What REALLY inspired you to lose weight?
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Over the period of 2002 -- 2014, I went steadily from overweight to seriously obese.
I was 200lbs (M/6'4") when I married back in 1990, and very slim, but not very muscular.
In 2014, I started walking the dog in the evening with my spouse and noticed that I was out of breath just going up a modest hill that leads to the next block. Even climbing the stairs was noticeably leaving me breathing. Not good. I also noticed that my concentration was lacking, and with 3 teenagers in the house, my stress management was poor.
October 2014, I simply felt I couldn't ignore this any longer and joined the local gym/sports therapy center for $14 bucks for the remainder of the year. For the first two months, I avoided the scale completely, afraid of having to face just how bad I was. My first day "walking" on the treadmill had me huffing and puffing to complete 1 mile in 30 minutes. Dear God. One regular remarked that she was afraid I was going to have a heart attack next to her.
But.. I kept at it... First month, 1 day a week. Second month, 2 days a week, By December I was in the gym three days a week, Treadmill, exercise bike, and starting to work with some of the machines. It became a challenge to see how fast I could complete a walking mile... 22 minutes, 20 minutes, 17 minutes..
Then disaster...
I experienced a retinal tear on Christmas day. The surgery was a success, but recovery time is at least a month of "doing nothing". -- Go home he said, do nothing, and watch TV and we'll see how you are in a month.
I'd already gone from my couch potato identity (which would have loved this) to being active in the gym for at least 4-5 hours a week. (I was still hiding from the scales at this point.)
I went crazy! Cabin FEVER! Early February, I took to begging the surgeon and was permitted to start with very light gym workouts and work my way back up... slowly...
By the end of February I was back up to 3, two hour trips to the gym, and finally decided to face the scale.
311 pounds. Damn.. and I'd been busting my butt. The therapy staff said they had been paying attention to my work and were pretty sure I'd probably already lost at least 10 pounds.
I renewed my determination to conquer the scale, but it wasn't moving... Enter MFP.
The first week I lost 2lbs! As of this writing I'm on day 62 with 24lbs lost!
I'm continuing to get in at least 3 days a week at the gym, with a little less walking (started getting serious knee pain from doing 2-3 miles at a time) and much more weight lifting, barbells, dumbbells, various machines. I obtained a broken exercise bike (fixed it!) and a ski machine for the weekends for at home.
I've tripled what I can manage all the way around since October. Even started Bench Press last month and have moved from 65lbs to 125lbs presses last week. I feel better and friends are starting to notice that I'm doing something. I've already been asked for my secret.
For for first time in years, I NEED A BELT to keep my pants up.
I found a picture of myself last week from before I started working out.
Dear Lord! I look like I was closer to 340+ pounds. (I apologized repeatedly to my spouse.) The pic is included in my profile.
Hope this encourages someone else here. I've still got a long way to go, but I'm loving it! Friend me up!
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I am, and have always been, one damn fine fat chick.
I buy nice dresses and dress to go out. I take good care of my body. I enjoyed dancing for years, running too. And climbing! So much fun! Always healthy, always beautiful bloodwork. You'd never know I'm about 100lbs overweight.
I had my little boy and things slowed down quite a bit, as they do. I lost the baby weight easy, but I didn't go out anymore, I wasn't so active. It was fine, for a baby.
Now he's nearly 3 and after three years of being sedentary I'm achy and stuff after playing with him.
Time to get back in shape, and time to loose weight so I can keep up with that boy and be a hot mama, fat or not.0 -
About 8 years ago I was in a very bad spot emotionally. I did some work trying to visualize the life I actually wanted. The way I viewed myself in the life I wanted was as a thin person with cute clothes. It was the first step in putting myself in the life of my dreams.
The reality is that that I couldn't even have imagined how wonderful life would become...the profile picture is of me racing in Paris.0 -
Oldbitcollector wrote: »Over the period of 2002 -- 2014, I went steadily from overweight to seriously obese.
I was 200lbs (M/6'4") when I married back in 1990, and very slim, but not very muscular.
