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Soziberry
Soziberry Posts: 115
in Health and Weight Loss
I guess some of you have put in "Intro" but for all those that don't want to click hundreds (hoping for many stories) of topics, it can all be here.

I have been overweight most of my life (hear them violins lol) and for a brief period in my teens I got to a comfy UK size 12. Until getting pregnant and piled it all back on plus more. Over the years ballooned to size 22+ (the last big item of clothing I had was 22 and felt like I was approaching 24). I always thought I didn't eat so much, been on artificial sweetners since I was a teen, always ate high fibre versions of whatever, ate lean meat etc... It wasn't just about being FAT, it was my health that was suffering too. Bringing up 2 girls I feel I didn't do my best for them. Was withdrawn, didn't take them out much and spent most of my time feeling too ill to venture anywhere. I had bad asthma (practically gone now), sleep apnea (gone), IBS (very rarely get flare ups now) and a bad smell about me. Don't know what it was but my sweat was VILE (also gone).

I decided Easter 2009 I had enough and began my journey, cut down a little, switched to low fat versions etc... After losing half a stone the weightloss stopped. This always happened to me and after a few weeks of depressingly jumping off the scales reached for the bread & butter, chocolate or whatever and gave up thinking "Oh well, its in my genes to be fat". This time I broke that habit and walked into a Slimming World group, heard of the red and green days before but never tried. This was my last resort. Well, after a while of retraining my eating habits, the weight begain to come off slowly. Sometimes just half a pound, now and again a bigger amount but very rare. I lost 3 and a half stone (49lb) with SW and hit my plateaux. About 3 months of sticking to plan 100% and no loss got the best of me but I didn't quit. I changed tac and joined Weight Watchers. Didn't like it and tried portion control. That got me the rest off, practically calorie counting but judging most things by eye. Until 6 months ago I hit it again. Tried WW again, no joy. Tried SW again for 3 months and fluctuated so much it made me angry so last week I joined you guys and got a 2 and a half pound loss this week!!!
Now I am UK size 10/12 depending on brand and have gone from 231lb to 146. My personal goal is 140 but who knows.

Would love to hear everyone elses stories, might motivate some people who feel like quitting?

Replies

  • bjohs
    bjohs Posts: 1,225 Member
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    Congratulations on getting so close to your goal! Fantastic job!!!

    My journey is linked below my ticker.
  • Ritamas2
    Ritamas2 Posts: 319
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    Hello,
    Congrats to you, that's quite an accomplishment!
    I started my healthy eating plan on June 6th after being told
    that I am a pre diabetic, that's not happening so I took
    matters into my own hands and I have lost a total of 15 lbs.

    I have only been with MFP for a week so that's why it
    will show only 1 lb lost. I look for this to be a good years
    journey, but that's ok, so tired of being fat and feeling horrible.

    This is a wonderful site, I love all the support here, please
    feel free to add me! Continued good luck and success to you! :)
  • TinaS88
    TinaS88 Posts: 817 Member
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    Well I was always the "chubby" one myself growing up. My two brothers and sister when thin as rails and always felt the need to let me know I wasn't :/. As a kid it never really bothered me much, I was happy with me. Once I hit my teens it would get under skin a bit. We never had a car as a family so we walked EVERYWHERE... I always managed to have GREAT strong legs but my eating habits were horrible and I always kept the pounds on. Fast forward, I had a baby and got married about a year after.. I was working 6 days a week 8 -10 hrs. +, and loss lots of weight and looked GREAT! I was soo happy with myself. But then I quit my job (June 2010) and my weight flew through the roof. Having nothing to really do during the day I sat in front of the computer and drank soda after soda.. anywhere from 6-8 a day!! My husband (who has the metabolism as fast as a cheetah and does PT everyday ) is a huge junk food eater and our house is always packed with terrible (but super yummy things). So I sat on my butt all day drinking soda and eating crap. This went on for a about a year. 25 lbs. later, here I am.

    I never really paid any attention to it.. Sure the clothes were getting tighter on me and some not even fitting but I didn't really pay any attention into it. The first time it actually hit me that I was going really down hill is when I went to put on something sexy for hubby ( I love lingerie) and I couldn't fit into it!! I was so embarrassed for myself :/. Then shortly after I started taking a lot more pictures of myself and my family and SAW what everyone else was seeing. I was so disgusted! My arms had tripled in size. My clothes were way to small for my size and had chub having out every where. I then refused to take anymore pictures. I didn't want to go anywhere because I thought I looked bad and didn't have anything fitting right.

