i had about a year where i was busting it with food and gym, adn i lost average ONE HALF pound per week!!!:((( it was 17 pounds for the entire year:( but i knew i couldnt quit. and i stumbled on to some weights classes and that's when my body started to change.

Originally Posted by blueice10:
Oh and Sandy your skeleton is creeping me out a little.:dizzy: though that is probably the idea. hehehe

LOL...yeah, she exercised TOO much and got way too skinny. Don't go to that extreme. :D

It's taken me 7 years to lose the 93 lbs I've lost so far. The first 8-12 months I lost 20 lbs without trying (a result of sleep apnea treatment, and the first time I ever lost weight without trying. I didn't weigh myself at all druing that time, I just found out when I had my first checkup after being given the cpap machine. My doctors said it could happen, but I thought they were nuts).

I decided to only make healthy changes that I was willing to commit to indefinitely even if they resulted in zero weight loss - and for the first two years that's what I got, zero weight loss (but I maintained the 20 lbs loss, which actually was something I had never done in 30 years of dieting. I always was either rapidly gaining or rapidly losing, or maintaining my highest weight. I'd never lost weight and maintained it before.

When I did start losing, it was really slow, and I complained to my husband, "at this rate, it will be ten years before I get the weight off, and my husband said "and if you quit, how much will you weigh in ten years?"

And when I griped to my doctor that I was only losing one pound per month, and that I should be losing "at least 2 lbs a week like a normal person," my doctor reminded me that normal people don't lose 2 lbs a week. Normal people lose nothing or gain, because they give up. Just by not giving up, I would be at the head of the pack, not in last place where I felt I was.

The only thing I really gave up, was giving up. I vowed that I would put weight maintenance above everything else, including weight loss. It's made it much harder to decide that I've "blown it," and might as well go off my diet in a big way. By reminding myself that every pound counts, I still make lots of mistakes, but I've stopped turning little mistakes into huge ones.

I've decided that weight loss is like climbing a mountain, and if you slip and stumble, throwing yourself off the mountain so you can start fresh tomorrow or Monday, wouldn't make sense. So I don't do it with dieting and exercise either. A mistake is just a mistake, I brush myself off and keep moving in the direction I'm headed. I may be often be crawling or even stopping to rest now and again, but I'm always facing the right direction, and at least holding my ground.

It may take ten years to get all the weight off, it may take twenty, it's even possible that I may never get it all off - but even so every pound counts. There's been so much I've gained in health, stamina and pain relief that even if I never lose another pound, it wouldn't justify giving up. All the progress I've made so far, is worth keeping even if I never make any further progress. I'd rather stay at 301 forever, than regain even a single pound (although boy am I anxious to get under 300 lbs. I haven't been under 300 lbs in almost 20 years, and even then I only managed it for a few months).

Originally Posted by kaplods:
I've decided that weight loss is like climbing a mountain, and if you slip and stumble, throwing yourself off the mountain so you can start fresh tomorrow or Monday, wouldn't make sense. So I don't do it with dieting and exercise either. A mistake is just a mistake, I brush myself off and keep moving in the direction I'm headed. I may be often be crawling or even stopping to rest now and again, but I'm always facing the right direction, and at least holding my ground

Beautiful words - you're persistence and dedication is really inspiring :)

Originally Posted by kaplods:

I've decided that weight loss is like climbing a mountain, and if you slip and stumble, throwing yourself off the mountain so you can start fresh tomorrow or Monday, wouldn't make sense. So I don't do it with dieting and exercise either. A mistake is just a mistake, I brush myself off and keep moving in the direction I'm headed. I may be often be crawling or even stopping to rest now and again, but I'm always facing the right direction, and at least holding my ground.

YES!
You know, kap, sometimes you just say the "right perfect thing" at the "right perfect time" that I need to hear it. And DOUBLE QUADRUPLE YAY for your 94 lb loss! I'm so happy & excited for you!!! :congrat:

Kaplods and everyone else THANK YOU!!
Kaplods thank you! You are right and congratulations on your persistence and achievement! You are doing so awesome! I can only hope that I can emulate you. I just don't want to be 46 before I look good again. It's the vain me talking on that one. I love the idea of the health that working out gives me but I want to look like I did at 30, HOT! Or at least I thought so. No guys noticed me but I thought I looked great! HOT in fact. I still remember turning while changing clothes and seeing myself naked in the mirror and the first word that popped into my mind was I'm hot. Then I admired myself for a minute thinking how grand I looked. I do not look anything like that now and truthfully even if I lost all this weight I would not look that way again but it would be nice if I did, which I won't.
Anyhow it's just the vain part of me complaining. I love to exercise, who knew? I would even like to start running, if I could find a sports bra that worked the one I have now is no help. If I double up bras it helps some but they still bounce. I wear a 42G or something along those lines. I was a 44I so they are shrinking just not enough to find a bra that works:(
But back to the subject at hand. I will try to have your attitude Kaplods. It certainly can't hurt to think like you. Thank you yet again.
And everyone else thank you for responding! I appreciate all thoughts and suggestions. Thank you!
:hug::hug:

Thank you diegroblers!

BLue: I can really understand the frustration. I don't lose easily or quickly. But I did lose. I haven't lost anything in the last year. BUT, I have maintained. And that is a victory in itself. Maintaining a lower weight is better than gaining, thats for sure. SO don't sell yourself short, losing weight or maintaining, with the meds you are on, you are doing great.

Have you tried this brand of sports bra?

http://enell.com/

This bra isn't quite in your size yet (you're measuring your band size as your underbust, right?) but it works really well for me and I'm probably something like a 32H at the moment (it's not even the exact right fit since I've lost more weight since buying it). The largest is goes to is a 38FF (equivalent to a 38H in the US) but I thought I would mention it since it's worked really well for me.

FWIW, I've lost ~2lbs/month for awhile now. Occasionally, I'll get a whoosh but for this whole year (since Jan.) I've only lost 15-20lbs. It's slow going but as long as I keep it up I keep going in the right direction and that matters more to me than anything else. Think about it this way, if you keep this up for a year you'll be at Onderland! 12lbs can already make a HUGE difference in how you feel about your appearance.

Also, if you're lifting (and even without the best bra in the world that's not too hard), your appearance is going to change a lot more for those pounds lost than without. ;)

I think it's really commendable that you came back. It took me a long time to realize that slow and steady wins the race but it can and does.

I suggest you to up your intake, it seems low for someone 200+ pounds; maybe your body feel like starving. And try intervals walking/jogging :) Good luck!

Try to remember, too, that you will feel and look better on the way down - not only when you get to goal. The benefits don't just kick in once you hit that magic number, they present themselves all along the journey!

Good luck, keep on keepin' on!

Enell does take custom orders, FWIW. I LOVE my Enell!