In 2014, I started walking the dog in the evening with my spouse and noticed that I was out of breath just going up a modest hill that leads to the next block. Even climbing the stairs was noticeably leaving me breathing. Not good. I also noticed that my concentration was lacking, and with 3 teenagers in the house, my stress management was poor.
October 2014, I simply felt I couldn't ignore this any longer and joined the local gym/sports therapy center for $14 bucks for the remainder of the year. For the first two months, I avoided the scale completely, afraid of having to face just how bad I was. My first day "walking" on the treadmill had me huffing and puffing to complete 1 mile in 30 minutes. Dear God. One regular remarked that she was afraid I was going to have a heart attack next to her.
But.. I kept at it... First month, 1 day a week. Second month, 2 days a week, By December I was in the gym three days a week, Treadmill, exercise bike, and starting to work with some of the machines. It became a challenge to see how fast I could complete a walking mile... 22 minutes, 20 minutes, 17 minutes..
Then disaster...
I experienced a retinal tear on Christmas day. The surgery was a success, but recovery time is at least a month of "doing nothing". -- Go home he said, do nothing, and watch TV and we'll see how you are in a month.
I'd already gone from my couch potato identity (which would have loved this) to being active in the gym for at least 4-5 hours a week. (I was still hiding from the scales at this point.)
I went crazy! Cabin FEVER! Early February, I took to begging the surgeon and was permitted to start with very light gym workouts and work my way back up... slowly...
By the end of February I was back up to 3, two hour trips to the gym, and finally decided to face the scale.
311 pounds. Damn.. and I'd been busting my butt. The therapy staff said they had been paying attention to my work and were pretty sure I'd probably already lost at least 10 pounds.
I renewed my determination to conquer the scale, but it wasn't moving... Enter MFP.
The first week I lost 2lbs! As of this writing I'm on day 62 with 24lbs lost!
I'm continuing to get in at least 3 days a week at the gym, with a little less walking (started getting serious knee pain from doing 2-3 miles at a time) and much more weight lifting, barbells, dumbbells, various machines. I obtained a broken exercise bike (fixed it!) and a ski machine for the weekends for at home.
I've tripled what I can manage all the way around since October. Even started Bench Press last month and have moved from 65lbs to 125lbs presses last week. I feel better and friends are starting to notice that I'm doing something. I've already been asked for my secret. For for first time in years, I NEED A BELT to keep my pants up.
I found a picture of myself last week from before I started working out.
Dear Lord! I look like I was closer to 340+ pounds. (I apologized repeatedly to my spouse.)
Hope this encourages someone else here. I've still got a long way to go, but I'm loving it! Friend me up!
I am amazed at what people with disabilities of one sort or another can do and still lose weight while countless people join and drop off of MFP who are perfectly capable but whine, "This is too hard!". Congratulations on your endless effort!0 -
snowflakesav wrote: »About 8 years ago I was in a very bad spot emotionally. I did some work trying to visualize the life I actually wanted. The way I viewed myself in the life I wanted was as a thin person with cute clothes. It was the first step in putting myself in the life of my dreams.
The reality is that that I couldn't even have imagined how wonderful life would become...the profile picture is of me racing in Paris.
I will never race in Paris, but I'm having a great time trying to keep my 15-pound dachshund from outrunning me!0 -
crazyjerseygirl wrote: »I am, and have always been, one damn fine fat chick.
I buy nice dresses and dress to go out. I take good care of my body. I enjoyed dancing for years, running too. And climbing! So much fun! Always healthy, always beautiful bloodwork. You'd never know I'm about 100lbs overweight.
I had my little boy and things slowed down quite a bit, as they do. I lost the baby weight easy, but I didn't go out anymore, I wasn't so active. It was fine, for a baby.
Now he's nearly 3 and after three years of being sedentary I'm achy and stuff after playing with him.
Time to get back in shape, and time to loose weight so I can keep up with that boy and be a hot mama, fat or not.
You are going to do great!!!0 -
atypicalsmith wrote: »crazyjerseygirl wrote: »I am, and have always been, one damn fine fat chick.
