Hi there! I am the 33 year old mom of 3 great kids.... they are 10 (boy), 7 and nearly 3 (girls). This board was recommended to me by a friend. It's neat!

As of today, I have lost 91 lbs over the past 5.5 years. It has been a very long process, and I still have 4 lbs to go (!!), but I have to tell you that the results and my changed life are worth every bit of effort. Heck, I even had a pregnancy in the middle of this whole weight loss process.

Today I had my body fat tested. I am at 17%! When I started, I was at 37% and weighed 235 lbs (I am 5'9"). I even am wearing size 6 jeans. Really REALLY unbelievable. Thanks for reading aboout it, it's good to have a place to talk about it, as well.

What started me on this whole process was a simple comment my YOUNGER brother made to me one summer afternoon, as I was cooking dinner for my family. He said, "Do you know how UNhealthy it is for you to be so heavy?". He was just concerned, but it was sooooo embarassing for my younger brother to have been the one to point this out to me. Let me just pause at this point and tell you that I was raised in an extremely loving and supportive home. My dad never let a day go by without telling his girls how smart and how pretty we were.... so self esteem has never really been an issue. Even when I was very overweight, it wasn't a big deal to me. I had/have a husband who loves me, and who never said a word about my weight.

So anyhow, the comment from my brother was awful.... that couple with a few other things that happened (regarding my weight) in the same week, spurred me into action. I began walking every night after dinner, about 3 miles. I cut back the fat in my diet to 30g or less per day, and a caloric intake of 1200-1500. Well. In the first week I lost 5 lbs and was THRILLED with myself! I couldn't believe it, actually. So I kept it up and in the first month, lost 20 lbs.

Soon fall/winter was approaching, and I realized that I needed to move my exercising indoors, as we have cold/snowy winters here (bad for walking). And I was so excited about my progress, I couldn't imagine giving up.... so my younger sister had been urging me for a while to try Jazzercise. I thought it sounded really dorky. But I gave it a try. From the very first class, I was so hooked! What fun! AND I was exercising and burning calories.

Over the next 1.5 years, I lost 75 lbs. WOW! I felt like such a new person, it was fantastic! I kept up the Jazzercise classes daily, and added in weight training classes, as well (Jazzercise has weight training formats). I also did step classes whenever possible. Then.... a major setback... I became pregnant with our 3rd baby, while we were away for our 10th anniversary trip. It was so wonderful to be able to wear a bikini on that trip, by the way.

So.... she was unplanned but we gradually became accustomed to the fact that we were having a baby, and I kept up my daily classes.... unfortunately I did gain 50 lbs during the pregnancy, despite that.

Since her birth, I have lost the 50 lbs that I gained with her, plus another 16 lbs on top of that. And I did it all through a combination of careful eating and daily rigorous Jazzercise classes. I have a lot more to share and plenty of tips, but my fingers are growing tired, and if you would like to have any more info, just let me know!

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All of God's best blessings to you....

All right, Shana! You go girl!

I LOVED Jazzercise and was very active in the program for about four years, but unfortunately my busy schedule made it impossible for me to get to class on time! So now I belong to a 24-hour gym and also do cycling. Have you been to a Jazzercise convention yet? I went to the one in Las Vegas, 1991 - it was so much fun, and I got to meet Cathy Guisewite and Judi Sheppard Missett!

It's great when people who lose weight and are able to maintain a loss (most important!) post here -- right now I'm 14 pounds away from my goal of 145 (I've been there before but kind of 'fell off the wagon' after I started my new job - lots of food...but have lost four pounds since the beginning of January -- want to get back into my size 8's again!). Welcome!

MrsJim
265/159/145

Thanks for the welcome, MrsJim! Ahhhh... I am pretty sure I would go nuts without the Jazzercise schedule I keep!

I haven't been to a convention series yet, but I sure would like to do that! I have a wonderful, fantastic instructor who is so super motivating, and one of the main reasons I stuck with it for so long.... she just pushes us really hard and it works! The center that I go to actually has 27 classes/week, so it isn't hard to get to one at a time that is right for me (luckily!).

