I Have Lost 90 Pounds! My Weight Loss Success Story.
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SM 12.12.07 @ 17:59
I wanted to share “my weight loss success story”. Hopefully it is encouraging to you!
How Did I Lose 90 Pounds? The #1 question I am asked is, “How did you do it? I mean, what plan did you use?” The plan I used was Weight Watchers. There is no secret fabulous weight loss trick to losing 90 pounds but I wish there was. The real answer though involves all of the fun stuff: personal determination, willpower and lots of hard work, even deprivation sometimes. You have to do it for you and that is what it boils down to. I think the answer people are looking for, getting back to the #1 question I am asked, is an answer that will be a more perfect fit for them. I have rarely gotten a response after answering it that I expect. Each person has to find their own answer and they have to find it their way. Maybe each person has to really know what they are looking for first. I know this though; you really have to be ready. No one can make you want to lose weight. When people are asking me that question, they really ask the question because they want to know how they can lose weight. Do you understand? So, “How did I lose 90 pounds?” I wanted to lose it, for myself and I stuck with it even when it was really hard, through everything.
How Long It Took To Loose The Weight: I lost 90 pounds over about 14 months’ time and with a lot of hard work and personal determination. Of course, I had much support and help from my wonderful family and friends!
Why I Chose Weight Watchers: Weight Watchers has been around a long time and I think, personally, that is because it works. Their plan is nice in that it encourages support by attending voluntary, light topic sessions where you can even bring a friend if you want. It is not intimidating, no one reveals anything, it is light-hearted and you feel like someone. I used the word ‘voluntary’ because a member is not required to participate, just be encouraged and learn new things or recipes.
Men are there too: I liked seeing men Weight Watchers, that was cool. In fact, when I reached my goal weight I was really motivated by the men saying I should stand up and say a few words. They were funny and cool but they really cared what I had to say and they were not ashamed to speak up like us women can be sometimes. I wanted to speak up to help newcomers along in their journey; some were just starting out and maybe I could help by just saying one little thing.
They taught me how to eat right: It sounds easy – eating right. I thought I already ate right, for the most part. But truly eating properly involves several things (I am sure this is widely debated) but basically it is quite simple and WW does not charge a bunch of money to show you the ropes.
In A Nutshell: Their plan is not terribly expensive. The way I see it – you will have to spend some money to lose weight – almost everyone will. I had a strong reserve of willpower while losing my weight; and if you can lose weight with willpower above and beyond spending money, even the $9.99 per month that I spent, more power to ya, really!
A Little About Me: Stats My height is five feet ten inches, and I went from 235 pounds to 145 pounds. This was a gradual weight loss; at the rate of 1 to 1-1/2 and sometimes 2 pounds lost per week. I did no exercise. I could not exercise because increasing my heart rate makes my daily chronic headaches pound much worse. So I just ate less every day! (I am still working with my neurologists, specialists at Emory, etc. with my headaches but I have started using the elliptical machine and it really helps tone the flab).
Why I Really Wanted To Lose The Weight: I needed to lose the weight because I had leftover baby fat (not my baby fat, reserves from having children and never losing the weight), plus low self-esteem and a sedentary lifestyle. I had a thyroid test and no problems metabolically and there was no risk with starting a diet. Plus I have two diabetic parents and I’ve experienced a pregnancy with gestational diabetes. I had enough reasons to want to lose the weight. I had needs to lose weight; wants, that may be another thing. We can all make excuses, can’t we? But we all know what we need to do – doing it can be quite another thing. Keeping the weight off can be yet another task.
The Beginning: At first it was hard because my stomach had to shrink on its own. But once I got over some hurdles, I was on my way. This has made me feel better about myself and decreased my chances of diabetes, cancer and heart disease (the number one killer of women).
My Determination Now: That weight WILL stay off because I lost it over time and changed my eating habits to healthier ones. My family always helps me stay determined, as well as my love for my God, who has provided everything good.
The Benefits: I feel better about myself, it is really true. My health is better: the chances of diabetes, heart disease (the #1 killer of women – largely unknown) and possibly cancer are reduced. Plus, I now have more energy to work out and play with my kids. My bones, arteries and heart have to be in better shape, right? Whoo hoo! Plus, this hasn’t touched the fact that my confidence level has boosted My whole family benefited and I had a support system at Weight Watchers. There is no special food you have to buy – just watch what you eat and how much and you can lose weight the good old fashioned way.
The Key For Me: Remembering a few points is important and I keep these with me constantly. But my #1 is moderation. It is simple and true. Moderation is an old fashioned thing for most Americans nowadays, but it sure has worked for me. I do not feel as though I have missed out on anything!
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SM 12.12.07 @ 17:59
Updated SM 2.15.08 @ 11:45
reflections 
Congratulations! Any tips for those of us just starting out on our weight loss journey?
Hi, thanks for asking about my weight loss tips.
– I would say to be realistic of your expectations would be one thing.
– Give yourself time. So many times during my ‘journey’ I wanted to hurry up and lose weight. But it should be the reverse. It is easy to say and hard to do but the best thing is to give time for your body to catch up to changes.
– Reward yourself along the way! Choose a healthy treat or a new outfit that you have had your eye on or even a weekend trip or something nice. It gives you something to look forward to.
– I have fallen back so many times so I would say don’t be hard on yourself if you fail. If you mess up one day, get better for the rest of it. Or start fresh tomorrow! Or you can work out, if you can do that, and you want to make up for something. Then you don’t feel like a failure.
– Don’t let family or friends or those who say things to you get under your skin. People are great motivators, but sometimes they say things that come across as sabotage to your weight loss efforts. Sometimes they say, “Just try one bite, it won’t hurt you” or something similar. Stick to your weight management program and keep a positive attitude about what people might say, one way or the other.
– You are doing this for you, no one else. If you cheat, you are only cheating yourself.
– The first taste of something is the same as the fifth, the tenth, and so on. In other words, it tastes just as good to have a little as any more would taste. So I tried not to go overboard and remember, the yummy won’t get any yummier if I eat more of it.
– Prepare in advance to succeed. This means having good items to snack on that are quick to grab. I learned from Rachel Ray that she says to buy produce but then cut it up and wash it right away. You can also pre-package smaller items for snacks or when you are on the go.
– Eat protein if you are going to work out. A small amount of chicken or tuna or even some cheese, if you can eat these things, is great before a workout to maintain stamina and avoid the shakes.
– Eating out can sometimes mean eating too much without intending to. I plan ahead by asking for a to-go box early on in the meal and then I can stop myself and maintain better portion control for me.
I might add to this at some point but this is it so far. I appreciate you asking and I hope I can help if at all possible! Keep up the good work!
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congratulations!
Congratulations! I just started on my journey to a healthier body, and reading your success story helps my motivation, and hopefully I’ll be able to write my own story too. In fact, I think I will write a blog every two weeks on my success so far. Thank you for sharing! Please read my 1st blog on March 27th, 2010. 🙂
Congrats on your success. I just started my low-carb eating plan last week after regaining 30 lbs through my stressful semester at school. You’re an inspiration.