Pastela Member

Thanks for the awesome responses everyone! I'm glad my story has helped and inspired so much! If MFP had a 'Like' option I would like everyone's post. I read them all! I wanted to shed light on an aspect of weight loss that I don't feel like is discussed enough. There is always emphasis on getting down to the lowest size…

I'm so glad my story has helped and inspired others! This really means a lot to me. I didn't know how emotional going through a weight loss journey can be. It took me a long time to feel comfortable with how I am and what I accomplished.

Thanks for your response, and I totally agree! I feel like the emotional aspect of weight loss isn't discussed as much. Even after losing weight I have days where I still feel large compared to other women and feel like what I did was not good enough. As I keep maintaining my progress, I have to keep reminding myself that…

Thank you everyone! I really appreciate all the feedback and nice comments. I'm always amazed by how kind and supportive the MFP community is. :) Thank you! I do not mind at all. My height is at 5' 8". :)

Yeah, I felt like at my lowest weight it wasn't that great on my frame. I've never been a petite person, so even though I was at a lower weight I looked more lanky and unhealthy. Health can't be quantified by numbers. I feel like I am way more healthy now then I was then. I just focus on eating well, exercising regularly,…

Thanks everyone! It's been a learning process, but my life has improved a lot!

Lifestyle changes can be extremely difficult, and even though I have lost around 40 lbs by eating well and exercising I go through days where I get very frustrated. Don't feel discouraged! Exercise- I understand exercise is not the most enjoyable thing to do sometime. Sometimes to get myself through a workout I remind…

Congrats! You look great and awesome work! :)

I lost around 40+ lbs just mainly using the elliptical and strength training as my form of exercise. I just be sure to keep upping the resistance. It's my favorite machine. :)

Thank you everyone! I appreciate every comment. It's been fun working on this so far. :)

-Being able to actually enjoy clothes shopping since I have more clothing options -Consequently, having to replace most of my wardrobe -Being able to see my collarbones and muscles in my legs and arms -Having so much more energy throughout the day without feeling like I need a nap -Appreciating nutritious food over…

Congrats! You look great! :)

I LOVE coffee. I usually drink two cups of dark roast coffee black daily. I just got myself accustomed to drinking coffee black without any sweeteners. I also love getting a plain Caffè Americano from Starbucks. Occasionally, I may splurge and get a sugar-free, caramel frozen latte from Sheetz or mocha light frapp from…

Eating portioned out servings of nuts like pistachios and almonds are nice snacks. I also like munching on carrots cut into chip shapes and broccoli florets to dip into hummus. Eating high fiber fruits like apples and raspberries are also satisfying snacks. Sometimes I like to prepare a couple of tablespoons of PB2 to use…

Every morning I eat 1/4 cup of steel coat oats mixed with a 5.3 oz container of plain, nonfat Greek yogurt and around 1/2 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk. I also use blueberries/strawberries and a little bit of honey for sweetness. It's a pretty satisfying breakfast without all of the added processed sugar. The…

Thank you for the kind comments everyone! It always means a lot to me to hear positive feedback. :) I play around with the weight machine at the gym that specifically target the upper body like the bicep curls, the lateral pull down bar, the shoulder press, etc. I just started at a weight I could handle and progressively…

Wow, you're doing great! Sounds like you're on track to reach your goal. Awesome work! :)

Thanks again everyone! It's weird that last year around this time I was just starting this journey. I'm so glad that I experienced success and hopefully I'll keep achieving more!

That's cool that we're similar! You're welcome! It's ok to have days where you don't eat as healthy. I try to live a 80/20 lifestyle where I eat really well during the week so that I can eat junk food in moderation during the weekend. Good luck with your journey! :) Thank you! A lot people think my size is smaller than…

You're very welcome! @minniemickey There wasn't a specific weight routine I followed. I just experimented with the different machines in my gym. I primarily focused on the machines that focus on upper body muscles since I really wanted to focus on toning my arms (the part of my body I am the most self-conscious about). I…

Thanks again everyone! It was my resolution last year to be a healthier, slimmer person, and I am glad that I held to my resolution with great results. The first couple of week were hard, but it was so worth it in the end! :) My ideal calorie range for weight loss was around 1600-1700 based upon my height and activity…

Wow, wow, wow! Thanks so much for the kind comments and friend requests! I'm really glad my journey has helped inspire others! You are all so very kind! :)

Thanks again everyone! I wish MFP had a 'like' function similar to Facebook for forum posts, because I really do appreciate all of your comments. I used to lurk this forum while going through my weight loss journey for inspiration, so it's really cool that my story has inspired others. You all rock! :smiley:

Thank you @minniemickey! I'm glad my story inspired you! I didn't follow any specific program. I kinda just did a lot of research on exercise/nutrition and used MFP to figure out a lot of things. In college I had a lot of free time, so I would spend around 40-60 min in the gym doing cardio (elliptical/treadmill)…

Thanks so much everyone! I love all of the great comments you have all left me! It means a lot to hear that my story inspires others. It took a lot of work, but it was actually a pretty fun process. :) Thank you! It's nice to see a fellow Canes fan on MFP. :)

Thank you everyone! I really appreciate all of your kind comments. :)