Hey, 145 was/is my goal weight, too ) And just keep up the hard work... eventually it DOES come off. I am living proof.



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All of God's best blessings to you....

Hi ShanaRed -

What a wonderful story - I'm excited to hear you did so well! You were about the same size as I am now... my basic stats:

Height 5'10"
Started 234 - November 2000
Current 224 - February 2001

I've been gaining weight gradually, over 10 years, but really had a big jump when I was pregnant - was about 190 lbs, gave birth at 225, and after 18 months of trying to lose the "baby weight" I gained another 9 lbs!!

Are you small boned? I have never worn size 6 jeans - smallest was size 10 when I was 16 and weighed about 135.

Also, how did you get so motivated to exercise? Our weather is pretty good year round, but I can't get myself to get out there and do it!! I think I'm just lazy, do you have any "kick in the pants" advice?

You are a true inspiration - thanks for sharing you story!!

MrsJim - every time I see your stats I am impressed! I can't wait to hear that you've made your goal - you have inspired many on this website! Keep up the great progress!

Roo

My goodness! I would like to let you know how inspiring your story is to me. I actually had to fight tears. It is truly people such as yourself that give me the motivation I need to keep going.

My story is short but here is why I value your story so much: I was rail thin growing up, actually my mom used to call me a twig. I always felt I was too thin until I reached puberty and gained tons of weight and stretch marks to go with it. I was at my heaviest in highschool pulling 197 lbs. I vowed to NEVER go above 200lbs and I never did by the grace of God. I am 5'6 and one half. Well, my first year out of my parent's house at 18 years old I lost 37lbs. I don't know HOW I did it, but it just fell off me. I weighed 160lbs. I felt good and looked good until I tried to join the U.S. Air Force. They told me I was 5lbs overweight and if I lost that weight I could get in. Well, I did EVERYTHING I could to lose that 5lbs, but I actually wound up gaining 10 trying to get it off! Soon I was feeling so deflated that I didn't care anymore and I kept eating and eating and eating. I went up to 180lbs when a friend told me about this diet where all you eat is cottage cheese and melba toast. I lost 10 pounds in one week! When I decided to get off the diet I gained back ALL of the weight I lost plus some. That brings me to today.I am 23 years old and I now weigh 195 pound and climbing. I am back to where I started 6 years ago in highschool.

Your story helps me to see the light at the end of this dark, cold tunnel. I KNOW I can lose. I just need the motivation from people like you and Mrs.Jim

Anyways, thanks for bringing me back on track.

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"A dollar for your thoughts" ~Marilyn Monroe

AWESOME, AWESOME, AWESOME, SHANA!!! A size 6 jeans???? What an inspiration!! I'm 5'8" and never been below a size 12 my whole life. Currently wearing an 18 (yuck) but on track again. I just assumed that anything below a 12 was out of my league because I am large boned (like my excuses??) Now, I see that I was wrong!! Thanks so much for SHARING!!!
(((HUGS)))

OK... just to answer a few questions! First of all, thank you SO MUCH for your sweet replies! I really have not done anything all that great, you ALL can do it, too. I just really have to urge patience with the process. Five and half years (and one pregnancy) is a long time to work and to wait, but the end result is so VERY worth it. So hang in there!

Regarding the jeans... I have just recently bought size 6s and they while they are not super loose on me, they are not skin tight, either. But they are a little snug, however, they look great so I am going with them 6s and throwing out the 8s!! This way I know that I won't start cheating and saying, "oh but I have some 8s in my closet, so no biggie if I gain 5 lbs". Yes! It IS a biggie!!

And I used to think I was "big boned" also, but now I know that I was just fat. My mom has a pretty small frame, which I was always jealous of, but now I do realize that mine is fairly small as well. OK, I still don't think of myself as "small" and probably never will, my frame is probably more average sized. I guess? Or maybe they are making size 6 jeans bigger than they used to (The 2 pairs I currently own are from Old Navy and Eddie Bauer)? Heck if I know! All I know is that they FIT!! )

Thanks again for the sweet welcomes.....

