10% Challenge ~ September

[smartmuse2]

This thread is a meeting place for the 10% Challenge participants. We are a group of 4 teams (3 members each) who are working to learn about health while breaking our weight loss goals into smaller, more manageable steps.

To keep motivated, we have agreed to participate in a friendly competition between teams. We earn points based on the progress toward our weight loss goals. We can earn additional points by completing the mini-challenges that encourage healthy behaviors that support these goals. We provide positive support for our members and recognition of the small achievements that tend to get overlooked.

Although we are no longer seeking additional membership to this challenge, please feel free to read the information we post as well as follow our progress!

[smartmuse2]

Mini-Challenge - September 1 - 15

While on the path for weight loss and better health, one can expect struggles. Sometimes those struggles can be overcome by really thinking about your choices. At other times, the help of your friends, spouse, children, or team members can get you through a rough patch.

Sometimes the best medicine is just to recharge your desire - remember what you're doing and why. Finding someone else that has done what you are working to achieve reminds you that you're not alone. This mini-challenge is about finding that kind of inspiration.

For 5 points, look through the inspirational stories from anywhere on this site. There are threads dedicated to these stories as well as personal statements included in threads in most every forum. Find a story that touches you ... helps you to stay on plan, or exercise, or make a better choice ... whatever helps you make the decision not to give up hope of reaching your goal.

Find these stories. Cut and paste them here on the main thread so we may each gain insight and strength. Each story may only be posted one time for credit (2 different people cannot get credit for the same story). Since we are cutting and pasting, please use the screen name of the individual as a title so they get the proper credit for their story.

For 5 more points, write a brief statement about why this particular person / story inspires you. It doesn't have to be long ... just tell us why you picked a particular story.

Davenbeus ... you may find and post a 2nd story for your weight loss credit. The brief statement on the 2nd story is optional.

Happy hunting!

[Jennifer]

Well after reading some of these stories, I feel like a piker Congratulations all!!

There wasn't any lightbulb moment for me. No moment of clarity. Rather, like a Chinese water torture, there was an accumulation of events. Sleep apnea, borderline high blood pressure, gastric reflux, exhaustion, arthritis beginning in my knees, and my back hurt all the time. I got a taste of what it would be like to lose my independence. Something I greatly value. I was running out of time.

It seemed to me also that complete strangers were frequently angry with me, for reasons I could only suppose. I was angry too. Several times a day in fact. Over stupid little stuff too. That physical anger, tight stomach, pounding pulse. I always thought it was a character flaw.

Since I had done round after round of lowfat low calorie dieting, starvation, Nutrisystem, Diet Center, you name it, I knew these weren't the answer. Why was it always someone else's food? Even more strongly I wanted control. After a 20+ year battle with this there surely had to be a way? Starving certainly wasn't the answer. Neither was someone else's food.

Research was becoming available online by then, and I had been doing a lot of reading on lowcarb. I still research regularly, because there's always more to learn. One day I just woke up ready, no magic moment.

Cooking was something I had to come to terms with. Boy I am just awful at it, lol. But as I labored in the kitchen on induction I DID have a realization that learning to cook was part of maintaining the loss. Or at least that's what I told myself .

I'm glad I never went off plan, because I've had no cravings since the first month of induction. This is NOT to say that I didn't come up against legal foods which were triggers. Found a few of those along the way. The easiest way to deal with those was to dump them instead of continuing to fight them.

For the first few months, I hid my loss. I bought identical clothing in the next size down. Which, if you're familiar with the Avenue you know means the sizes stretch to two sizes. So the loss was apparent to only a few people. I'd say it was the 100 pound mark when EVERYBODY noticed. That kind of blazing hot attention can be difficult to deal with too, so I had to learn to just smile and say thank you.

The loss slowed after 4 months or so, and I had already set a weight at which I was committed to getting back into the gym. 210 it was. And at precisely 210, I got back into the gym. This is something I might do differently. Might have gone a bit earlier, because I think it helps...exercise. With the skin thing and other health parameters. It also helped my loss to remain consistently moving for the next several months.

I have to add, I never did like exercise. This was something I had to just force myself into. I did know though that after a few weeks it would simply become a habit. I still get up at 5am to go workout. Evening workouts are too easy for me to fluff off (know thyself . I do like how exercise makes me feel afterward. So I hang onto that.

A few months in, maybe as many as six, I noticed something really surprising. I felt calm...really calm. I simply couldn't get as angry as I had been several times a day prior to lowcarbing. Which leads me to believe that I was getting a genuine blood sugar roller coaster ride before. What a difference THAT realization made to my mindset.

My blood pressure dropped to the normal range, as did cholesterol. In general I can say that I feel really good every day. The sleep apnea's gone, acid reflux disappeared within the first couple of weeks. I feel healthy, energetic, vibrant even Do I sound like an ad yet?

What is still miraculous to me is that it's possible to have absolute control of my weight without having to starve. What a fascinating outcome.

