100 lb losers...share your story

[Esdios]

I started at 335 pounds with 31% bodyfat and had a goal of 190 pounds and now I am posting a weight of 209 pounds and 15% bodyfat. I am crediting myself with having met my goal because I started gaining weight at 205 pounds but have continued to lower my bodyfat which can easily be attributed to gaining muscle mass due to 1 hour of weight training a day.

It may take some of you longer to lose a 100 than it has taken me, but in the end if you keep plugging away you will eventually make your goal. it isn't a race so make sure you enjoy your life and don't become obsessed with weight loss or your diet of choice in the process, it just isn't worth it.

[califgal45]

I started Atkins on January 27, 2003 and as of last week I have lost 100 pounds. It has been 18 months and counting, this is my story so far.

I went to the store about the middle of January and saw Dr. Atkins book it was only 5.99 and thought to my self what do I have to lose, famous last words. I started reading the book right away and started induction like I said on the 27th. I am not sure what the light bulb moment was so to speak I just know I was tired of being tired and not feeling good mentally or physically and I was growing out of my very tight size 22 pants. I had to do something but I was also tired of spending money on gimmicks and so called diet pills and excersize equipment that sets in the corner after a couple of weeks then ends up in a garage sale. So I guess I was thinking hey 5.99 is not much to be out if it does not work. Famous last words.

I started induction and really felt good I mean it was so much easier and I could eat no starving , fasting, weighing or measuring and I really felt good. I stayed on induction for 6 months very strict. I had been to the doctor about a month or so before starting hence the 278 I did not weigh the day I started so I am using that weight. After about a month on Atkins I had to go to the doctor for depo shot and had lost 12 pounds I was a little disapointed with that but the nurse said it was great and that depo can hender weight loss. I stayed on depo for 6 months then stoped it. My loss was slower durring the time on depo and I am glad I stoped will not do that again.

After 6 months I played around with Owl some I added some nuts and berries and melon in once in a while and ate more veggies. But I quickly realized I still had a real problem with portion control, (still do) anyway I also tryed the low carb treats or as I call them junk food. Again problem with portion control so not a good idea, but they do serve a purpose from time to time. I think the biggest problem I had was the sf ice cream, I ce Cream was always my favorit you are talking to someone who could eat a half a gallon no problem and you want me to eat a half a cup now that did not work so better to leave it alone too. I did not discover any of this over night it has been an on going process. This is truely a journey.

A little over a year ago I started walking. I walk 2 miles approximately 5 days a week. I know I should be doing some kind of weight training but I have not done that yet. I do feel good about the walking and have lost well and inchs also so I am happy with it so far. I know I have to do something and walking at least has been consistant for me.

I did get caught up in the vitamin thing at first also, way to much money spent and I think its because I was still looking for the miracle cure. There is not one! I now take a good multi and a calcium, magnesium, potassium and thats it.

Some times its still hard for me to believe its been 18 months since I started this journey and I have lost 100 pounds as of last week. I really believe I have my wol under control now. I still strugle with food as in portion control some times but this is my woe now no dought about it. I have indulged a few times notice I did not say cheat, I don't think you can cheat if this is a life long way of eating. But note when I did indulge, it was just one thing or at most one meal never all day or days. i.e. If I went to the movies and had pop corn the rest of the day was normal on plan eating or if I ate something off plan for one meal or part of a meal the rest of the day was on plan. For me that is key.

I want to close with a very special thank you to all the friends here on the bulletin boards, the support and help I have found here has helped me more than words can say.

[Koko]

I just wanted to pop in and say that all of you are such an inspiration to me. I'm 20lbs shy of 100 and plugging away

Congratulations to everyone, you guys ROCK!!!!

[daveinohio]

I've lost 100+ pounds!

I lost 70 on Atkins and 30 from practically starving myself before I knew what I was doing.

I hit the low-carbing hard. Extremely strict for 4 months straight and I lost 100 pounds.

I feel great about this whole thing and I actually feel weird becoming less strict with my eating.

I have to start worrying about maintence soon! Weeiird.

[Jugo]

Hi everyone!! I guess it is time for me to write my story. It has been over a year since I became a 100 lb loser... Just didn't feel right to post my story... I know... it is weird!!

On August 8th, 2002 I went to the doctor for a physical to get ready to go back to work. I was shocked to learn that I had diabetes.... Out of the 8 risk factors of becoming diabetic I had 5 of them.... chances were I would get diabetes but I had never thought "I" would be diagnosed with it.... The doctor immediately put me on medication (Avandia) and made an appointment for me to see the hospital dietician.... The appointment was scheduled for the next morning at 9 a.m.

