[Heather]

We're losing lots of weight here! Let's cheer on some of the "Biggest Losers" in the 300+ Club.

Please pm me with your info and I will post it! If you have a weight loss story to go with it, I am sure people would love to read it! I can either post it below OR link to it OR you can send me info to add to the thread!

100 pound losers
- Heather: Went from 295 to 175. Lost first 100 pounds in 55 weeks!

- NotTheCheat

- Ratkitten: As of December, 2007, has gone from 350-232. Weight loss began in April, 2004

- texarkgal: As of August, 2008, lost the first 100 pounds in less than a year (started August 27, 2007). Now moving on the the next 100.

- earthshaker: As of August 25, 2008, lost the first 100 pounds!

- BarbPA: As of March, 2009, lost the first 100 pounds!

150 pound losers

- Elvislover: As of Jan 2014 has gone from 328 to 171 -- 157 pounds!

- Metachick: As of Dec 2007, has lost 171 pounds!


200 pound losers

- CatherineM: Has lost over 200 pounds!

- Dogpal (Annie): As of Dec 2007 has lost 200 pounds! 184 pounds since April, 2007! See her story below!

- Activeadventurer: As of April 2014 lost 200 pounds!!

- TheSatinPumpkin: As of September 2014 has lost 200 pounds!!

[dogpal]

My Story:

November 2005.
I get a phone call on Thanksgiving weekend telling me that my oldest brother Bob had passed away. I wasn’t shocked because he was a heroin addict and had AIDS. Later I started thinking about how addicted to heroin he was and I wrote a story about him “scoring” on his drug, shooting up and drifting off to sleep only to wake up feeling sick, ashamed powerless and disgusted with himself. I then started to really think about myself. How I would go in the middle of the night with all the lights off to the frig and in the dark I would grab the block of cheese and slice some cheese off, cut up some cold cuts and grab a whole package of saltine crackers and fresh baked cookies along with 2 Pepsis and take them all into my room and eat them until I was sick to my stomach. I too would wake up the next morning feeling sick, ashamed, powerless and disgusted with myself. I realized that Bob’s addiction killed him and that mine just may kill me too. I started trying to lose weight then. I would do so many different weight loss programs only to quit them after a few weeks and then gain more weight.
This went on for another year.

November 2006
I got a phone call on the first week of November that my only remaining brother, John passed away suddenly of an aneurism in his aorta. This was a different feeling. Maybe because I adored my brother John and we were so close, maybe because he was only 6 years older than me instead of 12 that Bob had been. Or maybe because it was not expected. I grieved and still do, for my brother but also, his death truly changed my life. I decided that I would try my very hardest to lose weight and get as healthy as I possibly could. I joined Weight Watchers which I loved. The support and camaraderie was excellent. I did everything I was supposed to. I could only exercise for 5 minutes at a time before I would just be exhausted. After all, I was weighing in at 510 pounds! I made it through Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years without tasting one single thing off my diet and absolutely no soda pop or sugar of any kind. I was so determined to succeed at my health quest. I would get so discouraged to go and weigh in knowing that I kept to my diet and exercise like a champ only to see the scale go up ½ pound or so every time. There were times when I would loose 7 pounds only to gain back every pound but one. From December 2006 to March 2007 I only was able to loose and keep off 15 pounds. I was so broken hearted and disgusted. I truly was trying my hardest and I couldn’t loose the weight. I was determined not to give up though. That is what was different. I thought about my brother who died so suddenly and that I had kind of promised him secretly in a prayer that I would do my best. I didn’t want to break that promise.

March 2007
I made an appointment to see my Dr. to find out what the heck is wrong with me. I was up to about an hour a day of exercise every single day not missing even holidays. I was sticking to my Weight Watchers like glue and still no weight loss. After lots of test it was determined that I have some screwed up metabolism and some very high blood pressure. My Dr. asked me if I would please consider weight loss surgery. I knew that my insurance wouldn’t cover it that they considered it cosmetic. My Dr. reminded me that since I am on disability for severe agoraphobia and panic disorder that I could get back on Medicare. I told her that I would look into it along with going to a weight loss surgery seminar. Thankfully to God I could get back on Medicare and Thankfully to God the surgeon in our town who is considered the very best in the Northwest is a Center of Excellence surgeon. This could happen for me. I went to the seminar and was impressed by all the hoops that you have to jump through before surgery including counseling to be sure you are going to be able to handle it. I did find out that my BMI was way to high for this particular Dr. to operate on me. He only did patients for their own good, with a 60 or less BMI. My BMI was 72. That meant before I could even get an appointment with him I would have to loose 83 pounds. I felt so devastated and crestfallen. Again, my PCP to the rescue. She runs the Optifast clinic at the surgeon’s office. I looked into it and it was going to cost so much money. My Dear hubby Joel and I talked it over and prayed about it. I was starting to have some heart issues so he said he would do anything to help me become healthy. He took a second job as I couldn’t work at the time due to panic disorder. I hadn’t been able to work since the year 2000 successfully. I was so humbled by him doing that for me.

