So, I've been at this for a while now and...

I've been at this whole calorie counting and weight loss thing for a while now. Thought I'd finally post and share my story.

I'm 24 years old, and I have been heavy most of my life, starting from when I was about 11.
When I graduated highschool in 2004, I weighed 200lbs
When I got married in March 2007, I was 235lbs.
When I started my weight loss life change in January of this year, I was 275lbs. :noway:

So yeah, as you can tell, I gained a LOT of weight VERY fast! I was comfortable with myself as a person, so I just let my physical self go. No one ever taught me what was healthy to eat or anything about nutrition because both of my parents are thin. (My mother is a size 5/6) Unfortunately, I take after the women in my Dad's family - they're all extremely overweight, 300+lbs at least, one Aunt being almost 600lbs.

In March of 2009, I went off birth control for the first time since I was 14 years old.
My period never came.
I went to an OBGYN who told ran several tests on me to make sure I didn't have ovarian cysts.
As it turns out, I'm just "too fat to have a baby" as she put it.
I wasn't looking to get pregnant - and still don't want to have a child anytime soon - but I was crushed!
She explained to me that fat cells produce estrogen, and that the bigger the cells are, the more estrogen they produce.
Basically, my body is tricking itself into thinking it's already pregnant, therefore it doesn't feel the need to ovulate.

In January, I decided after seeing pictures of myself at a Christmas party, I was going to change who I was on the outside to fit who I feel like I am on the inside - and that girl - she certainly wasn't it.

I started out with a gym buddy and downloaded the MFP app to my iPhone.
I was religious about it.
I lost 25lbs in one month, and I was ecstatic about it.
Unfortuntely, my gym buddy quit on me - citing school and too much stress/not enough time as the reasoning.
In mid Feburary, I quit all together because I couldn't find the motivation to go alone.
I even drove to Tampa and tried out for The Biggest Loser in March.
I ended up gaining 5lbs back. :frown:

In June, a friend of mine (RachelTNeudecker is her username) moved here from Orlando,
and her and I made a commitment to each other to meet at the gym every single night for at least 6 days a week.
So far, we've kept our promise!
We both are under care of physicians and nutritionists currently, and taking Adipex as a hunger control tool.
She has lost 30lbs since June 6th, 2010 and I have lost a total of 46lbs!
I WEIGH LESS THAN I DID WHEN I GOT MARRIED! (228lbs!)

Now that our weight loss has slowed (mine is about 8-10lbs a month currently), it's getting frusterating.
We're holding each other up, never going to give up, and the compliments we have both been recieving have been beyond amazing.

So that's about it.
I'm in the current struggle, and it's really been hard.
But with almost 50lbs gone, and another 68lbs to go until my goal weight (160lbs),
I feel like this is going to be so POSSIBLE for once!

BEFORE: (275lbs - Decemeber 2009)






AFTER: (233lbs - actually 5lbs heavier than I am right now)