Questions for those who lost 30 or more lbs

artluv22 wrote: »

1. What was your starting weight and height?
2. What is your current weight/goal weight?
3. How long did it take you to reach your goal?
4. Did you feel different, mentally? e.g. did you have more confidence or did you feel awkward?
5. Were you treated differently by family, friends, coworkers, exes, people who never used to talk to you, even strangers? Just anybody at all? And in what way? How did you take it?
6. Is there anything that I should expect on my 60 lb weight loss journey, mentally, emotionally, and physically?
7. Have you had any period changes (cramps, shorter periods, etc)?
8. Did your skin change?
9. Anything weird happen to you at all?

Thank you!

1. 5'6" about 180ish
2. 147 - I maintained at about 150 for almost a year, now losing a bit more. I don't really have a current goal but likely < 10 lbs more.
3. A little over a year. I was purposely losing slowly.
4. I felt much better. I'd been at a low-normal BMI for most of my adult life so losing the extra weight was getting back to normal for me.
5. No, no one ever avoided me or treated me differently when I was heavier.
6. I don't think I can answer that having never walked in your shoes (so to speak).
7. I was in perimenopause so a big yes to period changes. Exercise REALLY helped with menopause symptoms. I never had any night sweats or hot flashes. I did have PMS symptoms if didn't do regular aerobic exercise.
8. No.
9. No, nothing that had anything to do with my weight.

1. What was your starting weight and height? 5'6 285 lbs
2. What is your current weight/goal weight? 5'6 220 lbs ..not finished
3. How long did it take you to reach your goal? 6 months
4. Did you feel different, mentally? e.g. did you have more confidence or did you feel awkward? Not a huge change mentally. It takes u longer to see yourself different. Definetly more confidence. Physically I no longer have recurring headaches. I have way more energy & can move a lot easier. I feel younger!
5. Were you treated differently by family, friends, coworkers, exes, people who never used to talk to you, even strangers? Just anybody at all? And in what way? How did you take it? I get a lot of compliments & I feel like those that already know me treat me better. Strangers on the other hand I get looked at more. Girls are mean lol
6. Is there anything that I should expect on my 60 lb weight loss journey, mentally, emotionally, and physically? Expect to spend more money with clothes shopping. Expect to be looking in the mirror a lot more. Expect to get off track more than once.

artluv22 wrote: »

1. What was your starting weight and height?
2. What is your current weight/goal weight?
3. How long did it take you to reach your goal?
4. Did you feel different, mentally? e.g. did you have more confidence or did you feel awkward?
5. Were you treated differently by family, friends, coworkers, exes, people who never used to talk to you, even strangers? Just anybody at all? And in what way? How did you take it?
6. Is there anything that I should expect on my 60 lb weight loss journey, mentally, emotionally, and physically?
7. Have you had any period changes (cramps, shorter periods, etc)?
8. Did your skin change?
9. Anything weird happen to you at all?

Thank you!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0gfrQuSNq0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS1dEUklhhI

1) 5'9", 320
2) 197 / 6 pack abs (I am not there yet but the upper abs are showing)
3) I started July of last year
4) I feel much better and have more energy.
5) No but my wife seems to enjoy the upgrade.
6) There will be times you don't see your progress. Having pictures to refer back to can be very helpful. Also, weightloss is not linear and, at times, the scale will stall or even go back up. Don't worry. Just take it one day at a time and you will get there.
7) I am a guy.
8) My elbows have gotten smoother, probably from a healthier diet.
9) No but I feel great.

1. What was your starting weight and height? 305 lbs, 6'2" tall
2. What is your current weight/goal weight? 184 currently, goal was 190
3. How long did it take you to reach your goal? About a year, maybe 13 months total.
4. Did you feel different, mentally? e.g. did you have more confidence or did you feel awkward? Not sure I understand the question, of course I felt awkward being overweight, who doesn't? I certainly have a ton more confidence now that I've lost the weight.
5. Were you treated differently by family, friends, coworkers, exes, people who never used to talk to you, even strangers? Just anybody at all? And in what way? How did you take it? Differently, no, not really. Well.. now that I've lost the weight I get told I'm "too skinny" a lot. I'm not, I'm even at the upper end of the BMI scales for Normal for my height. I think they are just not used to seeing me leaner. My body fat is somewhere around 13% and I'm working on building muscle so what they see (what they can see anyway) is lower body fat and more muscle. To them, it makes me look skinny I guess. I'm tall, that's always been the case.
6. Is there anything that I should expect on my 60 lb weight loss journey, mentally, emotionally, and physically? Expect weight lost to stall.. a lot. Be prepared to adapt, be prepared to fail at times, and be prepared to pick yourself up and continue. I managed to injure myself by working out too much and being at too severe of a deficit. Take rest days. You need them. Don't fall for the BS diets, and stay away from the ACV (and any recommendations from Facebook).
7. Have you had any period changes (cramps, shorter periods, etc)? I'm a guy, so nope.
8. Did your skin change? I have more loose skin, but otherwise no. I started exfoliating day 1 on my diet, so there were some stretch marks that were visible before that you really have to look for to find now. I recommend exfoliation daily.
9. Anything weird happen to you at all? Just the injuries along the way. They make you slow down and bum you out, but it happens. I hated having to replace my wardrobe three times in a year and a half. It gets expensive! Worth it, but expensive. Sometimes the reason people think I'm "too skinny" is I still have some clothes that aren't anywhere near being worn out that are comfortable but likely 1-2 sizes too big now (t-shrits for instance). Some of those make me look skinny because they are obviously too big on me.