From a size 26 ticked off/in pain/in health danger couch potato to a size 6/8, normal blood pressure, normal cholesterol, exercising six days a week. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

While the Atkins plan may have actually saved my very life, it most definitely is responsible for allowing me to take back and incredibly improve my quality of life. I really do have to thank him for making his program so inexpensively accessible to millions of us, a sanctuary of last resort for the battle weary which actually has the plus side of working. Hopefully it will become a first resort for many.

We choose our attitudes about this. Pick a good one because it has to last a long time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
She hasn't posted here in a while, but bonbon is one of my l/c heroes. Always patient, helpful & motivating, not to mention an amazing success story. Our stories have a lot of similarites - tried everything before discovering l/c, hate to exercise but do it anyway, find that l/c stabilizes mood. Of course, unlike me, she was cheat free throughout her weight loss journey, and again, unlike me, is a successful maintainer. But her story gives me hope that I can do it too.

I especially like the 2 last sentences of her post.

[smartmuse2]

RESULTS FROM AUGUST

There is good news and not so good news regarding the results this month. Many participants are continuing to try their best, despite life stresses and challenges. To you, regardless of where you are on this journey, I say hang in there and don't give up! You can do it!

A good number of participants failed to submit their results for September 1. I am not sure whether to assume they have withdrawn without comment, or think they didn't turn in results before taking advantage of the holiday weekend.

I am posting the results I've received on time and ask all of you to determine how to proceed. Should we wait to see if they check in late? If so, how long do we wait? Do we continue with our current members only? Do we try to recruit new people to fill the empty spaces? What do you think?

If there is an oversight in the results, please let me know so I can correct it. Individual results are posted as well as team totals. I've added a section for the 10% Club to recognize the special milestone of that first 10% lost.

To calculate weight loss points, I figured the percentage of the first goal you lost. For example, if your first goal is 15 lbs and you lost 3, I would do: 3/15 = .2 or 20% of the first goal and awarded 2 points. If it didn't come out evenly, I rounded to the nearest percent so I didn't have to deal with decimals.

10% LOST CLUB:
lowcarbcowgirl Woo-hoo!



CRUISIN' CUTIES: TOTAL 122 points

Joyful48
Weight loss points: .27 ~ 3 points
Challenge points (total from mini-challenges): 5+10+0
On time points: 2+2
lbs toward goal: 20 of 22

Neveragain
Weight loss points: 0
Challenge points (total from mini-challenges):5+0+0
On time points: 2+2
lbs toward goal: 0 of 28

Smartmuse2
Weight loss points: 0
Challenge points (total from mini-challenges):5+10+2
On time points: 2+2
lbs toward goal: 10 of 33


COSMIC TREADMILL: TOTAL 136 points

Jennifer
Weight loss points: .24 ~ 2 points
Challenge points (total from mini-challenges):5+7+9
On time points: 2+2
lbs toward goal: 17 of 27 lbs

lowcarbcowgirl
Weight loss points: .25 ~ 3 points
Challenge points (total from mini-challenges):5+9+7
On time points: 2+2
lbs toward goal: 24 of 24 FIRST 10% met!
lbs toward next goal: 2 of 22

emeraldskye: no Sept. 1 results received

BEACH BOUND BABES: TOTAL 92 points received

Bama4Life: No Sept. 1 results received

1Life2Live:
Weight loss points: .16 ~ 2 points
Challenge points (total from mini-challenges):5+10+2
On time points: 2+2
lbs toward goal:5 of 30

luvslipstick: No Sept. 1 results received


SHAPE SHIFTERS

SJN02, rchelle, dvanbeus:

I received a pm from a member of this team. She said that the team members have not checked in, nor have they posted to their team website in a while. She assumes the team is disbanded and has withdrawn from participation in the challenge. She wishes us the best of luck on the continued challenge.

[Bama4life]

I am so sorry I didn't check in, we were at a Auburn tailgate party until way past midnight last night and I didn't get the chance to post them. I am sorry Roo, I had your stats and didn't even get them posted, it was a last minute deal!! Can you forgive me??

[emeraldskye]

I am very much a part of the challange still. I am having car trouble and we are delayed getting home from our road trip. I also have not had access to a computer but for a few minutes. I will hopefully be back by Wednesday.

Sorry.

[smartmuse2]

If you are checking in late but still wish to be a part of the challenge, please send me your stats. I will post the team updates when they are submitted.

[dvanbeus]

I'd love to still be part of this challenge... but my group seems to have fallen apart almost 2 weeks ago. Sigh. I guess it just wasn't meant to be. Good luck with your weight loss journeys everyone! Just keep remembering, you're worth it!

[smartmuse2]

dvanbeus - if you want to continue being in this challenge, you may continue. Your results will be reported as your own team, but you may join in the conversation of any team you wish (or several of them if you wish). You have been doing well with your healthy but modest weight gain and I cannot imagine withdrawing support from you now!
Please send me your results so they can be added.