When I got home that afternoon I told me husband that I would fight this disease... I grew up with my grandfather having to do insulin shots... my grandma living on pills because of it... I had two girls to raise and I could not/did not want my life ran by diabetes... He told me he would support me in any way he could...

So the next day I went to the hospital for my appointment... The first words out of this wonderful ladies mouth was Atkins... I had heard about it... Didn't know too much about it as I never cared how fat I was.... She went through the basics with me.. told me to get online to find information and to BUY THE BOOK.... She gave me my blood sugar meter, test strips and before I left she weighed me..... 278.3 lbs .... I always knew I was fat but holy cow... I was on the verge of hitting 300... I knew I had to do this.... I had to go back to the dietician in a month... so September 17th was my next appt.

I left that day... went home and lived on the computer for the next three to four hours... I searched all sites having to do with Atkins.... I got the book... I was ready...

We started fixing legal foods right and left. We planned menus, we went grocery shopping and we discussed what wonderful meals we could fix.... The first few days were rough... you know... the dreaded sugar withdrawals.... I figured the would be worse so I was somewhat prepared for them... Getting used to no sandwiches for quick lunches and no pasta on the table at supper was a little hard at first but soon became second nature to forget them....

Well the time came to September 17th.... Went in and lost 261.1.... what? was this scale wrong? I had lost 17.2 lbs in a month.... Holy Cow.... I can do this....

I set my goal to lose 40 lbs by Thanksgiving and 50 by Christmas.... well a week before Thanksgiving I was down 43 lbs and 3 days before Christmas I was down 53 lbs.... Life was good... I continued to lose weight rapid until I hit the end of July of 2003.... I had lost 105.1 lbs... Went from a size 26 pants and 3X shirts to size 10-12 pants and large/x-large shirts... Then IT happened............... the dreaded, horrible STALL

This stall began at the beginning of August 2003 and last until March 1st.... 7 months of hell..... I bounced from 176-179 lbs... I didn't give up... I didn't succumb to the tortured.... I perservered and starting March 1st, I began to really up my calories and carbs... I also began BFL exercise program....

Well on March first I went up to 180... Okay that was it... I was getting this weight off.... From March 1st until May 31st.... (BFL 12 weeks) I had lost 18lbs and 27 1/2 inches throughout my body.... The scale read 162.... woooooooooooohooooooooooooo!!!!

At this same time I went into a depression... I tried to pull myself out of it... I halted posting on the boards, stopped chatting in the chat room... I held myself captive.... I finally, under much dismay, I went to the doctor.... He diagnosed me as being depressed and put me on Wellbutrin.... He assured me that it only causes weight gain in a few people and it would only be about 5% gain... well guess what??? I was one of those few people.... Within two week I gained 8 lbs.... I was back up to 170 lbs.... Well after fighting it and fighting I took myself off the medicine on July 2nd... I told myself that I and I alone controled myself, my mood, etc...

Well a month and a half later I have only had 2 bad days... I did recognize them and seeked out my friends to help me out....

I am still up 5lbs from my lowest but I am working everyday to get those lbs back off of me....

I would like to see 159 one day... But as you all know... this is a lifestyle change.... there are no quick fixes... When you take on this journey it is for life.... Now thanks to Dr. Atkins, this wonderful site, and the friends I have made, I have a long life in front of me.... I am going to win this battle.... I only have 12 lbs to go and by golly.... I AM HERE FOR THE PARTY!!!

It has been a great ride and I thank each and every person that has ever thought of me during this ride........... YOU ARE ALL THE BEST....

So that is my story.... Hope someone is still reading it when they get to this point... Nothing spectular.... Just one woman's journey to improve herself... to make her healthy and happy... and to make the guys whistle when she walks by

Juls

[Bodokito]

Thank you all for showing me that it can be done. Thank you for showing me that I'm not alone in this, that you have felt what I felt and feel. Thank you for succeeding and giving me that little extra kick in the rear to put the effort to succeed as well.

I have been to numerous sites in regards to LC and all I can say is that this site actually makes sense and not making me feel like I have to -give- something in order to achieve my goal. What I will give is my utmost effort to be what you all have showed to me in this thread.

Thank you.

[Carbo Marx]

This is gonna be long. Sorry.