1. What was your starting weight and height? 165 lbs/5'5"
2. What is your current weight/goal weight? 127 lbs/120 lbs (I reached 120 then got pregnant again, so technically re-losing)
3. How long did it take you to reach your goal? Over a year the first time, but I planned maintenance breaks
4. Did you feel different, mentally? e.g. did you have more confidence or did you feel awkward? More confidence in wearing tighter clothing and bathing suits, and I feel happier and stronger
5. Were you treated differently by family, friends, coworkers, exes, people who never used to talk to you, even strangers? Just anybody at all? And in what way? How did you take it? No
6. Is there anything that I should expect on my 60 lb weight loss journey, mentally, emotionally, and physically? That it probably won't happen as fast as you want it. Enjoy the journey, and hone your skills so you're ready for maintenance when you get to that point
7. Have you had any period changes (cramps, shorter periods, etc)? No
8. Did your skin change? No
9. Anything weird happen to you at all? Well people still don't believe me when I say you can eat pizza and lose weight. (That's okay, more pizza for me )

Good luck!

artluv22 wrote: »

I meant did you feel awkward when you reached your goal weight?

In that case, no, quite the opposite. I feel great, have 90% less pain, and my clothes fit me, even some of the new stuff fits me loose. I'm in sizes that I have not worn since I was in college.

1. What was your starting weight and height? 240 / 5'8"
2. What is your current weight/goal weight? CW of 163, goal weight of 150
3. How long did it take you to reach your goal? 4 Years
4. Did you feel different, mentally? e.g. did you have more confidence or did you feel awkward? Sometimes (I know that's a crappy answer). I'm always really loved who I am, even when I was heavy. I do feel that I have less self doubt and I feel more confident in certain situations like shopping or exercising, but otherwise I really feel like the same awkward, ridiculous me, just in a redesigned package.
5. Were you treated differently by family, friends, coworkers, exes, people who never used to talk to you, even strangers? Just anybody at all? And in what way? How did you take it? Definitely. There are people of both genders who wouldn't even speak to me before that are now overly friendly. My immediate family treats me the exact same, but my extended family has made a deal out of it and will make comments about my food choices now, almost like "don't get fat again . . ." Don't even get me started on Exes!!
6. Is there anything that I should expect on my 60 lb weight loss journey, mentally, emotionally, and physically? Prepare to be disappointed sometimes, both in yourself and with others. There will be times when you will be working really hard and feel like you don't see any results at all, which will make you want to give up. There will be times when you just can't seem to stay on track. There will also be times when you will expect people to notice, but they won't. It's all part of the process and while it can suck, you just have to stick it out and not let yourself get discouraged.
7. Have you had any period changes (cramps, shorter periods, etc)? YES! My entire cycle improved drastically. I went from a 45 day cycle to a 33 day. My cramps decreased in frequency and severity - I was previously having truly terrible cramps that would wake me up at night and after weight loss and adding magnesium supplements, I have super minor cramps that only last about 3 days.
8. Did your skin change? My acne cleared up a lot. I really changed what I was eating, not just how much I was eating so I think it was the elimination of certain foods, rather than the weight loss that helped.
9. Anything weird happen to you at all? I get cold a lot easier these days. At my heaviest I seldom was cold and now I am constantly freezing. I've also noticed my nails aren't as strong as they used to be

1. What was your starting weight and height?
296 and I am 5' 8"

2. What is your current weight/goal weight?
Current weight 201 GOAL weight 169

3. How long did it take you to reach your goal?
I have lost 95 pounds, started the end of 2015.

4. Did you feel different, mentally? e.g. did you have more confidence or did you feel awkward?
I feel more confident for sure. I feel stronger both physically and mentally, but then to lose a large amount of weight you really do have to become stronger mentally as well as physically.

