Photo Bomb-Add yours too!!!

[Chalagurl]

Hi all! I always enjoy looking at people's weight loss pictures. It gives me such great motivation! So here is my journey of weight loss and gains from the last few years. (P.S. This is my first time starting a thread and posting pictures, so hopefully it works!)

All of my life I have been overweight,

That's me enjoying an oversized coke:


As a teenager, I fluctuated between 175 and 210 lbs. I would usually starved myself and exercised as I closer to the 200's to lose the weight.

Eventually I settled around 195 lbs in my late teens.

Probably around 190 here:



Summer of 2006, I was motivated to get into the Navy but had to weigh 160 lbs to be accepted.

I worked hard and eventually got there!

This is probably around 165 (with my brother):


Right before signing my life away to the Navy for 5 years, I met someone and feel in love and got married instead, hehe.

Love:


We quickly started having babies! With my first pregnancy, I gained 65 lbs! And my body settled around 245 lbs after giving birth and stayed there until I got pregnant again. I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes this time and vowed to lose weight before having another baby! (I want a big family)

Here 245:


I lost weight with a combination of Weight Watcher and Atkins. I started with Atkins and loved it, then my family pressured me to switch to Weight
Watchers because it was "healthier" and even paid for me to join. I lost weight with it, but got bored quickly and went back to Atkins. I managed to get as low as 178 lbs for like a day, and took a pic:



Between the stress of starting school online and having a family living with us (which was a bad idea) I went from 178 to 205 lbs in a 2 month period. I decided to get back on track once the family moved out, but go figure, I get pregnant!

Here I am 9 months pregnant and big and uncomfortable:


Now I have a 7 week old baby boy, 2 toddler girls, really painful knees, and a bunch of extra weight to lose!

This was taken 2 days ago 227 lbs:


I am doing Atkins induction and after 1 day, I'm down to 225 lbs! Join me in losing weight and supporting each other! I would love to learn your stories as well, please add your pictures too!

Happy low carbing

[smileygirl061766]

Your journey sounds so much like my own. With my kids I would gain weight and then lose it and then gain it back. I've been on the yo yo train for a long time and I am determined to get off of it for good this time! If you need someone to talk to for support message me. I just started back last Monday and I've lost 8lbs so far. I have a ton of weight to lose so I will be here for a good long time. lol

[Chalagurl]

Hi Smileygirl! Great job on the 8lbs lost already! That's awesome! I have a long way to go too, so plan to be here for a long time

I would really like to lose weight for good this time too. I think I want at least 1 more kid! So I need to lose this weight and this time keep it off and not gain too much during pregnancy!

How many kids do you have?

[smileygirl061766]

Hi,

I have 4 kids. And the last was twins which are 12 years old now so I really can't claim it's still baby weight. lol How many do you have?

[Chalagurl]

I have 3 kids, hopefully in a few years, once I've gotten my health back and lost more weight I will try for a fourth

I've always wanted twins and they run in my family! Was it more difficult to have 2 at once?

[smileygirl061766]

Being pregnant was the hardest part for me. Actually having them wasn't bad at all. They are boy-girl twins and the boy was ready and just came out really easy. My daughter decided she didn't want to come out. We tease her and tell her they had to use the vacuum cleaner to get her out. They stuck it to the top of her head and pulled her out. lol sorry for the TMI. But, they were both full term and I had them naturally so, I feel so very blessed.

[mspartytime]

Hi, I would love to join you. I have much the same testimony but not a lot of pictures to share as I always shyed away from the camara most of my life. As a teen I was in the upper 150's to 170's and would starve once I got to the 170's to get back to the 150's. When I met my husband I was 148 and quickly gained the "in love" 10lbs. My husband was a scrawny 6ft tall 140lbs and ate like a pig. After my first child, I weighed 184 and dropped back to 172. 2nd child, I weighed 204 and dropped back down to 180. 3rd child, I weighed 230 and dropped back down to 195. From there I kept between 10 and 12 lbs per kid. I have 7 children now (13 yrs and younger) and I am at my max weight at 248lbs. Here is a picture of me at 230lbs Christmas 2011.

Just starting atkins induction today. I have family who also have given me the "Weight Watchers is healthier" speech but I think science is on my side. Just counting calories has never really worked for me. I am considered pre-diabetic as my fasting blood sugar is super high but my 2hr after meal levels are fine. I just really need to lose weight. All of my fat is in my gut. I am the classic candy apple shape as my legs are sticks lol I will try to post a pic soon at my current weight.

I would love to go on this journey with you. I really need support. So far today i have been browsing the food porn forum on here and I even posted a pic of my lunch. (fried ham and swiss with cajun mayo and chives)

My stats are 248/248/155

Happy Induction

[Chalagurl]

Hi mspartytime!!! So nice to meet you! Your story is very close to mine You have a beautiful family! I want a big family too! Have you ever done Atkins before? I love it so much. I struggled a little through the holidays, but I am back on track as of 2 days ago, and already feeling better!

Your lunch looks yummy! Good luck to you on your journey! Keep me updated on your progress!

[mspartytime]

Hi Chalagurl,
I have done Atkins off and on mostly to drop a few pounds for special events. This is the first time I am planning to stick it out for life. Dr. says that if I don't lose about 50lbs I will probably be a type 2 diabetic by my next physical. I also started getting gestational diabetes with every pregnancy after my 3rd child and being forced to take insulin and diabetic drugs to lower my blood sugar so I am hoping that losing weight will help me with the pregnancies as well. So far I am not a Type 2 but considered "pre-diabetic". I look forward to hearing and seeing other peoples results.

