it. I needed heavier weights and different tools to challenge me. I am now in the much larger free weights room. I’ve made friends there. Even though I have a minimum of 60 more pounds to lose, I can see and feel muscles underneath the layers. I have spent 30 weeks of lifting to failure and I’m very strong now. I get stronger each week and I use a free iPhone app called JEFIT to track my progress.
    *The other two hours are cardio. Right now I go to a boxing circuit which is 30 minutes of HIIT 4 times a week but I’ve done swimming, dancing, biking and running. I did an International Distance Triathlon last month which did require more cardio during training. I know I will try many other things in my future. On the weeks that I can only commit 3 hours of gym time, I use those for weightlifting and I take a 2 hour hike with my family on the weekend. There are many ways to get cardio in and enjoy it too.
    *I don’t worry with the scale. I don’t rationalize gains with “oh too much sodium”, “oh time of the month”, “oh this, oh that”. Believe me, I used to….when I had to weigh-in with someone I was paying to help me lose weight. Forget that! MFP is free and you are only held accountable to you. So, weigh yourself. Or don’t.

    For me to have gotten this far and to get even farther, it has taken (and will take):

    MY PHILOSOPHY:
    PATIENCE
    PRIORITY
    PLANNING
    PRACTICE
    PERSERVERANCE
    PERSPECTIVE
    POSITIVITY

    When I keep these at the forefront of my mind each morning, each meal, each decision, I can honestly say, being more fit has not been hard. Not at all. Most of this just takes time and practice. It was very hard at the beginning but because these are habits now, it is very easy for me.

    * Whatever your fitness goals are, you will achieve them if you can practice PATIENCE. It will take time. In most cases, it will take longer than you want to admit. Go ahead and settle into the saddle because who knows how long you are going to be there. It will be fun though, if you can stay patient. While you are there, take time to notice and appreciate your NSVs (Non-scale victories). They will become innumerable.

    *Only you can determine where your PRIORITY to get fit will lie. In my opinion, you don’t have to make this your number one priority but it does have to rank pretty high otherwise it becomes less of a priority. If you are not ready to rank it high, excuses will take over. This is how I manage my life but it may be different for you: 1) My husband and kids come first. Their schedules, their sporting events and school events come first. I find that when I give to them, I get even more in return. My family wants me to be successful and are cheerleaders for me. 2) My full-time job comes second. I have predictable schedule for the most part. 3) My “ME” project comes third. My food logging, cooking meals for the week, my lunch packing, my workout clothes prep, my exercising, my sleep and my fitness/nutrition research are all included in that. Once those are accounted for, there are still hours upon hours in the week to do other things that I enjoy. My priorities were not always this way. I had to figure out what were non-negotiables for me.

    *Without PLANNING, you cause unnecessary stress upon yourself which leads to negative thinking about yourself. In all actuality, losing weight and getting fit has nothing to do with who you are as a person. You don’t have a character flaw, you just need to be a better planner and this takes practice, in my opinion.

    *PRACTICE small things day in and day out. The menu planning, the logging, the water drinking, the saying “No, thank you’s”. Everything takes time and practice. Practice until you don’t have to think about it. Then keep it up.

    *Without PERSERVERANCE, you can’t see your changes at longer term intervals. You will quit. You will switch up your plan because “it’s not working”, etc. You need to settle into YOUR plan and stick with it. Tweak your plan after each month or so if you need to.

    *Maintain PERSPECTIVE. Get yourself out of your mess the way you got into it….one step at a time. Remember that someone out there is doing more with less than you have. Less “ME” time, less money, less strength, less support…… That there are worse things in life than the way you feel about your body. Maintaining perspective also means acknowledging that you don’t have to be perfect. That there will be terrible days in your future and you will need to prepare for them…and plan your strategy for overcoming them.

    *Without POSITIVITY and positive thinking, you will be miserable. Being positive is a daily mental workout to remember where you came from and where you are going….and to find joy in the things that used to be so difficult. Positive thinking includes smiling and being thankful for the beautiful things that are uniquely you! Being positive means talking kindly to yourself. Being positive means removing drama from your life.

    Just know that the weeks are going to pass anyways. Imagine where you can be in 30 weeks (which will be the end of April 2013---I know because I have my fitness map planned out). I know where I am going to be. I am going to be in the “Overweight” category and twice as fit as I am now. I will have completed my Mud Run. Just believe in yourself and trust me….. My Week 1 was just a few blinks ago. March 7th really does seem like yesterday.

    You are going to love what you discover about yourself! Just be patient, define your priorities, plan and strategize your life, practice new habits, don’t quit, keep your goals in perspective and be happy! It’s not always easy but at the same time, it’s not that hard.

    So go on and enjoy your day and I am going to enjoy my 48 BPM resting heart rate! “Obesity Class I” has nothing on me!

    Melissa
    We are all athletes. Some of us are just in training.
    120weeks.wordpress.com


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/120weeks/view/me-morbidly-obese-obesity-class-ii-obesity-class-i-429019


    Add:
    It might surprise you to know that my goal weight is in the Overweight category. Once I get there, I will strive for an overall look. It's very possible I will stay overweight just as it is very possible I will lose more and be a normal weight. The BMI scales don't mean much to me. I am obese by BMI standards now but I can do things with my body that most normal weight women cannot. It's not the end all be all. I am just proud to make progress.
    :heart:
  • Very inspiring, I too will be in class 1 obesity soon. I will post when I am there. Thanks for your words of incourgement.
  • andreagenther
    andreagenther Posts: 67 Member
    Thank you for sharing your story.
  • pukekolive
    pukekolive Posts: 237 Member
    bump
  • Kevalicious99
    Kevalicious99 Posts: 1,131 Member
    OP's account is deactivated. So we are talking to ourselves.
  • EmilyEmpowered
    EmilyEmpowered Posts: 650 Member
    OP's account is deactivated. So we are talking to ourselves.

    I cant figure out why they would make this motivational post and then deactivate?? Cant even see the profile picture mentioned?? :ohwell:
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