I buy nice dresses and dress to go out. I take good care of my body. I enjoyed dancing for years, running too. And climbing! So much fun! Always healthy, always beautiful bloodwork. You'd never know I'm about 100lbs overweight.
I had my little boy and things slowed down quite a bit, as they do. I lost the baby weight easy, but I didn't go out anymore, I wasn't so active. It was fine, for a baby.
Now he's nearly 3 and after three years of being sedentary I'm achy and stuff after playing with him.
Time to get back in shape, and time to loose weight so I can keep up with that boy and be a hot mama, fat or not.
You are going to do great!!!
(Nice dresses are so much cuter in a smaller size.)0 -
atypicalsmith wrote: »I hurt my back in 2005 (herniated disc). I'd been pretty athletic up until that point and when I could no longer be as active I gained 50 lbs from sitting around and eating as much as I always had. In 2009 I weighed 195 lbs at 5'3" and decided enough was enough, got active again and lost 50 lbs. Then in 2012 I was doing NROLFW when I threw my back out again. Repeated the process of gaining while sedentary, only 40 lbs this time though.
I am trying to lose the weight again because I know that the extra weight is not helping my back. Which is kind of ironic, really, since it's because of my back that I gained all the weight in the first place. But I've had enough of limping around like an 80 year old, and I'm scared of how immobile I will be in my old age if I don't at least get my weight under control now. If I continue being obese, I'll have problems with much more than my back.
You are in such a catch-22. I can't even imagine being in your shoes. You can't really burn the calories with exercise, when exercise is the best distraction from eating. I wish I could say I feel your pain, but there's no way I can. Wish I could take some of it away. If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know.
Aw thanks! I've been putting in some time on the elliptical, which is low impact enough to not bother my back too much. Gotta just keep plugging along! 0 -
atypicalsmith wrote: »I hurt my back in 2005 (herniated disc). I'd been pretty athletic up until that point and when I could no longer be as active I gained 50 lbs from sitting around and eating as much as I always had. In 2009 I weighed 195 lbs at 5'3" and decided enough was enough, got active again and lost 50 lbs. Then in 2012 I was doing NROLFW when I threw my back out again. Repeated the process of gaining while sedentary, only 40 lbs this time though.
I am trying to lose the weight again because I know that the extra weight is not helping my back. Which is kind of ironic, really, since it's because of my back that I gained all the weight in the first place. But I've had enough of limping around like an 80 year old, and I'm scared of how immobile I will be in my old age if I don't at least get my weight under control now. If I continue being obese, I'll have problems with much more than my back.
You are in such a catch-22. I can't even imagine being in your shoes. You can't really burn the calories with exercise, when exercise is the best distraction from eating. I wish I could say I feel your pain, but there's no way I can. Wish I could take some of it away. If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know.
Aw thanks! I've been putting in some time on the elliptical, which is low impact enough to not bother my back too much. Gotta just keep plugging along!
Funny, but the elliptical is the one machine I can't use. Treadmill, rowing machine, exerbike, anything else, no problem. The first time I used the elliptical, about the second time around, my right knee went "CRUNCH!" and I couldn't walk normally for nearly two weeks. Okay, so that happened the first time. Two years later, a friend convinced me how low impact the elliptical was, and how many more calories I could burn than on the treadmill, and finally convinced me that my one-time knee crunch was a fluke. I got on it, went around twice, and "CRUNCH!" went my right knee, and I couldn't walk for nearly two weeks. I'm glad that is working out for you. Keep on going on, and never give up - it will happen!0 -
atypicalsmith wrote: »
Yup! I checked out a few different diets, figured weight watchers would work best for me, googled all the info on how many points I'd need and how to calculate them and learned everything else from message boards.
I hit 160 and kept going. I'm hovering around 120 right now.
I moved to counting calories when I hit a plateau and was researching how to get off it and realized I was netting between 700 and 1000 calories.
I didn't really lose the weight for health reasons or anything like others (altho I am pre diabetic). In fact, I've had to see way more doctors ever since starting to exercise and losing the weight.
