100 lb losers...share your story

[emmajoan]

Well, today I got on the scale and discovered I made it to the Century Club! I am very excited yet I still have a huge mountain to climb. I'm about 39% up the weight loss hill that I'm traveling on, and there will inevitably be stumbles along the way. 100 pounds gone sounds like such a large amount of weight, but by the time I'm done with this, I'll have lost 265 pounds. The thought of me having lost 100 pounds and not even being halfway to goal is a little disheartening, but I am going to keep my head up and keep pushing forward.

I started this low carb journey at the end of January 2005. I had put on 100 pounds during my 4 years of college, and another 100 pounds in 2 years after being depressed about not finding a job immediatley after college, and after all my friends moved away to different parts of the country. I was miserable. I had constant heartburn, swollen legs and feet, back pain, no energy and sleep apnea on top of other things. I was in complete denial about my weight as I didn't have a scale that could go up to whatever weight I was. Eventually, I couldn't buy clothes from Lane Bryant anymore. I could only shop at Catherine's and Avenue because some of their clothes went up to a size 32-34. If I got any larger, I wouldn't be able to find any clothes to wear, and that made me completely devestated. I saw a couple of shows on TV that snapped me to reality: MTV's True Life: I'm Obese, and The Biggest Loser. I ordered a scale that supposedly had a weight capacity of 440 pounds on it, and weighed. It said 445 pounds. Here I stood on the scale, a 23 year old recent college graduate with everything in front of me, (by then I had found a job I loved) and I weighed 445 pounds. Something had to change.

I've always been heavy and had previously lost weight by eating 1200 calories a day and exercise. When you're 445 pounds though, that just seems impossible. I couldn't move like I used to even when I was 220 pounds. And I would continuously binge on pasta, chips, bread, milkshakes, you name it. I needed something else. An old friend and a co-worker both had mentioned they had success on Atkins, and I figured it couldn't hurt to try. I did a Google search for low carb websites and read all the posts and success stories and figured if they could do it, I could too.

I've stayed at induction levels this entire time and plan on staying there for the next 100 pounds as well. My energy is high, I have regular periods (TMI!), no more heartburn, sleep apnea, or swollen legs and feet. I can fit into some 24's, and all 26's. I will re-evaluate my goal when I get to a size 14, because I have a large frame and build. I couldn't have done it without everyone's support here, and the others who have posted their stories that eventually made me decide to take this plunge. This is certainly a way of life, and I am 100% sure that it saved mine. For those who say that Atkins is bad for you, they can look at my bloodwork results on my low carb site (really just to keep me accountable). Thanks for listening, and thanks for all the support.

BEFORE:


CURRENT:


COMPARISON:

[NeveraGain]

Emily, I cried reading your post! You have done an amazing job!! Congratulations!!! You should be so proud of what you have accomplished!! You are truly beautiful. Just think how exciting the years to come will be. I'm 25 and I only regret I didn't take charge of my life sooner...yet I am so glad that I'll be happy with myself for at least part of my 20's!!! Keep up the good work!
Shell

[Jessi]

Emily, thanks for sharing this with us. You are awesome!!! I am hoping to be in that 100 club with you before too long.

[Britlee]

Emily,

Thank you for sharing your story. You have been an inspiration to many on the boards.

[teddybear]

Just wondering how i join the century club, Do i just start posting my story and go from there or what...lol
thanks

[Rizgoth]

Its great to see all the changes that people have made in their lives.....

--Rizgoth

[JUNEBUG2]

YOU r so inspiring.......thank you

[Hot Tamale]

Scarlet, I know you wrote this a while ago, but your story is so similar to mine. Please drop me a line when you read this. Thanks, Hot Tamale

[IrishRose1975]

Hi Lily!
I'm an Army wife and living in Germany. I know that losing weight is not easy. Your success is an inspiration to me. Keep upi the great work.

