Who has done this on their own? HELP!

Gwooh
Gwooh Posts: 80 Member
edited September 25 in Health and Weight Loss
I am not a weight loss surgery hater…but I would love to meet some people out there who have managed to lose 50lbs on their own by diet and exercise. I see some pretty large numbers being met and with so many people having bariatric surgery these days, its hard to tell if some of those numbers are from weight loss surgery or from really dedicated weightlossers (yes it’s a word I made up)...I am a little down on myself thinking I can not do this on my own. I work in the medical field, in a very heavy weighted populated area, I am far from a lapband-stomach staple-gastric bypass hater…I’m glad the option is there for people…it’s truly life saving…I have seen it first hand. But for those of us who do not qualify and who do need change their lifestyle on their own …I would love some words of encouragement that this can be done by ME. By changing my diet, by working out 30 minutes to an hour EVERYDAY. I have made great strides and changes since 1-9-11...I just hope I’m on the right track. I feel like I can do more…or suppose to do more to drop 30 more lbs in the last three months I have been at this.

Any help, suggestions, words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated!
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Replies

  • JenniferO1982
    JenniferO1982 Posts: 21 Member
    I have lost 80 pounds. My secret? Diet and exercise:)
  • SheliaN1960
    SheliaN1960 Posts: 454 Member
    Hi! I am only on 40 and I lost before I got here! No, meds, no surgery, no quick fixes. Sometimes it seemed super slow. So slow in fact I stopped weighing and started measuring! I wish you all the best and there are some great inspirations on here!!
  • SheliaN1960
    SheliaN1960 Posts: 454 Member
    Jennifer, that is the best advice you can give her!!!
  • VialOfDreams
    VialOfDreams Posts: 217
    90lbs in 9 months with a change of lifestyle, which includes healthy eating and exercise. That's it. You can do it too! :heart:
  • shallo
    shallo Posts: 353 Member
    You can do this. All the weight I've lost is from changing eating habits and some exercise.
  • Enigmatica
    Enigmatica Posts: 879 Member
    95 pounds - exercise, discipline, nutrition and PERSISTENCE!!!
  • ngr1973
    ngr1973 Posts: 334
    Bump for later... this would be great to hear.
  • CoryIda
    CoryIda Posts: 7,870 Member
    Over 70 pounds since mid-September here...
    Eat healthy, well balanced meals in reasonable portions (including whole grains, lean meats, fresh fruits and veggies), drink lots of water, and exercise.
  • 1FitMomof4Girls
    1FitMomof4Girls Posts: 202 Member
    60lbs~diet and exercise. kept off since 2009!
  • Tabs_A
    Tabs_A Posts: 69 Member
    I've done it on my own with the support of all my great friends here on MFP and my husband. To date I've lost a total of about 60 lbs (50 since joining here) just by making those same changes you have. I've started working out and watching what I eat and how much! One little tip is don't give up the treats in life! If you want pizza, have pizza! You may have to work a little harder to be able to or have smaller portions. I still eat ice cream, chocolate bars etc its all about portion control! You can do it! Good luck!
  • rachelwilliams1234
    rachelwilliams1234 Posts: 2
    hi im new here and this is my first post!! i had to reply straight away to you saying yes it CAN be done on your own and not through any surgery!

    i myself have lost 42lbs in just over a year by exercising and healthy eating - thats it!! i have even gone off track once in a while and always have one night off every week where i eat what i like including drinking a bottle of wine lol.

    im now struggling a bit to get back into healthy eating ( although ive not put back on any of the weight ive lost ) as im finding it hard to get the last 14lbs off due to family circumstances that cause me to comfort eat. but, thats why im now here to get some of my motivation back and get losing again :)

    good luck , it can be done xxx
  • ickybella
    ickybella Posts: 1,438 Member
    I've lost 107 or so without any surgery or miracle pills. It's possible, but you have to work hard.
  • JeepOnRock
    JeepOnRock Posts: 28
    29 pounds in three months (over 10% of my body weight... 250 down to 221). I am paying attention to what I eat and exercising some...

