MY SUCCESS STORY

Good morning my beautiful MFP family! Today is a HUGE milestone for me and I thought it only appropriate to commemorate it by telling my weight loss story and what I have learned from a year of fitness and maintenance.

MY WEIGHT LOSS STORY:

My weight loss story is not typical but it is mine. Around January of 2015, I started losing weight but did not “see” it. At the time, I was not trying to lose weight and after a few months, a friend who hadn’t seen me for some time commented “Oh my, you’ve lost weight!” My response, “Oh have I?” I looked in the mirror and couldn’t see it but then I looked at my clothes (I only wore yoga pants, leggings and giant t-shirts at the time) and realized they were loose. For a long time, I didn’t know what had spurred the weight loss at that time but I now know it was my anxiety/PTSD. I had just gone through a very dark season of my life and clearly was not eating much at all. Once I was aware of what was happening to my body, I decided to take control. I continued to eat whatever I wanted but I made a trip to Goodwill and purchased small salad plates and bowls returning home to rid house of all our BIG plates and bowls … I’ve always known portion control is key to a healthy lifestyle. From there, my weight loss continued (60lbs) until July when I visited my family in Ohio for the first time in 10-years. While I was there I tried to keep my portions down but was still eating whatever I wanted (and was proud of it). Upon my return to Florida, I got on the scales and saw that I had gained 10lbs in 10-days. Worse than that, I became very ill. I had severe abdominal pains that were truly unbearable and were making my back pain even more unbearable. After a month of ignoring it, I saw my doctor and told him what was going on. He examined me and found that my gallbladder was inflamed and my lower intestines infected. I was devastated but he said I could cure it naturally if I was willing to try. He said that I could eat raw fruits and vegetables for a month and it should clear it up. I laughed out loud and couldn’t stop, as my idea of vegetables at the time was cooked corn and green beans (no raw veggies at all) and if/when I ate fruit is was a banana or a tomato. BUT…. The pain was so severe, I told him I would try anything. When I left his office, I drove straight to the grocery store and bought all the fruit and veggies I thought I could stomach (which was not a lot at the time). And just like that, I gave up carbs, gluten, dairy, meat and refined sugar! Within three days I could feel an improvement and within a month I felt AMAZING! One month turned into six months of veganism and I couldn’t have been happier! By late October I had reached 120lbs which shocked me, as I had not seen close to that weight since high school and truly never thought I would… it really wasn’t my goal to get that low but it was exciting to do so. But then my weight kept dropping and I became concerned. I never wanted to be overweight again but I also never wanted to be underweight. The day after Thanksgiving, I decided to use MFP to track my calories, hoping it would help me maintain. Boy was this the BEST decision of my life!

MY FITNESS STORY:

The day after Thanksgiving, I also decided to join Gold’s gym. I had not been active at all through my weight loss or very much since my car accident in January 2014. I knew it was time to start moving… I kept hearing a voice say “enough is enough, get off the couch and start moving.” My motto from that point forward has been “A little bit of something every day is better than nothing any day!”
I had started walking a little each day at out lakefront a few weeks prior and was ready to try new things. I started with a trainer and a short-lived circuit (squats, planks, burpees etc.) and moved onto classes. I tried Zumba, Les Mills Bodyflow, Les Mills CXWorx, Step, and Yoga. I also tried several cardio machines throughout the gym; stationary bikes, elliptical, treadmill, rowing machine, and stair climber. Through trial and error, success and failure and injury, this is what I learned.