As you can see, I wasn't a fat kid. But that changed. I've struggled with my weight since my late teens. In those days, there were maybe ten or fifteen extra pounds that would creep up and melt off depending on which direction the wind blew. I got to enjoy being a little overweight and honestly got concerned if I got too thin. I would beef back up again just a little. And if I got too big, I'd shrink just a little. I couldn't even tell you how I accomplished this. I certainly knew nothing about nutrition and never joined a gym in my life. It was almost by force of will alone that I changed my size when I felt it necessary.

When I left home at the age of 20, I was at my then-highest weight. I couldn't tell you what that was since I wasn't in the habit of stepping on a scale. It wasn't that high though. Living in the middle of the city and walking everywhere helped the weight come right off. That and being too poor for much food.

Here's a photo of me about six months after that time period, near my smallest but not quite there:



After moving from there and having a tiny bit more money, I suppose I fell off the wagon a bit. I maintained my weight for a while, but the pounds slowly crept up. I hit a point where I was no longer comfortable, then made an effort to get more exercise and eat less (isn't that what "common knowledge" dictates?). The weight came off again. No problem.

But dedication to exercise and portion control are not my strengths, I'm afraid. I can't keep those up. I get bored. I get careless. I stop paying attention to my weight. The pounds creep back up again. Again I gained a lot, lost a lot, gained a lot, lost a lot.

Each time that I lost again, I never got quite down to where I should be. Close. But a little further away each time.

For years, I worked a delivery job. I sat a lot, but also got a fair amount of walking in. I suppose it wasn't enough. I wasn't eating huge portions either. A lot of people think that to get fat you have to gorge yourself all the time. That's just not the case. It's my experience that I actually eat less than most people I know.

So if I'm a little active and I don't eat much, how do I keep getting fat?

To be honest, I love junk food. I'll take Taco Bell over a gourmet meal nine times out of ten. Chips, snack cakes, you name it. I never drank water; it was always soda or milk for me. That was my problem, as it turns out.

Now, during this time I had established a pattern. I'd go for two years or so slowly gaining weight because I was just tired of paying attention to it. Then I'd get disgusted with myself to the point of cutting back the portions and renewing my commitment to exercise. I'd get down to where I felt comfortable, then gradually let go a little here and a little there. The weight would creep back up and I'd go through the same thing again.

In 1999/2000, I was due for a "slim down" cycle again. I was at my then-heaviest and was pyschologically ready to take that plunge and slim down again. But at the time, I was working and going to school full-time. I didn't have time to exercise or to plan meals. I suppose if I were really dedicated, I could've found a way around it. But being the procrastinator I am, I just told myself I'd fix it after I graduated.

By that time, my drive had waned. It was getting to the point where I'd been too heavy for too long. I tried, but the results were coming much slower than in the past. My resolve wavered.

This, combined with raging Obstructive Sleep Apnea, financial difficulties and depression just made me sink deeper. Food is one of the few real pleasures in life. It's always in the mood to please. It requires minimal effort. It always leaves you feeling good, at least for a little while. For someone who doesn't have much other pleasure to turn to, it can be dangerous.

Not that I ever became one of those people that eat a pound of bacon, a loaf of bread, a dozen eggs and a gallon of milk for breakfast. My portions were still rather modest. But they became more frequent. Stuffing myself full at every meal increased my tolerance for how often I was able to stuff myself. I was only marginally aware that I was doing this to myself. I could see my weight increasing, but honestly didn't care enough to do something about it.

Eventually I started treatment for my Obstructive Sleep Apnea and my world changed. I felt like I could take on the world with all this energy and ability to focus. I resolved to finally lose the weight and keep it under control now.

The unfortunate part is that I had become so heavy that it was going to be difficult this time. I don't know what I was at my absolute peak, but I remember being over 270 lbs when I was tested at my sleep study. I'm only 5'8." Not that tall of a guy. That much weight is a lot for me to be carrying.

I don't have many photos from this time period. (Would you??) I do have this scan from the back of a wholesale club membership card. It's not the best quality, but you can still tell I was really heavy.



My attempts to exercise were constantly interrupted by back injuries. I'd throw out my back doing the most mundane things and be in a lot of pain for weeks. Sometimes over a month. I found it nearly impossible to exercise during these times. And then I had unforeseen complications from a vasectomy which prevented any unecessary movement on my part for a good while.

It took about a year after my OSA treatment started before I decided to get really serious about it. And for me to be injury-free for long enough to dive in.

I also started researching more about the ways people lost. Meli and I knew a guy who had been much heavier than me and was melting away thanks to gastric bypass surgery. Honestly, the prospect of surgery scared me. Both financially and for the risk factor. If something went wrong, it was going to go horribly wrong. Knowing my luck, I steered clear of that. Plus, it feels like a cop-out. I know I have willpower. I don't need to be surgically altered because I can't do what it takes. That's an insult to me.