~Colleen

[MZKENGI]

congrats to u all i hope i get these type of results

[chassiepooh]

I finally hit Onderland, and what way to celebrate than to contribute to this thread. But it may get emotional for me. I been overweight my whole life. I remember being in 6th grade. ANd having to get weighed it at school, and I'm sure we all remember that hell. And I remember weight 116lbs. I remember it as if it was yesterday. I was just a lil girl weighing what some adult women weigh, and I remember getting a lecture from the nurse. And it just get inflating from there.

I never remember being a small person. I'm a tall person, and sometimes I may have hidden my weight, but I've alway been high in the weight bracket. School was miserable for me, and when I knew it was weigh in days at school, i begged my mom to let me stay home. And she let me.

I made it thru high school. And I made it thru crash diets and losing weight, but could never get down lower than a size 16.

My breaking point was when I got to my highest weight 315 lbs. I felt like my world had came crashing down, that I just let everything lose control. But I knew I had to regain it. And I did. Today I'm at 197. I lost 118lbs. About to get in a size 14 pants for the first time since I was 14 years old! I was in a size 26 pants. Size 26/28 or 3x shirts, now I'm in L or XL shirt.

Now I feel like I can conquer anything. I feel healthier and feel really good about myself. I still remember those days in school, and I'll never forget that day in 6th grade, when I stepped on the scale. I felt so small. But I will get closure, the day I get to goal.

Here are my pictures:








Durings:

[chassiepooh]

and I want to thank everyone for sharing their stories Congrats to all!

[going_down]

Chassie - I've already said this, but congrats on making it to Onederland !!!

Thanks for sharing your story.

[CaroleKI61]

When I began my weight loss journey I was sixty years old.
I weighed four hundred and fourteen pounds. Lived a sedentary life. Married to a wonderful man, the father to our six sons and one daughter, and grandfather to our three grandchildren.

I longed for something different in my life. I didn’t know what was happening to me. I felt angry/sad a lot of the time. My hormones went crazy; I had no energy, and experienced a complex range of issues related to the changes in my body. The changes were emotional, psychological, physical and spiritual.

I live in an upbeat, youthful and result driven culture where the overall emphasis seems to be on physical, tangible things. Productivity and speed are of the essence.



On my sixtieth birthday on February 14th. 2003 following a wonderful birthday party with my family I decided that the time had come for some changes.



First step was to quit consuming Rum and Coke… not only did I not like how I looked and acted in my drinking times it also contributed a lot to my gross obesity.
Next I read Dr. Atkins book and joined a wonderful on line low carb group. I discovered that my years of eating a low fat diet had created a deficiency and in turn was exacerbating certain conditions and health problems such as PMS, psoriasis, moodiness and inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Dr. Atkins taught me that not all fats are created equal and I had been misinformed. I began using healthy fats such as olive oil, which I use for low heat cooking. Use flax and hemp oil occasionally. I refrigerate these two cold-pressed oils and NEVER heat them. I also enjoy nuts, olives, coldwater fish, organic grass-fed meats and omega-3 eggs. I enjoy Avocado sliced in my salads.


I take a supplemental source of GLA (gamma-linolenic-acid) called Evening Primrose Oil. I began taking the capsules three times per day at meal times as I had always suffered with severe leg and foot cramps and haven’t had any problems since!

I take a Centrum multi vitamin pill every morning. I’ve just today added a fish oil supplement. I eat three meals per day eating enough to keep blood sugar in check. Doing this I believe that my body will gradually become balanced and with that balance will come clarity of mind and being, vitality, calm and relief from aggravating conditions. I’ve already started to glow.

I’m enjoying the journey to MYSELF. I have a lot of baggage left over from a horrific childhood and at times it slows me down on this journey. I haven’t reacted correctly to the responses and information coming from within me, from a primal place.
I am working on reprogramming the messages that haunt and torment me.

