Your story?

JohnDaConqueror
JohnDaConqueror Posts: 52 Member
edited December 20 in Health and Weight Loss
What's the heaviest you've gone too, if you dont mind me asking? After how many pounds did you see results? How long did it take for you to handle the beginning stages of your diet and exercise regimen? If you have any tips, please share :).

My highest: 371lbs on March 3, 2019
My current: 358.0Lbs
Goal: 200lbs

Replies

  • zeejane03
    zeejane03 Posts: 993 Member
    edited March 2019
    Highest was around 180lbs. At that weight I was diagnosed a prediabetic
    Lost around 50lbs, normalized my glucose number (all said and done it took about 6 months)
    Been maintaining now for 6 years/consistently see normal glucose numbers, no longer considered a prediabetic

    I lost the excess weight by diet alone/no exercise. Now into maintenance I walk a few times a week, as weather allows.

    My biggest advice-weight management is 90% mental, 10% math. Get your head in the right place and you'll succeed at this whole thing, before you even lose your first pound.
  • JohnDaConqueror
    JohnDaConqueror Posts: 52 Member
    zeejane03 wrote: »
    Highest was around 180lbs. At that weight I was diagnosed a prediabetic
    Lost around 50lbs, normalized my glucose number (all said and done it took about 6 months)
    Been maintaining now for 6 years/consistently see normal glucose numbers, no longer considered a prediabetic

    I lost the excess weight by diet alone/no exercise. Now into maintenance I walk a few times a week, as weather allows.

    My biggest advice-weight management is 90% mental, 10% math. Get your head in the right place and you'll succeed at this whole thing, before you even lose your first pound.

    Wow, congrats to you! I totally agree with that advice, you really have to understand what its gonna take before you even start! Awesome story, keep at it!
  • JohnDaConqueror
    JohnDaConqueror Posts: 52 Member
    wmweeza wrote: »
    What's the heaviest you've gone to?
    263
    After how many pounds did you see results?
    I saw results at around 35-40 pounds. It took until 70 pounds for anyone outside of my home to notice...but I'm a homebody
    How long did it take for you to handle the beginning stages of your diet and exercise regimen?
    About a month of trial and error and figuring things out, and a month after of refining based on what works for me.
    If you have any tips, please share
    Okay, sure...but one caveat: I don't claim to have any special knowledge or education on the subject....but here's what works for me

    I started my journey not by choice but out of necessity. I had a bad stomach infection and couldn't eat much except one ounce of rice and once ounce of chicken a day. Gradually I was able to add some foods, but I noticed I was starting to lose weight. Once my tummy troubles were over I figured I'd take advantage of a bad situation and finally get this ton of extra weight off me. I started by researching and ended up here on MFP. I bought a food scale, measuring spoons etc, and a body scale for myself. I track every calorie and so far I've lost 83 pounds.
    As far as tips:
    1. Weigh everything, especially because labels lie, and even more then that our eyes deceive is. What looks like a teaspoon of butter is in fact a tablespoon (that's just an example).
    2. Find a form of exercise you love or at least like. For me I like weight lifting, walking and swimming. Don't worry about how much you do in the beginning, just set a schedule and stick to it. 5 nights a week I lifting weights and do sit ups and other basics. Now I started out just working out for 5 minutes, I could only do 5 sit ups (and that was cheating too). Now I can do 50 sit ups. Just go until you feel slightly fatigued, you can work up to the "Feel the burn" phase later. I did NOT exercise at all for the first 60 pounds, so weight loss can happen with just diet, I just found myself WANTING to be healthier.
    3. Use smaller plates. I use 8 inch plates instead of the usual 10-12 inch dinner plates. Also I cut up my food and spread it out a bit to visually fill up my plate. It LOOKS like I'm eating more and keeps me from dishing up too much. I also use smaller spoons. They make tiny demitasse spoons (also known as condiment spoons). I use these to eat ice cream, jello, and pie with. It takes more time to eat this way so my stomach has time to feel full. I also NEVER eat to be stuffed.



    Tips for the journey:
    GO NOW and take pictures! I have NO Pictures of me at my highest weight and I wish I did! take pictures of as many angles as you can. If you don't have a full legnth mirror try using a window or at least photograph body parts (example: My hands are much smaller! Even without a mirror I can see the changes in my arms and legs)

    Find one or two small things to indulge in everyday, it'll feel less like you are restricting yourself if you have a treat to look forward to. I refused to give up; Coffee made exactly how I like it with honey and creamer, and two pieces of chocolate for dessert. ( I prefer one Godiva truffle and one sea salt caramel...both together are only 100 calories)

    When your clothes get too big for you donate them, don't hold onto them. Get ready to enjoy shopping for smaller sizes! Also, this gets expensive FAST, but that's one reason to never backslide; you'll be poor from replacing everything you own yet again... No one wants to buy bigger clothes twice. The ONLY exception is I kept one pair of pajamas that are my "Before" clothes so iI can see how far I've come.

