Some have asked me how I have lost 130 pounds in a little under a year. I thought I would make a small post of how I have accomplished that.
Edited to add: (To date, I have lost 158.5 pounds in almost 2 years)
July 2008, I was at my highest weight of 330 pounds. I was on medication for high blood pressure, my blood sugar levels were elevated and I could barely walk from one room to another. I decided enough was enough and I was tired of living my life this way, if you can even call it living. I had struggled with my weight most of life. I've always used food as rewards, treats and comfort for as long as I can remember. It all spiraled out of control and got worse when my husband of 10 years passed in 1999 then in 2005 I found my momma dead then a year later my daddy passed. I am not saying these are valid reasons for putting on so much weight but they are the reasons I turned to food so much. In 2003, I met a guy on the internet. For 5 years we were in a "relationship" but I was lying to him by sending fake pictures but in July 2008 he was tired of sitting in NY alone while I was in Tennessee and he decided to drive the 1800 miles to get me to move in with him. Before he got to Tennessee, I did send him a pic of the real me, all 330 pounds, believing he would drive back to NY and never talk to me again but I was wrong. He said he loves me and he was still coming to get me and he did.
July 21, 2008 is when I started changing my eating habits. I went from 4500 calories a day to about 1000, Yes, I was still learning (and still am) so I was under the belief that less was best when it came to food. Within a few months, I had lost 70 pounds. I was ecstatic. But my progress stalled because I wasn't eating enough which is when I found 3FC and I am thankful everyday for that.
I will go ahead and say that there is no miracle method. If you want it, you have to work for it, sorry but it's true.
Also, everybody and every body is different so what works for me may not work for the next person.
I count calories and exercise. To me, it is all about calories in vs calories out.
To start off with on counting calories - no person, not even doctor or nutritionist, nor web site or calculator can tell you an exact amount of calories your body needs for healthy weight loss - in my opinion. My advice is to go here -
http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm , plug in your information and use their results as a starting ground. Work the caloric amount honestly 100% for 3-4 weeks then tweak as necessary. And as you lose weight, your body's needs will change so keep that in mind as well.
For me, I also cut out certain foods -
- beef
- pork
- white flour foods
- sweets
- junkie snacks foods
- fried foods
- white rice, white potatoes, white pasta
My diet consists of lean poultry and seafood, whole grains, fruits and lots of veggies. I choose to use
www.sparkpeople.com to keep track of my daily caloric intake and exercise. It is FREE.
I do have an occasional handful of chips or fries but I am sure to only have 1 serving available and I do count it into my calories for that day. I don't have a "cheat" day or "cheat" meal or anything like that. This is not a diet, not a temporary thing, it is my life, a whole new lifestyle. And, I am human, I have slipups but I can now brush them off, forgive myself and move on. Moping and focusing on eating something "bad" will not change anything.
For exercise, I started out doing 5-15 minutes of walking in place a day inside my home. I graduated to Leslie Sansone workout DVDs then started jogging in place inside my home 45 minutes a day. I have since started doing workout DVDs by The Biggest Loser and Jillian Michaels which incorporate cardio and weight interval training.
It is true to an extent that anything is better than nothing but I do urge those that are interested in changing their bodies to be serious about it. A 10 minute walk around the neighborhood is GREAT and it is activity, I even do 3 miles walking in place a day (tracked with my trusty little pedometer lol) but in my opinion, for weight loss and body change you need substantial exercise on a consistent basis. My plan is 5 days of 30 minutes cardio/weight intervals along with 3 miles on the treadmill @ 3.3MPH and 5% incline, 1 day of just the 3 miles on the treadmill and 1 day of complete rest :D.
It's hard, some days I cry and get mad but I remember why I am doing this and how I never want to go back from where I came from, health-wise, so I push through.
You can find my transformation in pictures here -
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/mini...rney-pics.html
Please don't doubt yourself or wait for motivation or inspiration..do it for yourself and your health and your family. You are worth it and you can do it..you can do it without paying for diet/weight loss plans or going to gyms, I am proof.
I know this was kinda long and probably confusing and I am sorry, lol.
Just remember, when it all boils down, only YOU can control YOUR life and only YOU can decide what you eat and if you workout. Never give up or stop believing in yourself. WE CAN DO THIS!!!!
Hugs
Michelle