BEACH BOUND BABES UPDATE: 147 total points

Bama4Life:
Weight loss points: 2
Challenge points (total from mini-challenges):5+7+8
On time points: 2+0
lbs toward goal: 16 of 34

1Life2Live:
Weight loss points: .16 ~ 2 points
Challenge points (total from mini-challenges):5+10+2
On time points: 2+2
lbs toward goal:5 of 30

luvslipstick:
Weight loss points: .4 ~ 4 points
Challenge points (total from mini-challenges):5+10+10
On time points: 2+0
lbs toward goal:10 of 20

[smartmuse2]

COSMIC TREADMILL: TOTAL 147 points

Jennifer
Weight loss points: .24 ~ 2 points
Challenge points (total from mini-challenges):5+7+9
On time points: 2+2
lbs toward goal: 17 of 27 lbs

lowcarbcowgirl
Weight loss points: .25 ~ 3 points
Challenge points (total from mini-challenges):5+9+7
On time points: 2+2
lbs toward goal: 24 of 24 FIRST 10% met!
lbs toward goal: 2 of 22

emeraldskye:
Weight loss points: .36 ~ 4 points
Challenge points (total from mini-challenges):5+0+0
(to be fair, she reported an excellent amount of exercise, but didn't get results turned in on time for points)
On time points: 2+0
lbs toward goal: 19 of 23


DVANBEUS .... she reported in too! She's out there on her own since her team withdrew from the challenge. I have invited her to join any of the other teams so she won't feel all by herself. I'm not sure how I would count her points, but she's still in it with us!

Dvanbeus:

Weight loss points: 2 + 2 (alternate activity)
Challenge points (total from mini-challenges):5+10 + 10
On time points: 2+0
lbs toward goal: goal is a modest weight gain during pregnancy

[1Life2Live]

Originally Posted by Milly

Atkins works. 8 years ago i was a gym teacher but over the last 8 years the weight has crept on...slowly but surely. Each kilo that was added i accepted and failed to actually look in the mirror and see just how unhealthy and fat i was getting. Cheeseburgers were my ultimate weakness...and i ate on average 4-5 a week. I was working 12 hour days eating all meals at my desk - half of those meals were cheeseburgers!

I am a tall 5ft 10 and i cannot begin to tell you how uncomfortable i felt being overweight - i was an imposing figure. I had always been a size 4US [8 AUS/UK], and had somehow risen up to a 10US [14AUS/UK], and some of the size 10US clothes had serious issues holding in my 'muffin top' and bum! I was 'growing'...!

But 2-3 months ago i decided to get back the old me. In the last 2-3 months i have gone from weighing 78kgs to 57kgs [125Ilbs] - 21kgs [46Ilbs]!

Not that i am wanting to boast, but i say this in the spirit of inspiring you - Angelina Jolie is 3 inches shorter than me and [when at her 'normal weight'] is the same weight as me - 57kgs. If only i had those lips, Brad Pitt and her money!!

I used the Induction phase for 4 weeks and then only introduced carbs at breakfast - 2 Weetbix. I eat tofu now for lunch and generally a snack for dinner [i could change my diet but not my working hours!]. the snack is usually a boiled egg or 2 and some smoked salmon/tin of tuna or if i get home before 8pm i will have bacon and eggs for dinner - i love bacon and eggs!

Here are my tips, I hope they help:

1) WALK WALK WALK WALK - i cannot emphasise this enough. If you can run, then run - or use the walking as a way of building up to running. Get up at 6am if you have to in order to fit this in - it makes all the difference. YOU HAVE TO EXERCISE - the food alone will not do it. I did 2 hours a day of walking/running. I also did sit ups, stretches, push ups etc. I get up at 5:45am every day to fit all this in.

2) water - fizzy - i drink around 7-10 little bottles of perrier a day. I don't like flat water - so i found a way i would drink lots of water.

3) remember - if you know you're fat, so does everyone else who sees you. You can wear all the layers and 'kind clothing' you like but face it - everyone knows. This may sound harsh, but thinking I was 'getting away with it' was how i put 20kgs on in the first place.

4) Before a meal - drink as much water as you physically can - wait 5-10 mins then eat your meal.

5) Sleep lots [your body will need it] and take time to relax. I have a 30 min bath every night while listening to my 'relaxing' playlist.

6) Psych time - look in the mirror - NUDE - talk to the slim version of you. Put your shoulders back, improve your posture and admire your hard work every day.

7) avoid 'fat' friends - they only condone in your mind the idea of being overweight - harsh but true.

8) Emergency food - nuts. When you haven't been able to eat and are STARVING reach for the nuts! Almonds, brazil nuts and walnuts being my favourites - not cashew nuts, they are high in carbs for nuts. Note: Brazil nuts have also been researched as 'happy' nuts - research has apparently shown they make your body release 'happy chemicals'! Bonus!

9) Do it yourself, if your old enough to read this, your old enough to control yourself and be selfish while you start this diet, remove distractions, get out of any 'weekly' dinner/drinks catch ups. The best excuse i used - was to fill it with a class - Wednesday's my friends and i went out for drinks, we would meet at 21:00 snack on awful food and drink champagne - i registered in a pole dancing class on Wed nights!! I didn't find it helpful to tell people i was going on a diet and after a few weeks our Wednesday night catch up at the bar changed to our Wednesday night pole dancing class.

