Size 16 to size 2 in 14 months

I am 5'7" and started my journey in September 2010 at 210 lbs and wearing a size 16. In November 2011 I met my ultimate goal of 130 lbs. It was a long road but I actually enjoyed it once I got started. After posting about going from size 16 to size 2 in the topic on pants size I realized that a lot of people were interested in my story.

I lost the first half by just changing my eating habits, cutting down on junk, only eating meat once per week and exercising.

I joined this site in March of 2011. I began eating 1200 net calories but always ate back all of my exercise calories so I was typically consuming around 2000 calories per day. I never felt deprived. We continued to only meat once per week on average and focused on eating whole foods. I cut out 95% of the processed foods in my diet. I still ate things like light ice cream every night but cut down on portion sizes. I also had a weekly treat meal throughout my weight loss but I exercised more to make up for it. I also was very diligent about sticking to my calorie goal and probably only went over once or twice during the weight loss phase. I was losing 1.5-2lbs most weeks although there were some weeks where I lost less and some where I lost more. I was lucky to never plateau and I think a lot of that was due to being so consistent with my calories and varying up my exercise routine.

I run, cycle, and do lots of exercise videos primarily kickboxing. I really think cycling was a large part of why I was so successful. Over a year I worked up to riding 80-100 miles per week. Cycling long distances is an awesome calorie burn which allowed me to still eat things I love like steak and giant baked potatoes. I also think strength training is a key component to meeting weight loss goals. I do full body circuit training with heavy weights 3 days per week. The strength training has made a huge difference in my measurements. I think it is the primary reason I can wear such a small size.

I have been maintaining since mid November using this site. I am still working out my calorie goal but I have managed to maintain a 2 lb range even through the holidays. I am currently consuming around 2300 calories most days but continue to exercise 7 days per week. Exercise has become so a major part of my life that I feel yucky if I miss a day.

I do still have some body image issues and some loose skin that may never go away. I have realized I may never the ideal abs but I am working on accepting my body the way it is and realizing that no one is perfect. What matters most is good health and a positive attitude. I plan to continue working on building muscle and staying fit.

Thanks for reading my story. I have changed my life for the better and so can you!

I do not know how to include pics on here so I have provided the link to the photobucket album showing my weight loss journey.

http://s1068.photobucket.com/albums/u459/lunalulu2/?albumview=slideshow