A bit of encouragement for those with lots to lose...

laceylou0702 · May 2012

Amazing I loved to see your journey!!! THank you for sharing

missyj1115 · May 2012

AMAZING... There really are no words!! Thank you for the motivation very inspiring story

Bump for inspiration and motivation (Best thread I have read for this)!!!

MommaKit79 · May 2012

Today I saw someone post a question and she was right at the beginning of her (I know some people hate this word but I'm using it anyway) journey to get healthy. It can be really, really daunting, especially when you have such a long way to go.

Losing any amount of weight can be a challenge, but when you are morbidly obese, the task can seem insurmountable.

It isn't impossible, though. You CAN do it. I'm living proof of that.
If I can do it, anyone can.

All it takes is hard work, dedication, and patience.

Here's a sort of pictorial of my progress from the beginning (September 2010) until now.

From mid 2005 until September of 2010, I bounced around between 270-290 pounds, topping out at my heaviest at 294 pounds on my 5'10" frame.
I was a Size 24W in pants, XXL in shirts, and a 20-22W in dresses.

Fall of 2010. The first 10-25 pounds were really not that noticeable.
I got down to around a 20-22 in pants and XL shirts, 18 in dresses

Winter of 2010/2011 - it starts to become quite a bit more noticeable finally!
Size 18 in pants, Large (occasionally XL still) in shirts, Size 16-18 in dresses

Spring of 2011 - I finally started to get some shape!
Size 16-18 in pants, Medium or Large in shirts, Size 12-14 dresses

Summer of 2011 - ONEderland and I reached my original goal weight of 180 pounds!
Size 12-14 in pants, mostly Small in shirts with an occasional medium, and an 8 in dresses

Happy to end the last couple of months of 2011 at (and beyond) my goal weight and size:
I was a Size 12 in pants and a S (occasionally XS) in shirts, a 6-8 in dresses

The beginning of 2012 - past my goal weight and happy with my size, I decided to cut back on my cardio and start really working on strength training.
Down to a Size 10 in pants, everything else the same

Thanks to a couple of months of the wonders of strength training:
Now a Size 6 (sometimes 8) in pants, S or XS in shirts, and a Size 4 in dresses

So, from September of 2010 until now, I have done this:
24W pants to 6 pants, 56% body fat to 21(ish)% body fat. I topped out at close to 300 pounds, and now I sit somewhere around 155-160 pounds.

ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!!! I dont have as much to go but, you are an inspiration to us all!! GREAT Job!!!

Sumo813 · May 2012

Words like "wow!" and "amazing!" and "wonderful!" spark to mind... this is definitely a great deal of encouragement.

This process is not an easy one, no doubt. And many of us experience set-backs from time to time. So it's good to see that so many people here have done well to reach their goal and maintain it. Thank you for the motivation and inspiration!

vanderandkarl · May 2012

Today I saw someone post a question and she was right at the beginning of her (I know some people hate this word but I'm using it anyway) journey to get healthy. It can be really, really daunting, especially when you have such a long way to go.

Losing any amount of weight can be a challenge, but when you are morbidly obese, the task can seem insurmountable.

It isn't impossible, though. You CAN do it. I'm living proof of that.
If I can do it, anyone can.

All it takes is hard work, dedication, and patience.

Here's a sort of pictorial of my progress from the beginning (September 2010) until now.

From mid 2005 until September of 2010, I bounced around between 270-290 pounds, topping out at my heaviest at 294 pounds on my 5'10" frame.
I was a Size 24W in pants, XXL in shirts, and a 20-22W in dresses.

