The ups and downs of weight loss and starting over

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So my journey began around Christmas 2012. I had just moved to Canada from Germany was alone and a little home sick, thus i began to eat. I have always been heavier. My weight gain began around the age of 9-10. Doesnt help that i have German and Polish genes giving me a natural heavier build. Thanks paps.
By the age of 23 i was over 260 pounds. Being only 5'2 that was extreme! I was ashamed,unhappy, and had low self esteem. Basically i hated myself.

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That wasnt motivation enough for me apparently though. My motivation came from a stupid source something no woman should ever have to feel she has to do. I basically got told by a man i very much liked that the only reason he was not interested was because i was big. He said that i could even be the hottest girl hed ever seen .... had i been 140 pounds lighter( not his exact words gotta give him some credit), and that is what gave me the push to change my life.
Now when i started i had a little knowledge about diet changes ect but i was a newbie really and I was doing it alone. Yikes.
I signed up to the gym got a personal trainer and by luck had a physically demanding job ( stable hand. I threw 70 pound hay bales for a living lol ). I cut out all junk food for the beginning and started taking some supplements like omega 3 oils, vitamin C and green tea extracts. I also tried out some supplements i had read about but i am not sure they aided since i took everything together but those were acai extract , raspberry ketone and cla. If youve not heard of CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) its probably because there is no actual study to show its effectiveness so its kinda a it can work but might not thing. Its supposed to help you burn fat and build lean muscle mass.
Anyways ... with all that and a diet change , lots and lots of greens and some fruit plus lots of healthy proteins like chicken and because im not a fish fan tuna and tuna only, i managed to lose 20 pounds in one month. Now this isnt a normal result. Due to my already active day job and being over weight ( you tend to lose quicker in the first months the bigger you are i find i could be wrong) plus the diet change.
By month two i was 220. Wow if thats not a motivater i dont know what is. I hit the gym 5 sometimes 6 days a week. Saw my personal trainer 3 x a week. Did alot of weight training because more muscle more calories burned duh, and alot of HIIT (High intensity interval training read up on it its amazing!!) training.
By August 2013 i was down to an amazing 145 pounds. I felt on top of the world. By then my weight lose went from 20 pounds a month to a normal 5-10 pounds a month depending how lazy i was.

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I was ready to demolish those last 20 pounds, then tragedy struck, I was hit with alot of personal problems all at once. I lost my job, couldnt go to the gym anymore, couldnt buy all those healthy fresh foods, Canada is expensive btw, and basically lost all motivation. I felt sorry for myself. Who was i kidding?! I was never going to be thin and sexy and happy with my body right? I know we all think it time to time. My problem is i lost myself in it and within 2 months packed on 25 pounds again.
Long story short im a grand total of 170 pounds of fat again. Urgh
So this is where the starting over begins. My goal is to be atleast 40 pounds lighter.... now i just have to get back into that little black dress i bought when i was 25 pounds lighter -_- .
Moral of the story do not do what i did. Do not give up no matter what happens you will regret it and kick your self in the a double s about it for a very long time. By now i could be sunning in a bikini but no im still running around in a one piece and shorts because i hate my legs.
It hurts! :(
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Btw not sure the pics will work -_-

Replies

  • bexalicous
    bexalicous Posts: 66 Member
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    You look stunning in your dress at your lowest weight. I'm sure you can get back there and just remember you aren't what you started out as - you've made progress and you can achieve more!

    I think stress and life get in the way a lot of the time but pushing through it is what counts.
  • catherinet89
    catherinet89 Posts: 60 Member
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    Absolutely ive done it once i know i can do it again. I may not be able to go to the gym anymore but atleast now i have the knowledge to do it at home. Where theres a will theres a way!
  • ParkerH47
    ParkerH47 Posts: 463 Member
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    You can 100% do this again. I know you can do it because you already did it! You are capable, you are strong. Do not get discouraged, next time when you start to hit a good weight just ease up a bit and allow yourself a bit more calories so that you don't feel deprived.
  • catherinet89
    catherinet89 Posts: 60 Member
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    Ive made a habit of treating myself. I love food so i know i would binge if i didnt have the odd cheesebuger or slice of pizza. Its all about moderation.
  • RichGrl31
    RichGrl31 Posts: 1
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    I'm experiencing a similar situation. I lost a total of 120 lbs. I got pregnant and packed on 70 lbs. I regret not working out when I was carrying my baby due to mental scares. I now understand more about my food relationship and the importance of maintaining consistent/modified forms of exercise for pregnancy. I don't ever want to be back here again. I love that I went through the big transition and lost all that weight before having my baby. It's a pusher to know where I've been and to know how I got there and to know that I will get there again. :) Thank you so much for sharing your story. You're a beautiful, fierce and sexy woman in all your stages of weight loss! God bless you!
  • catherinet89
    catherinet89 Posts: 60 Member
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    Thank you so much :)
    Honestly im probably going to gain 100 pounds when that time comes along haha.
    I just hope my stories shows there are good and bad things that can effect weight loss but we should never just give up.
    Do what makes you feel happy. Even if you have to sweat and avoid that piece of cake.
    I also want to share my newest journey to help motivate and support those just starting.
  • kahulalui
    kahulalui Posts: 33
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    Ditto to all of this! I use to be 145 lbs. went to 200 lbs. after my first child. Lost it within a year. Then, I went up to 220 lbs. with my second child. Lost 60 lbs. within a year. I gained that all back and more, ended up at 280 lbs. I became pregnant again ended up getting Gestational Diabetes but, did not gain any weight due to the Diet Change. Plus, the Diet Change help me not become Insulin Dependent. I lost 80 lbs. after a year after I had my son and then gained it all back again!