5. Were you treated differently by family, friends, coworkers, exes, people who never used to talk to you, even strangers?
Pretty much feel like I am treated the same as before.

6. Is there anything that I should expect on my 60 lb weight loss journey, mentally, emotionally, and physically?
You'll have your good days and your bad days, just keep on keeping on and you'll make it!

7. Have you had any period changes (cramps, shorter periods, etc)?
I always had a very irregular period and now it's so regular I can practically pin it down to the day it'll start.

8. Did your skin change?
My skin is the same, I do have a little loose skin on my arms.

9. Anything weird happen to you at all?
Nothing weird.

1. What was your starting weight and height? I started March 1st 2016 at the age of 57. 5'10 1/2" tall and weighed 308 pounds.

2. What is your current weight/goal weight? I weighed in today @ 229.6 pounds. I was down to 224 before Thanksgiving, but decided to take one month off of exercise and logging accurately. I weighed in at slightly over 242 pounds in January 2017. A little reminder, it doesn't take long to put some pounds back on. The Turkey and ham , Christmas cookies, beer and wine were worth it however..as long as you get back at it!

3.How long did it take you to reach your goal? I have not decided what my goal weight is. I believe I will settle on a range. Between 195-200 I expect to hit that before my 59th Birthday in September.

4. Did you feel different, mentally? e.g. did you have more confidence or did you feel awkward? I feel fantastic! My health is better than it has been in sometime. I started this as my Dr told me I was diabetic. So far, NO meds! Diet controlled. Blood pressure, cholesterol good..

5. Were you treated differently by family, friends, coworkers, exes, people who never used to talk to you, even strangers? Just anybody at all? And in what way? How did you take it? I have people that were amazed at my transformation. They didn't see me for awhile. My Dr is quite happy with me..as am I..and that's what counts. Oh..it feels good to hear it from others too..we all know that.

6. Is there anything that I should expect on my 60 lb weight loss journey, mentally, emotionally, and physically?
Expect ups and downs..be prepared for the downs..don't get too down. ENJOY the JOURNEY . Don't focus on the destination. Enjoy yourself and before you know it, you'll look back and see how far you've come.

7. Have you had any period changes (cramps, shorter periods, etc)? n/a

8. Did your skin change? Yes, I had blotches on my legs..looked like freckles..My Dr said it was due to circulation..and that seems to have cleared up.

9. Anything weird happen to you at all? Every single day. But that's a whole nother novel.

Thank you! You're welcome and best wishes!

1. What was your starting weight and height?
5'5" 260 pounds

2. What is your current weight/goal weight?
170; goal weight is 150

3. How long did it take you to reach your goal?
Still working on it, but I lost the first 90 pounds in about a year

4. Did you feel different, mentally? e.g. did you have more confidence or did you feel awkward?
I have more confidence, in the way that if I can do this, I can do so much more. I'm still my normal awkward self, though, so not sure how helpful that is, ha!

5. Were you treated differently by family, friends, coworkers, exes, people who never used to talk to you, even strangers? Just anybody at all? And in what way? How did you take it?
I notice that strangers are more engaging and friendly. As far as people I knew before, it's mostly the same as always, except that quite a few of them have told me that I'm an inspiration to them, which is a strange feeling.

6. Is there anything that I should expect on my 60 lb weight loss journey, mentally, emotionally, and physically?
Some days it'll feel easy and some days it'll feel like moving a mountain. Motivation isn't steady, and it isn't easy. Find what works for you and stick with it. Power through the bad days, and making deals with myself helps me (if I work out for 5 minutes and still don't feel like finishing, I can stop....then do it again in 5 minutes!)

7. Have you had any period changes (cramps, shorter periods, etc)?
Not applicable, haha.

8. Did your skin change?
Not really. It's a bit less fickle, but it hasn't really cleared up much.

9. Anything weird happen to you at all?
The last 20 pounds have been an absolute struggle. I've been maintaining (fluctuating within about 10 pounds) for the past 2 years at this point and just can't shake them.



Anyone can feel free to add me, if you don't mind a vegan, gluten-free friend who eats the same thing every day.