(That's not meant to demean anyone who chooses to have the surgery. To each his own. It's just not the right choice for me.)

I knew my diet was going to have to change. But how? Portion control? That wasn't working as well for me as it had when I was younger. What then? I actually thought about a liquid diet for about five minutes. I'm glad I didn't take that route. Where's the maintainability in that?

In my research, the two most frequent options that came up were "low fat" and "low carb" (Atkins specifically). On the surface, they're simple enough concepts. Low fat had been around for decades and had helped a lot of people. Some might say it also added to the obesity epidemic here in America. Low carb had likewise been around for decades but was still extremely controversial.

I talked to my regular doctor to get his opinion on what I should do. We talked about the options. When I asked him specifically about Atkins (which intrigued me the most), he was cautiously optimistic. He told me about the studies that had been done giving Atkins high marks, but wondered if it would work well in the long run. He also cautioned me that the studies he'd read about had been done on people more overweight than me. He had a very "the verdict isn't in just yet but it looks promising even though it sounds crazy" approach. He referred me to a nutritionist.

She and I went over my eating habits and what I wanted to accomplish. I discussed the same thing with her. About Atkins, she pretty much echoed my doctor's sentiments. She still preferred the low fat approach, but knew that Atkins worked for some people. Her concern was mainly that I wouldn't be able to stay on Atkins in the long term since my current menus were so carb-heavy. She suggested a different approach.

That was in October of 2003. I left her office at 264 lbs, with a plan to get regular (but moderate) exercise, to watch my portion sizes, to introduce non-starchy vegetables into my diet for the first time ever, and to eat low fat alternatives to my favorite foods if they're available.

Honestly, that worked ok. By late December I had lost 20 lbs. But I had been reading more and more about Atkins. The popularity of Atkins was just about to explode here in the U.S. thanks to all the New Year's Resolutions about to kick in. Atkins-friendly foods were popping up all over the place. I read the book (you'd be surprised how many people are "doing Atkins" but have never read the book!) and it made a ton of sense. I started going through newsgroups and message boards, reading the stories of those who had succeeded on Atkins and those who had failed on it. I learned from their mistakes and their triumphs.

I also read a lot of criticisms of the diet and rebuttals to them. Believe me when I tell you that 99% of the anti-Atkins comments you hear are from people who have never read the book and have no idea what the plan actually is.

The day after Christmas, I took the Atkins plunge. Low fat/portion control had been working fine, but I thought this might work better.

I was right. I lost more in the first week on Atkins than I lost in the first month on low fat. And I wasn't hungry. That first week I ate a whole lot of cheese, steak, hamburger, bacon, pepperoni, whipped cream and veggies. More calories than I had in any week on low fat. And I lost 16 lbs. So much for this "a calorie is a calorie" bull!

The proof is in the pudding. Of course, the pudding has to be sugar-free on Atkins but that's beside the point. :-)

Then everybody and their mother started doing Atkins in the new year and honestly it's a mixed bag. I like that it's easy to find Atkins-friendly food, but I hate that everyone is doing it without reading the book. They're going to fail and then there's going to be a big backlash of people saying it doesn't work. Because people are stupid. They think if you half-do it and don't get results, it's the plan's fault. Argh. But that's another rant entirely.

My doctor unfortunately moved to a different state. My nutritionist no longer works at the same office. I can't catch up with them and show them my progress. But my old nurse was really impressed with my progress the last time I saw her. My blood pressure has gone from "borderline high" to "normal." (Don't ask me the numbers, because I don't know 'em.) My new doctor looked over my history and was astounded at how far I've come. Told me to keep doing what I'm doing and not to come back for a year.

That year has not ran its course yet, but my time on the weight loss phase of Atkins just about has. I met my goal weight of 170 lbs in late August 2004.



I can honestly say I'm comfortable but not satisfied with my body right now. I still have a bit of a pouch and I'd like to build more muscle. But all things in due time. I'm no longer going to set a timetable of expectations and weekly goals. I'm going to wing it now. Like I've winged it before, but then without success.

What makes this time different? Well, I hope it's two things. First, I bought a scale for the first time. I'm weighing myself every single day now. I'm going to try to actually watch my weight from now on. I can fool myself into thinking my clothes just don't fit anymore because of body shape. I can fool myself into thinking I haven't really gotten that much bigger. But I can't fool myself that 270 is really 170. The numbers don't lie.