I need to belong to a group, without connection, I feel isolated on my journey. I hunger for time alone, to use as I choose… and I chose to make the following seven months a time to take inventory, complete unfinished business, and decide how I want to move forward. Self-care and boundary setting is key to psychological, emotional and spiritual wellness.

It takes time for me to make changes, but small changes when combined over time, seems to enrich the quality of my life.
I’ve begun a morning check-in it’s a way to keep in touch with my emotional, psychological and spiritual process. It’s not so much DOING as it is BEING… being grounded deep within myself. I ask myself HOW AM I FEELING? WHAT DO I NEED?
(E.g.. I need food/water: need to breath deeper, need to write, exercise etc.) Before long I know what I need and it is becoming easier to stay grounded. Writing has helped me to begin to identify my needs and to speak out about them.

Due to leg problems I use a walker and to go out a motorised scooter, I’ve just returned to swimming after spending over a year confined to my bed. My internal urge is so strong today I had to acknowledge it and share this with you. I’m taking this opportunity to become more fully the ME that I WAS MEANT TO BE! I deserve this time for myself. I must learn to walk without falling because someday I want to RUN!
Love Carole.

[whitelighter1968]

To everyone

What an incredible journies!!! Thanks for being such an inspiration

Timothy

[PhillyDude]

Originally Posted by whitelighter1968

To everyone

What an incredible journies!!! Thanks for being such an inspiration

Timothy

I second that. Props to everyone!

[sweet123]

Well I have finally found the time to write my 100 pound lost story. I can't tell you how happy this makes me feel. It is so wonderful to see a "1" in front of my weight. I have been around 300 pounds for a very long time that really this was just a distant dream to me. Growing up I was always the big child. When I look back at the pictures, I realized that I was only chubby but I guess compared to everyone else, I was big. In grade school, I was teased and tormented a lot. I remember in grade 7 (age 12) there wasn't a day that went by where I wasn't called fatso. I remember the pain and hurt that I felt but couldn't tell anyone. There were times in my times in my life where I did become skinny. I believe that I have yo-yo'ed my weight back up around 10 times. I tried binging/purging in high school. It was mainly because all my friends were doing it and being skinny meant everything. I just couldn't do the purging but I really enjoyed the high I felt from binging on massive amounts of food. I spent a lot of time alone when I was growing up and I used food as my best friend. It made me happy, comforted me, kept me safe and numbed any feelings that I had about anything. When I was 23, I lost around 80 pounds with the aide of fat burners and appetite suppressants. I felt like I was on the top of the world. I was 120 pounds and wore a size 3. I remember the feeling of being so happy getting out of bed in the morning and facing life. I had many friends and boyfriends. All of the sudden and it seemed like when you are skinny, you belonged everywhere. I entered into a long term relationship that had its ups and downs. I remember him telling me that I could still stand to lose more weight. I had bones sticking out when I was lying down and wore such a small size. I really believed that I wasn't good enough. I ended the relationship but my life pretty much went downhill from there. I started binging again around 25 yrs old and used to hide the food and wine from my brother. I started living alone when I was 26 yrs old and that was the start of my 9 year battle with depression. I am not sure what exactly happened to me but I spent years being severly depressed, anxiety ridden, angry, agoraphobic, and just really hated myself. I had 2 good friends but really couldn't bring myself up to socialize to meet new people. I started putting on weight fast. I would have to say that I put on 100 pounds in less that 1 year and another 75 a couple of years after that. I just couldn't get enough food and found that it really numbed any pain that I was feeling. My parents started to become very angry at me for what I was doing to myself. They weren't trying to help me but rather called me names and didn't stand next to me when we were in public. It was so bad, the I never spent time with my family. I never could believe how parents could treat their child like that. It lasted over 1 year and I really took a nose dive and felt like ending my life. My friends pulled me through that and life started to get better. I lost the same 50 pounds a total of 3 times. Nobody would notice and that made me made. About 2 years ago, I went into therapy and went on medication. I started my journey to healing old wounds. I think the turning point for me to lose this weight was when I was at a family member's funeral and I was watching my aunt, who is around 500 pounds not being able to take 2 steps without sitting down. My uncle does everything for her. She can't even leave the house. She has been big all her life and almost died a few times. I always knew I could become her when I was older but it didn't stop my descent into becoming extremely obese. I think realizing that I would have nobody to take care of me when I was older, no children, no husband, that my life would be nothing. It hit me there during the funeral that I have to do something. I knew my health was bad and I felt like a second class citizen and people treated me badly. I was always the biggest person in the room. I didn't want to feel that way again EVER! I did research on different weight loss companies and finally decided on a weight loss clinic that does blood tests beforehand. It was doctor supervised at the beginning and I found that I would not be bored on this diet. It was easy to follow and I went to be weight once a week. It was expensive but I knew that would make me stick with it. The first month I lost 24 pounds and have now went on to lose over 100 pounds in just over 8 months. I feel human for the first time in a very long time. I feel taller, happier, confident, socialable, more energy etc. I love shopping and I can pretty much shop in normal size clothing. I went from a 24/26 and 3X to a 14 and M/L. I even bought a size 12 today but will have to lose about 10 pounds to make it fit great. My losses have slowed down but I know that I will get to my goal soon. I am enjoying all the rewards that you get when you take care of yourself. I have been through a lot of emotional stuff and thought that I would never be able to get over the first hurdle of 100 pounds. I know more of you are thinking the same but I can tell you, that you can do this. I always think of smaller goals,like 10 pounds at a time. Hang in there and you can do it!!!

