Hi my name is Shaunna and here's my story!

swilloughby1 · March 2011

Hi, I'm Shaunna and I've been putting in a crazy effort to try and lose all of my extra weight so that I can keep my job!! I'm in the U.S. Navy and i'm a mother of 2. When I joined the Navy I was about 130 lbs and now 8 1/2 years later I'm at over 170 lbs. My ideal weight is 150. I would be happy at 150! The military is strict when it comes to body fat standards, and even though I am in awesome physical shape, the way I look hasn't been telling that tale. When I was about 20 yrs old I broke my tailbone and was put on some wicked steroids to help with pain management. I put on roughly 20ish lbs from that that I couldn't seem to lose. After that I got pregnant with my first child and put on 70 lbs during my pregnancy. A lot of that was water weight. I had pre-eclempsia and even though i delivered a 5lb baby 1 month early via c-section, I was 236 lbs at the appoinment before I delivered. My battle with my weight has been nuts! After I had gotten back down to about 175 I had a planned tummy tuck to get rid of all of the extra hanging skin and a nice dose of lipo to go along with it. 4 days before my surgery I found out i was pregnant with my second child. I was devistated. I couldn't look at my pregnancy in a happy way because it felt like i had to do it all over again, and my salvation that I as so desperately looking for got put on hold. My surgery that was already paid for wasn't going to happen. During my pregnancy with my second child I only got up to about 212 but that was still too much for me. After she was born, also via c-section I put myself right back to work in the gym and 7 weekd post c-section I ran a 5k. I thought I was on the right track, the beginning of something great. I was going to wait only the doctor recommeded amount of time and I was going to have that tummy tuck and finally be free of all of the extra that came along with pregnancy and injury having me sidelined for so long. It's been a year and a week since my tummy tuck and my stomach is as flat as a board, however as happy as I am with those results, the freeing of all that dangly hanging skin didn't do anything about my thighs or the huge butt that I acquired over the years. Now I'm serious, my job depends on it. I have 5 weeks to lose about 18 lbs and I am determined to do it. I'm on 1200 calories a day and taking a thermogenic. I'm starving! I'm so hungry all the time! I'm drinking insane amounts of water and tracking very bite and every calorie. I'm on day 5 starting today and am more determined than ever. Myfitnesspal is awesome. I downloaded the app to my smartphone and I'm sticking to it. I hope i can do it. I love the Navy and I love my family so here I am trying as hard as I can to be here for my kids, husband and country I hope I can do it. I hope this works! I would love tips or support on how I can melt this fat off and not feel so dang hunrgy! I'm running and swimming. I'm working out 6 days a week. Any help people could offer would be amazing!

leomom72 · March 2011

i started out with what MFP recommended, with only 1200 cals a day, plus exercising, i ate those cals too, but i was noticing a slow difference..try upping your calories a little..i upped mine to 1475, plus some i gained back from working out, and i have noticed my weight and inches coming off faster..VERY best of luck to you, feel free to add me if you like..

SoldierDad · March 2011

Welcome aboard. anyway I can help I am here for you. God bless!

drbean · March 2011

Thank you for your service to our country! Best of luck on you weight loss journey. I know the military can be difficult with their expectations regarding weight and time frames to lose the weight. I'm sure you will make it!

lestahling · March 2011

Good luck!
It does sounds like you're doing the right things!
One thing I could recommend is really cut out/cut down on carbs. Obviously this isn't good or healthy for long term, but for the purpose of a weigh in, it may work.
I've read that for every pound of carbs you store in your body, you have to store several pounds of water along with it, so no carbs would help you drop that water weight. Again, you do have five weeks so you'll probably only have to do that for the last week or two. Just whatever you do, don't stop eating! You don't want to freeze up your metabolism!

Good luck and let us know how it works out!

david081 · March 2011

Hi,

As a military person I'm sure you are good at getting focussed! Very best of luck to you! Watch the salt-intake also!

rgds, David

otrlynn · March 2011

Thank you for your service Shaunna! I hope that you make your goal--you certainly have good motivation to do so. I am fairly new here so I don't have a lot of advice. However, one thing that I find is that I get less hungry if I eat more healthy protein and fewer carbs than this plan suggests. I "schedule" three meals and two snacks a day, and I make sure that the snacks have some protein. My morning snack is often .5 oz of nuts, and about 10 pretzel nuggets, or a half and apple and the peanuts; another time it might be no-fat yogurt. Although nuts are hi-calorie, they have a lot of protein and keep me from feeling fuller longer than a snack that is all carb--just weigh or measure the quantity because it is easy to eat more than you think you are.

I always make sure that my breakfast is high in protein. Kashi makes some hi protein cereals if you are a cereal fan. I like cereal, but I feel less hungry in the morning if I have eggs. Although my cholesterol is within normal limits, my doc suggested limiting eggs to 3-4 a week. So I have started using egg beaters (actually a generic sub). I frequently eat 1/4c. egg sub (cooked for 40 seconds in the microwave in the bottom of a big coffee mug that has been sprayed with PAM), added to a toasted Thomas' whole wheat english muffin. To that I add one thin slice of lower fat American cheese (like Naturally Slender). My calculation is that it is about 220 calories.

Anyway, Good luck!

Hi my name is Shaunna and here's my story!

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