Have you lost close to or more than 100lbs?

It won't always be easy, but you can do this.

I set out to lose 130 lbs in January of 2011. I was 285 lbs, 5'8" and I realized that as much as I am driven to live life to the fullest I wasn't able to. At first it was tough. It wasn't simply reducing calories but learning how to eat and even why I eat. Though I was very active for my size, it also took awhile to find a workout routine that I enjoyed and could stay committed to. For me, it was a combination of Zumba, running, yoga and weight lifting.

I am very goal oriented so I set milestones I could target with smaller goals along the way that I could celebrate to keep me motivated. I set the goal of achieve three major milestones in 2011: get under 250 lbs, get under my driver's license weight of 220 lbs, get under 200 lbs. I worked in 10 lb increments then pretty much spoiled myself rotten when I hit the milestones. For the first one I went clothes shopping. For the second one I ran a 10K.

The next milestone has proven to be an incredible challenge. I am sitting right there at the line, 80 lbs lost but I have been maintaining within 5 lbs since August. Most days I am actually okay with that because while I am so close to that milestone I can taste it, these past four or five months I had really kicked up my work out program, more than doubling my weekly running miles plus focusing even more on core and strength. I have continued to lose inches while gaining strength and endurance. In the beginning I would have been incredibly disheartened to work this hard and not see the scale move but while sometimes frustrating, I actually see it differently. I started on this journey to lose the weight and now I really am living life to the fullest. At my current weight of 209 (I am on the upside of 205 at the moment LOL!), my pre-wedding 180 lbs skinny jeans are too big and I am running 10-15 miles in the mountains FOR FUN, not because I have to or I need to exercise.

So 2012 is upon me and my goals are to reach that 200 lbs milestone and get to the next one, 180 lbs. That is about 20-25 lbs in 2012...and I am tackling it 5 lbs at a time. And I will be celebrating the 200 lbs with a trail half marathon and the fourth running three half marathons in three days with great friends and family at Lake Tahoe. Notice a theme here? Somewhere in all the calorie counting and weigh ins I realized that I really love to run. A LOT. My motivation is no longer just losing the weight but becoming a fitter, more capable runner. Who knew that could happen?!

Patience. Persistence. Determination. And lots of small, achievable goals you can celebrate all the small victories because frankly you deserve it.

i was 298 when i went into labor last january...i was about 270-275 when i came home and almost a year later i am 180 you can do it!!!

112....all trial and error till you find what works for you. Go for it.

I started last March

154 pounds since February. Another 70 or so to go. I got sick of being young and fat. I got sick of not going to parties and not having boyfriends and not being able to buy pretty clothes. Comparatively pretty petty compared to other stories on here, but it's how it went.

I've lost 100.2 lbs in 13 months...walking, Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred, changing the foods I ate...no sugar or processed carbs for periods of time...then slowly incorporating them in to rebuild tolerance and trying to maintain weight loss accomplished.

What got me started was that I saw some pictures my husband had taken...I didn't like what I saw. I went in around the same time for a doctor appointment for an annual physical. When he told me he was amazed that I was as healthy as I was (all blood work was in normal range except good cholesterol - low) I decided I was done being fat. Both sides of my family, parents, aunts, uncles, grandfathers, have/had diabetes...both my grandfathers died from not taking care properly. I also realized I am not getting any younger (I'll be 40 this next June)...I jsut decided it was time to stop talking about it and do it...and so far I have. I am within 30 lbs of my final goal. I am excited...I think I can make it before my birthday, which was my original goal anyway!

Youcan do it...you have to stay determined and don't let slip ups get you so down you're ready to quit.

Good luck!

I got up to 270 pounds and was very, very unhealthy for someone 52 years old. I finally ended up in the ER with heart and blood pressure issues. That snapped me out of it and I started calorie counting the next day. I was a nutritional bonehead at the time. But some of the changes I could make seemed obvious. As I learned more I refined my diet and narrowed it so "safe" foods for me. For exercise I started slow and worked up. When I joined MFP I started by setting weekly goals for calories burned from exercise. Combining that with clean food choices and keeping to the calorie count has done it.

It's been 20 months. I'm currently 54 years old, 163 pounds, 17% body fat. My ultimate goal is not a number of pounds. It's 10% body fat. I work out six days a week for about 8-9 hours of weekly exercise.

You definitely can do this. You need a variety of ways to exercise that you mix and match. Don't be a one-trick pony with exercise or it begins to lose effectiveness. Reduce Animal Fats. Follow the food groups. Water, water, water. One half your body weight in ounces of water. Eight more ounces for every 20 minutes of rigorous exercise.

