[MissDee]

I've been lurking and maintaining for a couple of months.

I've lost about 85 pounds, mostly be exercising a lot. I try to eat reasonable portions of reasonable foods. I don't weigh, measure, or log anything. Psychologically, this seemed important to me while loosing, and it seemed to work for me. I don't eat fried foods, rich sauces, or creamy soups. I don't eat seconds. I eat red meat only once a week and try to eat fish for dinner twice a week. I eat at least 3 veg servings and 2 more either fruit or veg servings a day. I keep dessert portions small and rare. I can have a candy bar if I really want it. But I can never, ever binge. Those are my rules.

I exercise - a lot. Last week I ran a half marathon. I have been lifting weights for nearly a year, though I only started free weights last August.

I expected to diet down to a size 12, which is a reasonable size for the chicks in my family. (We all struggle, though I got heavier than my sisters ever did.) But to my surprise, I reached a 10, then an 8, then a 6 before I reached goal (150). Now I'm a 4, sometimes a 2, at about 140. I am so surprised by this. I never expected to be under a 10.

I kept a lot of my muscle while loosing weight. I figure, as an active 225 pound woman, I had a lot of muscle when I started. (Yesterday I did step-ups with 2-25# dumbbells and it was hard! But I used to haul around 85 extra pounds every moment of every day!) So now my percent body fat is low - 14.5%.

I don't really know what to do next! I have many things to figure out, but I'll put my questions in the regular maintainers forum. I've dieted often in my life, but I've never maintained successfully (at least not a t a low weight ), so this is new territory!

Dee

[Meg]

Welcome, Dee! What an inspirational story!

Exercise - and weightlifting in particular - really made a difference in my weight loss too. Yay muscle!!

Please join us in some of our discussions - we're looking forward to your thoughts and insights.

[AnneWonders]

Hi Dee, Welcome. Congrats on your tremendous weight loss and your recent half. Looking forward to your perspective in the Maintainers Board. You might also come join the Cool Runners thread in the Exercise Form--lots of maintainers also hang out over there.

Anne

[MissDee]

I think I was as excited for Helen's marathon as I was my half!

[YP1]

Did I hear my name?

Hello! Look forward to hearing more from you, and congratulations on your half.

[MissDee]

And I'm so excited for you. I had to keep reminding myself that I'm a decade older and nearly half a foot shorter, so I was not going to run as fast as you, but I have gotten faster as you've gotten faster

[lilybelle]

Welcome Dee and thanks for sharing your inspirational story. Hope you will join us here at 3FC's forums. I, too have done the wt. loss before but am new to maintenance. I reached goal 4 months ago, so it's still a learning process for me. But, these ladies are fantastic to offer help and encouragement.

[MissDee]

Well, I figure I hit goal when I began to enjoy a healthy lifestyle! I really felt like I hit goal when I could run 30 minutes continuously. THAT was the best day of this journey. This is so different from every other time I've lost weight! Before, I cared so much more about the scale. This time, I am enjoying figuring out what this ole body can do!

And four months at and beyond goal seems like nothing considering all the years of maintenance I have ahead of me, if I am to be successful! I still feel so new at this! And since I haven't stabilized, I don't feel successful at maintenance yet :/

Dee