One year ago...
 

I joined the gym (August 4, 2010 actually) and – for the first time in my life – I didn’t quit. I have been using my membership for the past year solidly.

I started out going three times a week and my choice class was a swimming pool circuit: 15 minutes of gymnastics, 15 minutes of trampoline and 15 minutes of spinning. On December 14th, I started a diet with a doctor (no medication, she doesn’t like that. We meet to take measurements, talk about the diet and get blood work done every three to six months to keep me in check).

I kept this exercise routine until the beginning of April when I got a full membership and upped my exercise with an additional two days of treadmill. Until the end of May, my exercise routine consisted basically of cardio.

Then, at the begging of June, I started going six times a week and traded my treadmill only days for a mix of cardio (treadmill and elliptical) and a weight training circuit. So now I do the water gymnastics class 3 times a week, and weight training the other 3 days of the week (Gym is closed on Sundays and so am I).

When I started going to the gym, I had already lost 19 lb in a little under a year. Since joining, I have lost an additional 46 lbs. 46 lbs in one year. That’s a lot! Granted, it’s not as much as I wanted to lose but it’s still a considerable amount.

Right now, I’m at my most annoying plateau and I’m getting completely unmotivated. I decided to make this post to remind myself I already won one battle: I haven’t given up. For the first time in my life, I haven’t given up and I’m not going to. This may take longer than it does for other people, but I’m doing this however slow it goes.

This forum has been fundamental in the process. I just want to thank all of you.

As soon as I have my camera back, I’ll post pics (before and after) on this thread.
xoxo

Awesome progress! Can't wait to see your pics! :)

Your an inspiration! I'd like to lose 50-60 pounds max. And hearing your story has reminded me of how important I am!

Thanks!

I always enjoy your posts in the 100 pound thread, so I jumped here to see what you posted. Be very proud of the fact that you haven't given up. It seems to me that we get stuck at certain points along the journey. I'm a little bit stuck at 176 right now. This is the first week since January that I didn't show at least some loss. It's very frustrating, but there are lots of frustrating things in life and we just get past them.

I love your attitude and I know you'll succeed in reaching your goal. Keep up the great work and just keep on going. Determination will pull you through.

Lin

Congratulations on sticking with it through thick and thin! :D What an amazing accomplishment to be steadily exercising and eating healthier :broc:

Wow, that's amazing! And hey - you're already more than halfway there! :D Great job, and keep up the wonderful work!

You're awesome!! I don't know you but I'm so proud of you. That's a huge accomplishment. I'm just like you, I'm great at starting but not so good and sticking with things. Keep going, you're an inspiration!

p.s. losing weight slowly (especially if you're doing weights) will mean that you're body is gonna be extra bangin' when you get to goal!

You are amazing!!!
:trampo:

That's terrific! I'll bet you are buff! Congratulations!!!

Oh my God, thank you so much for the response! This is amazing and just another reminder I should not give up!

peace4me, pics are coming today! :D

MxThickMiddle, Yes, you are very important! That's something none of us should forget. ;)

Lin, thank you so much! Determination tends to recoil when we're stuck but no doubt this is just another phase.

Lovely, thank you!

kaleidoscopic, yay for more than half way! I see you're not far from your goal, congrats!

alleisarang, thank you so much! Even if we don't know each other, that means a lot to hear. :D

Jenn, thank you!

yoyoma, not buff yet but maybe soon? Thanks! :D


So I took comparative pics. I decided for the first batch, I'd show my clothes from last year "fit" this year.
These were my favorite jeans last year. You can see they fit just right, almost a little tight.
http://i683.photobucket.com/albums/v...s/DSC01210.jpg
http://i683.photobucket.com/albums/v...s/DSCN5002.jpg

And then today...
http://i683.photobucket.com/albums/v...C03063_peq.jpg
http://i683.photobucket.com/albums/v...C03066_peq.jpg

whoo hoo!!! That is so awesome and totally inspiring! You look fantastic and your super cute too :)

Last night I was feeling a bit disheartened that my weight lost is not as much as I had hoped for entering my 5th mon but your post has reminded me to focus on the positive changes in my life and that it is about the journey more so then the end result. Thanks for that.

Oh and huge congrats on going to your gym solid for a year :carrot: as someone that has a hard time sticking with stuff I know what a huge success that is!

Wow, that's amazing! You've done incredible, congrats! And you look GREAT!

I am very impressed with you sticking to it for 1 year. That's one of my goals, to stick with exercising and dieting for 1 year. I am 3 months in and you are an inspiration to me. Thank you for sharing your success and letting us newbies know it can be done.

Thaisccs - Boy - nothing like being able to look completely down your pants to make you feel great! LOL Your photos are wonderful. No stomach in the way, big pants, yippee! Keep it up!

Lin

Congratulations! You look great in your pictures!

wow amazing!!!! you look great! greeat! job!

