58 Years Old and 81 Pounds Gone (Pics too!)

I am a 58 years old, 5' 8" and menopausal--and in one year (well...51 weeks) I have managed to lose 81 pounds going from 236 and reaching my goal weight of 155 on Easter Sunday. No Hocus Pocus....just through moderation in food choices, logging in MFP and exercise. Here's some background and then the pics:

One year ago I was sitting in my recliner, watching "Celebrity Apprentice," eating a huge bowl of Theater Butter Popcorn (to which I added extra butter and grated parmesan cheese) and drinking a diet cola. The task for the celebrities was to develop a marketing campaign "Walk With Walgreens." People would sign up on Walgreens website, stop by the store and pick up a gift box that included a pedometer, and assemble on-line groups to log in miles walked to win points for coupons and such at Walgreens. The celebrities related how walking helped them overcome various ailments and injuries and how starting a simple walking program had made a great impact on their health and well-being.

I looked down at the big bowl of popcorn resting on my big belly and my greasy, cheese-coated fingers--then I looked across to my treadmill sitting dusty and alone in the corner of the room and decided that I would give it a shot. That night I signed into the Walgreen's website, got on a team (the Walkie Talkies), and started logging and posting my miles. I also stepped on the scale for the first time in a few years and it said 236...the highest weight I've ever seen on a scale with me standing on it!

I decided that cleaning up my diet was also a wise choice, so I started working on eating better breakfasts and trying not to eat after 8pm; I also started drinking lots and lots water. This was not my first rodeo...I successfully dropped 68-pounds through diet and exercise about 8 years ago (dropping from 225 to 157)...I looked great and felt proud...but it was a REAL struggle--my mind consumed with thoughts of food and dreading exercise sessions--it was TORTURE! Then a hurricane hit and we were without power for 8 days; standing in line for ice, food and water; cleaning up debris and helping others do the same. Comfort foods were provided by Red Cross, churches and various businesses--donuts, pizza, hotdogs, burgers--I was in Nirvana!

Once things got back to normal, I was Off-Diet and started slowly transitioning back to my old ways. The weight stayed at bay for about 3-4 months, then the clothing started getting tight; with the exception of my "Size 22W Trophy Fat Pants," I had given all my "fat clothes" to Goodwill (because that's what we're supposed to do to not be encouraged to gain it back--yeah, right) and I had to buy some bigger pants. From then on I just started buying bigger jeans and tops (size 14, 16, 16W, 18W, 20W and then the costume of choice...black stretch capris 1X & 2X...the Trophy Pants stayed in the back of the closet--I didn't want to admit that I fit back into THEM).

During the years of gaining, I happened to see Eckhart Tolle on the Oprah Show talking about his book "The New Earth." It was about being mindful and paying attention to the voice in your head and the lies it tells. Kinda woo-woo stuff, but something in the message clicked. Around the same time I read "Women, Food and God" by Geneen Roth--it too speaks of being mindful and aware...especially when it comes to emotional eating. THAT WAS IT...I knew I was an emotional eater and had an addiction to food...food was my drug of choice which I used to quiet the voices and emotions I feared I didn't have the courage to face. Food was also my emotional companion and friend--always there, in good times and in bad. But I knew it was an addiction I had to overcome and the only way I could do that was to question the judging voices, painful emotions and let them come to the surface where I could release them. With the help of information and techniques I learned through reading books by Tolle and Roth and through meditation, I was better prepared to make a lifestyle change consisting of healthy food and regular exercise. The Celebrity Apprentice episode with the Walgreen's Walking Program came along at the right time and place and I started my journey one year ago.

At first I didn't know about MFP so I didn't log any meals; I just posted my walking miles on the Walgreen site. From April 8, 2012 to July 19, 2012 I lost 13 pounds. Then in mid-July I bought a Nexus 7" Tablet and I found the MFP App! I signed up and started logging in daily. I bought a food scale and started weighing my portions. I bought a personal blender and started drinking a delicious Protein Whey and fruit smoothie almost every morning for breakfast (I love them!). In July 2012 I also gave up my diet cola addiction--my drinks consist of water, milk, coffee, tea, V-8 and smoothies. I still have "bad" foods in moderation or make healthier alternatives (pita pizza & veggie burgers for example). I have one square of Gharadelli 72% Dark Chocolate with my coffee every, single night for "dessert."