Fall of 2010. The first 10-25 pounds were really not that noticeable.
I got down to around a 20-22 in pants and XL shirts, 18 in dresses

Winter of 2010/2011 - it starts to become quite a bit more noticeable finally!
Size 18 in pants, Large (occasionally XL still) in shirts, Size 16-18 in dresses

Spring of 2011 - I finally started to get some shape!
Size 16-18 in pants, Medium or Large in shirts, Size 12-14 dresses

Summer of 2011 - ONEderland and I reached my original goal weight of 180 pounds!
Size 12-14 in pants, mostly Small in shirts with an occasional medium, and an 8 in dresses

Happy to end the last couple of months of 2011 at (and beyond) my goal weight and size:
I was a Size 12 in pants and a S (occasionally XS) in shirts, a 6-8 in dresses

The beginning of 2012 - past my goal weight and happy with my size, I decided to cut back on my cardio and start really working on strength training.
Down to a Size 10 in pants, everything else the same

Thanks to a couple of months of the wonders of strength training:
Now a Size 6 (sometimes 8) in pants, S or XS in shirts, and a Size 4 in dresses

So, from September of 2010 until now, I have done this:
24W pants to 6 pants, 56% body fat to 21(ish)% body fat. I topped out at close to 300 pounds, and now I sit somewhere around 155-160 pounds.

this is truely amazing and i just hope i can do it too, so so glad you posted x

KCharron20 · May 2012

Congratulations! You look amazing! I am on kind of the same journey and reading your story really gives me encouragement that I can get there. If you don't mind me asking a personal question, I started my journey at 333 and am currently down to 230. I am having a tough time with all the excess skin. How did you find it? Are there specific excercises that you are doing to avoid it? Over time do you find that it is getting tighter?

bed2883 · May 2012

Thank you for sharing! It's stories like yours that help tremedously on those hard days.

AandJsMommy · May 2012

Cory, I just want to say thank you so much for posting this. I have lately been struggling on my weight loss journey. Exercise is not the problem. I have got to get my eating under control and boy does this post inspire me to do it.

sweetpickle84 · May 2012

That is amazing! Such an inspiration! Thanks for sharing!

va_va_voom · May 2012

Technically, I have a large frame, but it's not too far off from being a medium frame. I definitely don't want to get any lower weight-wise than I am now regardless.

I actually am not weighing for a while - I'm working on increasing my strength and am actually eating above maintenance to fill in those ribs a bit. I never wanted to be skinny - just fit and healthy.

I love your last line of this post.

I love your weight loss story, too. I didn't start out with as much to lose, but I still had a big number in front of me to get out of the way. I just read your blog post about how you did it and was affirmed by what I read there that I'm going about this the right way. I'm about halfway through to my GW (my ticker only reflects what I've lost since joining MFP - I lost 40 pounds prior to finding this site) and am getting frustrated with the scale lately. But, when I look at my body and the changes to it regardless of what the scale says, I am reminded that I'm on my way and making the right choices.

Oh, and I totally and emphatically agree about your approach to satisfying cravings and do it the same way!

Thanks for sharing.

MNM1010 · May 2012

you look amazing! Thank you for sharing.

grannygethealthy1111 · May 2012

Thank you for sharing your journey. You are sooooooo right, it CAN be done at ANY age. I went from size 20 to size 4/6. It feels fabulous!

Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods

tweetybaby69 · May 2012

Thank you so much for sharing your journey and letting us know that even though it may seem impossible it really isn't. We all get discouraged and want to give up, but you're truly are an inspiration and motivation.

Congratulations, hard work does pay off! :flowerforyou:

TheFitHooker · May 2012

I never get tired of reading your success story or seeing your amazing transformation! You are so beautiful, you were a beautiful big girl but you are just gorgeous now! I'll have lost about as much as you have when I'm done, and you are one of my biggest motivators.

BTW, I'm 5'3 and started out at 250 at my biggest and now at 135 in a 5/6 jean started in a 20W and 2x top, also wear a Medium/small top but I'm still very top heavy.

sr4ca · May 2012

bump for my sister.

LorinaLynn · May 2012

I love you so much.

jessluvscrossfit · May 2012

That is more than inspirational......it's hope. I've worked so hard to get where I am (still have a LONG way to go), and I feel like it's taking forever. I know that it's possible because of all that I've already accomplished, but when you see someone like you, who was in the same boat.....it makes it all seem possible again. Congrats! You are awesome!