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All of God's best blessings to you....

"Also, how did you get so motivated to exercise? Our weather is pretty good year round, but I can't get myself to get out there and do it!! I think I'm just lazy, do you have any "kick in the pants" advice?"

I just wanted to answer you on this one, too... sorry I forgot in my earlier post! How I got so motivated to exercise.... I came to the realization that I was never going to have any lasting weight loss success without it. I love love LOVE Jazzercise, it is FUN and I have made so many sweet friends. I started to really ENJOY it and actually get what I call an endorphin "high" from it. But the most important one is/was my health -- it is just so vital to maintain a healthy weight, weight bearing exercise greatly reduces my risk of osteoporosis, disease of many types, there are just too many benefits to NOT do it. Also, I have worked really REALLY hard over the past 5 years and I continue to work so hard because if I don't, I figure that all of my hard work will have been wasted. So, it is a big combination of many things!



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All of God's best blessings to you....

Shana congratulations! You have done great. You sound like me with your kids. My two sons were 11 and 12 when I gave birth to our daughter. She was a big surprise, but well worth it!

I am two pounds away from goal and that seems to be the hardest to lose. Sometimes I get to the point where I get too complacent with being within a few pounds of goal. I know I can do it. I was 192 when my daughter was born. I am now 152.

I was carrying my daughter the other day across a parking lot. She weighs 33 lbs, which doesn't sound like a lot, but I was out of breath by the time we got to the car. I was thinking, this is just a little less than the weight that I have lost. We don't realize what a difference that weight makes on our bodies.

I love coming to the sites and reading the posts. It gives me that little push and motivation I need.

Keep up the great job!

Congrats!!! What a wonderful job.
I am a Jazzerciser, started in 1993 when the franchise came to our town. It is so much fun and movitating.
I think it is a great toning exercise, especially with the body sculpting classes. I am on a plateau though, ever since I started Jazz. I haven't lost anything just gained 1/2 lb.
I keep telling myself just "pure muscle"!!!

I too have never been below a size 12(size 7 in 5th grade) even at my fittest. I am a snow skier, since age 3 and a gymnast so I have built big legs that unfortunatly I think at 35 I am stuck with!!!

Keep up the great work and movitation for the rest of us.

By the way, when you started Jazz. did you hit a plateau??? Just wondering...

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"With God all things are possible"

Oh yes! I have hit several plateaus in this process. The first one came after nearly a year of Jazzercising, and in desperation I went to my Doc to see if he would prescribe a weight loss drug for me (he wouldn't!). But he did test my thyroid and we discovered that I have hypothyroidism, which basically means that my metabolism runs lower than normal. He prescribed a synthetic thyroid hormone for me, which I have to take every day for the rest of my life. That helped a little bit towards losing the weight again.

The other thing that has helped GREATLY and I really cannot emphasize it enough -- I increase my weights every 6 months or so, whenever they start to feel just a little bit easier. This applies to the wrap around leg weights also (although with your powerful legs, this may not be an issue!). Right now I am using 9 lb hand held weights (I just increased them last week) and I have 6 lbs in each of my wrap around leg weights. It really REALLY helps and the lean and muscular arm-look is kind of nice )

Good for all of you! I just love this board!
Anyway, I noticed in some of these posts that some you were unsure if you were small, average, or big boned. I just recently read on another site how to test that.
You take your thumb and middle finger from one hand, and wrap it around your other wrist. If your fingers touch very easily and overlap a bit, you are small boned. If your fingers just touch or barely touch, you are average boned. If your fingers do not touch at all, you are big boned.
I found out that I am average boned, which I pretty much already knew.
"Go to your DESTINY"
(-Oprah show)
Christy

ISLANDMAMA,

I too thought that was how you did the frame, using the middle finger-we were both wrong. This is how to measure:

To measure your frame size, put your thumb and index finger around your wrist. If your fingers overlap, click "small"; if your fingers touch, click "medium"; if your fingers do not touch, click "large."

I came to find out, I was a large frame-oh well, such is life!!!!