64 lbs lost, down to BMI 21.2 (pics!)

Hello everyone!

Just thought I'd share my pictures of losing weight from 191 lbs down to 127 lbs in case this can inspire someone else who's finding themselves in a similar situation

December 2010 - taken a year out from university due to depression, decision to lose weight, started starving myself (my mum made me do this, I didn't want to) - 700 cal/day
February 2011 - inevitable plateau
March 2011 - discovered MFP and "eat your exercise calories back" method of weight loss, went up to 1200 calories, started running
June 2011 - weight loss good, ease back to 1350 calories
August 2011 - take up pole dancing, find out I have no muscle anymore
September 2011 - run a half marathon
October 2011 - maintenance calories (1700)
March 2012 - decision to lose more fat so my muscles come through - drop down to 1450 calories/day

Total loss: 64 lbs
Body fat percentage to begin with unknown, now: 23%
BMI: 21.2

My confidence after weight loss was initially very, very low. I'd got a new body and I was a) not used to it and b) didn't really know how to use it. I kept choosing large sizes in clothes shops (common behaviour) and gave myself MUCH more room to squeeze between tables etc. than I actually needed.

In August 2011 I made the decision to get some pole dance lessons with an incredible pole instructor. I started with private lessons - my self-confidence was nil, as mentioned, and wasn't brave enough to start with lessons with other people. I moved badly. I couldn't even walk round the pole with style. I was still wearing my body like a first pair of high heels - slightly wobbly, pigeon steps, nervous.

All thanks to my pole instructor, I now have MUSCLES and SELF CONFIDENCE and I dance with an ego you could bounce bullets off. My dance style is not 100% there - that will take another year at least I'm sure - but I move SO much better than I used to, and my strength is completely transformed. I could barely do a push up from the knees when I started, and hadn't a hope of full push ups. My sit-ups (a fairly useless exercise anyway) were actually awful. The period of starving myself had wasted my muscles away. Now push ups are barely a challenge, my abs are unrecognisable and my quads are excellent.

For those of you who don't have access to a gym and want to strength train - I can offer a ray of hope! I don't strength train at the gym. I'll be honest: I find it boring. I have great respect for those who can bring themselves to do it, but it's not for me. Anyway, onto the pictures.

Trying to limit my selection of before pictures - none truly show the extent of the flab (hiding from camera and all that), but the combination of a few might give you an idea:

Xmas 2009


Feb 2010 (just after a different crash diet, but on my way up again) - yes I'm shredding a bag into pieces


Summer 2010 (now it's really piling on)


Oct 2010 - But then I started hiding from the camera! I effectively hid from the camera except one shot of my face.


That photo really shocked me. That was one of the triggers which made me decide to lose weight.

Skip forward to the end of weight loss...

March 2012


The limits of my current arm strength:


Just now (thank you, pole teacher!):


Enjoy!