Wheelchair user 130lbs healthier!

imogen__may · May 2015

Hey!

I don't know what made me think today was the right day to post some photos of my progress, but here we are anyway.

I'm a disabled woman, my impairment was really severe a few years ago and I was constantly in hospital, in ICU unable to breathe. I was in crisis, physically and mentally. And so I decided I needed to do something to take back control, or I'd die.

So I downloaded MFP, added some awesome friends are started calorie counting. It was the first time I'd actually truly understood calories and nutrition properly and things started to click into place. I learnt how to listen to what my body needed and how foods made me feel. For the first year it was just about being under my calories, even if I ate 3 slices of cake. That's what I loved about MFP, there was nothing I couldn't eat as long as I didn't go over my calories. The slowly, as I lost weight, I started to look more carefully at exactly what I was eating, trying to make my macros and thinking specifically about what would help me manage my impairment.

Today, I've not been in ICU for 4 years. I'm 130lbs lighter. My body and I work together to keep me as well as possible whilst still living with a fairly severe impairment. I'm also getting married! All things that seemed forever away 4 years ago.

I have just started to focus more specifically on working out, when I am able to, doing heavily adapted work outs, rather than attempting to lose lots more weight. My goal was 9st, and I'm currently 9st 4lbs.

I weight less that I've lost. I've shed 50% of my body weight. And happiness is off the scale!

To be clear, I willnever be 'finished'. These aren't my 'after' photos by any stretch of the imagination! I was to change my body for the better, always.

Photos!

I was wearing a UK size 26

Wearing a size 20/22 here, this is when I really decided I could do this and went at it properly!

This is the day I knew the woman I'd met would be my wife. That I had so much I wanted to live for and that if I worked hard I could *actually* live!

Excuse the selfies, I don't have tons of full length photos! This photos was my 32nd birthday, and I'm wearing a UK size 8 shirt!

I can't wait to be able to post again, with more changes to my health, wellbeing and body. You can follow me on Instagram too (@Brizzle__Kicks)

Thanks for looking!

Malibugrammie · May 2015

You have shown amazing strength and tenacity to lose that weight - you look fantastic and I'll bet you feel better also. I need some positive friends, so if you'd like to friend me please do!!! You're an amazing role model for so many!!!

ladylalaland · May 2015

Wow! You don't even look like the same person!! So much younger, happier and healthier! You are an amazing inspiration to us all x

crazyjerseygirl · May 2015

Wow! congrats on the weight loss and meeting the girl of your dreams!

Oddly, what speaks to me the most is your chair. It looks like you began with an automatic and are currently in a more...analog chair..sorry, I don't know the real names. That is awesome!

opalsqueak007 · May 2015

What a fantastic lady. Inspirational. You look beautiful. x

Jessabi93 · May 2015

Wow!! What a transformation! You look amazing, awesome job! Very inspiring. Also, congratulations on the upcoming wedding!

alexistexas33 · May 2015

So proud

NextPage · May 2015

You really look amazing and great writing. I love the short hair and the outfit in the last photo - total transformation.

Alatariel75 · May 2015

You have done such amazing things!! Go you, and congratulations of the impending nuptials!!

ETA: and I LOVE the short hair!! So freakin' cute!! and you have really nice eyebrows.

KrissyRawrz · May 2015

That's amazing! You're incredible! Congrats xx

BuckyArden33 · May 2015

this is motivation right here. you have done amazing and looking amazing. very well done

MarziPanda95 · May 2015

You look amazing! You were pretty before but now you're gorgeous. Your wife-to-be is a lucky, lucky woman! Good job!

Jenskiski · May 2015

Just incredible! You don't even look like the same person, but especially in your eyes. There's so much happiness and light in them now.

plipsurt · May 2015

How amazing! You look fantastic

Many congratulations on your engagement too

szecsenyi · May 2015

Congrats, really fantastic.

chesnity3 · May 2015

Great job!

taentea · May 2015

You are an inspiration. I'm bookmarking this thread and checking it every time I have an excuse in my head. And congrats on the wedding!

zoeysasha37 · May 2015

That's awesome! You look great

Unknown · May 2015

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SteampunkSongbird · May 2015

You look amazing, a hearty well done!! And congrats on finding the love of your life to boot!

ohaston · May 2015

SUPER amazing ... What an inspiration! Congrats to you !

BeastField · May 2015

A-MA-ZING! Very inspirational. You show dedication, strength, endurance.... And, congratulations on your getting married!

imogen__may · May 2015

Thank you everyone, such lovey comments, I'm hugging you all!!! x x

setlak · May 2015

You look amazing!! what an inspiration.

abelcat1 · May 2015

Whow... talk about a 180!! Your face, your feet, your chair, your so healthy now! Congratiolations, it´s very impressive! (Actualy you looked cute before as well). No wonder you got snatched up and proposed to... LOL. Best wishes for your future.

jamesdc71 · May 2015

An awesome transformation at the very least, fantastic to see & read of such a transformation, a very well done & go you indeed.

I too am in a wheelchair although when I weighed in at 256 pounds in May 2008 I was fully able bodied prior to being wheelchair bound January 2013 by which time I had lost 109 pounds by May 2010, I am now down to 116 pounds with most of that being muscle from half up my thighs & up as the below that point I no feeling or use of in the slightest due to multiple neurological conditions & brain damage but continued to lose another 31 pounds stone from 2013 to 2015 most of which was body fat which is the only figure I go with so also lost a little more than half of my initial body weight & with the added increase in strength I'm very independent.

I consider myself very lucky to have lost what I did when I did & then went on to qualify as a personal trainer, fitness instructor, various group/class instructor, dietician & nutritionalist & a further 8 qualifications in the health & fitness industry purely to see how much I had learnt on my journey then put myself & qualifications to good use for charity work until end of 2012 which was when I started to become unwell then ended up in the wheelchair within just 2 weeks which I didn't handle at all well with being so active & running was my favourite, I was in the process of training for my first ultra marathon of 100 miles continuously & was at a little over 56 miles in less than 8 hours, now for me it's free weights, resistance training, wheelchair sprinting, never use an electric anything as self propelling is my cardio & always park as far as I can from where I'm going, keep an eye on my food, used many trackers over the years & now using an Apple Watch which is surprisingly accurate for wheelchair self propelling.

I am now pretty much in the maintenance stage which will continue making the best of life as I possibly can not really a photo person so have very little of the physical changes.

First photo July 2008 3 stone lighter by then

Second photo was June 2010 10 stone lighter 8 stone lighter

Third photo was just a few weeks ago at 116 pounds

ninerbuff · May 2015

This totally supports the fact that one doesn't need "hard or intense" exercise to lose weight. It's inspirational to those who may believe that being disabled won't give them a chance either. I tip my hat to you for posting such a great success story.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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