The secret to losing over 100pds!!

JennyJ2015 · May 2014

you are inspiring !!!! i love this thanks for the motivation !!

mamadon · May 2014

Congrats and another endorsement from me! I exercised and counted calories and that was it!! My cheat meal was once a month though and more like an all day thing lol!

1tiamat · May 2014

That is awesome! I couldn't imagine having to lose that much weight. I bet you are an inspiration to those around you.

cathipa · May 2014

Way to go!!! Amazing job! So true about the calorie deficit. Its so simple yet most people are too impatient to have it work for them! Great job!

slimmalikah · May 2014

AMAZING!!!!!

madhatter2013 · May 2014

Ring sz 10 to ring 6 1/2

Honey!!! I need a new ring. Teehee...:laugh:

Great job, you look fabulous.

Bobbi_210 · May 2014

Good job Sunshine,

I am so proud of anyone being able to lose like you did and I would give anything to be able,
to do like you do...but because of my bad knees I am limited ugh grrrr,

that is why I am doing my best here and I am losing but not like I would like.

I hate my walker I just wish I could just get up and go like I did before I became disabled,
due to my flatlined in 2010.

Sunshine2plus2 · May 2014

did you do much cardio? ever hit a plateau? you look fantastic! x

All I do is cardio but it usually only 30 mins a day 5 days a week. I have never spent hours in any gym ever, 99% of my cardio has been just from working out at home. As far as plateau no I never really hit one I contribute that to once a week if I have been good all week on eating I would eat one bad MEAL (usually mexican food).

Sunshine2plus2 · May 2014

Good job Sunshine,

I am so proud of anyone being able to lose like you did and I would give anything to be able,
to do like you do...but because of my bad knees I am limited ugh grrrr,

that is why I am doing my best here and I am losing but not like I would like.

I hate my walker I just wish I could just get up and go like I did before I became disabled,
due to my flatlined in 2010.

Thanks! Good luck you can do it!! Remember losing weight is mainly just diet, eat right and the weight can come off.

akh1981 · May 2014

Awesome work!! You look fantastic!!!!

MegE_N · May 2014

I agree - I lost my 111 lbs with eating 1200-1400 cals a day, logging everything, having one free day a week where I ate what I wanted, and walking an hour six days a week. That's it.

I don't track any macros - just calories. I try to eat more veggies and meat and eggs and less flour and rice and pasta, but on Sunday if I want Ben n Jerrys you best believe I'm having it.

This gives me such hope, because this is what I'm doing. In the past, I always tied my diets to gym workouts, which I hated. Eventually I'd stop going, and just give up. This time I'm doing what I love - walking and yoga and cleaning for exercise, and my big focus is on what I eat. A month in and 14 pounds down!

ReneeIsReady · May 2014

You look amazing! Thanks for sharing

perseverance14 · May 2014

I am happy for you and all the weight you lost, and there is a good chance you lost a lot of fat because of the weight you were, the body burns more fat then, but as you go lower, you might want to re-think those protein shakes.

You need to eat enough protein if you don't want your body to burn too much of your muscle instead of the fat. Unless you know your body fat percentage before and after, I don't think you can say how much muscle you lost so far (although because of the weight you were I would think not too much, but now you weigh less and have to be more careful).

I am sticking with my protein shakes, especially since I am lifting weights. You have to realize people drink those shakes (most of the time anyway) because they either want to keep the muscle they have if they are losing, or they want to build more muscle if they are bulking, or even to just maintain what you have.

As you age (once you pass about 30) you lose about 1/2 pound of muscle every year, it does not just stay there, it requires maintenance. If you lose too much muscle, you will lower the amount of calories your body burns because lean tissue burns more than fatty tissue. That means you will gain the weight back easily if you slack off at all, look at Valerie Bertinelli, she hurt her ankle and gained 25 lbs. back like it was nothing. Without enough lean tissue to burn enough calories to raise your metabolism some, it happens all the time. I can't tell you how many former weight watchers I know who gained it all back and then some. The ones I know who kept it off either still eat in a deficit (at least to a point) or they built up their muscle, your choice. Are you prepared to eat in a deficit the rest of your life?

I will need less protein as time goes on, but it is a good way to get the protein you need without a lot of fat, and I very well may have (a smaller amount) of them the rest of my life, I would say it is highly probable, at least some of the time. I am not trying to argue, I am just trying to point out that there are very valid reasons for drinking those protein shakes, extremely valid reasons.

Soccermomtmo · May 2014

This is just all kinds of awesome. Made my day. I'm thrilled for the success you, a perfect stranger, have had and encouraged that one day I will get to make a similar post.