[Teresa123]

Wow, congratulations---that is fantastic! Thanks for sharing your story!

[beaut2b]

Barb - What a story. Thanks for sharing. I'm so happy for you and keep up the good work.

Shelley

[SPECK]

Originally Posted by CaroleKI61

When I began my weight loss journey I was sixty years old.
I weighed four hundred and fourteen pounds. Lived a sedentary life. Married to a wonderful man, the father to our six sons and one daughter, and grandfather to our three grandchildren.

I longed for something different in my life. I didn’t know what was happening to me. I felt angry/sad a lot of the time. My hormones went crazy; I had no energy, and experienced a complex range of issues related to the changes in my body. The changes were emotional, psychological, physical and spiritual.

I live in an upbeat, youthful and result driven culture where the overall emphasis seems to be on physical, tangible things. Productivity and speed are of the essence.



On my sixtieth birthday on February 14th. 2003 following a wonderful birthday party with my family I decided that the time had come for some changes.



First step was to quit consuming Rum and Coke… not only did I not like how I looked and acted in my drinking times it also contributed a lot to my gross obesity.
Next I read Dr. Atkins book and joined a wonderful on line low carb group. I discovered that my years of eating a low fat diet had created a deficiency and in turn was exacerbating certain conditions and health problems such as PMS, psoriasis, moodiness and inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Dr. Atkins taught me that not all fats are created equal and I had been misinformed. I began using healthy fats such as olive oil, which I use for low heat cooking. Use flax and hemp oil occasionally. I refrigerate these two cold-pressed oils and NEVER heat them. I also enjoy nuts, olives, coldwater fish, organic grass-fed meats and omega-3 eggs. I enjoy Avocado sliced in my salads.


I take a supplemental source of GLA (gamma-linolenic-acid) called Evening Primrose Oil. I began taking the capsules three times per day at meal times as I had always suffered with severe leg and foot cramps and haven’t had any problems since!

I take a Centrum multi vitamin pill every morning. I’ve just today added a fish oil supplement. I eat three meals per day eating enough to keep blood sugar in check. Doing this I believe that my body will gradually become balanced and with that balance will come clarity of mind and being, vitality, calm and relief from aggravating conditions. I’ve already started to glow.