    Then it clicked, this weight isn't just going to disappear by itself. If I want it gone I'M going to have to do something about it. I didn't have a lot of money to go buy all this workout equipment or special "diet" foods. I looked online day after day trying to find SOMETHING that would help me. Then I found MFP. From day 1 I was hooked. Being able to see what I was eating in face really hit me hard. It was am almost instant turn around. The people here get me motivated to work hard and control what I am eating. I am still in my early stages of my 'lifestyle change' (less then a month in) but I ALREADY feel stronger and see changes. Everyday that I get through and eat good and exercise I feel better about myself and convince myself a little more that it's GOING to work!
  • grimnir
    grimnir Posts: 61 Member
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    I had a little baby fat as a kid, but I've been seriously overweight since I was about 11 years old. I managed to go from 13 to 16 without gaining much, just 240-260, while growing over a foot in that time. Then I started managing my own food intake rather than eating what was put in front of me, which I responded to by gaining 200 lbs over 8 years or so, sometimes faster, sometimes slower.

    At my biggest I weighed ~460 lbs, 60x32 pants, 6xlt shirt. I started slowly making some changes, and lost my way down to about 400 over the next couple years. Then I started a rather unhealthy but effective diet and lost 80 lbs in 5 months, and have stayed around 320 for the four years since then.

    I joined this site about a month ago with the intention of getting down to 240 by the end of the year, and 225 and well-muscled by my one-year anniversary. I lost an entire pant size last month and am on my way to repeating that this month. I look forward to the day that I can say that I've lost over 200 pounds with great relish. Just a few short months away now!
  • Soziberry
    Soziberry Posts: 115
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    Well done everyone, really hits home that we are all the same regardless of the amount of weight we want to shift. I believe there is a switch in our heads and we can only do it when we have flicked it. Everything is possible!
  • coolsmartygirl
    coolsmartygirl Posts: 299 Member
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    I always was called a bean pole and other things when I was younger. I guess I was a chubby baby though. So I finally was going over 110lbs in high school and was a little worried, but didn't think much of it, I was happy in my body. Then I went up to 120lbs and was still fine, I saw most of it arrive in my butt [both of my sides have big butts and hips] which was fine with me because I always liked having a big butt.

    Then my boyfriend left for Mexico last spring and I gained 15-20 pounds when he left. My guess is that I turned into an emotional eater and my metabolism must have stalled because I wasn't eating too much more than I use to, I think. Anyway at the end of last year I realized that my thighs were getting very big and most of my jeans and/or shirts were fitting me [in the arms]. I got a gym membership from christmas and saw a old coworker on facebook asking for someone to become a work out buddy with his girlfriend. I said screw it, let's set it up. Ever since then I am been working out more, had a personal trainer for about five weeks and that was nice. Now I am on my own, trying to gather up more work out buddies and find other ways to work out. Plus watching that I don't eat whole pizzas at night or a whole ben & jerrys a week, etc.

    Good luck to everyone, I admire anyone who is here trying their best to work through everything!
  • Cosmic_Unicorn
    Cosmic_Unicorn Posts: 150 Member
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    I'm just a classic example of a girl who likes to eat for a variety of reasons besides hunger and had no idea how the quality and quantity of those foods affected the body. I was always chubby, but gained more weight in college. But really, who doesn't? Fast forward to a year ago things in my relationship became really awful and I started comfort eating like crazy, followed by weight gain like crazy. Then after Christmas 2010 I decided to try to lose weight, except I would actually try unlike every other time before when I just occasionally exercised and continued to eat whatever I want. I was still really unhappy overall and especially with my relationship, but taking care of myself felt good and seeing results made me stick with it. I'm down from 205 pounds to 162 as of today, and even though I'm totally sexy at this weight, I think I'm going to keep going and see where it takes me. =)
  • Soziberry
    Soziberry Posts: 115
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    Thanks, some really honest stories here. Don't need to buy a mag for supportive real stories either
  • hbrekkaas
    hbrekkaas Posts: 268 Member
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    I was always an overweight kid, and then I got pregnant at 16. After a horrible pregnancy and having my daughter I started to pack on the pounds. My highest weight was over 180 (not sure exactly). We bought a new house, I quit my job (at Wendys) and I lost 60lbs without realizing I was doing it. I just changed my eating habits a bit and started walking more then driving. 6 months, 60lbs. It took someone telling me how great I looked for me to really realize that I actually did.

