I set myself a goal to have lost 101 pounds (halfway to my goal)by Halloween and as of 10/25, I lost 104! So screw waiting until Halloween!
I’m sharing my journey so far, in hopes that it will give hope to someone else who, like me, had 200+ pounds to lose. Reading success stories on MFP was one of the many things that helped motivate me to change my life.
SW 362
CW 258
GW 160 (I may adjust this one way or the other when I get near it)
Barring some rare medical condition, nobody gets to be 362 pounds without having food issues. My father was a sociopath, a pedophile, an alcoholic and had serious anger issues. My mother is a passive-aggressive, alcoholic doormat who lets my dad do whatever he wants to her and me.
In spite of my horrible childhood, I turned out relatively okay, other than using food as my drug of choice. I was determined to be everything my parents weren’t, especially when it came to being a mom. My son tells me he doesn’t know how I turned out so normal, compared to my parents and siblings. I think I do a really good job in most aspects of parenting, but I hadn’t been setting a good example for my son when it came to food and fitness.
I’d been heavy all of my adult life (225 lbs.), but was pretty athletic. I ballooned up to 362 eleven years ago. That's a long story, but I gained it all in one year, after 20 years, I moved back to my hometown, where my dad lived. Biggest mistake of my life!
I joined MFP late in 2011, but never used it regularly, other than to log my weight. It made me more conscious of what I was eating, though. In the first year, I lost 32 pounds without really trying hard, just reducing portions. Year two was rough. My bat *kitten* crazy mother came to live with me after my dad died. I went up and down that year and wound up losing nothing.
In 2012, I also developed type II diabetes and high BP and was put on medication. I tried taking it for months, but it messed my stomach up so bad that it was impossible to function normally. I’d either be up all night and exhausted the next day or I couldn’t stop running to the bathroom at work, which didn’t work for me. Besides the physical effects of the medication, I’ve never been one to dig taking medicine and the thought of putting chemicals in my body, which my body was clearly rejecting, terrified me.
In January of 2014, I weighed 320 pounds and I decided that I had to do something. I wanted to get rid of the diabetes and high BP, which at this point was going untreated. I also wanted to set a better example for my son. He wasn’t overweight, but I could see he was copying some of my poor eating habits, ie. too many carbs. I started drinking more water and eating smaller meals, but I’d go off track so frequently that from January until August, I only lost twenty more pounds. That was mostly because I began going to the gym in June, not because I was reducing calories.
Going to the gym for the first time since I had gained so much weight scared the crap out of me. I started out with just cardio and could barely do 15 minutes combined of bike and treadmill, going very slowly. I just knew everyone there was judging me, and some were, although most weren’t. A smart MFP friend suggested that I add weight lifting to my workout. I could do that for much longer than cardio, but I still did the cardio too. I was able to do more and more with every week that passed and I was feeling empowered.
August 1st, I decided that I needed to get my diet in check so I could get my weight down quickly, to get rid of the diabetes. I started August 2nd, logging everything I put in my mouth, logging water intake, and exercising as much as my body would allow.
In August, I lost 20 pounds, in September, I lost 20 pounds, and so far in October, I’ve lost 17 pounds! I have worked up to working out at least two hours a day, usually taking off one day a month, when I just need a day off. I lift weights for around an hour and do cardio around an hour. People at the gym are now coming up to me and telling me what an inspiration I am to them and how they tell people about me all the time. Freaky!
Another cool think is that my son goes to the gym with me. He’s lifting weights to get ready for HS football next year. He looks amazing and it’s done wonders for his confidence! He has crazy muscles and all his friends’ parents keep telling me their kids are wanting them to get them a gym membership so they can work out with us. I love it!
I haven’t been to the doctor lately, since I recently lost my job, but I’m confident the diabetes is gone. My blood sugar monitor won’t work, so I can’t check it, but all the symptoms I had are gone. My BP is normal and my resting heart rate has gone from 90 to 64.
If anyone would have ever told me that I could overcome all the self-doubt and actually accomplish this and that going to the gym would become the best part of my day, I would have said you were off your nut!
I didn’t know until a few months ago, that MFP had forums and I could have friends. My MFP friends have been great support and I’ve learned so much by reading the pinned threads on the getting started section and others.
I feel so strong, both mentally and physically! I can’t wait to get to my goal weight, which I plan to be at by next summer. A few months ago, this seemed daunting. I still have 98 pounds to lose, but I know, without any doubt in my mind, that I can do it!
It took me a long time to decide to be the best person I can be, and I could sit around beating myself up about that, but I think I’ll love myself instead.
Thanks for reading all this and I hope it helps someone else, like others have helped me.
The pics on the left are me at 362. The ones on the right were taken today.
[Updated by Staff, April 2026 - Updated formatting]