[Chalagurl]

Oh my yes....Gestational Diabetes sucks.....I was blessed to not have it with my last pregnancy. And hopefully neither of us will ever have to deal with it again! I have to admit, I've also done Atkins for special events, and then immediately went back to eating carby junk...but not this time!

[dwambach]

Here's my before and after!
Summer 2009

[Chalagurl]

Wow dwambach!!! That's amazing! How much weight did you lose???

[dwambach]

It took me about 2 years to lose 80 pounds low carbing on and off and maintaining. Then in November of 2009 I had a tummy tuck to remove excess skin and a breast lift.

[dwambach]

November 2011**

[mspartytime]

Wow dwambach! So there is hope You look fabulous. Good for you.

[dwambach]

thank you so much!! I have just restarted Atkins to lose an additional 40 pounds hopefully by the end of 2013.

[mommy2boysaz]

Hello! I don't have pics to share right now, but would love to join in.
I am 40 years old, married, mother of 3, and am a Certified Nurse Midwife. (So I love all your talk of pregnancies and babies!)

I am definitely at my highest weight ever now. -Don't even know exactly what that is, following the ridiculous amount of JUNK I've eaten over the past 4-5 weeks!! But, I've been grocery shopping and have my meals planned for the next few days to do Induction. I will weigh and begin tomorrow, since we will be celebrating my hubby's birthday today...

I've been on every diet known to man. Yo-yo should be my middle name. I was around 135 (5'6") before I got pregnant for my first baby in 1997. Gained a ton with his pregnancy, got back down to 150 before son #2 came in 1999. Was up and down a lot, but eventually back to 150 (seems to be my sticking point!) before getting pregnant with my daughter in 2003. After she was born, I knew we were done having babies and got busy trying to lose that final baby weight once and for all. Did Somersize (low carb and food combining) and Weight Watchers and lost down to around 147 (very briefly!). Then I fluctuated mostly in the 160s-170s for a long time, before deciding to go back to school for my Master's (and my CNM). The last year of that program (2010-2011) took all of my time and had me sitting on my ever-enlarging rear with a laptop/book open ALL THE TIME! So, that has led to my current weight, which is 180-something. Ugh. I'm sooooo uncomfortable! I don't even feel like this is me. Nothing fits right and I just feel yucky. Can't wait to lose this!! I've done low carb off and on for years and know that I feel better when I do it, my appetite diminishes, I LOSE WEIGHT! , and it's relatively easy to find things to eat wherever/whenever. So, I have no excuses. If I want to EVER be able to put on a pair of shorts again, or (gasp!) a bathing suit, I MUST do this!

I have a wonderful example of motivation in my home town... A friend of a friend lost a LOT of weight this past year and she looks amazing. I can't believe the difference every time I see her. AND she did it by low carbing! So, I'm going to try to keep her in mind and stick with this as a brand new life style forever! It's not just for me, but for my family, too. Two out of my three kids are "fluffier" than they want to be, including my youngest, who is my 9 year old daughter. She's not overweight, but in the past year she has gained some and is starting to make negative comments about her body. THAT scares me! I do NOT want her to jump on my rollercoaster! She loves junk food and fast food, so I know I need to do something now to get her eating healthier. I have to be a better example!

Well, that was a lot longer intro than I intended! LOL!
Thank you for letting me join you all and I look forward to having others to do this with!

BTW, I'm using Linda's Low Carb Recipes for the most part, along with the Atkins book and website, for menu ideas. How about you?

[mspartytime]

Hi mommy2boysaz
Welcome! It is great to have a living example close by especially if they can be of support. I need to get my hands on a book full of induction recipes so I don't have to run to the computer constantly. I also need to learn how to make meals I can freeze cause I can't always cook for myself when I am cooking for the family.

Good luck on your first day! We can do this!
JEnnifer
248/241.5/155
Started 12/27/2012

[TyBreeMommy78]

Here I am 50 pounds lighter. December 2010 and December 2012. Looking forward to the 2013 difference.

[Chalagurl]

Nice to meet you mommy2boysaz! I also get scared for my children's health. My youngest daughter is about to be 3 years old but she already is getting bigger than she should be and is constantly saying she's hungry and wanting to eat!

Great job TyBreeMommy78! You look great!

[Mommy2aCutie]

I would love to join you all. I do not have pictures right now but it sounds like my story written all over. I lost weight, got pregnant, had gestational diabetes, had another baby.....and here I am with my youngest being 5 years old and I am still fat! Ugh! My starting weight is 228.4 Cant wait to get to know you all better

[Chalagurl]

Hi Mommy2aCutie! Wouldn't it be great to be able to have kids without dealing with pregnancy? Or at least the horrible weight gain!!! Nice to meet you!

[mommy2boysaz]

Congrats on your success, TyBreeMommy! You look great!



Well, yesterday was day #1 for me. The weigh in had me officially at my hightest non-pregnant weight EVER! But, I did well all day except when my coworkers had a farewell thing for me, complete with ice cream cake... In hindsight, I know I could've declined a piece, but I felt like since it was in my honor, I would be rude to do that. So, I just had a tiny piece and instead of throwing in the towel and "starting over tomorrow", I just stayed with the program the rest of the day. And was rewarded with a 4 pound loss this morning! Just goes to show how HORRIBLE my eating was prior to yesterday!

Have a great day everyone! I'm off till Monday, when I start my new job, so it's off to the salon today for a new hair cut/color.

[Chalagurl]

Wow! 4 lbs in 1 day? Amazing!!! Keep it up And what a great attitude! You didn't let that ice cream cake defeat you!

[socaligirl714]

@dwambach


WOW you look amazing! hope to finally lose the weight