Join Date: Aug 2009
Wow....thanks so much everyone! I am blown away by the amount of support on here and all the amazing comments!
You have no idea how much it means to have people saying that I am an inspiration. I felt so alone at times trying to stick with this, and I still feel like I have such a long way to go. So anyways, it is really nice to feel connected to other people on here and know that I might be able to help someone else!
Oh and thanks for all the nice comments about my posterior, lol. I guess "hourglass" figure might be a more positive way to look at it, but all I see when I look in the mirror is that I have a huge a**! I can see a difference in the rear facing pictures though, so it must be shrinking, even if I don't think it is!
Okay, as for all the questions about how I did this...I pretty much followed my own plan! (I am a vegetarian, but I don't think it will make any difference for someone who isn't.) I started out breastfeeding, and wasn't losing any weight even when I lowered my caloric intake as low as 1500, so I lowered it again to 1200-1500 a day and finally started seeing results. I quit breastfeeding back in December, but have still stuck with the 1200-1500 a day plan. The problem with eating so little calories is that you will find yourself losing your appetite after awhile (I mean, you can't eat anything "good" anyways, so what's the point?!!?!? lmao) and then it is so easy not to get your full calories each day. Whenever I noticed a slump in my weight loss (which wasn't due to cheating), I would realize I hadn't been eating enough and my calories were too low. I would recommend lots of veggies, whole grains, beans, fruit, yogurt and don't avoid all fats. Some fat is actually good for you! I eat avocados all the time for instance or nuts occasionally, but I try to use FF cheese most of the time. I think cheese is probably just fine, but I know that if I allow myself to have one slice of real cheese, it won't stop there. FF cheese doesn't have the same appeal, so I use that instead! I used WW low carb tortillas to make veggie sandwiches instead of bread, and gave up ranch for Bernstein's light cheese dressing (still has flavor, but really low calories!). I do try to avoid artificial sweeteners as much as possible, and use stevia or agave to sweeten things. One of my favorite breakfasts would be sliced fruit with plain yogurt sweetened by agave. Being a vegetarian, you think I would eat lots of tofu, but I actually noticed eating soy would stall weight loss, so I cut out any soy products as much as possible. I kept a food journal in the beginning, and whenever I noticed a change, I would try to see what the problem was. I also tried to keep my sodium intake low and that seemed to help as well.
I honestly allowed myself a cheat every few weeks, and for some months even every weekend (and for December, the whole month, but we don't need to talk about that, lol). I think it helped to keep me from binging, and also helped with the calorie fluctuation to keep my body guessing. I would eat POP all week, and then on Saturday I'd go out for pizza. The next day the scale would be up from the water weight, but within a few days it would drop back down again and soon I'd be lower than before. Not sure if this really worked or not, but it gave me something to look forward too and the weight did keep coming off! In the beginning I lost about 20 pounds per month (5 pounds a week). Then that dropped to about 15 pounds per month, and right now I am averaging about 10 pounds a month. It's so funny, because the weight seems like it is coming off so slow, and I still feel bad for falling off the wagon a few months ago and gaining 15 pounds back, but someone made a comment asking how I lose 100 pounds in 8 months, and then I counted and realized I really had lost 8 pounds in 8 months....holy crap! I guess it can seem so slow in your head, but every pound counts!
Exercise wise, I started out doing Wii Fit. Really basic stuff. When I got to about 285 I progressed to exercise videos (Biggest Loser were my faves) and then I decided to try running. I HATED running. But I was determined. I started out running in place using the Wii Fit. Then I tried doing the C25K and could barely keep up, but I stuck with it. I was so exhausted sometimes I couldn't finish the last run in the 2nd week, but I just kept with it. That was when the weight really started coming off, so I stuck with it. I joined the local YMCA and started running on the treadmill almost everyday (just at my own pace, not using the C25K anymore). I slowly progressed from running 5 minutes at 4.5, to running 10 minutes, then 15, then 20, 25 and finally a half an hour. Then I started adding speed. Currently I'm up to being able to run 30 minutes at 5.5 without completely dying. I still hate running, but it is making the biggest difference in my weight loss, so I am sticking with it! I also do elliptical machines, the rowing machine, and strength training. Someone made a comment how you can really notice a difference in my waist between 219 and 210. That time frame was only 1 1/2 weeks apart, but I had just started doing sit ups...so maybe that is why! (Or it could just be that last set of pants are really flattering!)
I can't think of really anything else to add to how I did it, unless anyone else has some specific questions! I think the biggest thing is to be prepared and keep good food in the house, and maybe some health bars in the car to ward off the tempting stuff when you're hungry. If you do need fast food, go to Subway instead of Burger King (and have them scoop out the inside of the bread--learned that on Biggest Loser, lol). Another big thing is that if you do give in to temptation, don't make yourself feel so guilty you just give up all together. Just accept it and move on. Oh, and drink LOTS of water!
Oh and thanks too for all the comments on the outfits and shoes. I admit I looooove shoes. I used to wear flip flops all the time when I was at my max weight, so I think now that I can actually wear high heels I am taking it too the extreme! I still can't wear skinny stillettos though, so I must need to lose more weight in order to wear those (or become more graceful....which will probably never happen, so I am screwed even if I do become a beanpole).
And I had never even thought myself to look like Christina Applegate, so wow. I think she is beautiful, so thanks!
EDIT: I should also add that I think it is important to realize why you are overweight. I think for so many of us it is more than just food. It is an underlying issue. I know for me it had alot to do with feel uncomfortable with dealing from advances by guys. The extra weight made that not happen, and it also made me feel safe somehow. I'm just getting to a point in my life where I am starting to get back out into the dating world and am getting hit on, but I am aware of how uncomfortable I am by it. I'm not sure what this all stems from, and I'll probably have to figure that out, but I think being aware of it is a big part of your progress and not relapsing. When I started relapsing last December I think a big part of it was that I had a few advances by men as much as it was the awesome holiday fudge. I was uncomfortable and turned back to self sabotaging myself. I am trying to address that head on now, and am even making a point to flirt with guys when I go out....just practicing even though I have no intent of anything coming from it if that makes sense. This of course does not mean that there are not guys out there who like us when we are big, so please do not take that the wrong way. I was with a man when I was 310 pounds and he loved me. However, it is just a fact that you are more likely to get hit on more by skeezy guys trying to get laid who don't know you at the bar if you lean more towards the thinner side if that makes sense!
Last edited by jessicado22 : 02-25-2010 at 11:09 PM.