Just Another Lengthy "I lost 100 pounds!" Post

After 2 years and 3 days -- all of which were logged here -- I finally hit that coveted milestone of losing 100 pounds. I joked with my husband in the weeks preceding that I expected a confetti drop from the bathroom ceiling on that day. Alas, only a couple tears of joy fell from my cheeks.

I joined MFP in January 2013 after having spent my entire life in various stages of obesity. I topped out at 447 pounds and decided enough was enough. I had no excuses any more. No bad marriage, no bad job, no financial stressors -- everything was pretty peachy keen. So I made the decision to finally lose the weight. I had done Weight Watchers once before -- and found that impossible to stick with. Otherwise, I had never really attempted to diet. I was always just content to be fat. But something about MFP really stuck with me. Or maybe it was how much better I started to feel once I changed up how I ate and started MOVING. I started out by using the calorie and macro calculation MFP gave me and I logged all my exercise in MFP. The weight started coming off with some weekly regularity. But then about 6 months in, it started to sloooooowwww. By the end of 2013 I had lost 54 pounds. Nothing to be ashamed of, but it didn't seem to reflect my efforts. In 2014, I continued much the same, meanwhile the doctor I had at the time was pushing me to have weight loss surgery. I was (and still am) wholly against that route. I knew what I had to do -- I had to eat less, move more. But that simply wasn't working.

Then I hit a wall. 7 months where I didn't lose One. Single. Pound. I was beyond frustrated. I continued to log in every day and track my food. But I cut off contact with all the friends I had made on MFP. I found the advice dizzying and confusing. Everywhere I looked people were losing weight doing one thing or another -- but none of that was working for me. But I kept plugging away, doing what I was doing.

Then in September 2014 I got a new doctor -- a wonderful woman who decided to take a very close look at my diet and my health. A series of blood tests revealed I was not diabetic, but I was severely insulin resistant. Also in September 2014, I met a fantastic fitness and wellness trainer -- she too took a hard look at my diet and exercise. They both made some very small adjustments to my diet. I cut my carbs (no drastic Atkins or ketogenic cut) -- just took it down from the MFP recommendation of 55% down to 30% and I also started timing my consumption of carbs so that most of them came before my workout. I also stopped logging my exercise -- instead I just use FitBit to calculate my actual activity. I trust its accuracy way more than the calculated calorie burn here.

Small changes -- huge results. I didn't reduce my calories. And my fitness levels are pretty much the same. But that one small change to my diet along with a low dose medicine to help with insulin -- and the weight started coming off. Over 30 pounds since the end of September. And now, 100 pounds gone. Also, cholesterol medicine -- gone.

I still have over 100 pounds to lose. I do not aspire to be thin -- it simply isn't in the cards for me. I wasn't born to be thin. I will be content to be a size 12/14 again (which will probably be around 225 pounds). Even my doctor agrees that this could be a healthy weight for me if I am eating right and exercising.

I haven't been real good about photographing my journey so I don't have a lot of dramatic transformation photos to share. I do have one side by side below that is from December 2012 (before I started) and December 2014. The other two photos are a comparison of May 2011 (7 months before I started) and January 2015.

I am in the market for some new friends here -- my friends list is pretty sparse. I would love to connect with people who have a lot to lose or who have lost a lot -- and who are faithful to the process. Who understand that this is a lifestyle, not a diet. Who do not make harmful decisions about their health in the effort to lose weight. Folks who are committed and supportive -- that is what you will get from me as well.

Thank you for taking the time to read.