Newbie featherweight
 

I’ve been lurking on the board for some time now and decided that I should start contributing because reading your posts keeps me motivated.

So here goes, hope it’s not too long.

I can’t say that there’s ever been a time when I was ever skinny. At 5ft11, I was always a “big girl”, but I was fairly athletic and never thought about my weight as a little girl. Even in my teens, I never obsessed over weight. I played some sports, ate pretty balanced meals. I struggled with being an introvert and probably had a mild form of depression. I spent a lot of time alone reading and making art (classic nerdy girl!) I’m guessing that I weighed around 160-165 lbs (I almost never weighed myself).

In my twenties, I lived an unconventional lifestyle. I worked 8 years in the bush as a forestry worker planting trees. It was a tough physical job that I loved. It allowed me to travel and make art. I was in touch with my body, had become very fit and ate a healthy diet. I had absolutely no clue what I weighed. All I knew is that I was slender and strong.

Fast forward to my thirties, I met my current partner, settled down into a “desk job” and went through a long period of feeling miserable. My parents both passed away and the depression issues that bothered me on occasion came back to haunt me more persistently. I developed bad eating habits and I abandoned regular exercise. I was not happy with what I saw in the mirror, I was starting to look old and tired. My feet hurt, my heart fluttered and I had a frightening episode in 2005 with a blood clot in my leg. Something had to change, but it still took me until last summer to motivate myself to get going.

This is how it happened.

Last July, my spouse got a Wii Fit, when I reluctantly stepped on and it showed that I weighed 220 and had a BMI of 30 (borderline obese), I was shocked – I had gained about 70 lbs over the last decade. I guess I thought that at my height I carried my weight reasonably well. WRONG!! :D My spouse never knew what I weighed before and I was embarrassed to be over 200lbs.

Together, we decided to change our habits. We bought a spinning bike, some small weights, a SCALE (finally!) and I totally reformed my eating habits. I decided that I would not go on a specific diet, but rather, become more mindful of what, how much and when I ate. My diet is now 90% clean – organic meat, lots of veg, nuts, breakfast (!), no juice or pop, only occasional wine. When the weight started to come off, it gave me a tremendous boost! I’ve been losing at a slow, steady rate ever since, with a definite winter slowdown. I can honestly say that I don’t feel deprived. I’m looking forward to adding more fitness goals to my list.

Which brings me to the present.

I just turned 40 and feel better than I have in the last 10 years. I’ve lost 38 lbs, which is beyond my wildest expectations. I’ve gone from a size 16 to size 10. I’ve set a goal of 170 lbs for the time being – only 12 lbs to go!

Thanks for reading and sharing your stories – you are all inspirational and I wanted to wish everyone continued success on their journey.

Yay for being a featherweight! Sounds like you're doing awesome, keep it up!

Thanks - it sure feels good to be within short range of my goal! I still can't believe it... The weird thing is, in hindsight, it doesn't seem like such hard work. But I have learned the hard way just how much discipline it takes to make it stick.

Sounds like you're doing this the right way. Congratulations on your new healthy life!

Thanks! I really didn't want to set myself up for failure. But I have to admit that I've relaxed things since October. Winter makes me want to eat bread and heavier meat dishes. At least I'm not eating chunks of cheese at will like I used to!:p The last 12 lbs will be tough also because I need to ramp up the exercise. I'd like to try running, but the cold weather makes me so lazy!!

I've been in a bit of a rut the past few days so I'm with you on the "it's hard to make it stick" sometimes. It's easy to slip into bad habits but the key is to catch yourself before you gain any weight back. I too get VERY lazy when it is cold outside, if I didn't belong to a gym I don't know what I would do for exercise. Oh and I still have problems with the chuncks of cheese on occasion haha! Cheese and chocolate are my FAVORITE!

Welcome Anitra :wave: .... Congrats on your weightloss so far, we can all do this together!

Ilene - thanks for the welcome. The forum really helps with the motivation. It also helps of your spouse, boyfriend or partner are supportive too. Mine gave up beer and chips at home to help me...he also lost about 50 lbs a LOT faster and with a lot less work:devil:

Yep, we certainly keep each other accountable...

Congratulations on your major success, and welcome to Featherweights!

yay for featherweights!

anitra- you're doing a great job and you will get there 100% in NO time! i'm with you on it not feeling like work! some days were just horrible but the vast majority of them i just went about my life, not really stressing or worrying and the weight kept coming off!

mel- mmmm cheese and chocolate.... i love them both so much! i've never eaten them together... but maybe... someday... hahah

Haha I haven't eaten them together either... but I will love anything with either of the two! I have gotten much better at portion control, I'm satisfied with a few crackers with cheese or just one truffle... especially with a nice glass of wine but that is a whole other issue!

Originally Posted by Bikini Ready:
Haha I haven't eaten them together either... but I will love anything with either of the two! I have gotten much better at portion control, I'm satisfied with a few crackers with cheese or just one truffle... especially with a nice glass of wine but that is a whole other issue!

I posted on the chat section for this week that laughing cow cheese and vita brownies really help me with my cravings for both cheese and chocolate. I dont know what I would do without them!

Anitra- Welcome! and congrats on all your hard work! I also said yesterday to my bf that this is the best I have felt in my whole life. Its a really great feeling to have.

Hey everyone, thanks for the warm welcome! Chocolate and cheese?!! Can't say that I ever tried that combo. I used to be a sucker for peanut butter and cheese...why do I feel weird admitting that ??!!:eek:

Welcome to this site. Did you try the Soy Cheeze? It cured me of the regular cheeze. Try different kinds first to find one that you like. I did that and there is a big difference witn different kinds. Today, I do not miss the regular cheeze and I really prefer the soy cheeze. It is more healthy for you and less fat. It makes a good snack and it fills you so you eat less of other fattening foods.
Congratulations on all the pounds you lost already, and you are on the right path to loose more. And congratulations to your husband too ! And for his support to you !