Who cares how much I weigh...My story (w/ pics)

I started my lifestyle change on January 4, 2010. I was 42 years old and weighed 216.8#. I am 5’4” and I have been overweight since I was 7 or 8 yrs old! I knew I was putting my health in jeopardy! I was on blood pressure med and 2 cholesterol meds. I had my thyroid removed when I was 15 yrs. old and take med for that. Also about this time I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and now take 6 pills a day for it! So I was on 5 different medicines!!

I started by hand writing everything I ate and drank. (Sure wish I would have known about MFP then!) I also started exercising. My parents gave me a stationary bike and in the beginning I could barely last 10 minutes. I kept going and in no time progressed to 20 then 30 and 45+ minutes. I also had a stability ball and did push ups, sit-ups, etc with it. I walked whenever I could too. Then I started going to the local high school fitness room and lifting weights and using the elliptical. I tried to eat around 1500 calories in the beginning, which would be somewhere between 1100-1300 NET calories after exercise (purely a guess). Some days I ate more, some a little less than that.

I dropped weight fairly quickly at first. I’m guessing I used to eat between 2000-3500 or more calories most days and very little exercise!!

Date Weight Loss to date
01/04/10 216.8#
01/06/10 209.8# -7.0# (2 days–water weight?)
01/11/10 206.2# -10.6#
01/16/10 201.6# -15.2# (13 days)
01/18/10 203.4# -13.4# (I gained)
01/26/10 199.6# -17.2#
02/06/10 196.6# -20.2# (1 month!) Average 5.05# per wk
02/15/10 194.0# -22.8#
03/09/10 189.6# -27.2# (2 months) Average 3.40# per wk
04/10/10 181.0# -35.8# (3 months) Average 2.98# per wk
05/08/10 176# -41.0# (4 months) Average 2.56# per wk
06/21/10 170# -47.0# (5 ½ months)
07/07/10 166# -50.8# (6 months) Average 2.11# per wk

HUGE NSV: About this time (July 2010-after only 6 months or so) I eliminated my blood pressure and both cholesterol meds! I only have to take 2 meds now (that I will have to take the rest of my life) so that is a HUGE accomplishment!

August 2010 I had A LOT of major changes in my life…my husband and I separated after 20 years so that was very difficult. We divorced a little over a year later and ironically our divorce was final on the exact date of our 21st Anniversary! By May 2011, I was down to 151# for a total loss of 65.8#. That means I lost only another 15# in the 9 months between August 2010 and May 2011.

In October 2011, I moved (for a 2nd time in about a year) to another town and changed jobs (luckily I still work for the same company I have for 14 yrs). From when I moved until just recently June 2012, I quit working out very much and started eating like crap again (AND mind you, feeling like crap again). Didn’t stop me tho…and I let 6+ months of being lazy and not sticking with my lifestyle change (and stress) lead me to gaining 14# back!!!! Putting me back to my exact weight in August 2010. (And now most of my jeans don’t fit which ticks me off)!

A friend (a great friend) bought me a month membership and on Friday eve June 15th, 2012 I started going to the gym again. I am lifting heavy (building back up) and doing lots of ab work (gained the majority of the 14# right in my belly!) There is a lady there who is helping me with different exercises including mat work, body bags, cardio and lots of weights! I LOVE lifting! I would rather lift than cardio any day! Ha

I have been back at it almost a month…4-5 days each week. I have NOT lost any weight yet (I’m still trying to figure out whether to increase or decrease my calories at this point …ugh!!) I SO WANT an HRM!

Even though I haven’t lost any weight yet (BOO), I can see and feel my body changing. And although I do want to see a certain number on the scale, I’m just about ready to say….YA KNOW WHAT?? Who cares how much I weigh…I just want to feel fit, strong and look good! If I feel that way at a number that’s higher than my ultimate goal weight I had in mind…SO BE IT!

So I am recommitted to finishing what I started 2 ½ yrs ago. I am not a quitter and find strength in myself every day that I didn’t know I had. I am worth it, I want to feel good and be around as long as possible to enjoy my family and friends! So on I persevere!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wish everyone luck in their journey and remember, there will be ups and downs, but don’t let the downs KEEP you down. Get back up and do what you are capable of doing! You are WORTH IT!

Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success! (Napolean Hill)