10) Put yourself in uncomfortable situations - the pole dancing class was uncomfortable for me - mirrors everywhere and lots of skinny girls - i felt like a cow amongst a group of stick insects!
Look at 'skinny girl/boy' clothing in shops - if you're feeling bold buy some clothing that is a size or so too small [watch the sales assistants face when you buy an item that is clearly too small for you - remember that face, when you are tempted to quit] - then hang it in a prominent place in your house - keep looking at it - keep trying it on - can't tell you how good it feels when you put the item on and it fits!

11) spend more time on 'you' - do your nails regularly, put leave in conditioners in your hair etc. as the saying goes, imagine your body as a 'temple'. I looked at it like this - i wouldn't tolerate a messy house, why would i allow a 'messy' body?!

12) Remember food is only fuel - it's like petrol in your car, it makes the car drive and work. All you need is fuel - get pleasure from other things in your life. Be it clothing, shoes, new activities, books - anything, but food shouldn't always be a source of pleasure. I now dine out once a week - i'm choosy about what i will eat but i have yummy food and wine.

13) there is no such thing as weight that 'just won't shift' / 'its my natural body shape' - blah blah blah - NOT true. Do the right exercises, stick to your diet and it will shift.

I apologise if some of my advice sounds harsh, but i don't see any point in 'softening' it - that won't help you. Also i realise much of my advice is based on the fact i don't have children [i'm 28] and i am in a position where i can be selfish.

Best of luck! I hope i have inspired one other person...apologies but i wont post any before/after pics...none of my friends are aware of the effort i have put into losing the weight ...!

Milly just really hit it right with me. She has some great advice on things to try.

[emeraldskye]

The OP was Gypsy Moon on having lost more than 100lbs.


Having been overweight since early childhood, you can image how many diets i have tired and failed at!

August 2003 weighing in at 282 pounds something clicked and i decided to find a plan that worked!

After 2 weeks of reading and planing, I picked Atkins.
Not an easy choice at the time. Low Carb is basically unheard of in New Zealand and i knew i would not have access to certain products that may make life on this plan easlier. I also knew that i would not have support for a unheard of WOL.
But my Husband was 100% behind me and I found Low Carb Friends, That was all I needed.

I brought the book. I read the Book. The read the book again!

I have no secrets to weight loss, I followed the plan.
I take my Vitamins, Drink my water, try to walk everday.
I eat only natural unprocessed foods.
I never eat off plan.

Today at 108 pounds lighter, I am loving my new body, healthier than i have ever been, and enjoy exercise for the first time ever.

I cannot wait to get to goal!!
I'm loving this WOL.

I find this most inspiring because she lost her weight without deviating from plan. She also used natural products, something I strive daily to do. It gets rather hard knowing that there are lowcarb bars, drinks, icecream, etc that can be purchased. I just don't want to go down that road.
I also need to be more diligent on taking my supps.

[smartmuse2]

Hello Everyone!

Can you believe it's the 15th already? If you haven't posted your inspirational story, you can still post it on the 15th to get credit. I got busy and will be doing the same thing myself.

Teams ... don't forget to post the weight for the individuals on your team. Those weights need to be sent to me no later than midnight, September 15. All you need to do is send me each team member's name and current weight.

I will post the new mini-challenge for the end of the month tomorrow. Have a great night!

[smartmuse2]

Welcome to JazzyV's Weight Loss Journey

I have been overweight ever since childhood. I wasn't a very athletic kid, preferring to sit and read books or watch TV. I remember what it felt like to be picked last for games in school, because I was heavier than the other kids, and they assumed (correctly) that I couldn't run very fast. Luckily, I was a good student, and while lacking in self-confidence socially, I had a great deal of pride in my academic acheivements. In high school, I was probably close to 200 pounds, but my friends didn't seem to mind. I would go on little diets, and lose 10 or 15 pounds here and there. In college and graduate school, I gained more weight, and again would diet on and off. One time I tried fasting, and lost weight, but remember being so dizzy. Not smart. I do remember doing Stillman's then too. One problem was that I could be very strict for months, and lose, but then I'd go back to the old high carb eating, and gain it back. I even did Atkins for a while back in the late 70's, and it worked, but I didn't think of it as a Way Of Life.

I didn't think of an eating plan as a Way Of Life. I continued to do low fat/low cal type diets, even losing as much as 55-60 pounds, in the early 90's. Then my Mom died, and I used food as comfort, and gradually gained that weight back over about a year's time.

People ask me now, what made me start Atkins in 2000. I didn't feel unwell, and my career and life in general was going pretty well. But I knew that the only health risk I had was my weight. Also I wanted to look better! I'd met someone, and had started dating at the advanced age of mid-40's, but HE wasn't the reason I decided to do this. To his credit, he didn't run away, having met me at my highest weight. It annoyed me that people would say that I must be losing because there was a man in my life.

Why did I pick Atkins? I don't know, except that I liked the foods I could have, even though I previously lived on carbs, as they were easy to prepare (or on Lean Cuisine type meals). I was very successful the first 6 months on Atkins, with no cheats. My meals were pretty spartan. I also didn't prepare the way that I do now. I went away with my BF for a weekend, and decided to "relax". At first, I didn't gain anything back. Then after a while, it was only a few pounds, and I thought maybe my metabolism had "changed" I woke up 6 months later and realized I had gained back 25 lbs! I thought to myself, "what are you doing!" I restarted Atkins, found an online BB (LowCarbFriends) with helpful people; and lots of recipes, to keep me from being bored with my eating. I rediscovered that I like to cook. And I haven't looked back since!

