I've lost 56.6% of my total body wt in 26 months :)

What Healthy accomplishment have I completed?

I started my weight loss journey Sept 2011 weighing in at 350lbs. Over the last 2 years I have lost more than half my body weight and I currently weigh 151.7lbs. I am only 1.7lbs away from losing 200lbs total. I was able to accomplish this by committing to a complete lifestyle change that included both a very fresh and health diet and regular exercise. No, I did not have surgery. I started out with a BMI of 54.8 and now my BMI is 23.07. My waist was 60.25" around, now it is 25.00" I have lost over 55% of my total body weight; just by eating healthy and working out!

What did I learn along the way?

The #1 thing that I have learned is that losing weight is a little different for everyone, and not one thing will work for everyone. I feel that if everyone dedicated themselves to eating healthy and a minimum amount of exercise each week, it can be easier accomplished.

What was my most difficult part of this experience?

I feel every day is somewhat of a challenge. Yes, it does get easier, but now that I am a normal sized person, people assume I have always been thin and do not understand why I eat such a health, well as they see it "restricted" diet; so I end up having to explain my history to a lot of people. In many ways this is good because I love to motivate those around me, but in other ways it can become a challenge as then I also become the friend that "cant" participate in their eyes. I have learned to tailor what I eat just about anywhere I go, and I do not ever feel deprived.

How did I feel during and after?

I feel that during I was really motivated to see how much weight I had lost. I tracked my food, exercise, and body measurements along the way, which was a great way to be able to look back and see how much I had accomplished. There were better days than others, but I just kept telling myself that even if I had a bad day I just had to keep moving forward. When I would be tired and not want to work out after a long day of work and being a mom, I would just repeat "hard work and dedication" I knew that if I wanted to be alive to see my grandchildren I would have to keep working every day. Since losing the weight I feel like I am a better-rounded person. I never wanted to leave the house when I was heavy, I hated going anywhere with my friends (all thinner than I) and I really disliked shopping because it forced me to really see myself and how heavy I had become. Now, I am able to do all of those things and much, much more. I am a runner now so I participate in a lot of local running events for charity. I live in Central Oregon so we have so much opportunity for outdoors activities; and now that I don't have to hide anymore, I want to experience life!

How has my life changed since this event?

I feel I am more confident and happy. I feel like I finally found the women, mother, sister, daughter, and friend that I was supposed to be in this life.

What are my three top tips for someone trying to reach the same goal?

#1. Never give up, and never think one bad decision is a good enough excuse to give up or to stop trying. Just because you have one bad day does not mean you have to keep reliving that day over and over.

#2. Track Everything. If you want to see what is going to work or not work for you, you have to track it. Not to mention, mentally 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months from now, you will be able to look back and see just how far you’ve come.

#3. Drink Lots of water! Water is the best hunger killer I’ve found. If I’ve eaten and I still feel hungry, I reach for a large glass or bottle of water. I’ve noticed a lot of the time my brain thinks I’m still hungry, I’m really just thirsty. Also, it is needed for just about every function our body does, and without it you will not succeed at your weight loss.

Stats:

Height: 5’8”
Before Weight: 350 pounds
Current Weight: 151.7 pounds
Time frame of loss: 9/2011 – 11/2013.

How/Why did I gain weight?

In my family that is just how we spent quality time, around a table. It’s how we showed our appreciation for one another with a meal, and those meals were not the best health wise. As a teen I did not really have anyone to motivate me athletically and when you eat a lot and are not active you start to get depressed and feel like no one cares, so I sat at home and ate my emotions. Then I had children so that added to my weight gain, and then while being a parent to two small children, a wife, an employee, and a full time student, I didn’t have any time for me and I spent a lot of time sitting behind a computer studying or working, so the weight gain continued. As a severely obese adult I did not want to be the person everyone stared at in public, so I stopped going out. I would go to work, the grocery store or order in food, and sit at home doing nothing besides watching tv and playing on the internet. The worst of all of that is how much I ignored my children. They were always wanting for my attention, but the things they wanted to do were not things I could manage at my weight: going to the park, the fair, swimming, hiking, there were all things that involved movement, which at 350lbs was not easy or being in public; something that was also not easy for me.

what was my weight-loss wakeup call. What motivated me to slim down?

About six months before I started my weight-loss journey I lost my grandmother to renal failure. She had been struggling with her weight and Type 2 Diabetes for over 40 years and never made the lifestyle changes she needed to in order to be healthy. I became very depressed and unhappy after she passed, I could not believe she would let herself go the way she had and that her family was not a good enough reason for her to want to live. Then I realized I was doing the same thing to my children and I just decided enough was enough and I was not allowed to fail anymore, and I started tracking my food and exercise daily and before I knew it the weight just started coming off.