Lost over 60 lbs in 7 months...

coconuttjd
coconuttjd Posts: 37
in Introduce Yourself
I started my weight loss journey at over 333 lbs. per a weigh in at the hospital when I went in for a flu. That week I was hit with bad news at work and in my personal life and I looked at myself in the mirror and I realized I had been kidding myself. I was overweight. I didn't look good. And I needed to take charge of something in my life that I could control because obviously I didn't have everything I thought I had.

Reminds me of a saying, "if I ain't got my health, I ain't got anything," and I started.

I started with portion control and an easy 30 minute walk during my lunch breaks. As I started to get stronger I added in evening gym workouts with hour long cardio sessions on the elliptical or treadmill and some bowflex exercises.

I lost 40 lbs in 3 months, 50 lbs in 4 months, and I felt good. The weight I had lost had really changed the way I looked. People were encouraging me and noticing the changes. But based on my reading I knew I had to slow down and give my body time to adjust. I changed gears with my workout and started lifting heavy 3 times a week to offset some of my weight loss with muscle mass. For the next two and a half months I lifted increasingly heavy, eventually doubling the amount of weight I was lifting. I increased my portion sizes and altered my diet to include more protein and fruits. I lost 10 lbs slowly over the two and a half months that I was weight training.

It was toward the end of the weight training that I discovered MyFitnessPal and I started logging everything, food and exercise. I've lost an additional 7 lbs since starting MFP. I am working toward reaching my goal of 220 lbs. by the time I hit the one year mark.

Loose skin has not been a problem yet since I slowed down and started weight training, giving my skin time to adjust a little. For the last few weeks I've been back in weight loss mode, with longer cardio sessions and more reps per set, and more workouts per week, although it has been interesting. I still push the limits some days just for fun.

MFP is a great program and I'm looking forward to using it to track my progress more closely.

Replies

  • JenMeltsAway
    JenMeltsAway Posts: 27 Member
    That's incredible coconut! Talk about a serious change in your life. I must say your metabolism must be great! I am currently trying to lose 85 lbs and I started with 45 min intervals daily on the elliptical machine. Add me if you like, would love to see your progress.
  • coconuttjd
    coconuttjd Posts: 37
    Thanks Jen. I must say good luck and you can do it.

    There is no magic pill. No magic bullet. Just self control. Self control to limit portions and meals and snacks so you are at a calorie deficit even without exercise, and push your cardio to the edge so you come out if it with a runner's high. Those exercise endorphins replace the feel good you get from eating and your brain doesn't send you to the kitchen looking for a fix.
  • coconuttjd
    coconuttjd Posts: 37
    My progress picture collage.

    https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10202636087761654&set=a.3113815242615.2133361.1181436087&type=1
  • JenMeltsAway
    JenMeltsAway Posts: 27 Member
    I completely agree with you!!! I have definitely controlled my portions and what I eat. I feel a difference already in how I feel and it's only been 4 days. I know I'll make it!
  • coconuttjd
    coconuttjd Posts: 37
    Awesome!

    One thing I did when I started out to lose weight was I forced myself to have daily exercise and I weighed myself only once a week. The changes are so gradual that it takes a week to really have a measurable result.

    I turned my weigh-in days into a "thing" that I would report to my friends on Facebook. I called it Wednesday Weigh-In and I would prep for the morning weigh-in by watching what I ate on Tuesdays very carefully and hydrating only what I felt like I needed rather than my usual over hydrating that I normally did because of my workouts and exercise. Because I wasn't hydrating for exercise, I kept my exercise on Tuesdays to a light workout. I would eat salads and fish or cheese on Tuesdays, and would go very light on snacks. My goal was to ensure that I wasn't weighing in and counting a heavy meal and water weight that would give me a discouraging result.

    Motivation can really be helped by stacking the deck as much as possible toward having once a week, measurable progress toward your goals. Talking to friends and family about it makes a big difference, forcing you to live up to your words through actions.

    Weighing in daily is fine after you've passed a certain point and have established your new lifestyle and habits. To start with though, daily weighing is bad for motivation because weight fluctuates daily. You can be up 5 lbs. from day to day just from water weight and it can be discouraging. If you stick to portion control and plan your weekly weigh in so you can minimize the variables from food and water (like avoiding salty foods for two days prior to weighing), then you can see the downward trending better and stay motivated.

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