64.5 pounds gone in 6 months! (pics)

Big, big day today. Under 200 pounds!!!



I've carried extra weight most of my life. On January 1, 2013 I was 264 pounds. Today, July 1, 2013, I am 199.5 pounds. Woo-hoo! Under 200!!! 64.5 pounds lost in exactly 6 months. I still have around 25 pounds to go till goal weight, but I haven’t seen a scale that started with the number 1 in years.







How it started was, like many of you, I had had it with how I looked and felt every day. I was tired, sluggish and lethargic, as well as bursting out of my clothes. I was ready to do something. Then a friend gave me this book: “The Skinny: On Losing Weight Without Being Hungry”, by Dr. Louis Aronne.

The eating program outlined in his book came across as a program that could really work for me. Dr. Aronne explained what it took to lose weight and keep it off long term. The program was in line with much of what I like to eat anyway, so I took the plunge. As all of you know, it’s not easy, and takes planning and dedication to be successful at changing a lifetime of bad eating habits. But I did. Now, I feel satisfied when I eat and am not constantly hungry.

For food choices, I eat meat, fish, dairy and complex carbohydrates, including fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. To keep my carb intake in check, I've cut down on sugar, white flour and fast food. I put no ethical, emotional or dogma based restrictions on my food choices, and shoot for macros of 30/35/35. These macros, heavier in protein & fats – yet still over 100 carbs, help me retain as much muscle mass as possible during weight loss.

For exercise, 3 days per week I workout combining dumbbells and calisthenics for 40 minutes. On three alternating days per week I walk for 50 minutes or swim for 30 minutes.

Then there’s MFP. Tracking allows me to tailor my food consumption and macros to how my body reacts, making changes along the way. And, the knowledgeable discussion and camaraderie from people on the site are very motivating. I thank everyone for their help.