1 year progress with lots of pics!

I'll save my "long" story for when I reach my goal weight Until then, here's a little bit about me:

Age: 47
Height: 5' 8.5"
SW: 326.8# 4/8/13
CW: 249.2# 4/8/14
total lost: -77.6# -42.25"
UGW: 150-160# (we'll see when I get there)

One year ago today I was tired and sore most of the time. I would break out into a sweat putting my socks and shoes on or carrying groceries into the house, and be completely out of breath half-way up a flight of stairs. It would take me two or three attempts scooting forward to the edge of the sofa to gain enough momentum to stand from it, and most of the time I convinced myself it wasn't important enough to bother.

On April 8, 2013 MFP started me out with 1870 calories (activity level: sedentary, losing 2#/week) and the weight just started to melt off. At first I was not exercising at all, then after a few weeks I started swimming about 30-45 minutes a day (easy pace, freestyle & modified breast stroke). My husband & I would hike a mile or two on easy mountains trails, or walk on the beach or in a nature preserve on the weekends. In October I started Zumba and a total body toning class with hand weights about 6 days/week, but I started a new job in February & can't seem to fit the gym into my new schedule. I've been sticking to the base calories MFP gives me (now only 1340) and I've been able to continue losing about 1.5#/week, but so it's much easier when I have some exercise calories to eat back! I plan to swim a lot this summer, I think it's good to switch things up & keep your body guessing what you're going to do next. I believe that's what keeps your metabolism from stalling.

I honestly can't remember the last time I weighed less than 250# - probably in my early 20's after my second child was born. I've never been what I would consider a yo-yo dieter and I've never tried a fad diet. Maybe I've gained & lost +/-20# a couple of times over the years, but otherwise consistently gained & held steady at 300-325#. I've always been very interested in nutrition & made sure to feed my family healthy, nutritious meals, and my kids are all slim. I'm not an emotional or stress eater... portion control and self control were my biggest problems. I've always said. "I know how to eat well, I just make bad choices" and I guess I never put my mind to losing the weight before. I still love food - I will never be someone who will say, "I don't live to eat, I eat to live." but I get it now - I can continue to eat whatever I want, just not so much

Tips:
*Be honest - log everything, even your water if you have a hard time remembering to drink enough
*Be consistent - log in every day
*Be accurate - weigh and measure your food so you know how many calories you're eating
*Be social - make friends, comment on others' progress, read the success stories in the community forums
*Don't eat all of your exercise calories back (I eat about half of what my HRM says, or about 1/4th of what MFP says!)
*Take pictures & measurements - it's a great way to see your progress when the scale is not moving.
*Move more - take walks, park farther away, step side to side or dance a little while waiting in line, doing dishes, etc.
*Push yourself to move a little more every day, challenge yourself to go a little farther, faster, longer...
*Pick your battles - if passing on that donut means you will binge on something else later, then eat the donut and fit it into your calories, or take an extra walk/eat a little less tomorrow if it puts you over. Don't blow the rest of your day or give up altogether just because of one indulgence. On the other hand, if eating that donut causes you to spiral out of control, then chew a piece of gum, pop some tic-tacs, drink herbal tea or a big glass of ice water, or do something to distract yourself. Prepare for slip-ups (or plan cheat days), it's not the end of the world so don't beat yourself up over it. Dust off & move on.


TL/DR:
What a difference a year makes! The time would have passed either way, but now I'm a year older, 77 pounds lighter, and in the best shape I've been in since my 20's. I have so much more energy! I can hike 6-8 miles in the mountains! I can run up the stairs! I can cross my legs!! My husband saw how well I was doing with MFP, so he joined too & has lost 30#! I know I will keep going and meet my goal weight - hopefully by July 2015 - my 49th birthday. My 50's will be a new beginning to a long, healthy, active life!


January 2013 ~327#


May 2013 312#


June 2013 305#


July 2013 298#


August 2013 290#


October 2103 275#


December 2013 265#


February 2014 259#


April 8, 2014 249#


1 year progress

April 8, 2013 327.8# April 8, 2014 249.2#