I haven't posted for awhile, but I just thought I'd pop in to say that I am successfully maintaining my weight loss for the first time in my life. It's been over 2 months and I have gotten into a very comfortable routine of eating the right foods and having a treat only once in awhile. I continued to lose past my goal weight and have leveled out at about 132. Some days are higher, some lower, but if I gain even a few pounds, I really watch for a few days and it comes back off.
Most of my fluctuation is water, not food related. I am eating just around 1,400-1,500 calories a day.....at least that's what it is when I check. I've never been a good food journaler....I've tried everything to make myself do it, but I just don't seem to have it in me to write down everything I eat. What I do, though, is to keep my food simple. I eat two meals of meat and vegetables, have a piece of fruit and something dairy, and I continue to eat Medifast supplements in between. I eat 6 times per day and don't snack. It's really easy to remember what I've had so far in a day because it's so simple. Once in a while, I add a piece of bread or other grain, but not often, because that stuff has always been a trigger for me. Once in a blue moon, I give myself a free meal or dessert, but I can count on one hand those occasions.
Don't be afraid of maintaining if you are willing to change your eating habits permenantly.....it's been a breeze so far.
Well, I did it. On December 1, 2006, that's 1 year, 1 month, and 15 days, I finally reached my goal! In fact, this morning, I weighed 133.....2 pounds beyond my goal. Today, I start adding foods back into my diet that I've been staying away from. I will not be adding sweets and starches, though......only for special occasions.
Ok, so to date, I've lost 137 pounds. In one more pound, I will have lost as much as I weigh! I look at my body and can't believe that I used to carry around another me! To think that I've lost a whole person, well, I just can't think on that too much because then I start looking at parts of my body and realizing that I've lost a whole foot, a whole hand, a whole boob, lol.....then, I start thinking too deep and realized I've lost half my brain.
Better to think of other things, lol. Thanksgiving is coming and we are taking the family to a very nice restaurant for a buffet dinner. I have decided that I will have my usual dinner of meat and vegetable, but I will add a few bites of anything that I want....a bit of stuffing, a bit of potato, maybe even a few bites of pumpkin pie. Then, since I'm not quite at my goal, I will be right back on program the second the dinner is over. I have debated about this, because I am a stubborn person and throughout my diet, I have not cheated even once. I was thinking of just treating Thanksgiving as any other day and sticking to my program, but I realize that it's really time for me to start dealing with these situations. What better time to face it than on a holiday where food is the focus. So I will eat what I think is very reasonably and move on........Thankful that I am now thin and that I can make good choices.
I had my 1 year anniversary on Medifast yesterday. I can't believe the time has gone so fast. Anyone who needs to lose alot of weight should take heart that when the decision is made, the time goes fast. Life goes by in the wink of an eye.
I'm 10 pounds from my goal this morning. No longer do I need to wonder if it's gonna happen. I can confidently say that I will reach my goal (bar getting hit by a train). My mind is adjusting to the reality that I am thin and will be thin. Last year at this time, I had little hope that it would ever be and while I was going through the year, I concentrated on just sticking to the program. I told myself daily that if I would just stick to the program, the weight would come off in it's own time. Guess what! It did!! And here I am in a new body.....a thin person who looks pretty good, if I do say so myself.
Started October 15, 2005 - Total lost to date: 131 lbs.
Well, this morning I woke up and bleary-eyed, scuffed my way to the bathroom. Did my usual routine then got on the scale and saw 149! 14 pounds to go. I've been on this diet for so long that it's hard for me to realize that I'm almost there. I'm still in the going strong mode and I think that part of the reason I've been so successful is that I haven't focused on my long-term goal. I've lost all of this weight by focusing on little goals. Now I have to change my thinking......it's such a strange feeling. But I know I can work it out in my mind. I find myself thinking more about transition and maintenance than before, so maybe my mind is just working it out and I don't need to worry about it.
Alot is happening here aside from my diet. We're moving our offices and my mind has been cluttered with floor plans and carpeting/painting samples. I wake up nights remembering something we forgot to consider.....it's always little, though, like where will we put our Fed-X stuff or where will the coffee pot go (A little thing, but very very important!), etc.
A friend of my son's (age 25) was killed last Saturday....he was hit by a car while he was crossing a street. His parents also lost a baby to crib death years ago. This kind of puts all of my little troubles into perspective......I mean.....I have my family, they're healthy, so what else really matters.
Big apology for not posting here, but I thought I should post this milestone. I have less than 20 pounds to go. As I type this, I feel like I need to pinch myself to make sure it's real.