    I got pregnant a second time and paid very close attention to what I was eating and made sure to exercise. I was back down to my pre-pregnancy weight within 2-3 months after having her. It was another bad pregnancy, but better then the first.

    Then I got pregnant a 3rd time. My pre-pregnancy weight was 117lbs I was doing the same things, eating properly, exercising every day and then I got sick at 7 months. After being medivac'd to a city 10 hours away, spending 10 days in an isolation ICU room, another 3 days in ICU, 2 blood transfusions, 20lbs in water weight from the IV's and central line, and a few more days in the hospital here, I came home and asked myself why I was working so hard with proper eating and exercise if I'm going to get sick anyway? So I ate. We knew this was our last baby, and I enjoyed it. I gained a ton of weight in the last 2 months of pregnancy.

    I didn't lose any weight after having him, and actually gained between 5-10lbs over this last winter while dealing with Post Partum Depression. My son is 19 months old now,and I"m just getting back into the swing of things, weighing 147lbs. I am finally watching what I am eating, getting out and exercising (I just started C25K) and I have lost my first 2lbs. I put the weight on, and I have to take the weight off. Its been a long road to get to this point. I can't wait to fit into my jeans again.
  • StaciO
    StaciO Posts: 998
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    I was fairly thin until right after high school. I went to Mexico on an extended trip (4 months) well between the margaritas and the food and the delicious little bakery that sold those darn little cakes right below the apartment I was staying in. I came home 20 pounds heavier. I then went on to university and gained those freshman 15 pounds. Then I met and married my husband who loves BBQ ribs and a few more pounds came on. Then I finally got pregnant and stayed home with my daughter for 2 1/2 years. All of a sudden I am 225 pounds. Whoa, what happened to me? I went back to work, joined Weight Watchers and lost 50 pounds. Then I got a new job (more pay but sitting all day) and bam I weigh 257 pounds. Even then I was not motivated to do it for myself. A friend of mine at work was complaining that he needed to lose 30 more pounds and was not at all motivated. So at the end of October of 2010 I bet him $1 per pound that I could lose 30 pounds faster than him. Well that turned into a big deal as several other co workers wanted to lose weight too. It morphed into a Biggest Loser contest going for 12 weeks involving 12 people. I lost 33 pounds and came in 2nd ( I did beat the original guy I bet though). I thought hey, that wasn't too bad I could do this again. We had a round 2 of Biggest loser going another 12 weeks and again there were 12 people participating (not all the same 12) and I lost 20 pounds and came in 2nd again. I thought to myself "Hey, I can do this" June first we started round 3 of Biggest loser again 12 weeks. We now have 14 people participating and I have already lost 11 pounds so far this month. Somewhere in the last 7 months I have gone from trying to help a co-worker out to being a "Big Loser" I have lost 63 pounds so far and I no longer am doing it out to help someone else get motivated I am doing this because I can and because I want to.
  • Soziberry
    Soziberry Posts: 115
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    Brilliant everyone, we have all a common goal regardless of how much weight is needed to lose. It's great we can help motivate others and in turn it motivates us. The other week I was only half in control, managing to maintain by the skin of my teeth but not losing and now back to logging it is shifting. It just goes to show what we stick in our mouths when we are not logging makes a huge difference. Well done xxx
  • Soziberry
    Soziberry Posts: 115
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    This is what I have sent off to magazines in hope of helping others feel they can do it too