I’m enjoying the journey to MYSELF. I have a lot of baggage left over from a horrific childhood and at times it slows me down on this journey. I haven’t reacted correctly to the responses and information coming from within me, from a primal place.
I am working on reprogramming the messages that haunt and torment me.

I need to belong to a group, without connection, I feel isolated on my journey. I hunger for time alone, to use as I choose… and I chose to make the following seven months a time to take inventory, complete unfinished business, and decide how I want to move forward. Self-care and boundary setting is key to psychological, emotional and spiritual wellness.

It takes time for me to make changes, but small changes when combined over time, seems to enrich the quality of my life.
I’ve begun a morning check-in it’s a way to keep in touch with my emotional, psychological and spiritual process. It’s not so much DOING as it is BEING… being grounded deep within myself. I ask myself HOW AM I FEELING? WHAT DO I NEED?
(E.g.. I need food/water: need to breath deeper, need to write, exercise etc.) Before long I know what I need and it is becoming easier to stay grounded. Writing has helped me to begin to identify my needs and to speak out about them.

Due to leg problems I use a walker and to go out a motorised scooter, I’ve just returned to swimming after spending over a year confined to my bed. My internal urge is so strong today I had to acknowledge it and share this with you. I’m taking this opportunity to become more fully the ME that I WAS MEANT TO BE! I deserve this time for myself. I must learn to walk without falling because someday I want to RUN!
Love Carole.

Thank you Carole. I would love to have you as a mom.

Sandra

[capook]

I'm gonna start by copying a letter to dr. atkins I wrote in 2003 in the wall of remembrance thread.

*(I am writing this letter to thank you for giving me back my life. Even though you are no longer with us you are still helping so many people. You have done what nobody else could do for me, you gave me back control of my life. I never realized how much control food had over me and my life until I started doing Atkins. I now have so much more energy and can play with my child without getting out of breath. Food no linger consumes my life. I am no longer depressed .I was such a sad person before. It was so hard for me to smile when I walked in to a room of people and I was the biggest one. My clothes were never comfortable , I never felt attractive, I felt like such a failure.
I lost my mother this year and it’s been really hard on me. I watched her slowly deteriorate over several years. She had heart problems and diabetes, due to complications from those she had a stroke at the age of 51. She remained bedridden in a nursing home until she was 54 and she passed away. I miss her so much. I always strove to make my mom proud. In many aspects of my life she was, but she was always concerned about my weight. She didn’t want me to end up like her. It hurt me so much to watch her slowly die, that’s when I realized what I was doing to my family. I was depriving them of me . Of me now and me in the future. I wouldn’t let anybody take pictures of me, I couldn’t do a lot of activities with my family, I couldn’t even fit in a roller coaster to ride with my daughter. I was not giving my child what she needed as a mom. I do not want my daughter to go through what I did with my mom, and I realized that is exactly what I was doing.
Since starting Atkins I have improved my life, I am a better wife , mother , and friend. I look forward to family outings instead of dreading them. I get my picture with my child, I even got family portraits done for the first time. I can look at them and say I don’t look so bad. I’m on my way, it’s still a long road ahead of me, but I can see the light at the end now. Thank you Dr. Atkins for being the light for so many people.)*

At my highest I was 325. I absolutely couldn't beleive I got that big, how could I not notice it happening?After I had my daughter in March 1998 and my mom had her stroke I ate to cope. I couldn't handle what I was going thru with my mom and I moved my dad in with my family and he needed care for his diabetes, chronic back pain,(2heart bypass surgeries).My dad passed away in 2000, after that we started to try and get pregnant again. After a year I was diagnosed with PCOS. I went on clomid and metformin, dropped the clomid after 6 months(hormones make me insane!!) IN 2006 I finally got pregnant with my second daughter!! How? Well after lcing off and on for 5 years I finally dropped down to 258. I had been stuck at 265-275 for what seemed like forever! Because of my PCOS the doc treated me like I had gestational diabetes. I checked my sugars 4xs a day but I never had to go on insulin!!! I ate sooo great while I was pregnant and lost weight!! When I went in to have my daughter I was 245! That was May 10th, I'm now 225 and she's 5 weeks. I came back to this BB to look for inspiration and motivate myself and I realized I have actually lost 100lbs over the last 5-6 years. Unbeleiveable!! I periodically re read my letter to dr. atkins to remind myself why this woe is so important.It's kinda tuff right now with breastfeeding I get major munchies, but so far so good. So for all the slow losers or if you are plateaued just remember your healthier than you were before. What option is there? going back? HE!! NO. So I'll keep pluggin away even if it takes 5 more years to lose the 60-75 more pounds I wanna lose.
_________________