Second, I've learned a whole lot about the way I should be eating. I've learned that my previous eating habits screwed up my metabolism and now my diet has to be "unbalanced" in some respects to compensate. All of my favorite foods were the ones to avoid. My nutritionist, well-meaning though she was, didn't catch on to that. She didn't see that my addiction to carby foods was the very reason I should cut them out and keep them out.

I'm banking on these two things being enough. If I can actually have an objective number to look at and I actually know what I should and shouldn't be eating, I think I can maintain my proper weight. I'll still probably get bored with exercise but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

[DawnCBUK]

The person inside...

Two short years have passed
Tears flow down cheeks and happiness as I realize
I have lost a person on the outside.
Two years have flown by as winter wind gives way
Each triumph unnoticed by those around me
Two years within my chrysalis changing
The cocoon of my comfort flowing gently away
Now I stand at the edge of reason pondering the change
Wishing for you the same.

DCB

I'm writing this at about 125 pounds lost now. I read these boards on and off and have always wondered if I should post my journey before or after it's done. I think that perhaps if I write my story someone else will gain from it the strength they need to carry on with their own journey.

I don't know if I should start from the beginning or the end. How about the beginning of the end? Two and a half years ago I was lying in bed with my husband and my heart stopped beating.

It started again in a microsecond of time but I felt it. This had been happening a lot lately. I also realised I was not breathing that well at night. I think they called it sleep apnea. I was hurting all the time and my joints were giving in. I kept having a strange problem where I would trap a nerve in my leg (from the weight of my belly) and the pain would be excruciating. I was afraid one day I would not be able to walk. I was falling over ALL the time and really causing damage to myself. The strangest one was the choking. I was choking on food all the time and in addition becoming a type two diabetic.

These are just the physical symptoms my body was going through. I am sure if you are reading this you have probably had or know of a lot of the same pains yourself. The mental ones are far worse.

I was terrified of being made fun of constantly and my self-esteem was non-existent. I didn't "fit" anywhere. I could not sit down in booths in restaurants. Seat belt extenders were the norm. I remember I went to an ah-ha concert and had to ask for a special chair without arms because I had a bruise across one hip from squeezing in. I was a pretty big mess. For years I had been searching for someone or something to fill the "hole" within me. I could not shop for clothes ANYWHERE I had outgrown all clothes from mainstream stores and had to order my stuff from the Internet. I could not fit in my bathtub without the water being only about 2 inches deep. I was having hygiene issues though kept myself impeccably clean. (Infected belly button) I could not walk for more than about 1/2 mile. I needed special consideration at work cause my butt was too big to fit in the aeron chairs we had. I went through all the stages. From thinking the rest of the world had the problem and fat women were the bomb (I call that deluded self acceptance) to complete and utter abhorrence of myself.
So back to the heart attack...I turned over and tears running down my face I said to my husband I needed help. The next week we were in the local bookstore and he picked up a copy of the Atkins diet. I WENT NUTS. Oh that diet is just crap it's bad for you. Just like everyone else says when I tell them about Atkins even now after 125 pounds. You see I was an expert I had done every diet. I was on weight watches, slimfast, optifast, rosemary Connelly etc. I had tried fasting, binging and purging, over exercising. And a new diet was not going to work. I had resigned myself to die.

But he didn't listen. He never does. :-) Thank God. He bought the book and said he was going to read it. Now I am a bit of a pain in the arse when it comes to books. If I really don't want to read something I will do it out of spite. So that afternoon he wandered onto the computer as he always did and I picked up the book. I read it in an afternoon... (up to the lifetime maintenance chapter) and the very next weekend I threw out all the crap in my house. You see Atkins made sense. It didn't say I couldn't have something. My whole life diets have been about deprivation. Atkins gave me a chance to CHOOSE life, choose my food and choose who I was.

So we began the Atkins way of eating. Induction was hell... I had a migraine for 3 days... but I lost 7 pounds. I was not impressed as I had lost that much before on low fat. I kept at it out of spite. And I kept losing. And boy has it been slow and hard work. But it has been going. So where does that leave me now. Well Atkins is still my way of eating. I have lost 125 pounds in about 2.5 years. Yes I have stalled. JEEZE for months. We are not machines. Some of us lose it fast others slow. I don't work the "program" to the letter of the law. I eat low carb. I stay away from sugar, bread, potatoes (that's easy I hate them), and crap that I don't need. I have found eating between meals makes me stall. I have found exercise makes me stall in the beginning but helps me to lose inches which is great. It also takes care of the excess skin and other problems with losing almost a whole person. I walk... I can't run my body makes this weird thwapping noise when I run (belly hitting legs I think YUCK). I can swim but not that well yet (very positively buoyant). I can use the ellipse.. great work for the arms and the legs and MAN do I sweat. I have lost 10 sizes... yes you read that right. I was a 34 ish I am now a 24 ish. (UK sizes) I can fit in chairs now... my hips still touch the edges of the theatre seats though. I think when I fly home I will be able to not wear a seatbelt extender for the first time in 10 years. Which means I will cry like a baby on the plane but I deserve that!