April 2007
I started the Optifast liquid diet on April 16th. I weighed in at 494.5 pounds. It seemed hopeless honestly. I didn’t think I could eat nothing until I lost 83 pounds. I just prayed and asked the Lord to help me. The first week was probably one of the hardest times in my life. I couldn’t go to food anymore as a comfort. I was angry and sad and a few times questioned why did I let myself get into this position in the first place. I used my journal as a sounding board for all my fears and sadness. I leaned on my 3FC friends for support and of coarse my sweet heart Joel. I didn’t want to let too many people know about it because I had failed so many times in the past. I took the time that I would have been watching TV and eating to add more movement into my life. I spent at least 2 hours every single day exercising. I stated to feel better already by the 2nd week. Of coarse it helped that on the first week’s weigh in I lost 13 pounds. I attended every single counseling session on every single Monday and really listened to the people in charge. I was so determined to make my family proud of me while I made myself healthy. I didn’t want to let my Brother John’s memory down. I promised him after all that I would get healthy. Every single time I thought about cheating I would see my Dear sweet hubby Joel working 2 jobs to pay for my Optifast and It would flush away any cheating ideas. From April until August I cheated only twice. Nothing serious. It was a salad one time and a piece of jerky another time. I took a shake away for those two cheats to be sure I wasn’t over calories. There were a few weeks were I gained 2 pounds or stayed the same. One week I actually gained 6 pounds. It turned out that I was loosing so much weight that my period, which had long since been missing in my life, was returning and I was gaining water weight once a month.

July 2007
I made it. I have lost the 83 pounds that I needed to loose for surgery. I got my Dr.’s appointment set for the end of July. I met with the surgeon and he was impressed by my hard work and diligence. My EKG was weird so I needed to get cleared with the heart Dr. before surgery. I needed to see a therapist, dietician and a ton of other tests. I was so thrilled. Lots of people asked me why I couldn’t just keep going on the liquid diet. The simple answer is, I couldn’t make my hubby work so much anymore and also, It is extremely bad for your bones to stay on a liquid diet too long. My Dr. wanted me to loose another 10 pounds before my surgery date in August. He also wanted me to stay on the liquid diet until the surgery too. I was disappointed because I was so looking forward to eating some salad and chicken, anything before surgery knowing that I wouldn’t be able to eat anything for a while after surgery too. I complied after a salad and some chicken wings from KFC. I didn’t over indulge which was nice. I could feel that I was a changed person. My stomach had shrunk so much from doing the liquid diet that I couldn’t even finish a small 5 piece order of Honey Bar B Q wings when before 2007 I would eat a ten piece and all the other stuff I had ordered too plus a huge soda. I was so proud of myself. That is something I hadn’t felt in years. Pride and like I mattered. I was no longer an “IT”. That is what I had felt like prior to loosing weight. I realize now it wasn’t just the weight that was making me feel like an “IT”. It was largely my attitude. My speaking bad things about myself. My self haltered and anger against myself. All of these things were disappearing thanks to my Leader at the Optifast meetings. She had taught me to believe in myself to know that I matter as much as someone who only has 5 pounds to loose. I could feel my heart healing and because of that, I started to love people again. I started to really care about others again. All because I was starting to love Annie.

August 2007
I had my surgery scheduled for August 29th and by the time it came, I was under 400 pounds. I had lost another 38 pounds for my Dr. Not the ten that he asked me to loose but, 28 more than that. I was so excited about my new life and I knew that this would possibly save my life. I knew a change was coming. I felt a bit of guilt for my brother John that it took his death to shock me into, living life. I thank God for the chance I have been given and for the strength that He gave to me during my struggles. I thank God for my family, my Dear hubby Joel and so much for my 3Fat Chicks family. I went into my surgery weighing 390. Today December 9th, 2007. I weigh 324. I know that I couldn’t have done it in all honestly without my friends at 3FC. You have all helped me to realize I wasn’t alone in my battle with weight. My battle with trying to fit into chairs, hoping I can find something to wear that doesn’t just disgust me, hoping that I won’t get diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, the list goes on and on. Thank you to all my friends.

I still have 164 pounds to go before I am at my goal weight but, there truly is a light at the end of the tunnel now. I no longer have to take any high blood pressure meds, panic disorder meds, only vitamins. I do still have to take potassium but that will go and I’m positive it will eventually. To anyone who is struggling. Please, please, never ever give up. You deserve to be healthy and happy in life. If anyone ever needs one on one emails or support, pm me. I am here for you all.
Blessings to everyone,
Annie AKA: Dogpal