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atypicalsmith wrote: »
Yup! I checked out a few different diets, figured weight watchers would work best for me, googled all the info on how many points I'd need and how to calculate them and learned everything else from message boards.
I hit 160 and kept going. I'm hovering around 120 right now.
I moved to counting calories when I hit a plateau and was researching how to get off it and realized I was netting between 700 and 1000 calories.
I didn't really lose the weight for health reasons or anything like others (altho I am pre diabetic). In fact, I've had to see way more doctors ever since starting to exercise and losing the weight.
Congratulations! Lovely to hear success stories!0 -
atypicalsmith wrote: »
I am amazed at what people with disabilities of one sort or another can do and still lose weight while countless people join and drop off of MFP who are perfectly capable but whine, "This is too hard!". Congratulations on your endless effort!
Thank you! The kitchen has become my new challenge.. I'm finding all kinds of great ways to cut calories from the foods I'm eating and still really enjoy food!
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Oldbitcollector wrote: »atypicalsmith wrote: »
I am amazed at what people with disabilities of one sort or another can do and still lose weight while countless people join and drop off of MFP who are perfectly capable but whine, "This is too hard!". Congratulations on your endless effort!
Thank you! The kitchen has become my new challenge.. I'm finding all kinds of great ways to cut calories from the foods I'm eating and still really enjoy food! Hope this inspires others. It certainly inspires ME! 0 -
Cross between not fitting my jeans/having a muffin top/being officially "overweight"... Plus I was photographed sharing an entire tub of Ben and Jerries with my 1 year old niece - it's a cute photo, but all I see when I look at it is me passing bad habits down so it's very motivating.
Thyroid problems run in our family so her mother is pretty heavy and having to lose weight due to her knees being unable to take the strain, but until then I'm aware that I'm possibly one of the bigger influences in their lives - Lauren being 13, becoming depressed and the same 'bulky' frame as I was, also the age at which I originally got mixed up in ED *kitten* from sheer ignorance of things like 'puppy fat' and healthy dieting. I want to be a positive role model and I want to be proof that a person can hit bottom then climb up again.0 -
Better balance on my horse and also for her comfort as well at 14 shes not gettign younger and I want to ride her into her 20s. Plus my husband is already looking at me more and making all kinds of nice comments and im only down 12 pounds.
PS, he always told me I looked good,,,but now they just come a little more often, :
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atypicalsmith wrote: »helenarriaza wrote: »My emergency jeans didn't fit me anymore.
Hah, I had fat clothes, then fatter clothes, then fat fatter clothes, and finally obese clothes. As I'm shrinking, it is such a delight to shop in my closet!
Hah! When I hit said plateau on weight watchers and starting counting calories and trying to at least net my bmr, I gave 7 bags of my fat clothes to charity and ended up gaining 30 lbs back.
Now they're in boxes in my closet just in case. 0 -
Your story is inspiring to me. Thank you for opening a good topic of conversation.atypicalsmith wrote: »For a very special event in 2007, I was inspired to lose 20 pounds. After the event, I immediately gained it back. Then I gained another 20 pounds. At this point, I bought a dress that I LOVED as inspiration to lose back at least the 20 extra pounds I gained. Instead, I gained another ten. The dress went to the back of my closet and I all but forgot about it.
Sigh. What finally truly inspired me, besides being horrified at accidentally seeing my reflection in a window or mirror, was hitting 169.8 pounds. Whoa! Time to stop this insanity! So I joined the Y and started eating better. Before MFP, it took me about six months to lose ten pounds. Since MFP, I've lost 14 pounds in three months. I still have 36 to go, but I'm in no hurry as I want to lose it in a healthy manner. Half a pound to a pound a week is just fine with me.
Meanwhile, I found that dress and have been trying it on every two or three weeks. At first, I couldn't pull it up past my knees. Then, I could get it around my body, but couldn't zip it up. Then, it could be zipped up about halfway. Next, it zipped all the way up, but I looked like a stuffed sausage and the one button in the middle wasn't even close to the loop where it belonged. Today, I could button it. It's still too small for me, but it's amazing at the transformation even though I still have many pounds to go. Soon, that dress will fit me, and that is when people will notice that I've lost weight. And then, the dress will be too large for me.
