Feeling Better Than This Time Last Year?

I've lost about 45 lbs. since last year. I'm also a faster, stronger cyclist, and my resting heart rate has dropped from over 60 to around 48-52 depending on the day. Still a bit of weight to take off in 2014, but I'm lighter than I've been since the late '90s.

Of course, right now I can scarcely bend over, because I slipped on the ice and bruised my butt, but that will heal soon enough….

Best wishes to you all for 2014!

Well done everyone on your successes this year!
I've lost 3 stone this year (42 lbs) and the difference it has made to my confidence and therefore my life is unbelievable!! Last New Year's Eve I left my cousins wedding early...I was sick. My underwear was too tight, my corset that I needed to be any way presentable was too tight. I was wearing the only dress I owned that fitted me. I felt like crap. I wanted to hide under the table so nobody would see me!
This Christmas I was wearing a choice of sequinned pretty dresses feeling amazing! Life and soul of the party! Like my old self! And loads of comments to that effect from family and friends!

Still have about 30lbs to go and while I had hoped to reach that goal this year, I don't see it as a failure, I've just reassessed my goals and I'll reach my goal in 2014!

Happy new year to everyone!!

Well done everyone.

I wore a red blouse this Christmas that I didn't fit into last Christmas. I've been on MFP since July '13, and am down 24 lbs. Wearing rings and pants I couldn't wear for the last few years. I am pretty stoked about all that.

But 2014 is gonna be even better, as I get ready for my retirement before EOY. I want to be slim, fit, and happy for my retirement. MFP is certaining contributing to that.

I am down more than 60 lb from this time last year and I don't feel ANY better physically.

I look better. I fit into the world better. I fit into clothes way better. I know I am at lower risk for obesity related health problems.

But I'm not any more athletically capable (in my opinion). I am having occasional bouts with constipation I never had before, that I need to figure out and clear up.

Also...I have roughly the same amount of energy, although I've always been a high energy person even 100 lb heavier than I currently am so that's neither here nor there.

Mentally I am in a better place with much more stability but I attribute that to other factors (recent marriage, stable job) than weight loss.

I'm down 18 lbs (not done yet) and can lift things I never though I could have.

90+% of us are better than where we were at this time last year. I think many people are dwelling on the 2 to 5 lbs gained over the 2013 holidays, but not thinking about where they were at this time last year.

Great post OP, Thank you!

This time last year losing weight hadn't even crossed my mind. It's not until February '13 I started, and since then I am down 110lb. I really hope 2014 continues the success of 2013, and hopefully more. As I know I need to make changes in other aspects of my life too, to be happy emotionally, aswell as physically better. :flowerforyou:

I am down 41 lbs from this time last year, for a total of 88 lbs. lost since Sept. 2012. I feel lighter on my feet for one thing. When my 2 year old grandson runs, I can keep up with him. I can follow him on the monkey bars and go down the slides with him. I have learned to play again - my inner child has come out from behind all of the extra weight.

I'm looking forward to losing a couple more pounds and building muscle in 2014.

My weight loss journey has been a long one and I'm not there yet. But this year I've made some good progress :-)

In 2013:

I lost about 8kg/18lbs (total lost since highest 21kg/46lbs)
I finally reached a healthy BMI for the first time in about 13 years.
I went from couch potato to getting more active, and hiked a total of 230km/143mi.
I joined a gym and started a weight lifting program.
I wore a dress for the first time in over 10 years (and bought 4 of them to add to my wardrobe).

2014 is about getting in better shape, lifting weights, hiking and probably another attempt at c25k.

Yes, I'm feeling much better than last year! I'm a work in progress. Always will be. I injured my knee this fall, which really affected my workouts, and a back-slid a little bit. But considering my workouts and tracking were spotty for a couple of months, I only gained back a couple of pounds, which tells me I learned a lot about what my body needs and how to still make healthier choices. Although my weight progress isn't what I wanted, I am proud of what I've accomplished in 2013. I am celebrating all that I've learned in the past year. I'm a single mom of 3 kids that I have the majority of the time. I know we are all busy, but I was putting my kids, friends and family first, and finally realized (3) critical things that have changed my life.

1. No one will take care of me but ME. It's not easy to take care of other people, so it doesn't mean it will be easy to take care of me, but I deserve it. I deserve the time it takes to cook healthy and plan my food and to workout.

2. Life is all about choices and decisions and the attitude we take towards them. Our health is part of our life - so I am blessed that I get to make choices over and over again. So if I choose the cupcake, I get the choice later to eat fruit or veggies or workout more. Everyone has said that this needs to be a lifestyle change, but it never truly clicked for me until this year. I am a perfectionist, so judged myself on how "perfect" my day was (rarely, if ever), so then always beat myself up when I wasn't, and shocker, I never made any lasting progress. Once I took this new attitude of choices, it was an immediate change that was life-altering. It's not about willpower vs guilt & deprivation or failure vs success...each moment we get to choose to alter the course of our life...we get to make a new choice.

3. Who cares how long it takes me if I never have to lose it again?

2013 has brought huge emotional and mental changes in my life; 2014 will end, and I will have a body I can be proud of!

Before pic was Christmas last year, I had just started MFP a month before so I was still a work in progress. I weighed 170 and I wanted to dress up and feel good about myself, but all of my clothes were still snug and since I was in the process of losing weight, I didn't want to buy anything new. I cried because I felt so bad about myself and I DIDN'T want my picture taken.
My after pic is Christmas this year and I have now lost 35 pounds and I was wearing a new outfit, make up and even took the time to curl my hair!! lol and I felt SO great about myself!!! :bigsmile:

You look great. I LOVE your hair.

Thank you! It's VERY thick!!

I am at the same exact weight I was at this time last year. But you know what? I don't consider that a failure. I can run/bike a lot faster/longer than I could 365 days ago. I can survive an entire spin class or hot yoga session, which I couldn't do back then. I can lift more. Overeating may have made me gain back the 20 pounds I lost over 2013, but my continued gym sessions have kept me in better shape. I have the drive and the workout habits. 2014 will be all about getting my eating under control. I have a very good feeling about this year though.

I just started 45 days ago, but I'm down 21 lbs, many inches, and feel much better physically and mentally. I am so encouraged by the posts here and in November 2014, I want to be one of these wonderful success stories!

Happy New Year!

Feeling pretty similar.

I actually got to enjoy the holidays (and the food that comes with it), because I realized that my overall success for the year was better than any year previously in my adult life. I'm absolutely in a better place physically, mentally and emotionally than I was this time last year.