    Weighted a long time!
    My journey through size and scales in another dimension since I was so big...
    I have struggled with my weight for most of my life. I look back at childhood pictures and see a chubby kid and wonder why something was not done before I got to a teenager. I lost some weight myself, the wrong way in my teens and felt great until I fell pregnant with my first daughter. Being the eldest girl in the family, my gran took me under her wing and might as well of been the Hansel & Gretel story since she fed me up. Old tales of “Eating for 2” was sealed so I did. 5 stone later it dawned on me. I then went from 9 and a half stone (133lb) to 13 and a half stone (189lb) and was told I would lose that chasing a toddler around and not to worry.
    Years passed, another daughter and the scales read bigger numbers. I was caught in the pattern and did not know what to do about it. I tried Weight Watchers and failed after a few weeks since I did not understand the concept of choosing correct food. At my heaviest “noted” weight I was 16 stone 7 (231lb) and yes I feel I have been heavier. Yoyo dieting on and off for years just stayed a pattern and I broke it to say “It must mean I will be fat forever” so I accepted it and carried on.
    I would like to say I have some amusing fat stories but most are very sad. Once on a day trip out to a theme park with the girls I got stuck in a ride. It might have only been for a few minutes but I was in agony with the bar slammed down on my stomach. It put me off going out with the children. Also family occasions got ruined since I never wanted to be in the picture. I did try to lighten up in very close family but still, photographs marking memorable occasions with me in were far and few between. I chose to take the pictures.
    PMSL had a different meaning to me. Laugh, cough or sneeze and I was running to change my pants. It was making me paranoid about visiting friends and family incase I could not stand up in time, so just let people think I was ignorant. I hope they know better now.
    I was stuck inside a fat suit and it was killing me! It affected every moment of my life from how I felt, looked to health. I was diagnosed as having IBS as I had horrendous stomach pains after eating certain things. Doctors do not look at why but dish out prescriptions because it makes the circle. Dr, chemist and drug companies all win. I also had sleep apnea (which was extremely scarey) waking up not being able to breath and not knowing if you are going to again can make your heart try to escape! Acid reflux to wake you up, looks like blood on the pillow and burns so bad you would think you swallowed bleach. Also the aches of carrying all that weight, constant back ache and knee problems. My health had suffered enough.
    The last straw was Easter 2009. I had just bought a new coat and my normal size 20 would not zip. Size 22 only just fastened, I was disgusted in myself. I had been wearing leggings and baggy tshirts with trainers for years. Everything feminine about me was disappearing before my eyes. I was now very low, feeling why is my husband with me. Is he some weird chubby chaser? Why has he not threatened to leave me if I get any bigger? Many questions were haunting me.
    After seeing pictures of me and my husband on a day out with my father I wondered why I could not do something that people do all the time. Get a grip and lose weight! I started calorie counting with fat counting. Did ok for about 6 weeks and lost just over half a stone alone. I wanted it faster, we all want the “Peter Kaye diet” lose 14 stone in a day lol. We hear all the time about these get results FAST and need them to be true but even if they work, it goes back on. Having previously tried Weight Watchers before with no luck, I thought I would as a last resort try Slimming World.
    I joined my local group July 2009 at 15 stone 12 ½ and it was so hard. Slowly the weight began to come off. At a rate of a pound a week, sometimes more but mostly many sticky patches. At the time my goal although set at 10 stone (140lb) seemed ok, I was more interested on being a dress size I was when I was 18. Size 12, not to thin and can grab fashionable clothes off the rack without worrying. Nearly a year on and my weightloss stuck. I was getting angry with myself and my consultant, why was no losses happening? I was following plan 100%, I could quote the plan in my sleep but losses had stopped. I felt like quitting but decided to change what I was doing. I had since joined a gym and was advised on portion control to suit my new active lifestyle. After a couple of weeks, the losses began again. By September last year I managed to fit into my size 12 skinny jeans! I was so pleased with myself. Felt fantastic being able to wear a sexy pair of jeans again. Still not target weight though.
    My exercise routine has given me a whole new shape, I am more healthy than I was before I had children. I have lots of energy and it makes me feel so alive!
    The most important aspect of my journey is being educated about food. I have learned to eat good, healthy nutritious food most of the time and still grab my treats to stop me from falling off the wagon. My treats are more important to me than anything, I reward myself with them for doing good all day. Might not be the best way but it is my way.
    Tonight, night before weigh in and I am from last week 10 stone 6 (146lb) and I am hoping for a loss but my life does not depend on it. I am healthy and fit, a loss will only be a bonus.

    So 2 years on, still not at target weight but I am happy. Was there a magic pill? Hell Yeah!!! What is 2 years to a lifetime of being ill, FAT, unfit and unhappy! I did not take the slow path, I took the right path.
    Good luck everyone, you can do it. Just got to flick that switch inside your head.

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