[Loralei]

Okay folks after some hiatus it is time to post my story. I know I haven't visited this site in a very long time. I am no longer on low carb, I just am lucky enough to stay very very active to stay at maintance. I started low carb in 2004. I never was a big poster here. I tried to keep up and encourage where I could though. I was also very shy at the time rarely posted.

My breaking point wasn't the ugly stretch pants or the big double chin, or the comments made from idiots. My day of decision came when I couldn't climb up the basement stairs with a load of laundry and the day I cried after I got red in the face and was huffing and puffing after trying to tie my shoe. I got online and looked up gastric bypass.. I was going to see if a doctor would try to get my insurance to cover it.. but then I decided to try low carb again. I had tried it once before in the past and worked.. but I only did it for 2 weeks. I had alot more success this time around because I knew I was killing myself by continuing to gain weight. I had high blood pressure, blood sugar fluctuations, occasional chest pains, chronic back, knee and shoulder pain. My hormones were a mess and I cried almost every freakin day. That was my breaking point.

My low carb plan was atkins. Poor womans atkins.. hehe.. high sodium, lots of pork rinds, dip, whatever veggies I could get on sale or scrounge outta my moms garden. I ate lots of hamburger pattys, pork steaks, eggs and cheese.
I didn't and couldn't exercise much at first. After I lost about 50lbs I went to work at Walmart. I started in electronics. I am all about proving myself and didn't want people to think I was lazy (that is an assumption of thin people.. the ones who don't know I lost this weight share it with me alot.. many assume if you are fat you are automatically lazy) so I had to work harder than anyone to prove myself. By the time I lost 75lbs I started working as an unloader. I unloaded wal-mart trucks piece by piece.(a peice on the truck could be a box of sponges or a 200lb lawn mower and everything in between) By the time I reached my goal I was able to unload a 2000 piece truck in 1.5 hours. I was the fasted unloader on the team, I was also the oldest and the only woman!
I recently moved on to management but still try to work hard every day. And after being on my feet all day, I walk, run or work out. (I was able to afford a lower priced home gym and try to use it often). I know that my demons haven't fled. I still love food. I ate 5 pieces of pizza tonight before my walk.. But all in all I am eating less and healthier..

The upside to losing all this weight and looking better..
I share clothes with my 19yr old daughter, and I look pretty good in them too.
I can out run my 19 year old daughter.
A teenage boy made a rude remark about my daughter and I put him on the floor in a headlock..
I am getting alot of attention from the opposite sex
I have a tremendous amount of enegry and feel like a teenager.

The downside to losing weight... yes ladies and gents, there is a downside for me.
First of all.. lol
I am getting attention from the opposite sex. I liked it and my marriage of 21 years nearly ended.
Second:
I have a tremendous amount of energy and ACT like a teenager. I party alot.. I drink alot (taking a break from this for a bit, btw)
Finally,
Bottom line, I still need that seritonin release, be it drinking, sex, acting crazy etc I need it. I am still an addict folks and I am finally learning to deal. I loved the sertonin release from unloading the truck at work but can no longer do that.. so I am trying to walk/run/workout daily to cover that. If I start to gain I will be back. But right now I am trying to get the most I possibly can out of life. It is short.

Here's some pics for you all.