I've even surprised myself with my steadfastness. I have treats around the house for friends, and they don't appeal to me at all. Sometimes at work, we are drowning in donuts and pastries and other "junk", and I don't want any. I have been lucky that I didn't experience any real stalls during the first year, and I lost most of my weight during that time. And I managed to survive a heart-wrenching breakup and simultaneous closure of the facility I worked for. Somehow, I was able to hold on to the thought that the only thing I had control over was what I put in my mouth! In years gone by, food would have been my comfort.

I haven't lost much in the last year, and haven't met my goal weight, but I'm so used to eating the way that I do, that I know I can do this long-term. It's how I eat! And I like what I see when I look in the mirror (even though there's lots of room for improvement by exercising more). I like the compliments, and being told I look younger. I am the most healthy I've been in my adult life, due to the weight loss and adding exercise into my routine (a hard task with my schedule). And I like knowing that I AM IN CONTROL of food, not that food controls me!

Tips I would share:

Make small incremental goals. 100 lbs or more to lose may seem unacheiveable. 10 lbs at a time is definitely do-able.

Preparation is key. Don't get caught without legal food to eat. Make meals ahead of time for the coming week.

Your weight does not define you. I see many who have self-loathing because of their weight. You're special; love yourself!


Start: 268
Current: 149.5

Goal Weight is 143 lbs, and it's a slow process.

(This story was edited because the pictures that were included did not show, so the parts of the story that referenced the pictures were deleted. The start weight and current weight were updated from her stats listed on her posts).

*********************

I liked reading her story because I can identify with her situation. I was never a "skinny" child, but was an average weight for my height. I gained my weight after I got out of college and had a lot less exercise incorporated into my daily routine. I have a little more weight to lose than she did when she started, but her story makes me think that if she can do it I can do it.

[smartmuse2]

Mini-Challenge for September 16 - 30

Time to change things up a little bit and try something new! The newest challenge is a matter of taste. All recipes must be posted on the main website within the time frame to get credit.

For 5 points:

Dig through your files and share a favorite recipe you've actually used yourself. It can be an entree, a side dish, an appetizer, or a dessert. It can be something you eat for a snack, breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Be creative! Be sure you include important information such as:

*the plan the recipe is meant to support
*all the ingredients
*the # of total servings
*how to prepare and preparation time
*the nutritional information (if it's available)
*modifications / variations you've tried

For 5 more points:

Try something in this time frame you haven't eaten before. It can be a new food (like a veggie you've never tasted before added to a favorite recipe) or a new recipe you think sounds good. It doesn't count unless you actually try something new, and it must be eaten during the mini-challenge time frame.

Dvanbeus: submit one extra recipe OR try one new food and follow the same rules for posting to get your weight loss points.

[Bama4life]

This is a very inspiring story for me!!

Well, as of yesterday, I've lost 245 pounds. How did I get here? Believe me, I'm still asking myself that same question most of the time.

I reread the post I wrote a year ago for the "100-pound losers" thread just now (will re-post it below) and was struck by how many of the thoughts I had back then still remain true for me now.

Since I wrote that post I've had two car accidents, almost lost my mother to heart disease (twice), made a very quick six-state move to be closer to her, spent four months "homeless" (sleeping on various people's sofas until I could find an apartment), started a new job in an entirely different profession, bought a new car... and watched my body and my entire life become totally unrecognizable to me. Whew! It's been quite a ride.

But somehow, through it all, I've stuck to it. Not always successfully, mind you. (A pizza and a bag of mini Oreos in late October led to a two-month struggle to stay on track). But persistence finally won out... and here I am... a size 10, able to breathe and walk and climb 15 flights of stairs a day.

I wish I could tell you that this has been a cinderella story, but I can't. I still haven't met prince charming (darn! wish I would!), I still have to struggle not to wish I could drown my problems in chocolate (but at least I've finally learned that doesn't work anyway), and sometimes I get depressed because, despite lots of exercise, I do have some saggy skin ... so any super-model delusions are destined to remain just that... delusions.

All that aside, though, it HAS been worth every single moment of the trip. I'm living again ... and how can anybody ask for any more than that?! Thank God, thank Dr. Atkins, thank BodyFlex, thank this board ... and thank flax muffins and Ken's Italian dressing!!!

Here's my post from a year ago (January 18, 2003):

"Six months ago I was on my way to becoming one of those bed-ridden folks TV talk show hosts interview while paramedics cut a hole through the wall to make a space big enough to get them out and into an ambulance. I was 53 years old, 5'6" and weighed 417 pounds.

A month earlier my back pain and labored breathing, which had been worsening for years, finally made even grocery shopping too strenuous. I was living on (and for) daily fast food deliveries. And since even carrying trash to the dumpster had become extraordinarily difficult, my once spotless apartment was in danger of turning into a maze of empty Coke cans and sub sandwich wrappers.

