you look AWESOME!

Originally Posted by SusanB:
I did not take my measurements before I started. I'm kicking myself now.
NEWBIES! MEASURE YOURSELF!

Awesome work, you cute wee thing. You've done good ;)

Well I am 5' 1", pretty close to your height and when I weighed 168 lbs, my measurements were:

Chest 38
Waist 30
Hips 36.5

Body Fat 30%

My body fat now is 20%, so wow...41 lbs really makes a difference. :)

How wonderful- I am very happy for you. Thanks for the inspiration.

Libby- you, and your smile, look fantastic! 41 pounds makes a huge difference, but as you pointed out in your "strength training rules" comment, it's the composition of what remain that makes all the difference in the world. 20% body fat is awsome! You've done great :bravo:

Keep at it :cp:

Mel

wow! I think you look amazing!

Originally Posted by Mel:
Libby- you, and your smile, look fantastic! 41 pounds makes a huge difference, but as you pointed out in your "strength training rules" comment, it's the composition of what remain that makes all the difference in the world. 20% body fat is awsome! You've done great :bravo:

Keep at it :cp:

Mel

Mel,

When I think of where I started with all of this, it just amazes me how far I've come. You and Meg were such an inspiration to me. You both gave me such great advice. Thanks! :hug:

WOW Libby :high: you look amazing!!!

Wow!
 

You look like you not only lost a lot of extra weight but also 10 years! In your before photos I would have guessed you were around 35 or so. In your after photos I'd guess 25. I have no idea of your actual age but the new you looks as youthful as you feel. Congratulations. That's a great accomplishment.

wow libby, wow......what more can I say, wowwwww, lol :) You look great! One hot tamale, congratulations on your accomplishment :) Libby, Im sure you do many various workouts, but are there certain ones you would recommend for dwindling down the waistline? and lower abs

to the ladies who said, newbies, take measurements!!!!!!!!! lol thank youuuuuuuu. I have been here 1 month now, lost 9 lbs and went down a pant size but i have taken no measurements and already wish I had! I know that those times of the scale not showing my progress are going to come my way and I will be in big trouble if I rely on the scale only. so thank you, thank you for the reminder to get my butt in gear and measure!

Libby ty for sharing with us, your truly are an inspiration :)

Originally Posted by FullSteamAhead:
wow libby, wow......what more can I say, wowwwww, lol :) You look great! One hot tamale, congratulations on your accomplishment :) Libby, Im sure you do many various workouts, but are there certain ones you would recommend for dwindling down the waistline? and lower abs

Thank you for the compliments. You are very kind. As far as ab work goes, that is a place where I don't really tend to do much work. Reason being, when working out, whether it be strength training or cardio, I tend to hold my tummy as tight as possible throughout the whole process. And even when I'm not working out, I hold my tummy as I walk, while sitting at my desk at work, in bed at night, driving to work. Generally I keep my tummy as tight as possible. It might sound too good to be true, but, believe me it works. If I had to do crunches or sit ups, I'd be doomed! :)

Libby, how exactly did you lose all this weight, i mean, what kinds of foods did you eat, and what excercise did you do in the beginning to get the ball rolling, so to speak? And exactly how long did it take you to lose?

PS... You look awesome! I'm starting at about the same place as you were when you started. I cannot wait to look as good as that! Hoping for a few pointers.... Thanks in advance...

This is making me very glad I took my measurements a couple days after I started my dieting!

I'm taking them in monthly intervals. Should be interesting. Right now I'm very happy with how I'm doing! And YOU are doing an amazing job!

Originally Posted by cajungal328:
Libby, how exactly did you lose all this weight, i mean, what kinds of foods did you eat, and what excercise did you do in the beginning to get the ball rolling, so to speak? And exactly how long did it take you to lose?

PS... You look awesome! I'm starting at about the same place as you were when you started. I cannot wait to look as good as that! Hoping for a few pointers.... Thanks in advance...

I follow the food pyramid. I eat lean protein, 4-6 servings of whole grains, and 2-3 servings of fruits and 3-4 servings of vegetables. I also get 3 servings of low fat dairy. I also journal my food and activity.

I changed my lifestyle 17 months ago. After a year I lost 63 lbs. I took my time and in my mind did what I needed to do and something I could do for life. I eat basically all of the same stuff I ate when I was obese and over weight, I just eat them in moderation and the healthiest versions of foods. For instance, I love pizza and I do have an occasional piece of full fat pizza. But if I wanted it say once a week, I would use a whole wheat crust, 2% cheese and turkey pepperoni. I do cardio 4 - 5 times per week and strength training 3 times a week. To date I have lost 77 lbs and have another 2 to go. I will be 125 lbs when I reach my goal weight. At 5' 1" I am at the high end of my "healthy weight range". Not worried about it.

My best advice for you would be to do what you need to be the healthiest you can. When you put health at the heart of your diet and exercise routine, you can't fail. When I plan a meal or pack my lunch or make my breakfast, I think, do I have a serving of fruit and vegetable, low fat dairy grain and a protein. That is now instilled in my being to the point that my body knows when I'm lacking something. Moderation is a big factor, but you'd be surprised how far you can stretch calories. I consume between 1400 and 1650 calories a day. I am preparing myself for maintenance. At first I consumed between 1200 and 1500 a day. I made sure my fat didn't exceed 30% of my total caloric intake. I consume about 40% carbs and another 30% protein. Saturated fat should be 10% or less. I am an avid label reader. I avoid high fructose corn syrup, partially and fully hydrogenated oils and MSG. I also make sure my sodium doesn't exceed 3000 mg a day. 2300 mg wasn't high enough for most of my foods, so I was usually exceeding it by a couple of hundred mgs. So I raised it to 3000 and I usually stay below 2500. I drink a lot of water. In fact, it's my drink of choice. Water with lemon. Hot or iced tea with lemon. If I want to sweeten coffee or tea, I use SUGAR, just a little bit. I don't do artificial. I am probably about 40% organic in my food selections. Can't afford 100% yet... But I'm getting there. The more "WHOLE" the food, the better in my opinion.

Well there you go...hope I answered all of your questions. I didn't start off doing all of this stuff from day one. I progressively evolved into what I am today. :) One of the best decisions I ever made. Check out my blog. The link is below. You will see how far I've come. :)

Good luck to you.

WOW! you look great! You are my inspiration! congrats!!!!!

:D

WOW, You look great! I loved seeing your pics too. I as reading you story on your MySPace (btw I friended you) it was very encouraging.

Looking forward to learning a lot from you ladies!!