    Comparison is the thief of joy - Teddy Roosevelt. This is YOUR journey, no one else's. Don't compare how fast you lose of what you can or cannot do to anyone else. I read on MFP all the time about people still losing 6 pounds a week and feel discouraged. I lost that at the beginning but now it's down to about .5 to 1 pound a week for me even though I track every calorie, and that's fine and normal. I will still reach my finish line eventually, I guess I just get to slowly meander to it!

    Holidays happen. Enjoy them, but be honest with yourself. Don't say to yourself the day after eating extra that "Well I ate bad last night, maybe I'll just take the week off". I still enjoy dinner out with my hubby or a family event, but when the food comes out I make a choice to not eat a giant portion like I used to. At family events I eat cake but take a child size portion. I am NOT depriving myself, I am saving my own life. I still have fun and enjoy nights out! Also don't forget about the appetizer menu at restaurants, they have smaller portions and you can order those for dinner.

    Lastly, this will probably take more time then you think it will. Don't be discouraged by this, it's just a fact. The time will pass anyway, and wouldn't you rather look back a year from now and see progress instead of just "Well...a year passed".
    You can do this! I am disabled, I have Cerebral Palsy and other complications. If I can do this so can you.

    I want to get this put on a t-shirt (front and back):
    I may be fat, I may be slow, But I am LAPPING past everyone still sitting on their couches!

    My highest: 263 (weight in 2017)
    My current: 178-180
    Goal: 140lbs


    Wow, amazing story! Thank you for taking the time to share this! It means a lot and I appreciate all the little tips, it really helps! Keep crushing it!

  • mikea2g
    mikea2g Posts: 384 Member
    What's the heaviest you've gone too?
    - I’m 6’4” and 39 years old. I started at 330 and lost 21 pounds, then gave up dieting for a year. I started the second time at 309. That was 7/25/18. As of today I’m at 224. So 85 pounds down.

    After how many pounds did you see results?
    - I saw results after the first 20 pounds. It wasn’t much, but my face was a little slimmer and clothes a little looser.

    How long did it take for you to handle the beginning stages of your diet and exercise regimen?
    - i was hungry and emotional for the first month. I have been a big emotional eater my whole life, so stopping that has been an overwhelming experience. Exercise has been fairly easy. Most of the time. When I get sick or hurt and have to take time off exercising I find it slow going to get back in the groove. In the first month I just did cardio. The second month I integrated circuit training on the machines at the gym.

    If you have any tips, please share :)
    - ok, this is what I found helpful
    - I ate the same things over and over and over. Variety and choices kill my diet plan. I planned my meals with variance in them, but it was the same meals I cycled through all the time. It really helped me because I didn’t have to decide what to eat, I just had what I always have. So when I’m emotional I don’t make a bad choice. As I’ve gotten closer to my goal I’ve loosened up, because I trust myself more.
    - I chose food that I like that works for me. Lots of meat, veggies and some fruit. Some rice and sweets now and then. Just make sure it fits in my calorie goal.
    - Strength training makes me feel awesome. Nothing like feeling your muscles come out and say hi. Do it.
    - be consistent. Week in week out. Just do it. Someone else mentioned the time will pass no matter what. And it so will. Some weeks you’ll lose less than you think you should, or heaven forbid, gain a pound. It happens. But, over a long enough period those small gains and small losses turn into really big losses
    - As someone mentioned already, take pictures. I have 2 pictures from when I was bigger. It’s amazing to see the difference.
    - As you get lighter and more active you may find focusing of fitness goals over scale goals is more satisfying and motivating. For example, I just spent 40 days trying to do a pull-up. I finally met the right combo of strength vs body weight and succeeded! Sweetest goal of this whole process. Next fitness goal is upping my deadlift and next after that is running in an obstacle course race. These things make me feel awesome and feeling awesome is a good thing to work towards. :)
    - My goal weight was based on what I looked like when I was 21 and weighed 220 pounds. Unfortunately, at 39, I don’t look like I did at 21. I have loose skin and more fat than I did when I was 21. So now that I’m in my goal range (220-225) I find myself lowering the range and trying recomp (eat at maintenance while lifting heavy). My point is, your goal may not be the end of your journey, just the beginning of another one. You may not be happy with your body at goal. So keep in mind you can always make more changes and, more than anything, remember how far you’ve come and learn to love yourself, loose skin and all :)

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