So where am I going. Well I have 100 pounds left to lose. How fast I will lose it who knows? I have shifted (lost in American) almost 40 pounds in 4 months. Before that I was stalled for 6 months. My loss is sometimes steady sometimes not. Again read the above statement that we are not machines. I don't plan much by my weight loss as it sometimes surprises me.

People are starting to notice the loss. Whoooo! I say that with chagrin as I have lost more than most of the b*st*rds weigh. But who cares I am doing this for me.

I hope this gives some of you the strength you need to do this for yourself. The journey is hard I won't lie. Peeling away layers of your hidden self to reveal a new person within smarts a bit. But trust me... loving yourself enough to make that choice is the best decision you will ever make.

I'll speak to you again in 75 pounds.

God Bless,

Dawn B

P.S If you are a stats type of person I was 398/28st4/180.5Kg in the beginning and a size 34
I am 275/19st6/124.7Kg now and a size 24.
I am 5’11� and my goal weight is about 174/12st4/78.9Kg, which is a size 12 to 14 I think.

[Reva72]

I want to start off by saying thanks to each and everyone on the boards. You have given me such wonderful support and enouragment. All the inspiration I have received on the boards is what has helped me succeed this far. I couldn't have done it alone.

I have been heavy all of my adult life and most of my teen years. My highest weight was 321 pounds which is what I started at when I began low carbing. I didn't even weigh that much nine months pregnant with my son who is now 3.

I have had asthma for many years and have taken many inhalers and meds for it. I was diagnosed with mitro valve insuffiency. I saw a cardiologist once a month for my extremely high blood pressure that was even high with meds. After only 3 months into this WOE my medications were cut down to almost nothing. I was on 11 different ones when I began and now only take one. My cholesterol has come down tremendously. I now have to see my heart Dr. every 9 months.

When I began Atkins on February 22, 2004 I was completely determined to get all this weight off and become healthy for myself and my kids. I knew I had to be 100% disciplined or I would not beable to succeed. In just a few days over 7 months I have lost a total of 101.5 pounds. I have quite a ways to goal till I reach my goal but I know I can do it. I am proud to say I have not had any illegal cheats or anything to prevent me from losing the weight. When I committed myself to this WOE I completely gave up all the junk that was very unhealthy for me. Nothing tempts me to cheat even. 8 months ago I couldn't have made it even a day without a 12 pack of pepsi and all the chocolate I could get my hands on.

I exercise for the most part at least 5 days a week. When I first started out I was only able to walk a short distance without tiring out. Now, I recently began jogging and it feels great. I do a exercise video workout at least 3 days a week.

I am not very good at writing stories about myself but I want to share my story with everyone the best way I know how.

Reva

[idioglossic]

Yea to all of you..

I would weigh 300 ++ if I lived in the USA.. the available food is unbelievable..

My fight has lasted my WHOLE life and I am 54.. I never remember being
thin.. not at 7 not at 8 .... once when I was 34 and suffering from a terrible
divorce my weight fell to 119.. it was brief.. on Atkins in the 90's I got
to 134... with the book...now with this site.. I am going for 125..10 lbs under my goal just because of the guts, guts, guts of you folks...

On my island food, is scarce.. My fat is from pasta.. pasta plain, pasta with
bottled sause, pasta with oil and garlic.pasta pasta pasta... I am wearing
an over coat due to PASTA!!! Who told me pasta is not fattening????????

You folks are fantastic.. keep on keeping on.. love the body God gave you to live in!!!!!

[going_down]

My 100 Pound Story

I started my Lean for Life journey after making some other lifestyle changes. One, I made some changes in my personal life. Two, I stopped putting chemicals in my hair to straighten it and realized that I was taking better care of my hair than my body. Working on my weight seemed to come next naturally.

This is my second time losing weight. The first time I was on a diet and had great success was lowest being 195 pounds from 291. As you can see, I gained that weight back and much more. This time I have a new WOE/WOL. I have learned to say “I don’t eat certain foods� vs. “I can’t have certain foods�.