I've been working on this goal for so long and now it seems like the end (of the loss stage at least) is finally in sight.
I have changed so much physically that I don't recognize myself sometimes. Daily, I have people say that they didn't recognize me at first. Daily, I have people who are close to me and rarely comment tell me I'm looking skinny today. (Imagine me and skinny in the same sentence!!) I'm getting used to it, but my mind is just not caught up to my weight loss.
For anyone reading this who is struggling, just keep at it. It is SO worth it! I can't even describe what it has done to my overall wellbeing and happiness in life. When you hear people say that losing weight won't make you happy, don't believe them......especially if you are like me and feel that everything in your life is in order except for your weight. Losing the weight for me has made everything else in my life even better than before.
There is hope, people........stick to whatever you have chosen and you will be rewarded.
It's been awhile since I posted here, so I thought I'd better update. I'm at 112 lbs. now and feeling great! I have non-scale victories daily that keep me motivated to reach my goal. I can hardly believe that I'm less than 30 pounds away from my goal. The time has gone by so fast, but my life has changed so much that I feel like the fat me was a lifetime ago. Thankfully, I am able to look forward more often than backward.....slowly the nightmare of my fat self is fading away. I look at the before picture of me and feel sorry for her. I know how she felt helpless and desparate. I know that she wanted to change, but couldn't find the way for so long.
I have morphed from that unhappy woman to a new woman who is delighted with life.
Here are a few of the non scale victories I've had lately:
Noticed that my shadow is much smaller than my husbands.
Bought size 12 (not relaxed fit!) jeans at J Jill.
Wearing size "MEDIUM"!!!!
Daily comments from acquaintences and friends.
I can wear bracelets and they don't look like they're cutting off my circulation.
I can wear a choker and it doesn't look like it's cutting off my circulation.
I look forward to yard work!
I see my reflection and like what I see.
Got my first pedicure. (I never thought I deserved one before)
My rings are loose instead of cutting off my circulation. Gonna have to have them resized.
Double chins? GONE!
Noticed that the knee pain is gone!
No more medications - I've been medication free for 3 months.
Sadly, I've noticed that I get more attention from salespeople.
If anyone happens to read this and wonders how I'm doing it, just ask and I'll fill you in. This plan is simply wonderful!
In honor of losing 100 lbs., I am posting a few new pictures. It happened while I was on vacation! I stayed completely on program during my cruise and lost 3 pounds. I am so happy to be over that hurdle.
37 more pounds to go to reach my original goal, but I feel great now. The rest of the time should be smooth sailing.
Well, I haven't posted in awhile, but I'm still going strong on my program. I've lost 96 pounds to date! I had wanted to lose 100 before my vacation, but we leave in 2 days, so that isn't gonna happen. I should be close by the time we get back, though.
I've had fun shopping for cruise clothes. I'm sure I'll shrink out of most of them, but I didn't have a choice, because NONE of my old clothes worked anymore. I gave all of my old fat clothes away. It felt so good to get them out of the house.
I am so psyched to go on this trip. We're cruising out of NYC to Bermuda, St. Thomas, San Juan, and Grand Turk......9 days. Our 30th anniversary is Monday, the 26th. Can't wait!
Today after work and after Curves, it went home and waited for one of our employees to stop over. I'm giving her any of my fat clothes that she wants before I give the rest to Goodwill. It was hard to do this. I had to be very careful when I brought up the subject with her. I mean, she's been watching me get smaller than her. She's been watching me for over 6 months. I started out bigger, now I probably weight 40 or so pounds less than her. So the subject is sensitive to say the least.
Anyway, we started going through the piles of coats, sweaters, dress clothes, t-shirts. She was tentative at first, but I assured her that I would rather she have them than for them to go to some stranger. She really got into it then. We went through everything....it took a long time. A funny thing happened to me, though. I started noticing just how huge my clothes were. I mean, when I was wearing them, they didn't seem that big. They seemed downright small at times when I was trying to fit into them. I picked up a pair of slacks and just stared at them in awe. Was I really that big?? I still don't believe it! I could fit 2 of me in those slacks. Then I thought.....maybe it was just that pair....so I picked up another that I remember being tight......HUGE......absolutely outragiously huge!
So while I was feeling bad for my employee because of the touchy situation, I was also feeling good for her. She can't afford many of the things I gave to her. They will be used and appreciated. I also felt bad for myself and good for myself. I mourn the years I lost while I was trapped in that body, but I'm so happy that I am regaining my life.
All in all, the purging of the clothes is a great feeling. Can't wait to take those bags full to Goodwill. Did I say I have nothing to wear???.......gotta go shopping.
