180's to 130's - 5'1"

To say Im excited to be posting this on MFP is an understatement - as I started this journey on MFP, finished on my own, & have come back to it for encouragement, mutual motivation & continued maintenance!

Ive lost 45 ish LBS within 6 months. There have been some stumbles, but its generally come off consistently - with my consistent effort!

Im 5'1 & 29. My weight has fluctuated more or less my entire life. Weightloss was always on my mind...health magazines, diets I'd attempt with all my heart only to fall off the wagon very quickly, things I YEARNED to be able to do, but when it came down to it at the end of the day, all the desire in the world didn't matter, because I lacked DEDICATION. Im an extremely stubborn, persistent go-getter, yet my weight was something I couldnt seem to control. Sweets werent my main issue, or the normal cliche reasons someone is overweight - I binged, ate sporadically, & had no system or consistency. I can only dream of what I did to my metabolism.

I always admired athletes - my desire to lose weight wasn't necessarily for esthetic reasons - I really felt like my body was supposed to function like a machine - a beautiful vessel that could accomplish anything - however I lacked the tools to put my vision to use.

Fast forward to 2013, I joined MFP & lurked in the shadows for a few months, inspired by success stories & the community presence on this site. I wish I could say that the reason for my success is something I can pinpoint. In my case, I can only say I feel like I was simply totally ready. I was sick of being unhappy, feeling unhealthy & out of control. It was like a lightswitch went off & once I committed, it happened.

I hiked one hour a day, 5 days a week, for 8 weeks straight. Intermittently, I began doing "stairs"...there is a mountainous area near my house that has 500 metal stairs going up at a steep rate. When I began, climbing them ONCE took about 15 minutes, was taxing, & my legs felt like lead. I can now do them briskly, & aim to do 10 sets a day.

I aim for 1200 "clean" calories a day. I eat lots of fruits & veggies, intake a good amount of protein & fiber, eat fish but NO red or white meat. Working on kicking my diet soda penchant!

Starting weight: 181
High weight: 190
Current weight: 135
Goal weight: 125

Some mentionable measurements:

Starting Hip Measurement: 49"
Current Hip Measurement: 38"
Starting Waist Measurement: 40"
Current Waist Measurement: 29"
Starting Thigh Measurement: 27"
Current Thigh Measurement: 19"

I have a bit more weight to lose but most of all I want to tone up & continue to build my strength.

And, drumroll...PICTURES! I think the difference is noticeable...at least I hope so!

THEN:




NOW: