One Year, 120 Pounds Lost (with pics)

Today I woke up to this: ShannonMpls has logged in for 365 days in a row!

On June 16, 2011, I signed up for MFP and printed this off and pinned it up in my office at work:



During that first month, I lost weight very slowly. Others were dropping 5-7 pounds the first week; I lost a half pound. It was frustrating. But when I didn't feel like going to the gym, or I wanted a piece of cake or donut or whatever other unhealthy food is ALWAYS in the break room at work, this is the image I looked at and I thought about who and what I wanted to be in June 2012.

I'm very proud to say that I have accomplished more than I dared to dream I would - cliche, I know, but it's the honest truth. Today, I weigh less than I even hoped for.

And I did it all using diet pills from Mexico! (just kidding, obviously, diet and exercise is just nowhere near that sexy. I ate food, real food, a fair amount of it, and worked hard in the gym).

* I have lost 120 pounds (okay, 119.5, but be nice, let's round up; it sounds more dramatic this way). I am 5'10" and 33.

* My BMI has gone from 44.3 (morbidly obese) to 27.1 (classified as overweight, but for my height and large frame I could be content here forever). I'm not sure when I'll stop losing weight and move to maintenance - 10-15 pounds? Losing continues to be pretty easy for me, I haven't plateaued, I keep increasing calories, I think my body will stop dropping when it's done.

* Let's talk fitness. I remember my first session with my trainer. I couldn't hold a plank for 10 seconds. Now, last time I timed one, I held it for 3 minutes. Running a year ago? HA. Not a chance. But this Tuesday, for fun, I ran 10k - 6.23 miles, my longest run ever, and it felt fantastic. I know my way around the free weight section of my gym better than a lot of men. My resting heart rate is in the low 50s. I can go on 20+ mile bike rides with my family. A random stranger in the locker room told me I have "amazing biceps." Some dude asked me to spot him on the bench press last week (though let's be honest...it probably had little to do with my strength...)

Weight loss is super, but fitness is better. It's so amazing to see what your body can do when you give it the fuel and conditioning it needs to perform.

* Though I didn't log my food every day, I did log on here - every. single. morning. Even on vacation when I was eating macaroni and cheese topped hot dogs. The secret is that I got back with the program the day I got back, no exceptions.

* I had saved a lot of clothing from before I gained weight. It sat in my closet this last year, taunting me. Well, now every single thing fits; in fact, a lot is (tragically?) too big.

I won't disrespect myself and say I was unhappy a year ago, woe-is-me, I have to change my life. But something was missing. I've found it. I'm driven, motivated, I've made wonderful friends, and I'm really thrilled at the way my life (and my outlook on life) has changed. So many people I love are in my life because I made this change. My family is stronger and healthier because of it. I could list the benefits for hours, so let's just sum it up with this: Life is good and I'm incredibly grateful for what I've accomplished and the people who have helped me - my husband, my MFP friends I've never met, those I have met and have become besties, my family, my trainer and the whole staff of my YMCA.

If you want specifics for how I set calories, the food I ate, the exercise I did, and other tips, I wrote a blog entry detailing how I did it here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ShannonMpls/view/-how-did-you-do-it-262680

If you're reading this and you are ready to make a change, trust me: you can do a lot in just a year. Just don't stop, be honest with yourself, and enjoy your life; there IS a balance and in my opinion you need to find it. If you make this a miserable experience, it won't last. Live the healthiest life you can ENJOY. For me, losing weight hasn't been a hardship, and though it's certainly had its lows, it's mostly been a lot of fun. I love a good challenge, I love meeting goals. It hasn't been easy, but it wasn't that hard either.

This was kinda long. Sorry! Thanks for reading, and I can't wait to read all YOUR success stories too. Do the work and you'll see the results. Period.

Now, a bunch of random pics:


With my son and a photobombing goat in May 2011 (right before starting here) and in March when I was my gym's member of the month. I was down 91 pounds in this photo.


The summer of 2010 and St. Patrick's Day, right before I ran a 7k. Down about 98 pounds.


Mother's Day 2010 and 2012. Bigger boy, smaller mom. Down 110 or so?


Me, all bad-a**, after a run a couple weeks ago wherein I fled from zombies (the Zombies, Run! iphone app is full of awesome)

I wish I had a pic from today or this week but I don't. So just trust me when I say I look adorable and awesome