My biggest nightmare was that I'd die in my sleep in a couple of years -- and days later, when my body was finally discovered, the newspaper would run one of those "woman found dead in trash-filled apartment" stories..."Health authorities estimate the morbidly obese recluse's kitchen contained more than a thousand empty pizza boxes." Oof.

But even if I had been able to get out and about easily, I doubt that I would have. For one thing, the industrial-strength BendOver pants I had relied on for years now far surpassed their stretch limit -- so much so that getting the waistband up over my abdomen had become an aerobic event. My feet and ankles were swollen all the time, my breasts were spilling out over my now too-small bras and I had only one blouse left that still fit. I couldn't even get my pantyhose on anymore without a 10-minute struggle. More than clothing and health problems, though, I had a "life" problem. I had pretty much given up on mine.

Things hadn't always been that way. Despite having been obese most of my life and coming out of the kind of abusive childhood and searing adolescence that so many of us try to bury under layers of fat, I was blessed with an inordinate amount of enthusiasm, curiosity and resilience. It helped me bounce back hundreds of times, took me all over the world, let me coauthor three books, publish a small magazine and cram more sidelines and adventures into 46 years than most people are lucky enough to encounter in three lifetimes.

But then, in what seemed like the blink of an eye, all that changed. On the day after Halloween in 1995 my father was diagnosed with a fast-growing form of lung cancer. A few weeks later, on Thanksgiving, the wonderful man I had met 15 years after my divorce died of an aneurysm -- two weeks before our wedding. Two days later I had both my parents in the hospital at the same time, and five days before Christmas my dad died.

I didn't think things could get much worse, but I guess God figured he was going to grow me up once and for all -- or at least make a darn good try at it. And for the next few years my life was like one of those "beat the mole" arcade games. Every time I stuck my head up, something or someone was standing there with a mallet to beat it down. About the only things I could count on were Coke, pizza, Kit Kats and M&Ms. And man oh man, did I lean on them -- all the way up to 417 pounds.

This past July, though, the universe must have either run out of quarters or decided to call a truce, because I woke up one morning sick of Coke. I decided to drink a glass of water instead. A week later I figured I'd give Atkins a try for a day. Two months into it I thought, what the heck, I might as well dust off those BodyFlex exercise videos I bought a few years ago and give 'em a shot.

And now I'm two days shy of my six-month Atkinsversary, down 125 pounds and eight sizes, with 18" gone off my hips and 15" gone off my waist. The best thing of all is that I'm starting to get my life back. My apartment is clean, my breathing is normal, back pain is no longer a huge problem -- and I haven't had any nightmares about pizza boxes or saw-wielding paramedics in months.

I'm probably making my first six months of low-carbing sound pretty easy, and I have to admit that they have been. Compared to the last seven years, anyway, they've been a breeze. The natural suppression of cravings that comes with this woe is the most fantastic part of low-carbing for me. And when the choice finally comes down to living or dying, as Mag's, CarbsNot and I have all found (and undoubtedly countless others have too), cheats of any kind lose their appeal. They're simply not an option. Period.

There are also three other things that are playing a major role in smoothing out this journey for me. One is the incredible support on this board, the second is the huge amount of information and research available here and elsewhere on the Internet, and the third is a lack of unrealistic expectations.

When I was in my late 20s and still in my "everything would be perfect if I were thin" period, I lost 160 pounds. But even though I managed to keep them off for six years, my efforts were doomed from the start. I honestly believed that every problem in my life was attributable to my size -- and if I could just shed the weight, all the shadows, fears, disappointments and "not good enough" feelings would also disappear. What a shock when they didn't! I was still me.

As depressing as that discovery was, it's proved to be the most valuable lesson I've ever learned. And it's the one bit of wisdom I wish I could pass on to everyone who's dreaming of losing weight for all the wrong reasons like I once did.

The truth is, losing weight does two things -- it makes us thinner and it makes us healthier. But it doesn't automatically heal childhood wounds, spare us from tragedy, bring us the perfect mate, get us promoted to VP, turn our lottery tickets into winners or even make our cars start every morning. And no matter how thin we get, there will still be people who won't think we're thin enough, or good enough, or pretty enough, or something else enough. Weight loss is a marvelous gift, but it's not a magic wand. It can help heal our bodies, but it can't mend our souls. We have to find other ways to accomplish that.

So that's what I'll keep working on for the next six months, and then the next six and the next six... as I continue to take this low-carb journey of mine one day at a time. I don’t have a specific goal weight in mind or a timeline for reaching it. I'm determined to just go with the flow and see where it takes me -- and be grateful for every single moment of the trip."
__________________
Started 7/20/02
417/165/167
252 pounds and 16 sizes gone!
Progress Pictures
We don't have 100 pounds to lose. We have one pound to lose... and then another... and another.


This is from Katcandu. I really liked reading her story and her struggles she went through to finally lose her weight! She is truly an amazing woman!!! I really can relate to her story, she did have her downfalls but no matter what she got back on despite SO many set backs and lost her weight. She is truly a woman to be inspired by!!

