I remember stepping on the scale and seeing 256. I could not believe it. It still was not enough to motivate me to start my journey. In November (2012) my spouse of 20 years and I split up. Between November - the split and the end of January without trying I lost 26 pounds (not from heartbreak). It was the change in my lifestyle. I wasn’t cooking big meals every night. Not eating anywhere near the carbs (potatoes, bread). There were not jugs of sugary juices in my fridge. I was not eating fast food 2 or 3 times a week. Small changes that at the time I wasn’t educated enough to realize were making all the difference.
After the 26 pound loss I needed new jeans that motivated me to try and run with this little bit of success I had. I joined 3FC in February. It is the most successful tool I’ve used in this last year. The wealth of information and support is amazing. I can say I have logged on just about every single day in the last year. I go to new posts and read just about everything. I am guilty and feel horrible that I do not post very often but am so thankful to those that do.
Again… thank-you, thank-you, thank-you to all those that post.
Most of the beginning of my journey was calorie counting. What an eye opener that was. I hadn’t checked the calorie content on anything previous to this. After 6-8 months I stopped counting and this last half of my journey I am just more aware of the food I eat. I have not exercised not 1 day. This has all been done with just a change in eating habits. My weight loss has slowed considerably, (almost non-existent lol) I have also been very lax in my efforts as of late, and I understand that if I want to see the scale move again then more changes are going to be required. At this moment in time I’m just not willing to make them.
I think the most important thing I’ve learned from 3FC is that everyone and their journey is different. What works for you may not work for me and vice versa. We all need to find what works for us and what we can live with. I know that the changes I’ve made up to this point I can live with forever.
Just some odds and ends about this past year…. My biggest regret - I have no pictures for comparison. By the time I realized how important they were I felt it was too late. Newbies take pictures you’ll be happy you did. I drank alcohol the entire time 3-4 nights a week didn’t count those calories and it didn’t hamper my success. There were times when the scale wouldn’t move for 3-4 weeks so I found that if I kept a new pair of jeans in the next size down I could also use those to gauge my progress. There were times when the scale didn’t seem to budge but I could get into those new jeans. Shortly after there would be the WHOOOSH we all love to see.
I weigh-in every single day. For me that works. It helps for me to pull in the reigns when I see it moving in the wrong direction. I’m thinking of changing my screen name because I live in a small town and would like to recommend 3FC to everyone that will listen but I’m scared someone might make the connection. Thanks for reading and I look forward to the next year on this board.
Start 256 – Now 176 – Goal - 160