    I didn't get where I was overnight, and I don't expect to get back overnight.
  • umauma2011
    umauma2011 Posts: 14 Member
    You just have to keep at it ,you did not get this way overnight and it will not go away overnight. As far as surgery i'm on the fence , I would try to keep with this for at least 6 months ( see what happens ) you may suprise yourself,

    As far as anyone doing this without surgery yes there are quite a few here that yes it is from hard work

    JUST KEEP AT IT !!!!!!!!!
  • Angela25
    Angela25 Posts: 2
    A few years ago I lost 60 lbs doing weight watchers and walking every day. I basically watched what I eat and I exercised usually 5 to 6 days a week. After about the first 30 pounds, I did more intense workouts like Turbo Jam when I got home from work about 3 days a week and walked the rest.

    I kept that weight off for almost 3 years, then when my dad had stomach cancer and I was having other issues in my family I gained about 45 lbs of that back because i stopped watching my food and I stopped working out. I have started working out and watching my food again and am down 11 pounds in a just a few weeks.

    It can definitely be done and without starving yourself. Aim for 2 lbs a week and some weeks you will naturally be more than others. I lost the 60 lbs in 5 months. I even had one day a week I didn't track my food and eat whatever I wanted within moderation and that so helped me with cravings.
  • FaithandFitness
    FaithandFitness Posts: 653 Member
    From what I know about weight loss surgery. . . in the end you need to modify your diet and exercise habits to be successful. I have seen friends get the surgery and sure they lose weight initially, but the food they eat and their activity level must be modified for their final goals to be reached. While it is a personal decision for everyone, I say just modify the diet and exercise and avoid the surgery, recovery, and the lifetime spent with altered anatomy. But that is just me . . .
  • amymeenieminymo
    amymeenieminymo Posts: 2,394 Member
    I did, I lost 50 pounds with just diet and exercise, and it was mostly fun exercise like walking and riding my bike. Of course as you can see from my ticker I have gained some back, but that's because I stopped eating right and exercising for a few months....I'm trying to get back to it. But it can be done!
  • VeryKerri
    VeryKerri Posts: 359 Member
    Hey there!

    I have lost over 80 pounds with just diet and exercise! I have over 180 pounds to lose in total and having the surgery sure seemed like a great idea in the beginning, but I just decided to try on my own to see what I could do if I really put my mind to it and here I am almost a year in and down 85 pounds in total and still going strong. I have nothing against the surgery personally either, but for me, it was just not the right choice. I have proved to myself (the only one that matters) that it can be done. All it takes is hard work and lots and lots of it! I hit the gym 5-6 days a week for 30-45 minutes only. Somedays I go longer, but mostly its just on my lunch break. I eat the foods that I like in MODERATION and sparingly. I have learned to love a whole range of healthy foods that I never would have tried before.

    What I am saying is that yes it can be done and you can do it. You just have to want it. Friend me if you want and I will support you all the way!!!!
  • JenCM
    JenCM Posts: 195
    I've lost exactly 90 lbs so far (still have a ways to go!) since October, just changing what I ate, how much I ate and trying to be more active! It CAN be done, by ANYONE! I've just cut my processed sugars, and I eat a lot of veggies and fruit, lean meats, healthier carbs like Kashi cereal, etc.
    You can do it! If I can lose this much, anyone can! It just requires a change of mind also IMO along with change in habits. You have to be truly ready to do it and stick with it. :) Good Luck!
  • mommy3x
    mommy3x Posts: 46 Member
    I hear you! I also work in the medical field and have seen lots and lots of weight loss around me from the surgeries. I have lost over 35 pounds (my ultimate goal is to lose 80 pounds total) and have done it by making better choices. I exercise every day (mostly) and eat healthy foods (as natural as possible). I also found that keeping myself accounable is very helpful. You can absolutely do it!! It is a long process, it should be, your are breaking years of bad habits. Just keep at it, make short-term goals along with the long-term ones, those are easier to meet and they keep you motivated!

    Good luck, and please feel free to friend me!!

    :happy:
  • AnneGenevieveS
    AnneGenevieveS Posts: 441 Member
    I know many people who have had bariatric surgery and kept most of the weight off, but about 3 of the 10 people I know have gained ALL their weight back. Bariatric surgery is very serious, and if you look at as a quick fix, you'll just go back to the same eating habits. You also have to deal with weekly injections of vitamins because your body cannot absorb nutrients properly any more. The people who have lost weight on bariatric surgery that I know who did not start working out, are still obese, but just not morbidly obese. The people who started exercising are only slightly over weight.