[joyful48]

#13 (permalink)
Takeiteasy2000
MAJOR LCF POSTER!


Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,931
Gallery: Takeiteasy2000

Stats: 280 22W/Reached goal of 160 on 12/22/05
WOE: Atkins
Start Date: 4/21/01 100 pounds lost...Where to start with my story?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It is only obvious to begin with a prayer of thanksgiving because without God's help I could never have accomplished this. I found it very fitting that I hit this milestone on a Sunday so that I could begin my day of celebration in church.

I remember first feeling fat in the third grade. My teacher took a picture of the class outside one day and gave me a copy. I was a very active student as I continued through my school days. Cheerleading was my life. At the beginning of my Junior year our sponsor began to talk to me about cheering in college. I knew I could never do that at the size I was. Over Christmas break I asked my Mother if I could go to Weight Watchers. She agreed and we started together the first week Of Jan. 1977. I lost 43 pounds and became a lifetime member before I graduated from high school.

In the Fall of 1978 I became a student at Oklahoma Baptist University and a member of the cheerleading squad. College was a wonderful time in my life but I continued to struggle with my weight. I was still getting taller so that didn't help. When we had tryouts for my Senior year our sponsor asked me to drop a little weight. That was when I first found low carb. I quickly dropped about 20 pounds in two weeks down to 160. I know that sounds like a lot compared to todays cheerleaders but I was 5 ft 7 in tall and very solid. (Oh to have that muscle mass again.) Obviously I had looked at low carb as a quick fix and we all know how long that lasts.

After I graduated and began teaching high school my weight began to soar. It was always going up and down then up, up, up. I would try whatever diet and drop a little weight but never for long. At one point I know I got up to 275 and just never got on the scales again. Being so close to 300 just scared me. Shortly after that I began medication for severe allergies and asthma and the weight just dropped off. I was getting close to regular sizes before I began to gain again.

I had poured all of my time and energy into my job and did little for me. I was coaching high school cheerleaders and had a dream of them winning a national high school championship. That dream came true in February 1996 when my girls won the National High School Cheerleading Championship (small varsity division). It is the one held at Disney World in Orlando and seen each year on ESPN. When I had interviewed for my job the then principal asked me my greatest strength and greatest weakness. I told him it was one in the same. I try to always be there for my students. I go to almost all of their activities. (I had to cover 9th, JV, and Varsity football and basketball games.) The problem was I often ignored myself and didn't take care of me. By the end of the 1997 school year I was at my breaking point. I gave up the cheerleaders and decided to take some time for me.

I had tried who knows how many diets over the years. I began Atkins for the first time in 1998 but went off when my Mother had a triple bypass. Then again in 1999 and went off when I went to Oklahoma to watch my nephew play in the state basketball tournament. There was always an excuse.

I was in miserable shape as I look back now. The Doctor had told me I had reflux disease. He also wrote the word obese as his diagnosis. I had to sleep in a recliner or totally propped up by pillows. I used about two bottles of Tums a week and something stronger at night. I woke up about every 1/2 to 1 hour. I was tired all of the time because I never got any quality sleep. I now have virtually no reflux and sleep through the night.

For some reason in April of 2001 it all just clicked. I can't say there was an exact moment, I was just fed up with my life and what the weight was doing to me. I began to cut back on sugar, chips and crackers and saw my weight begin to drop. I started at 257 and wearing a size 22 Woman's (and the 20s I could squeeze into). When I began induction on april 22, 2001 I weighed 248. I didn't know what it was but there was just something different this time. I think maybe I just realized that you had to believe you could keep the weight off. When I had started diets before it was always with the attitude that I would lose the weight and then have to lose it again. This time I just knew that I would lose the weight and never regain it. Even friends and family could see the difference in my attitude.

By the first of December 2001 I had lost 62 pounds down to 195 and then the stall to end all stalls hit. I got stuck and I do mean stuck...for ten months. I spent most of last Summer taking care of my Mother when she had knee replacement surgery. I stayed legal but just ate too much. My weight kept going up and down the same few pounds. When I returned home to start the new school year I found myself back up to 211 after three days planned off the program. I then got very serious and was back to 197 by the end of September and was starting to wear a size 14 Misses. I began really exercising at this point because I was determined to get below that previous low of 195. That ten month stall was no fun but I call it my blessing in disguise. It was during this time that I realized I truly never would give up this WOE. I'm sure my body just needed to adjust and God needed to teach me some patience.

Since October I have dropped an additional 42 pounds and as of today (2/3/03) I am at 155...just 15 pounds from my goal weight of 140. I am beginning to fit into some size 8 and 6 clothes. I know that I will be at goal very soon. There are no doubts!!!

I'd like to share some of what I call my "shining moments" from along the way on this journey.

1. Realizing that I no longer had to squeeze into a student desk at school.

2. Seeing my reflection in the trophy case and thinking someone had walked up beside me...I didn't recognize myself!!!

3. Seat belts, first...I noticed my collar bone hurt because of where the strap came across and second... the day the belt fit across my lap instead of around my belly.

4. Always seeing the look on peoples faces when they haven't seen me in a while. It takes some of them a moment to realize that it really is me.

