Absolutely amazing! Congratulations on the weight loss! I'm sure we would all appreciate your story and words of advise. Thanks for the pictures and the inspiration for me to keep going!

My story? I took a year to lose 100 pounds averaging 1200-1400 calories a week. I wasn't exercising much - just a couple 1/2 hour walks a day. That was 2003. Then I slowly gained back 15 pounds. Last summer I started using the gym membership I had already paid for a year on. (I get a REALLY good deal from work) I was attempting to learn about weight training when I bought the book Winning by Losing by Jillian Michaels - the female trainer from Biggest Loser. I started her 12 week plan of workouts last August. I also altered how I ate to monitor my calories as a percentage - 40% carbs, 30% fat & 30% protein...basically I just cut back on carbs and added more protein. Since then I have gone through the 12 weeks of circuits a couple times (4 days a week of weight training circuits, 1 day pure cardio - keeping my heart rate ), now I am making my own workouts. I have come a long way in terms of being so much more toned. I still have a ways to go - but I lost the 15 gained plus an extra pound...

Tips? Log what you eat....I use Fitday (it's not perfect but it's free!). Exercise, exercise, exercise. I wish I had started working out earlier - I had a lot of loose skin. Even if it's just brisk walk every day - make a habit of it. Patience is also a good thing...I figure I will have to eat like this the rest of my life - I may as well not be in a great big hurry to get the last pounds off. Enjoy the journey! It's your life - ya may as well have a good one.

OH Thank God I can finally put a comment on this post. wow--I was too chicken to add anything on this thread because I swear I didn't know which one was you BEFORE. I feel so dumb, but NONE of them look anything like you do now. I kind of FIGURED it wasn't the first lady in the picture , but the other three look much older than you do (from your avatar pic)..

Now that it is printed in big black letters in elementary language that even I can understand (Duh, blonde!) I can honestly say, you look really great. I think you and I have a lot of similarities in where we carry (well, where YOUcarried) the weight....I can wear a small or a medium in a top, but God, these thighs.

I can't wait til I can sport my black leather vest again as well as you do!

Wow. Lady, you look H-O-T!

Love that signature!!! And thanks for the kind words everyone!!

Wow~! What a great accomplishment! WTG!

Hot DOG!!!!

You are looking great sweetie! So young! If it had not said I didnt know which one you were either! Keep up the great work!!

You look awesome! Your pics are inspirational! You look beautiful!! Thanks for the tips and words of wisdom!

Wow!! You are such an inspiration!!

Time for some updated photos....working out has been good for me. I haven't lost much in the way of pounds, but the lose skin is slowly tightening up and my pants from last year are loose. I was wearing 12's and 14's in the 2006 photos, in 2007 I'm in 8/10. Well.. sometimes 12. Sizes are wierd.

Well....the web app I used to load these pics to seems to have died. Here's a link to my yahoo photo album.

Cool, chickie! You're fabulous!

Love the yellow car.

Jay

That was a Car Show in Stockton.....not mine, unfortunately. Someday DH will finish his 65 Mercedes fintail. Then I'll post a cool car that is mine.