1. What was your starting weight and height? 180 lbs/5'4"
2. What is your current weight/goal weight? 133 - got to goal weight of 125 last year and I'm trying to get under 130 again- goal is just to maintain in a 5 pound range of 125-130
3. How long did it take you to reach your goal? about 20 months
4. Did you feel different, mentally? e.g. did you have more confidence or did you feel awkward? I felt proud of myself because I never thought I'd get down to what my driver's license said (150) let alone 25 pound under that; I felt more confident with my own body- I have never been athletic (last picked for teams in school, etc) and I have taken up cycling. I am not the fastest or greatest, but I can now ride 25-30 miles which is something I thought I'd never be able do do
5. Were you treated differently by family, friends, coworkers, exes, people who never used to talk to you, even strangers? Just anybody at all? And in what way? How did you take it? People have noticed and complimented me at work- the male coworkers I think don't say much because it's a little awkward. My family lives far away so every time they'd see me they'd gush over how much I'd lost, so much so that it kind of became embarrassing- it's like, okay, new subject, stop it
6. Is there anything that I should expect on my 60 lb weight loss journey, mentally, emotionally, and physically? Just learn to trust the process, forgive yourself for little slip ups and get right back on it. You won't be perfect the whole time and that's okay. Don't do anything you can't do for the long term (e.g, no carbs, etc), make it gradual- once you get used to one habit start another one (I no longer drink diet soda- just don't like it anymore).
7. Have you had any period changes (cramps, shorter periods, etc)? Yes but that's probably because I'm going to through peri-menopause and nothing to do with weight loss
8. Did your skin change? Not really no
9. Anything weird happen to you at all? Because of my age, my neck to me looks kind of older because I don't have a cushion of fat an no double chin anymore. So not sure if I love that part of it, which is weird. It's like- double chin or turkey neck? Hmmmm, which is worse?

maybe1pe wrote: »

I'm still losing but I'll answer

1. What was your starting weight and height? I'm 5'5" and started at 281
2. What is your current weight/goal weight? Currently I'm 193 GW: not sure
3. How long did it take you to reach your goal? I started losing almost 2 years ago. BUT I had some personal life problems including but not limited to multiple job changes and moves and an ugly divorce during that time which definitely slowed me down.
4. Did you feel different, mentally? e.g. did you have more confidence or did you feel awkward?
I did and do feel different. For a while I definitely felt awkward - I still do sometimes - but also for sure have way more confidence in myself and my abilities than I used to.

5. Were you treated differently by family, friends, coworkers, exes, people who never used to talk to you, even strangers? Just anybody at all? And in what way? How did you take it?
My friends and family not so much. Co-workers not really because I've switched jobs a couple times. So my coworkers now have never seen me at my heaviest. People do seem more polite now. Like with holding open doors and saying thank you, etc. But I'm not sure if that's them noticing me or me having more confidence in myself. I get more male attention (annoying since I'm a lesbian) but I just ignore it. I do also get more female attention, both romantic and non-romantic.

6. Is there anything that I should expect on my 60 lb weight loss journey, mentally, emotionally, and physically?
Personally the last 87 lbs have been a rollercoaster. Somedays I'm up and somedays I'm down. One second I can look at myself and see a HUGE difference and the next second I still feel like I weigh 281. I get emotional sometimes when I think about how far I've come and then just as emotional and upset when I think about how far I have to go. Just be kind to yourself and I try to remember that I'm not where I want to be yet but neither am I where I was. Also consider it a lifestyle change and not a diet.

You can do it!

To add for your added questions:
7. Have you had any period changes (cramps, shorter periods, etc)?
Actually yes, I'm much more regular now and feel better if I actually make an effort to exercise while on my period instead of being lazy
8. Did your skin change?
Again yes, my skin is much clearer and less dry - possibly because of increased water consumption?
9. Anything weird happen to you at all?
Plenty of weird stuff happened but all good

I'm also still losing but will answer.

1. What was your starting weight and height? 5'11", 237 lbs

2. What is your current weight/goal weight? Current - 185.2, goal - 155 (that may change as I continue to lose)

3. How long did it take you to reach your goal? Not there yet. I started on MFP in April 2015 but quit tracking a couple of times and gained some weight back. I've been tracking without a break since July 2016. I've lost over half of my 51 lbs since then.

4. Did you feel different, mentally? e.g. did you have more confidence or did you feel awkward? I definitely have more confidence now. I actually like going shopping for clothes and have fun getting dressed in the morning. I have a lot more energy too and I actually look for excuses to be active instead of just sitting at home.

5. Were you treated differently by family, friends, coworkers, exes, people who never used to talk to you, even strangers? Just anybody at all? And in what way? How did you take it? My family and coworkers have been great. My best friend is having trouble adjusting to the new me. We used to go out drinking craft beer every weekend and I just don't want to do all the time anymore. I've been trying to include her in things I enjoy but she rarely accepts my offers. I'm an introvert and don't have a lot of close friends so it has been tough not having her around as much.

