Today I'm no longer obese!

Wow, you are all so wonderful, thank you so much!!! We can all do this, and you're correct, slow and steady not only wins the race, but builds new habits. I have completely changed not only what and the way I eat, but I have become a lot more disciplined, which I am even more surprised by and happy about.

ginazdru3 wrote: »

Congratulations!!! I have about 100 pounds to lose and I just started. I feel like its going to take forever.
I definitely need motivation.

You can do this! I never thought I could.

Even though I am still three pounds away from my halfway point, I'll just share some of what I've been doing, maybe it will help you.

First, and this was very important to me, stop thinking that you have 100 pounds to lose. I started with 95 pounds to lose, and I felt completely overwhelmed. After the first 15 or so pounds, I broke up my weight loss goals into what I thought were manageable increments, such as 10 or 15 pounds at a time. I could visualize managing that amount, and it made everything so much easier. I also stopped setting any time goals. I would just try to stay below my calorie maximums, and knew if I did that, the weight would eventually come off. That really helped take the pressure off of me. This really is a mental game more than a physical game, in my opinion.

I will be 60 in three months, and have been post-menopausal since the age of 47 (surgical), so I just thought it would never happen at my age, and was discouraged before I started. I lost the first 21 pounds in a very unhealthy way, eating very little - all unhealthy foods with tons of sodium, with very little protein and no fruits or vegetables, and I was starving all the time, to the point that I couldn't sleep from the hunger pangs. It was very stupid, but it seemed the only way I could do it. That was over a period of about nine months, on and off.

Then I discovered MFP in mid-April, and everything changed. I don't know why, but if you read the Success Stories thread here, you will find that most people will say that something "just clicked" in their brains, and that is how it was for me. It just clicked and I've been steadily losing weight ever since.

I have learned so much from the wonderful people here. I weigh every single thing I eat now, and log even the tiniest things, like my one or two Altoids a day. I don't feel deprived, am rarely very hungry, certainly not starving, and still eat all the foods I like - I'm just eating much smaller portions, and fitting treats into my daily calories when I want them. I still have my Dunkin' Donuts caramel iced coffee and Boston Cream donut once or twice a week, and fit them into my macros. I'm eating much healthier foods, really lowered my sodium intake and am drinking at least 8 to 10 eight ounce glasses of water a day. I have a really messed-up digestive system, and cannot eat most vegetables - I cannot eat green, leafy vegetables, so no traditional salads - but am incorporating what vegetables I can, and whatever fruit I can keep reasonably in my sugar macros (I am pre-diabetic, with high blood pressure and cholesterol, so juggling all those macros can be time-consuming). Logging itself can be time-consuming, especially since I'm a perfectionist, but it has gotten a lot easier over time.

I also want to say that I have not exercised at all, just a couple of times on a treadmill, and four times walking in the swimming pool. I keep hurting my messed-up knees, but they are better and I'm going to try again with the pool, and am going to try to force myself to start walking around my neighborhood (difficult due to my agoraphobia and said intestinal issues).

With my doctor's blessing, I am eating between 1000 and 1200 calories a day, usually hovering a little under 1100. I never go under 1000, not even when I'm sick, which is often. Most people will not recommend that low amount of calories (I agree with that), and MFP will not go under 1200, but at my age and considering my very sedentary life, it is what my doctor recommended and you can see that even at that low of calories, I am losing at the recommended rate (approximately 1 to 1.5 pounds a week). I would not recommend that low of calories for much younger people though, only if it is recommended by your doctor.

I have just bought the Leslie Sansone walking DVDs which I should receive today, which I hope will help, and I have now bought some light weights and am going to start using them as I have read much about strength training here and know that it is something I need to start doing.

I am learning as I go, and all the information provided by MFP members is helping immensely with increasing my knowledge. I take in all the information, and then take what I need and leave the rest, adjusting as I go. I didn't think I needed to weigh my food, like most people, but I have found that, not only does it keep me accurate, it is easier than using measuring cups and spoons. It just takes time to get used to it - now it is second nature and, for me, it is an important part of learning portion control.

I can't believe that I am now repeating what many people say here, as it used to seem too "not me," but this truly is a lifestyle change, not a diet, and I think looking at it that way will be very helpful in the long run and is what will (and has) made me successful.

Sorry this is so long, I hope others may find it helpful.

Thanks again to everybody in this thread and all the great people that post here.