I had excuses for the extra weight and people around me helped me validate those reasons. “I have big bones�, “I take after my grandmother�, “I don’t have high blood pressure or any other health problems� and “I carry my weight well� were just a few. I am no longer listening to those voices in my head. They are part of the denial that I am no longer living in.

I am a daily weigher. Part of my no more denial lifestyle. I stayed away from the scale for years. I refused to weigh. Anytime I would go to the doctor I would refuse to weigh. You know that saying what you don’t know won’t hurt you. That was my motto when it came to my weight. In reality it was just another denial tool.

I am working on what Lean for Life calls my “mental blueprint�. I am a middle child. I was the one they called Heavy Duty while my sister was called T-Bone. My step father thought the nicknames were cute and put it on the bikes we got for Christmas. I was one of the tallest kids in my class starting in elementary. I developed early so I was bigger than most girls in my class (chest & rear end). As a teenager, I watched what I ate and was very active, but I was still labeled the big one. Big little sis was another one of my nicknames. As I got older, I stopped the exercise and began to live the title people had given me. I say title given me because I now know that’s all it was. Although I was one of the tallest girls in class and larger than my sister; I was not an overweight child. I realize now that my childhood had an effected my self image. No matter what size I was, I only saw someone overweight. Changing my mental blueprint means seeing my true self at every stage. No more trick mirrors for me. I emphasize to my children how important it is to have good self esteem, a positive self image, and self love.

I realize that it takes not only eating right, but a lifetime commitment to exercise. My biggest downfall was exercise. I am happy to say it is no longer. I even consider it one of my strengths. To make myself exercise, I treated myself like a child. You can’t watch television unless you exercise. You can’t read your book tonight unless you exercise. When I started back in January weighing over 363 pounds, I could barely walk to my car in the parking lot. (I would get the closest spot available.) Now I park at the top of the hill and I’m not even breathing hard when I get to my car. No short of breath, no leg pains. How did I get to there? I started by moving, literally. For people who say I can’t exercise, I say you are wrong. I would turn on some music or stand in front of the TV and move. First it was 10 minutes, then 12 then 15 and so on until I got to 20 minutes. Then on a wonderful site called Low Carb Friends, I heard about Walk Away the Pounds. I had long ago seen an infomercial, but at that time I was not thinking of exercise. I found a set and started. The 1 mile tape was called the Easy Mile and it’s 15 minutes long. I thought I can do that. I had been moving for 20 minutes by now. Well the first few times I tried the easy mile I didn’t make it through the entire workout. Now I can do the 4 mile (1 hour) workout tape. I love WATP and I recommend it to anyone who doesn't like to exercise to give it a try.

After growing out of my size 32 jeans, I began to buy knit pants only. So I have gone from beyond a size 32 to a size 22 jean. In everything else I am an 18/20. When I started, I would buy button down shirts in a size 30/32 and could only wear them open as a layer piece. Now I can button down 18/20 tops. I now await the day I can wear my size 14 misses’ jeans again.

Some tips from Lean for Life that has helped me along the way. When out socializing, remember take the focus off of food. Are you celebrating a birthday, an anniversary, holiday, or whatever? Food is not the reason for the event. Try sugar free gum. Sometimes you just want to chew. It’s not hunger. Believe me I have an addiction for Trident sugar free gum. If you mess up (eat something you off plan, have a binge meal, or whatever), don’t beat yourself up. Don’t get pulled back into those old ways of feeling guilty and turning a pity party into a free for all. Get back on track immediately. You have to change your mind to change your body. I could go on and on. The Lean for Life book is a great read for anyone on any plan.

For my fellow Sisters in Sweat, I keep hearing Leslie saying: "You've just finished one mile. You ready for the next one? Okay, let's go right now! I have reached my first goal of 100 lbs gone forever. My next goal is to make it to Onderland and then to my final weight goal. My last and final goal is to be Lean for Life.

[Chi]

I have only posted here a couple of times but decided that now that I have a success story to share, I will post it.

On March 1, 2004 at 330 pounds, I decided to start this WOE. Since that day many things in my life have changed.

I have lost 130 pounds, I have gotten out of an abusive marriage, I have met the most amazing man...who loves me unconditionally.

For those of you that are thinking of starting this way of eating, take it from me, this is the most important decision you will ever make in your life. Seven months ago, I was close to giving up on myself forever. This was my last attempt at losing weight. I thank God that I made the decision that I made.

Besides the physical changes in my body, the way that I feel...inside...about myself...is unexplainable. I never felt worthy of love; I felt that I deserved being abused; I felt that no one could ever love me for who I was. During the weight loss, my self esteem improved little by little; I started to like myself...something I had never experienced.