6. Is there anything that I should expect on my 60 lb weight loss journey, mentally, emotionally, and physically? Expect to have bad days. I've had many days since July where I just want to quit but then I remember when I quit in 2015 and again in early 2016 and gained weight back. I could have been much closer to my ultimate goal if I'd just stuck with it. Don't try to make it a race, take your time. I think the main reason I've kept chugging along since July is that I finally realized that it doesn't matter how long it takes to lose the weight, the important thing is losing it and figuring out how to make this my new normal.

7. Have you had any period changes (cramps, shorter periods, etc)? I have endometriosis and I've noticed I have less bad days. My cycle seems to have shortened by a couple of days too.

8. Did your skin change? Not really. I've always had problem skin though, even when I was thin in my 20s.

9. Anything weird happen to you at all? Not really.

1. What was your starting weight and height?
286 lbs. 6 ft. 0 in.
2. What is your current weight/goal weight?
215 pounds and 12% b.f.
3. How long did it take you to reach your goal?
still working. current weight 224.xx and approximately 20% b.f.
4. Did you feel different, mentally? e.g. did you have more confidence or did you feel awkward?
I feel sharper mentally. I feel more relaxed in most situations, less on edge, less paranoid that people are judging me for my weight.
5. Were you treated differently by family, friends, coworkers, exes, people who never used to talk to you, even strangers? Just anybody at all? And in what way? How did you take it? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. I don't talk to my exes. You shouldn't either. And definitely looked at differently by strangers. "Oh you must be so happy now..." is the most common comment I get.
6. Is there anything that I should expect on my 60 lb weight loss journey, mentally, emotionally, and physically? Be ready for off days is the biggest thing I found. There were days I had to walk away from the scale and head to the gym and just keep "chopping wood" and not worry about the results. It can be very disheartening to work really hard and see the scale go up 2 pounds, but eventually if you keep working at it things head in the right direction.
7. Have you had any period changes (cramps, shorter periods, etc)? Doesn't apply.
8. Did your skin change? Yes. My skin is healthier and hydrated from drinking more water and sweating on the regular.
9. Anything weird happen to you at all...nothing of note, but I'm sure something will happen eventually. I did have another man walk up to me at the gym and tell me he thought I was hot. That's never happened before. I wouldn't call it weird. Just a bit shocking that someone would be so forthright.

1. What was your starting weight and height?

5ft. 245pounds (very short and really heavy)

3. What is your current weight/goal weight?

current weight is 166/goal weight as of now is 150 ('coz I put myself into achievable pounds goal so I won't be stress out in losing and losing and forgetting how to have fun even if am "trying" to lose weight )

5. How long did it take you to reach your goal?

Still working towards my goal. I started my journey February 2014 until now... (the struggle is real)

7. Did you feel different, mentally? e.g. did you have more confidence or did you feel awkward?

I am more confident. And it took some of the awkwardness before in getting into places where my size would be a factor. Like getting into airplane seats.

9. Were you treated differently by family, friends, coworkers, exes, people who never used to talk to you, even strangers? Just anybody at all? And in what way? How did you take it?

I have been heavy since I was a baby. I was 202 pounds by the time I graduated High school. When I decided to lose weight at age 38, my Mom was my critic, said I couldn't possibly 'coz I was just "made" like that.... but I kept on... and Now my Mama always say to her friends that what happened to me is a miracle even if am still a bit heavy for my height.

Admiration and inspiration from my co-workers.

I got married.

11. Is there anything that I should expect on my 60 lb weight loss journey, mentally, emotionally, and physically?

I assure you there will be plenty of discouragements ahead... hungry nights, sore muscles, tired body. But press on... always remember that the pain your suffering now does not even compare the sense of achievement and joy when you see yourself in the mirror in a dress you thought you could never fit into. . And if you over eat today (went beyond the 1200 Cal Myfitnesspal suggested ) shake it off and begin again. Tomorrow is always another day to start all over again...

13. Have you had any period changes (cramps, shorter periods, etc)?

when I was 245 pounds I only have my period every 3 or 4 months! Now, it's already a monthly visitor.

15. Did your skin change?

yes, became brighter and fine. Sweat is the best moisturizer.

17. Anything weird happen to you at all?

I got bells palsy in the 4th month of my weight loss journey. It lasted for a month until it went completely away.



Thank you!

God bless to you and take heart!