5. Just in December I felt like I had MY face back. I always gained weight there first.

6. The first time I felt like people weren't wondering why the fat lady was shopping in the Misses section.

7. And finally just last week I told some of my students I am very cose to that I finally felt like I had my life back!! They sat there and cried with me the little dears!!!

Even though I'm not at goal yet I believe that the real journey is just beginning. I have spent most of my adult life hiding inside myself. I was there all along but too afraid to let many people see the real me.

I can think of one sad thing in all of this. I am truly amazed by how differently I am treated by people in general. Not my friends or coworkers but just people I come in contact with. I don't think I noticed how invisible I was before. It makes me sad that so many people will rule out getting to know or be kind to someone just because of their weight.

I don't know what all life has in store for me. But I am a person who believes things happen for a reason. There were obviously many things I had to learn about myself before I could continue with my life. Oh the joys and treasures that I plan to discover now that I am back. I thank God for the lessons He has taught me and for the future He has planned. I still get impatient sometimes but know that it will all happen in His time not mine.

I end with a thank you to everyone here at the Century Club. Quiggley...I can't wait to see what you have to say everyday in our challenge posts. Thanks for taking the time to address us each individually. Mags...You make me laugh! Thanks for your help with my picture...I'll be needing some more help soon. Bonbon...You are the best! The first perosn here who I tried to be like. What an inspiration. Betzi, Snugs, and Goldie...Meeting you was a grounding for me. You gave me stability and a place to come meet with friends. Jaxy... I know you are new to posting but your pictures helped me to see where I am and where I am going. There are so many more I could name. I'm not the best at posting to everyone and want you all to know how much you mean to me. You can all do this. We CAN and WILL do it together.

[joyful48]

Wel what inspired me is that she didn't give up with even 10 mos on a long stall , and now she is reaping the rewards of her long term efforts.

[smartmuse2]

Here are the stats for the 15th:

Cruisin Cuties:

Joyful48: +3 lbs, +10 mini-challenge points
NeveraGain: no check in, +0 mini challenge points
Smartmuse2: -2 lbs + 10 mini-challenge points

Cosmic Treadmill:

Jennifer: -8.5 lbs, +10 mini-challenge points
lowcarbcowgirl: no check-in, +0 mini-challenge points
emeraldskye: -3 lbs, +10 mini-challenge points

Beach Bound Babes:

Bama4Life: +5 lbs, +10 mini-challenge points
1Life2Live: +0.6 lbs, +10 mini-challenge points
luvslipstick: -10 lbs, +0 mini-challenge points

Shape Shifters:

Dvanbeus: no check-in, +0 mini-challenge points

The good news is that everyone that sent in their weight got credit for turning it in on time! Yeah!

The bad news is that as we are approaching the holiday season, a time that tends to be harder for people trying to lose weight, we are losing people from our challenge.

Personally, I would rather share the struggle right here with someone going through a rough patch than have them feel they should leave. That is still true if they aren't losing weight. If they're here, I can encourage. If they aren't, the chance someone will quit is a lot higher.

The whole purpose of being in a group is to ask for extra help when you need it. If you don't feel you're getting enough from your team, please post right here in the main thread so other teams can help out. Don't give up!

**********

Here's a good time to toss in some quotes from our first challenge:

Never quit. It's the easiest cop-out in the world. Set a goal and don't quit until you attain it. When you do attain it, set another goal, and don't quit until you reach it.

Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant

*******

You've got to say, I think that if I keep working at this and want it badly enough I can have it. It's called perseverance.

Lee Iacocca

*******

Your body is the baggage you must carry through life. The more excess the baggage, the shorter the trip.

Arnold H. Glasgow

[joyful48]

Ok ladies , I need to get refocused here, Too many stresses in my life all at once and havent been dealing well with them . Old habits die hard, thus a 3 lbs gain this first half of the month. , I am starting now !! to get myself together again. I want to have a great holiday this year , not drowing my self in a pity party and food.

[smartmuse2]

Hello everyone!

Wow ... it's the 30th of the month already! Don't forget to turn in your weight results to your team leader by tomorrow! This will be the last team report.

Getting going this month took quite a few of us by surprise. Many of us made some significant changes / were challenged by significant events and getting our lives settled back down took a little more energy than we might have anticipated. I count myself as one of those people too. My 2 classes are more work than I'd imagined.

I put out a notice that I was concerned that our small group was shrinking and one of our teams dissolved. I asked if anyone had ideas about what to do. I got back a single reply, and it seems like a reasonable solution to me.

Rather than maintaining the teams, each of us would work as individuals. We would each be responsible to get our results reported in a timely fashion and we would all post on a single thread. If you want to do this instead, I'm fine with it. To me, it makes sense to post on this main challenge thread rather than one of the offshoot team threads. It works for me and also allows Dvanbeus to participate without feeling like a 5th wheel.

The next mini-challenge will be posted on the October thread.

If you've slipped a bit, don't worry. Get back on that horse and get back on the path to weight loss. We can do this thing together!


Muse

[smartmuse2]

Here's the link to the new thread

10% Challenge ~ October