    I am trying to do the old VHS/DVD workouts that I use to do all the time. They have a few on Youtube. I stopped doing them when I started taking dance classes. My body had become so use to dance that I have to add on to the dance! Plus I think I might go back to the Carb Exchange I was on during the Diabetes because, it seemed to work for my last weight loss.

    Funny thing, my cholesterol and A1C went way down even with the weight gain. I think it is because I am a dancer but, I would like to drop 100 lbs. I don't want the Diabetes to sneak up on me.

    We can do this!

    P.S. I am half German and Samoan. So if Germans are known for this like Samoans. Just great, lol!
  • catherinet89
    catherinet89 Posts: 60 Member
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    Ive actually started the hip hop abs dvd series. Only day two but im sore already and got a good sweat. Deffinatly out of shape. I used to run 3 miles and go to the gym now im out of breath when i run down the road. urgh
  • mmredd100
    mmredd100 Posts: 50 Member
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    I have a similar story to you. I did not lose the amount of weight that you did, but still similar nonetheless. You did an amazing job the first time around so you can do it again. I went from about 180 to 140 a few years ago. I was working at a gym and had all access to multiple resources. I also too, was dumped. I had all the motivation and access I needed to full the weight loss. I quit that job lost all of my resources and lost my motivation. I too am now back on the road to get healthy.

    I am currently at 170 trying to get to 130. We can both do this. I hardly ever use a gym anymore. There are plenty of workouts you can do on your own outside or in your own home. I also now work out with a personal trainer but we work out outside and in the home without the use of a gym, so if need be she can send me the work out and I can do it by myself. There are ways around it!

    Feel free to add me for any accountability or just if you need a friend with a similar story and goals! I also try to post some of the workouts I get from my trainer in my blog, if you need ideas!
  • kahulalui
    kahulalui Posts: 33
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    I wanted to try Insanity. I wish they weren't so expensive but, then again it costs less than a yearly gym membership.
  • catherinet89
    catherinet89 Posts: 60 Member
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    I wanted to try Insanity. I wish they weren't so expensive but, then again it costs less than a yearly gym membership.

    I started the hip hop abs and already notice a slight difference and its only day 2. Could also be because of the green tea ive been drinking lol. Its definitely worth it. I did alot of review reading before i went for it and the positive reviews outway the negative by a huge margin.
  • catherinet89
    catherinet89 Posts: 60 Member
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    I have a similar story to you. I did not lose the amount of weight that you did, but still similar nonetheless. You did an amazing job the first time around so you can do it again. I went from about 180 to 140 a few years ago. I was working at a gym and had all access to multiple resources. I also too, was dumped. I had all the motivation and access I needed to full the weight loss. I quit that job lost all of my resources and lost my motivation. I too am now back on the road to get healthy.

    I am currently at 170 trying to get to 130. We can both do this. I hardly ever use a gym anymore. There are plenty of workouts you can do on your own outside or in your own home. I also now work out with a personal trainer but we work out outside and in the home without the use of a gym, so if need be she can send me the work out and I can do it by myself. There are ways around it!

    Feel free to add me for any accountability or just if you need a friend with a similar story and goals! I also try to post some of the workouts I get from my trainer in my blog, if you need ideas!

    So we have the same weightloss goal, atleast thats the idea i might stop at a heavier weight depending on how my body looks. I havent been that low since i was a young girl so i have no idea what it looks like. We'll have to wait and see :D
  • catherinet89
    catherinet89 Posts: 60 Member
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    Hi, I kind of know what you're going through. To make a long story short, I lost a lot of weight after high school and since getting married and having a baby have gained it all back plus a little more. I'm wondering if you've ever heard of the no s diet? I'll send you a link. I really like it because it's honestly, for me anyway, easier to follow and stick to then just plain counting calories. Everybody is different though. Anyway, the jist of it is simple. No Snack, No sweets, No Second helpings except on days that start with S. That's kind of the short version.
    You can do this! The most important thing I can say, if you don't mind my saying it, is that you have to enjoy yourself sometimes still. Being slim and fit is nice and it feels great getting all those compliments, but it the end, that good feeling wont win against food. I think the reason for this is because we have to eat enough food. We can't starve forever.

    http://www.nosdiet.com/

    Anyway, good luck!!!!

    that sounds interesting ill have to have a look at it.
    Oh im pretty good at keeping full without eating too many calories. I tend to have an issue eating enough.