Mostly, believe in yourself and don't view it as a diet. You're changing your life for health and you're not going back. Try not to set goal dates. Your body will lose what it wants to, when it wants. It's a life change, so there is no ending to it. Forget the dates and don't frustrate yourself.

You will hit MANY plateaus without weightloss. Sometimes they last months. Don't let it get you. Stick to the plan. Never stop.

Good luck.

My "motivation" was being told by a doctor that I was only two BMI points from being considered morbidly obese. Those words stung like no other. I mean......I knew I was chubby but almost morbidly obese?....YUCK! It just sounds horrible. One thing that really keeps me in check is looking at myself in photos. I have something wrong with my head....when I look in the mirror, I think I look ok. But when I see a photo of myself, I can see the real me and it scares the crap out of me. I also have to weigh myself at least once a week.....because I can literally gain 20 pounds and not know it either through hard core denial or whatever is wrong with my head, lol! I am down 40 pounds so far and I have 63 more pounds to go to reach my goal weight. I have stopped eating processed food almost completely, I eat 30 grams of protein at each of my 5-6 meals a day, I have about 2 servings of complex carbs per day and never have them after 3 (I consider fruit, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, sprouted bread, etc. to fit this bill), I eat low carb veggies at least 3 times per day, I drink a ton of water and I try to exercise 4 times per week. If I can't get to the gym or work out at home because I am busy with the baby or life or I’m exhausted.... it is what it is....I don't beat myself up over it. Heck, cleaning the house and chasing a one year old after a full day of work burns calories too you know....lol! What you eat is 80% of weight loss so the diet to me is more important than anything else at this point. If I don't work out, I am spot on with my calories. If I’ve burned 800 calories at the gym, I eat some back if I want to or I save it for a rainy day......so far this has worked for me. Another thing that’s worked for me.....I make sure to have a cheat meal at least once a week and I try to stick close to my BMR for daily calories. I did 1250 a day for a while....I lost weight at first but then I plateaued big time. I think trying to lose ½ a pound to 1 pound per week is the best way to go to avoid starvation mode. It’s not a race, it’s a marathon!

Down 191 since my highest and have 37 more to go. Posted a block on New Years with photos and history - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/msjamartin/view/new-years-2012-and-one-more-milepost-gone-184664

You can do this!!!!!

I started my 'journey' on 1/1/2011 -- have lost 96.4 pounds so far, and counting -- total goal is around 130-140 pounds down!! you can do - if I can anyone can..... I've become a gym rat - one of my favorite things to do is go to the gym. that's sad to a lot of people, but it's become like showering to me - if I don't work out I feel like something is missing from my day, my whole routine is off! Good luck!!

Thanks to everyone who has replied, even though I'm not the OP. Your stories are extremely helpful!

I have lost 189lbs in 2 years. How I did it:

1. Had Gastric Banding Surgery Sept 09. Controls my Hunger and Portion sizes
2. Have been attending Over eaters Anonymous for 3 years. Avoid all personal binge foods. And working a 12 step program which helps me live life on lifes terms rather than turning to food for emotional reason.
3. Hiking/Kayaking/Gym with trainer (last year)/Learned to Run this summer and doing a 10k class this winter.
4. Knitting keeps my hands busy when watching tv. Actually got rid of cable as well.
5. MFP keeps me honest and lets me know how many calories are really in things also a big support network.
6. really finally having a lifestyle change! These things all combined I don't worry about my wt..I know it will happen where before I was just like you..looking at this 200lbs I had to lose..and thinking it was completely impossible so I ate more and got bigger. One good choice at a time..one day at a time I am doing the right thing, being open and honest and surrounding myself with supportive like minded people has changed my life. MFP is a great place to start off.

Closing in on the 300 lbs. lost mark (11 lbs. to go) my motivation was simple after getting to 560 lbs. and not leaving the house in over 2 years,(severe depression, major social phobia, etc..), not able to walk from room to room.. I spent 3 days contemplating Life or Death (yes it was that black and white) and on that 3rd day I choose LIFE and took the first step and that was to ask for help. From there it was baby steps, seeking out doctors, therapist (both mental and physical) and continuing to put one foot in front of the other. It was a total lifestyle change, throw out all crap foods that got me where I was and replace them with healthy choices (chicken, fish , veggies, whole grains, etc...) Exercise was rough at the beginning I could barely walk from one room to the other so I started in Pool therapy (lost over 170 lbs. in the pool before I was able to support my own weight to exercise on land) Everyday you just have to get up and do everything you can do to make sure you are as successful as you can be and then get up and do it all over again tomorrow.... Baby steps..... Goodluck!!

Amazing story!!!! Thanks for sharing

My story, advice, and pictures are here:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/417247-over-100-lbs-lost-milestones-galore-with-pics