I lost 15 pounds in 2008, gave up diet soda, stopped putting sugar in my coffee, and committed to working out 4-5 days a week. I also gave up cafeteria lunches and starting brown bagging my lunch everyday.
to all of you who had success in the last year! I hope it will continue this year as well!!
I can only hope to be making a post like this, at this time next year!
And you will!
Looking back, I can say that it is the most difficult at the beginning.
Over time, you not only get used to the exercise and food limitations, you will actually crave exercise and you will become a food **** who wants only the healthy stuff. For example, yesterday at work, there were some leftovers from a meeting that had a catered lunch. Some cold cuts, lots of veggies and dips, a salad, buns and slices of bread, and VERY mayo-ey potato salad (like a tablespoon of mayo per potato). My colleagues chuckled when I put a pile of salad on my plate, carefully drizzled bits of dressing on it, then a pile of broccoli, 2 celery sticks (Ok, I did scoop with those a bit of egg salad) and three slices of turkey breast (cold cuts). Everybody else was grabbing the slices of WHITE bread or the buns, smearing generous amounts of butter on them and piling the cold cuts high, leaving the veggies mostly untouched (other than a truckload of the mayo-ey potato salad - that counts like veggies, riiiiiight???)
But that's ok, I am used to that, and it's not that those were malicious chuckles - just a friendly ones, to say "oh we know you are not going to eat THAT".
I started in June 2006 and since then have lost about 65 pounds. It seems that every 30 pounds or so I hit a killer plateau (six+ months) and struggle to break through it. I've had some backslides during those plateaus, but you know, I have never gained back more than five pounds. So I guess slow and steady weight loss really does help you keep it off long term! Who knew?
Anyway, I stopped taking the time to post and read here during my last plateau, which I just broke this week, finally (hallelujah), so I'm going to try to get back into the swing of talking about weight loss. I kept working out through my plateau, but my diet could have been better. Cleaning that up really helped.
I only mention my slooooow progress for the people who are just starting and have a harder time losing, while it seems like everyone else here is dropping it like it's hot. I know the feeling! But the truth is that if you stick to it, you'll get there, even if your body is more stubborn than others.
So for me, one year = ~30 pounds of weight loss. Not exactly lightning speed, there, but you know, I'll take it over the alternative.
Wow, all of these goal-reaching stories are so uplifting and motivational. Thank you so much all for sharing and a million congratualtions to all of you for your hard-earned success.
Wow...i feel so inspired reading all the great stories. I know i used to be an inspiring story to tell but not right now. But i feel so truely inspired by those who have reached their goals. My initial weightloss goal was 66 pounds. That was from 196-130. The first year i lost half of my goal, then gained back about 10-15 of it...then the 2nd year i lost that which i gained back plus another 30. I was within 3 pounds of my first weightloss goal...and then i just fell off track and ended up gaining back 20 pounds. So, for the year of 2008, i didn't lose anything, i gained 20 pounds. But next january...i will be a success story. I will reach my goal of 130 and hopefully surpass it into the 120's. And stay there!!!
Thank you all for posting your successes. I know that it can be done and I will do it. I want to challenge myself this year. I want to set up some excersize goals again and watch myself meet them and even succeed them. And i know if i put my mind to it again...I can do it!!!
I started my journey just this past September...I've lost 46lbs and gone from a size 24 to an 18. My current goal is just to hit ONEderland and we'll see from there. I've got 9 more lbs until I'm halfway there and thanks to inspiring threads like this I am quite sure I'll get there!!
Congrats on all the success stories and to those fighting the battle!!!
“but you know, I'll take it over the alternative.”
That is TOTALLY how I feel! The alternative for me is being broke ‘cuz I spend all my money on junk food, feeling like crap, deteriorating health, not being able to walk my dogs, a closet full of clothes I can’t fit into & being fatter than ever!
NO THANK YOU!
Even if I only lose what I did last year again this year, in 5 years that will be 100 pounds lost! Of course, I plan to lose much more, but still I know that it’s doable for me to lose & keep off at least 20 more b/c I did it in 2008!
to all of you who had success in the last year! I hope it will continue this year as well!!
