I've been here 2.5 years and have lost 124 pounds

I've wanted to post this for months and months but couldn't figure out how to get it sized correctly. But I've finally done it! I started out in December 2011 at 304 pounds. Joined a gym with my husband and got a personal trainer even though we couldn't afford it. In February 2012 I joined MFP and decided to take a look at my diet and see how much I was eating and how I could improve it. I started making little changes, and the changes added up to bigger changes, and in one year I was down 90 pounds! No one was more surprised than I was! I hadn't been under 200 pounds since I was a teenager and I'm now 46. I had completely given up and worked hard at accepting that I would never be smaller than maybe 275ish.

I wasn't willing to diet or follow a meal plan, but I was willing to make better choices. Some small things made a huge difference!



And the next picture is of me and my 12 year old daughter, wearing my "before" clothes together! She weighs about 120, so together we weigh about what I did when I started.



People tell you it is all about will power and making up your mind to do it and that sort of thing. Well, I'm here to tell you that you can be loaded with doubts and still make a positive change. You can fall off the wagon over and over, but just keep thinking of ways to make healthier choices next time.

I'm a not-stopper. I'm not a go-getter or a great organizer or planner or more committed than anyone else. I probably didn't even work harder than lots of folks who eventually quit. All I am is a not-stopper.