I will never go back to the way I was before...inside or outside. If I can do this, anyone can. I was addicted to food...addicted to the way it made me feel. It was my friend, my lover, my comforter. Now, food is fuel for my body...the way it should be. Don't think you can't retrain yourself...because you can. If you would have told me 7 mos. ago that I would weigh less than I did in high school, I would have laughed. I never thought I would come this far. But I did...and thank God for that.

Chi

330/199/175

[Mariposa79]

Originally posted by Chi
On March 1, 2004 at 330 pounds, I decided to start this WOE. Since that day many things in my life have changed.

I have lost 130 pounds, I have gotten out of an abusive marriage, I have met the most amazing man...who loves me unconditionally.

Chi

330/199/175

Congratulations! Did you stick to Atkins the whole time? Please share your secret with us.

[Chi]

Yes, I stuck to Atkins the whole time. I'm still on induction.

Thanks for the encouragement. I really appreciate all the support!

Chi

[EarthTones]

@ Chi...

I was moved by your story and just wanted to let you know that I am so happy to hear about your success. You came such a long way and are proof positive of ALL of the benefits of improving your WOE....not just relating to weight, but to everything else in our lives that need improvement or a little work.

[AFwife]

Hello everyone, I'm AFwife and I new to this forum but not to lc'ing.

A bit about me, Today is my 31st birthday, WOO HOO.... I'm an Air Force wife, hence my ID name, married almost 5 years have 2 boys, Anthony is 11 yrs old and Lancelot is 2 yrs old. We are stationed in the UK, (England) and we are loving it here.


I started Atkins November of last year and in 7 months lost 110 pounds.

How I did it? Followed the book to the T and exercised 5 days a week.

My dh (darling husband) and the kids and I went to Scotland for a long weekend this past June, and I fell off the wagon and hard. OUCH! That just caused a chain reaction for 4 months. Gained back 30 of the 110 pounds and was very disappointed with myself.

I switched to South Beach as of last Monday and I'm now just 17 pounds away from getting back to where I left off.

Looking forward to making friends here, receiving support and giving support.


Glad to be here,

Lily...aka...AFwife

[IrishIrish]

Hi everyone!

I've been lurking here on occasion and reading about all of your wonderful journies through this new way of life.

I began my low carb journey on January 5, 2004. After years of dieting and yo-yo affects, I was finally at a point where I realized that it was no longer an option to continue escalating in weight. And it hit me. I may have only had one more recovery in me and I had to make sure that this time I did it right!

I read all the books and truthfully, Atkins, for me, most closely aligned with a program that I thought we could follow. And so we began. Commitment was the key for us, so we cleaned out our pantry by giving most of the carb laden processed foods away and we started with the Acceptable Food List for Induction and the Rules of Induction. I still have a rather tattered list at my side most of the time!

I formulated our menus and began simply. Eggs, ham and mushrooms in the morning, chicken salad or tuna salad with celery and other raw veggies at lunch, and seafood, beef or poultry at dinner with a salad and/or other veggies. And I'd have snacks of turkey, cheese, pepperoni, deviled eggs throughout the day. We rely on whole foods and do not eat "frankenfoods" or "low carb" commercially developed products.

In only a few weeks, I began to see the difference. For me, it was those differences that kept me motivated along with a group of supportive friends. That's key and probably why most of us are here. Medically, the changes over the months were amazing. I've been able to reduce my insulin, significantly, as well as eliminate an oral med I used for diabetes. My HmgA1C has dropped to a healthy level. My mobility has improved, somewhat. I had been immobile and used a walker, canes or crutches. I very rarely use a cane these days.

Happily I can report that eleven plus months later, I've lost 136 pounds and my husband has lost 60 pounds. I have a long way to go, but I feel like I have many of the answers that I once searched for.

Over the next year, I have new goals. Mine aren't "pounds lost" goals as much as they are "health" goals. This year, I hope to decrease my reliance on medication for diabetes and am well supported in that regard, medically and with Dr. Bernstein's book, Diabetes Solution.

If you are searching for solutions ... educate yourself by reading and listening to others sharing what they have learned. Losing weight and achieving good health is a process and not an event. And while some may feel the "cheats" are part and parcel of long term weight loss, they don't have to be. I often tell people I know I have a million cheats left inside me, but I may only have one recovery. Be sure to incorporate exercise, water and vitanutrients. While it is a food and exercise journey for me, it is also a spiritual journey.

My best to all for a healthy, safe and low carb holiday!