Oh my God!! You look amazing!! Don't worry about the plateau - you'll get through it!! Great work - you are an inspiration!!

I just want to congratulate you on awesome success! That is great that you have been consistent at the gym, and to lose 46lbs in one year is fantastic!

That is really, really awesome work!! Keep it up! You are doing incredibly awesome!!
:carrot: :carrot:

WOW girl you are doing AMAZING!!!! You are totally transforming. I know your plateauing right now but don't give up look how far you've come you've only got one place to go and that's DOWN, I'm sure you will get that scale movin' soon. You look great! Gosh those jeans are sooooo big on you now! You could put on a pair of boxers with a gaudy belt and be a "homey G" HAHA just kidding!

Yay! This thread is giving me so much. Thanks everyone, this is truly lovely!

butterflymama, I'm glad you're focusing on you and I'm happy I could be a part of that!

devnet, Lin, runningfromfat, Jessica, EagleRiverDee, tdiprincess: Thank you so much for the support!

Madame Souza, Thank you! if you ever need encouragement and there's anything I can do to help you, just shoot me a PM! :)

TammyG, plateau :mad: hahahah But yeah, I'm sticking with this! ;) Thanks!

InsideMe, Thank you! And I've thought about doing that just for kicks but I don't think I can pull off that style! Hahahahaha!

Maybe, if I ever get to 75lbs lost, I'll open up a mini goal album! :D

thaisccs ~ Girl, you are doing great!! :hug: I love your before and after pictures...you have definitely lost a lot! Keep up the great work...you can do this! :cheer:

As someone else said, you ARE incredible. You must be in great physical condition. Even though you're stuck right now, seriously- reread what you wrote! You're working harder than most people. And it WILL pay off, and it HAS already.


Keep on keeping on! So impressed.

WOW! Great job! I loved your before and afters with your jeans! What a difference a year can make!

Hi! I'm new here and reading your post has made me really emotional - I'm at the same kind of plateau at the moment, and I know that I can do this, because I have the tools and the knowledge, and yet nothing is moving forward (or down on the scale).

I understand how frustrating it can be... but reading this thread has reminded me that the most important is: Don't give up!

Yay, this thread has awesome responses!

Let me thank Emme, Unthinkables, Kelly and chouette for the support as well as everybody else! <3
This means the world to me and it has been what keeps me going!

You look amazing!
 

Wow, I'm impressed and inspired. Not just with the weight loss, which is phenomenal, but with the commitment to the gym. I bet you are able to do so many more physical things than you were able to do before--I bet you're much more flexible, I bet you have a ton of stamina and don't get winded, I bet you are much more coordinated. That must feel amazing. Congratulations!

Bumping my old thread cause I don't feel like making a new one yet.

The sad note in this is that I'm still stuck in 170 - 175 lbs. I can't seem to break through this.

The good notes are:
1-) I bought a new pairs of jeans: size 12. After about a year of 14, I am now a size 12.

2-) I signed up for another year at the gym. Signed the contract and all, until April 2013.

3-) I'm getting even more serious about my workouts. I go for about 1 hour 40 to 2 hours at the gym every day - not because I feel I have to, but because I like it. I'm still weight training, still in the swimming pool circuit and now I'm actually swimming.

Progress shots?
This is me, in 2008:
http://i683.photobucket.com/albums/v...raslia2008.jpg

And this is me yesterday:
http://i683.photobucket.com/albums/v...430-133041.jpg

thaisccs you look awesome! I'm sure you are alot healthier than you were this time last year. Keep at it and the pounds are sure to come off.

Congratulations! I love your story as well!!!

Thanks, lovelies!! :)

You have a fantastic hourglass figure! Keep it up!

GOOD FOR YOU!!! Great job! You must be so proud of yourself. I have to tell you that this has been very inspiring for me, as we re almost the same height and we began at almost the same weight... I can actually SEE what can be accomplished with determination!

WOW, you have done an AMAZING job.......don't lose sight of that, no matter how long it took!! And look at how little your waist is!!! Revel in the awesome feeling of being a size smaller and enjoy that success. Your body will start losing again, sometimes it just takes a little pause on us to test us!

It sounds like you're doing the right things by mixing it up at the gym and being consistent in your activities. Like you, I've found that doing things I enjoy at the gym ensures I keep going back!

Good luck! I look forward to hearing you are in a size 10 jeans!!

Thanks, rainydays! I was kind of surprised to see a shape at all! :D

Elaine, thank you. It's amazing to help motivate someone because I've been so unmotivated myself. If you ever need support, feel free to contact ;)

Gabby, you're right. Every so often, the body does what it does. I haven't weighed myself in a few days (trying to break the cycle of dependency on the scale) but I've started to hear "you look thinner" again. I hadn't heard it in such a long time! Also, good on enjoying the gym. Doing something we enjoy is always better for our mental health.

Thank you for the response, everyone. :D