Thanks for taking the time to share!

patriciapowerswilliamson · May 2014

Looking good lady!!! woo whoooo!

wampahoofus · May 2014

Thank you for sharing your story! This community really needs to hear these stories. It helps so many people! Everyone needs to know that weight loss is not a mystery. It is simple physics. Burning more calories than eating = weight loss.

KeepGoingKylene · May 2014

You look great and i totally agree! I am almost at the 100lb mark and same thing, no weird pills or anything. Also eating! None of this lower calorie stuff, 1800/day for me the whole time, only recently went down to 1700! :drinker:

40andFindingFitness · May 2014

So happy to see this post. You look wonderful! I have had so many people tell me, "You should try this shake, this gummy pill, this fat blocker, blah blah blah." No thanks. I may be taking my sweet time but I'm doing it my way.

raventwo · May 2014

Good job Sunshine,

I am so proud of anyone being able to lose like you did and I would give anything to be able,
to do like you do...but because of my bad knees I am limited ugh grrrr,

that is why I am doing my best here and I am losing but not like I would like.

I hate my walker I just wish I could just get up and go like I did before I became disabled,
due to my flatlined in 2010.

Bobbi, don't give up! Before I came to MFP, I actually started at 368 with very bad knees and having to use a cane, chronic bone on bone pain, and an NSAID for pain that was only supposed to be for short term use - I'd been on it for 3 years.

I used a stationary recumbent bike (not enough, more now..lol), and my chosen eating plan. I lost more than 80 lbs. before MFP got me off a plateau and helped me get portion size under control. Now, my total off is 168, the cane is gone, the knee pain is gone, the nsaid is gone. I've not been on a fast track - the goal was slow and steady, it's coming up on 3 years.
I have been told I need both knees replaced - bah humbug. Just keep going, the more you lose, the better your knees will feel, the more energy you will have. If you can get access to the kind of bike I mentioned, it's knee friendly, and can help. Best wishes to you.

KeepGoingKylene · May 2014

I am happy for you and all the weight you lost, and there is a good chance you lost a lot of fat because of the weight you were, the body burns more fat then, but as you go lower, you might want to re-think those protein shakes.

You need to eat enough protein if you don't want your body to burn too much of your muscle instead of the fat. Unless you know your body fat percentage before and after, I don't think you can say how much muscle you lost so far (although because of the weight you were I would think not too much, but now you weigh less and have to be more careful).

I am sticking with my protein shakes, especially since I am lifting weights. You have to realize people drink those shakes (most of the time anyway) because they either want to keep the muscle they have if they are losing, or they want to build more muscle if they are bulking, or even to just maintain what you have.

As you age (once you pass about 30) you lose about 1/2 pound of muscle every year, it does not just stay there, it requires maintenance. If you lose too much muscle, you will lower the amount of calories your body burns because lean tissue burns more than fatty tissue. That means you will gain the weight back easily if you slack off at all, look at Valerie Bertinelli, she hurt her ankle and gained 25 lbs. back like it was nothing. Without enough lean tissue to burn enough calories to raise your metabolism some, it happens all the time. I can't tell you how many former weight watchers I know who gained it all back and then some. The ones I know who kept it off either still eat in a deficit (at least to a point) or they built up their muscle, your choice. Are you prepared to eat in a deficit the rest of your life?

I will need less protein as time goes on, but it is a good way to get the protein you need without a lot of fat, and I very well may have (a smaller amount) of them the rest of my life, I would say it is highly probable, at least some of the time. I am not trying to argue, I am just trying to point out that there are very valid reasons for drinking those protein shakes, extremely valid reasons.

I know this has nothing to do with me, but thought i would quote it.

Just read this after I posted and when I say I didn't use anything I don't mean protein shakes, i mean weird gimmick shakes. I have protein shakes and bars almost every day. Definately agree with making sure you have enough protein! I have kept a spreadsheet of my starting muscle, fat %, measurements, etc. Helps you realize you are losing the fat and not muscle!

FindingMyself24 · May 2014

Amazing job!! You look great!!

ontherightpath14 · May 2014

Thanks for the reminder that success comes from hard work and discipline. I would love to find that magical fix-all pill but I know better. I really needed to read this today. Off to the elliptical I go!

dbanks80 · May 2014

Wow you look amazing!! Congrats on the weight loss!

rosehips60 · May 2014

You are a woman after my own heart! Way to go, you look amazing!

KerrymBurgess · May 2014

You're so right, I get fed up with people saying 'you're so lucky your slim', it's not luck it's eating less and moving more !! Well done by the way you've done so well !

__hannah_ · May 2014

You look great. Thanks for the motivation. I see some of my friends losing weight faster using fad diets, shakes, pills, etc., but I refuse to use them as I don't believe they are sustainable. I'm trying to change my life to be healthier not just lose weight fast. It may be slower going for me but its worth it.