Mini-GoalsEven if you're not at goal yet, this is the place to share your successes and achievements along the way! Success can be measured in many ways besides the scales. Tell us about your triumphs, including Non Scale Victories
My mother in law is a chain smoker and we have been preaching at her to quit. She has so many health problems and i found this site that tells you after so many hours of not smoking your body will do ------ , then days, weeks, months ,years.
Well i just wonder.... how much you have lost... and what differance has it made? Of course smaller clothes... but health wise?
Me... Lost 30lbs so far. 220 to 190
I can stand and talk to people for well over an hour without looking for a place to sit. Before i would want to sit asap.
I have a long drive way ( not sure the distance, maybe 1/8 of mile one way, thats proably not right,,, i need to measure it) but at 220 i would ride a bike to the end and back and be out of breath , dry mouth, needing water!
Now i can go back and forth over 10 times without a break, ( still havent been able to ride to the top of the hill, i dont know that i could have when i was a kid and skinny)
I've lost about 35 pounds and am pretty much at goal. I've been within 5 or so pounds of this weight for the past year. I also do some form of exercise every day, including lots of cardio, strength training with a personal trainer, running 6 miles once a week and swimming when I can fit it in. I mention the exercise because I expect that a lot of the benefits I've experienced are attributable to it more so than weight loss alone.
In addition to fitting into a size 2-4, here are some of the other benefits I've experienced:
I can walk up fairly steep hills in San Francisco and I'm not even winded. Two years ago, I would have been out of breath and sweating like a pig on those same hills.
When I'm out hiking with friends, I'm no longer the one lagging behind, out of breath, sweating like a pig, and red in the face. I'm the one in front that eveyone has trouble keeping up with.
I can speak in front of a group, easily project my voice, and not feel out of breath. I also no longer sweat like a pig from the exertion.
I never have heartburn. I mean never. Two years ago, I was experiencing mild to medium heartburn around once a month. It wasn't so severe that anyone was worried about it yet, but it was clearly trending in the wrong direction. I've completely reversed that health issue.
I also had intestinal issues (gas, etc.) I still have some of this, but it's definitely a lot better than it was. I used to get horrible stomach cramps if I let myself get too hungry and that rarely happens anymore. Also, I could not stand to have anything even the slightest bit tight around my abdomen; now I can wear control-top pantyhose all day with no problem.
I can run six miles in one hour without stopping!!!! When I first started, it took me 45 minutes to run 3 miles and I had to stop and walk every 15 minutes.
I'm starting to see some definition in my abs.
My doctor no longer suggests that I need to lose some weight. Instead she suggests that I ought to be teaching courses in nutrition! That is so awesome; I hated those "you really need to lose some weight" conversations.
I have lost over 60 pounds and I can wear a tank top and not cringe at my arms. I sit with my legs crossed and there is shape to my thigh. I can go up and down dusting the ceiling fans without worrying that my knee won't give out.I sprained it last summer. I don't feel my hernia around my belly button because I have some abdominal muscles.
I can push mow for two hours straight( did it yesterday in 95 degree heat). I can climb to the top of a corral panel and sit there if I want- and I don't feel like a dork( and the horses don't snicker at me). I can do jumping jacks, mountain climbers and bunches of push ups. I can get up and down out of the back of a pickup truck and not be scared.
So far i've lost 42 pounds. Some of the things I have noticed is...
1) I can cross my legs much easier
2) I can also stand longer periods of time without feeling the need to sit down
3) I can walk up the steps to my boyfriends apartment without feeling winded
4) and of course, i went from a size 16 to about size 8 or 10 (depending on the cut)
Our yard isnt big enough to buy a riding lawn mower... we push mow... before i would mow and have to take a break between the front and back lawn... and pray that i didnt collapse while doing each side....
now i am do it all non stop and really not out of breath after wards
I've lost 92 so far and I have way more energy. I took my son to a Red Sox game a month ago and we took the train and the T and walked A LOT and I don't get out of breath or have sore legs. I do the treadmill EVERY SINGLE DAY and I look forward to it !!!! I would never have thought that. My diabetes is gone - my sleep apnea is gone. I'm finally making strides with my self esteem (this was a problem even when I was thin) and I LOVE buying clothes that look good. The saggy skin is nauseating and will get worse but I try to focus on how I feel and the health benefits - and the fact that I am doing everything I can to be around for my son. I just got my first piercing to celebrate !!!!!!!!
~can cross my legs without it hurting
~have the energy of a "normal" person (before I tired very easily and slept a lot)
~walk a couple miles without feeling winded or tired
~can sleep in a double bed with DH and not feel like the bed is too small
~can shop in a regular store (went from 18-20W to an 8-10 misses)
~can stand/walk in heels for most of a day without excruciating pain
~have good bp numbers now (I went from 135/89 to 117/72)
~can go to the movies and be really comfortable (this goes for trains/planes/etc.)
Oh, and I find this strange, but I get more attention from customer service people when I'm in stores now. Was I invisible when I was larger or what???
-scary heart palpitations are gone
-drastically less PMS bloating (used to have 4-6 lb of water retention and gain 4-6" around my waist...now I get maybe 1 lb!)
-my blood pressure went from 130/80 to 112/68, resting heart rate down to 65 (previously 80-something)
-I definitely don't get winded as easily when walking
-less knee/foot pains
-no more chafing between my thighs!
-I fit much more comfortably into chairs & bus seats
-I can shop in "normal" clothing stores
-my problem used to be that all clothes looked awful; now, the problem is that I don't have the money to buy all the clothes I like on me!
The only bad thing is that my autoimmune disorders are not happy with me, but I think they'll settle down once my weight does.
I have lost about 38lbs so far and I can now shop in the juniors section a I actually bought a size 5 jeans!
*I bought a tube top and look good in it
*The 30 minute programs on my treadmill are way too easy now, when I started I thought the thing was trying to kill me!
* I can work all day, and still have enough energy to go work out at gym
* I have to have my wedding rings sized down AGAIN!
* My wedding dress is too big for me now!
* And I am begining to think I look sexy again!
Even though I've only lost a little under 40 pounds so far, I can definitely feel the difference already.
Here in Sacramento the summers are hot, so usually once it hits triple digits, I would be very uncomfortable. But this year, even though we haven't had as many triple digits as we did last year, still, I can really tell the difference in how I feel. I am not nearly as uncomfortable as I used to be.
Just goes to show how small steps can lead to big changes.
-I fit into plastic lawn chairs now without worrying about them breaking.
-I can shop in the regular section for some things now.
-I have more energy.
-I can cross my legs (and not just my foot to my opposite knee).
-I'm not as easily winded.
-My BP is lower (although it was always still in normal ranges, it's dropped further).
-My total Cholesterol went from 215 to 144. All my other ranges are in normal ranges.
-I can run around all day and not sit down as often.
I've lost 54 lbs. and I notice that everything physical is simply easier to do! When I sit on the floor I can get up without effort, I can bend over and tie my shoes easier, I can get in and out of my low car easier, all the little things. I also have a lot less pain in my back and feet but I notice the biggest difference in my knees! I also notice that I have lots more energy and want to DO things rather and bum around laying on the couch.