It took nearly eight years, but that dress is finally inspiring me!
I've was fat my entire life, from the time I was an infant and the doctor told my mother to stop overfeeding me. It turns out she was giving me the bottle every time I cried because I was awful fussy.
I was the fat kid in school. In junior high I weighed anywhere between 145 and 165, but I don't really remember. I just remember being made fun of and eating to hide my feelings around being bullied. In high school, my weight was between 185 and 200 pounds. I think I was only about 5 ft 2 or 5 ft 3 as a teen, then spurted up to a whole 5 ft 5, where I've been every since.
I have an eating disordered past (bulimia), which kept me fluctuating in weight in my early 20's, yo yo dieted in my late 20's to my late 30's with a weight range of 165 to 200 pounds, and then by the time I hit my early 40's I was feeling horrible. Depressed, fat, and feeling physically horrible, I joined the gym and hired a trainer. He pushed me to my limits and taught me how to count calories and log food. I listened for awhile, got to 155, and felt fantastic!
Over five years, I lost touch with calorie counting and gained about 30 pounds back. My limbs were aching, I was low energy, and I could barely function throughout the day. According to medical tests, the only thing wrong with me was that I was overweight.
A few years back and I went looking on the web for an electronic food log and found MFP. I re-learned all about calorie counting, learned even more, and began my new weight loss journey. I learned about nutrition, but most of all I took responsibility for my weight management. I changed my eating habits for sugar free (ha, never was REALLY sugar free) and low fat to whatever-foods-I-love-in-moderation. Since I love to workout as well (I even did so when I was overweight), continued to run but also added in weight lifting.
I lost 44 pounds in almost one year, and I've been maintaining for over a year now. This morning, after a great night's sleep, I got out of bed with ease, no aching limbs of exhaustion. I stepped on the scale at 139.2. Yesterday it was 140.2, a few days ago it was 141. I no longer freak out over weight fluctuations. I weigh my food and log everything I eat. I have sweets in my house but I don't overindulge. When we go out, I go way overboard sometimes but don't beat myself up about it. I feel so darned fantastic and I don't ever want to go back to that old place.0 -
I was 4'9, weighing in at 116 pounds, wearing a size 11 dress for my sweet sixteen... That was enough motivation for me.0
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NotQuiteNorm wrote: »Cross between not fitting my jeans/having a muffin top/being officially "overweight"... Plus I was photographed sharing an entire tub of Ben and Jerries with my 1 year old niece - it's a cute photo, but all I see when I look at it is me passing bad habits down so it's very motivating.
Thyroid problems run in our family so her mother is pretty heavy and having to lose weight due to her knees being unable to take the strain, but until then I'm aware that I'm possibly one of the bigger influences in their lives - Lauren being 13, becoming depressed and the same 'bulky' frame as I was, also the age at which I originally got mixed up in ED *kitten* from sheer ignorance of things like 'puppy fat' and healthy dieting. I want to be a positive role model and I want to be proof that a person can hit bottom then climb up again.
Is Lauren your 1-year-old niece who is now 13 years old? If so, take her on hikes. If she complains, let her sit and tell her to catch up with you. Go to outdoor festivals where you have to walk around. Enroll her in karate. There are so many things you can do to help you and her; think outside of the box!0 -
atypicalsmith wrote: »helenarriaza wrote: »My emergency jeans didn't fit me anymore.
Hah, I had fat clothes, then fatter clothes, then fat fatter clothes, and finally obese clothes. As I'm shrinking, it is such a delight to shop in my closet!
Hah! When I hit said plateau on weight watchers and starting counting calories and trying to at least net my bmr, I gave 7 bags of my fat clothes to charity and ended up gaining 30 lbs back.
Now they're in boxes in my closet just in case.
You will start fitting into them. You just have to have faith and persistence. As the Cowardly Lion said, "I do believe, I DO believe!" (Of course he was talking about spooks, but we don't have to go there.)0
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