    I think if you do it the "old fashioned way" through exercise and diet, you are more likely to be starting a life style change that will stick with you. Plus you are actually getting HEALTHIER, not just thinner. There is a big difference between just losing weight - as opposed to working out and eating healthier so that you heart is healthier and your cholesterol and blood pressure are lower.

    My highest weight was 213. I'm now about 150 :) I did it through DIET and EXERCISE alone. NO surgery for me. AND I can out-run and out-exercise my super skinny friends any day.
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
    80 lbs thru diet and exercise! NOTHING else! Anyone can do it, you just have to dig deep, get out of your comfort zone and DO IT!!!!
  • dave4d
    dave4d Posts: 1,155 Member
    I lost 60lbs on my own, a few years ago. My ex lost over 150lbs on her own at the same time. You can do it. It just takes proper knowledge, and dedication to stick with it.
  • silhouettes
    silhouettes Posts: 517 Member
    I have lost 77 lbs in about 10 months time... I still have a little less than 50 more to go.

    I know it gets harder they closer you get, but I'm not to that point yet.. considering I'm still way overweight... but I'm getting there.

    Exercise is still a struggle for me somedays.. I just don't feel like it.

    The thing to know is don't push yourself to hard.. the number on thing to do is eat healthy and under your calories, keep an eye on the nutrition facts and try to keep them under the number it says.

    If you don't feel like exercisings no matter what, then eat less.. it works.. I am proof :)

    The closer you get the harder you have to work though.. and again I am not that close so can't help you there, but it's possible just put your mind to it.. logging calories gets easier and easier as you save more meals and it doesn't take long at all... I can't remember having to input so many things.. as my husband still does.. lol, but that gets easier to :)
  • bachooka
    bachooka Posts: 719 Member
    Happy to be a friend... This is all me! No surgery, no drugs, just hardwork and good food!
  • gigipamw
    gigipamw Posts: 7
    I lost 60 pounds before coming here but after gaining back 10 of it, decided to try this. It can be done on your own. When I lost my weight I was tracking all my food faithfully, exercising at least 4 times a week. This means tracking even little bites of something you try, but you can do this! Good luck to you! :happy:
  • vbennett7
    vbennett7 Posts: 99 Member
    I am taking it slow and steady or I know I will quit. I have lost around 26 pounds(mfp says lower due a different starting date). I have prayed, exercised, and counted calories. My loss really started in October til now. Also, my acid-reflux has either seriously diminished or is gone! I am wearing 3-4 sizes lower than I used to! I definitely have more energy and I think I have been healthier since I started this than in previous fall and winter seasons. Hope this helps!
  • clw_888
    clw_888 Posts: 157 Member
    I too am a weight loss success story! In the past I lost a total of 40 lbs and maintained it for 3 years. I am back here working to lose weight after pregnancy. I am down about 40 again. 10 lbs to my pre preg weight and then another 15 after that. I credit mine to purely nutrition. When the food choices are good, the weight will come off! Good luck to you and feel free to message me if you need support!
  • jap0621
    jap0621 Posts: 4
    I finally hit the wall to losing weight! You named it i tried it medifast, lemonade, atkins, ww, anything you can think of.. what really has helped me is mentally changing my outlook about eating and working out.. Im doing it for me this time and so far going well. I also spoke with my doctor and I take a prescribed appetite suppressant. I am lucky and have had no side affects and it really helps me control what I am eating because i dont have the urge to eat. I am an emotional eater and this has definitely helped. On top of it the gym can be your best friend. Go and change routines take a class. make it fun then you will want to be there. I just started zumba!!! There are all ages shapes and sizes so it is comfortable and Fun.. Good luck
  • seachelle
    seachelle Posts: 69 Member
    I lost 66 pounds from chaning my eating habits measuring food and adding exercise into my life. It did take time and I have had some up and downs but time and consistancy with working out and better eating habits has really been the answer. With the exercise I have had to mix things up as I went along I added weight lifting and cardio both into my workouts for the one two punch! You can do this!!!

    Michelle
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