1) You don’t know what works until you try

2) There is NO “ONE SIZE FITS ALL” routine (regardless of what FAD the WORLD is promoting)

3) You should find what works best for YOU, your body and your lifestyle

4) You should find what you LOVE to do and do that as often as you can (if you are dreading your workout, you are approaching fitness the wrong way)

5) So many people think they know what’s BEST for you but they’re wrong… only YOU can truly know your body, mind and lifestyle

6) Listen to your body; don’t become so obsessed with proving something that you ignore the warning signs (soreness and fatigue are one thing but true pain and injury are another)

7) Stop competing with those around you; whether at the gym, in your personal life or worse on social media

8) Weightlifting is NOT the only way to achieve muscle tone/definition

9) Workout (be active) because you enjoy it NOT because you overindulged and feel you have to punish yourself to burn the calories

In the end, I have learned that I do not need nor like the gym. Being trapped inside and even worse on a stationary machine drives me bonkers! I am grateful for the ability to learn from trial and error in the gym but it is not for me. I have learned that what works for me (mind, body and soul) is walking, riding my Elliptigo (I always loved to bike but had to give up riding an actual bicycle) and yoga. For the first time in 24-years, I am truly happy in my own skin and feel no need to kill myself to achieve other people’s idea of perfection (six pack abs, a rock-hard booty, etc.)
The result of getting active; my body fat percentage dropped and I dropped a few sizes but my weight stayed the same…. I truly HAPPY SURPRISE!

MY MAINTENANCE STORY:

I have maintained weight for a full year now and have learned a lot along the way. Though I started this journey as a vegan my diet (and outlook) has evolved through the year. In January of this year, I decided to start adding some things back into my diet. I started with fish and egg whites and eventually added whole eggs and all seafood. Oddly enough, prior to this journey I detested fish/seafood but now I absolutely LOVE it! I had to learn the difference between fresh seafood and what we all us seafood “haters” think seafood is…. Fishy smell and taste (this is a sign of seafood gone bad). Over the last 12-months I have allowed myself to try new things anytime I get the chance. In doing so, I have learned to love all types of fruits and vegetables as well as LOADS of vegan and vegetarian dishes. Overall, this is what I have learned this past year:

1) Weight loss/gain/maintenance TRULY is just calories in vs. calories out

2) Living a healthy lifestyle for the long haul is about food choices

3) Abs really are made in the kitchen

4) Don’t obsess over the numbers on the scale *I had to learn that not all weight gain is true weight gain. Depending on how, when and what we eat, a lot of weight gain is temporary waste and water. I use a weight trending app to keep me in check now.

5) Don’t obsess over the numbers on MFP (calories) * I used to make myself eat to reach my calories in fear of losing too much weight but then there were days when I would burn less and want to eat more… it’s a vicious cycle!

5) Instead, learn to listen to your body * If you have burned a lot of calories in a day but don’t feel like eating that much – don’t. There will be a day or days in the future when you may need those calories. All-in-all, when you listen to your body, everything balances out.

6) Don’t deny yourself what you really want but have it in moderation *I eat “treats” nearly every day now but I try to limit it to a serving size

7) Unless you are focused on bodybuilding and muscle mass, there is no reason to obsess over your protein intake. Vegans have lived 60+ grams/day for centuries.

8) Eating before bed DOES NOT make you gain weight (you may lose sleep while your food is digesting but weight gain is still from eating more calories than you burn)

9) I personally prefer to consume my calories through food rather than liquids so I stick to water and a protein superfood smoothie (I fell in love with my smoothie when I started this journey and have never lost the taste for it)

10) If you control your portions and serving sizes, you can eat a variety of food and learn how to manage your eating while eating at restaurants/buffets

11) Log your food before you eat; there is nothing worse (IMO) than eating and then logging only to find out you have gone into the RED

12) DON’T DIET; learn what works best for YOU and your body (a lot of us have health issues) and what you will be able to maintain for a lifetime and DO IT!

13) To MAINTAIN is a lifestyle change

14) Don’t be afraid of NOT logging from time to time. *I spent 7-days on a cruise, never logged, made good choices and ultimately lost 2lbs. The same can be said of my choice not to log on certain holidays. If you learn how to manage your choices and not stress over the numbers; you will SUCCEED for a LIFETIME!

So, this is MY story… Remember, we are all individuals with different backgrounds, lifestyles, bodies and more. Never feel the need to compete or compare and know that we do not have to agree



! See this journey as a chance to learn, evolve and overcome the things that led to being overweight/obese. And while you’re here on MFP; be kind and supportive of others.