The VERY BEST thing that happened was that my sister became my MFP Pal (my ONLY pal because that's the way I roll) and together we've been changing our lifestyles and cheering each other on every step of the way (she's down 97 pounds so far!!). In October 2012 I signed up to walk my first 5K and my sister surprised me by driving 600 miles to walk it with me!! The following week I did a 4-mile bridge walk. And just recently (January 2013) I joined a "Weight Warriors" 8-week program where I was introduced to various exercise programs like Zumba; Spinning; Step Aerobics; CardioSculpting and weight training. Up to that time my workouts were mainly cardio either walking outside, on the treadmill or using Leslie Sansome Walk-Away-The-Pounds videos. Now I do weights 2x a week; take 2 exercise classes per week; still do Leslie Sansome DVDs; and am on week #4 of C25K because I have signed up for a 5K Mud Run in May 2013.

I accomplished my goal of 155 (154.4) on Easter. I'm still working on tightening up some squishy and wobbly bits but I'm very pleased that I went from "Obese" to "Healthy" BMI. MFP and all the success stories I've read kept me going when the going got tough. I feel I need to Pay-it-Forward by hopefully encourage other "mature menopausal goddesses" out there that it is not impossible for us to drop the pounds and get healthy. But doing so entails much, much more than just better eating and exercise--you must confront the REASONS you turn to food in the first place and drum up the courage to feel the emotions you try to avoid by eating or the emptiness you try to fill with food. If you do not overcome this, you WILL struggle removing the weight and find it near impossible to keep the weight off.....that was why I regained all that I lost and MORE during my previous "diet."

.....SO...without any further ado...the pics

The first wasn't at my heaviest (believe it or not) I was 215 (August 2012) in the first pic and 154 now



BEFORE 236+ This was May 2010


MAY 2012 - One month in (232 pounds)


OCT 2012 - First 5K (200 pounds)



CHRISTMAS 2011 (236 pounds) vs CHRISTMAS 2012 (178 pounds)


APRIL 2012 - 154.4 GOAL!



BELOW IS A WEEK-TO-WEEK RUNDOWN OF MY WEIGH-INS FOR THE PAST YEAR (i WEIGHED ONLY ONCE A WEEK)

Apr 8: 236
Apr 15: 234 (-2)
Apr 22: 232 (-2)
May 6: 232 (-0) (Rtn from vacation)
May 13: 231(-1)
May 20: 230 (-1)
May 27: 228 (-2)
Jun 3: 228 (-0)
Jun 10; 225 (-3)
Jun 17: 224 (-1)
Jun 24: 222 (-2)
Jul 1: 224 (+2)
Jul 8: 222 (-2)
Jul 15: 221(-1)
July 20: 223 (+2) START MPF :-)
July 22: 218 (-5)
July 29: 216 (-2)
August 5: 215 (-1)
August 12: 213 (-2)
August 19: 212 (-1)
August 26: 210 (-2)
September 2: 208 (-2)
September 9: 205 (-3)
October 3: 202 (-3) (after vacation)
October 7: 200 (-2)
October 14: 200 (-0) (after 1st 5K)
October 21: 196 (-4) (5-mile bridge walk) BMI Overweight!! AND ONE-DERLAND!!
Oct 28: 193 (-3)
Nov 4: 194 (+1)
Nov 11: 189.8 (-4.1) ( (new scale)
Nov 18: 186.8 (- 3)
Nov 25: 185 (-1.8) (50 POUNDS GONE!!)
Dec 2: 184 (-1) Jingle Bell 5K
Dec 9: 181.4 (-2.6)
Dec 16: 179.6 (-1.8)
Dec 23: 178.2 (-1.4)
Dec 30: 176.6 ( -1.6)
Jan 6: 171.8 (-4.8)
Jan 13: 170 (-1.8)
Jan 20: 168.6 (-1.4) JOINED WEIGHT WARRIORS
Jan 27: 167.6 (-1)
Feb 3: 166.6 (-1)
Feb 10: 165.2 (-1.4)
Feb 17: 161.4 (-3.8) HEALTHY BMI
Feb 24: 160.2 (-1.2)
Mar 3: 159 (-1.2)
Mar 10: 157.6 (-1.4)
Mar 17: 156.8 (-0.8)
Mar 24: 155.4 (-1.4)
Mar 31: 154.6 (-0.8) GOAL!!