I have lost over 20 pounds

[Sarah CB]

And I'm posting it here in case there is anyone else who has read the weight loss threads on this board and felt utterly hopeless.  There was a long period in my life where I wondered if it was possible for me to lose weight.  The threads here made me feel worse.  Even after a couple of weeks of fantastic weight loss, I had a couple of weeks where I didn't lose anything or even gained a couple of pounds.  My head went straight back to a previous thread about metabolism and I was sure I had messed with my metabolism and that I was doomed.  Then I started losing again.

 

Thank you to the posters who talked about continually tracking all of their calories.  And thank you to the Whole 30 people.  And thank you to everyone who posts on the exercise thread.

 

 

 

[BigMamaBird]

Thank you for the success story!  It's encouraging to hear.

[OhioMomof3]

Awesome!!!

[Pink and Green Mom]

I am so happy for you!

[Mothersweets]

Way to go!! :hurray:

[Ann.without.an.e]

Thanks for sharing!

[JudoMom]

I read this article the other day and found it encouraging: http://greatist.com/live/best-way-to-lose-weight-for-good?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=runnersworld&cid=soc_Runner%27s%20World%20-%20RunnersWorld_FBPAGE_Runner’s%20World_ThirdPartyonly:Greatist_

[JudoMom]

Oh, and way to go!

Edited May 28, 2016 by JudoMom

[jrn]

:hurray:

[kiana]

Congrats!

 

Here's a cool article about why some people see nothing-nothing-nothing-sudden drop (also jibes with my personal experience) -- http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html/

[Rachel]

Way to go!

[Kassia]

Congratulations!  

 

 

[AnnE-girl]

Congratulations!

[Laurie4b]

Congratulations!

 

[Guest]

Awesome!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Tiramisu]

I'm very happy for you.

 

I'm seriously counting calories for the first time ever and I'm hoping I just got over a three week plateau. Thanks for sharing your success and the same kind of struggle.

[PinkTulip]

Congratulations! This is really inspiring to me.

[Melissa in Australia]

:hurray:  :hurray:

[Slache]

Way to go Mama! It's so hard! You're doing great!

[LMD]

Congratulations!!! That's fantastic work!

I'm about 24lbs down so far too.

[staceyobu]

I have lost 35 lbs and maintained it for three years. I'm currently cutting back to attempt to get to a lighter running weight to reach some personal goals. Weight loss IS possible. I feel better in my mid thirties than I did through my twenties.

[staceyobu]

I have lost 35 lbs and maintained it for three years. I'm currently cutting back to attempt to get to a lighter running weight to reach some personal goals. Weight loss IS possible. I feel better in my mid thirties than I did through my twenties.

[Slache]

I have lost 35 lbs and maintained it for three years. I'm currently cutting back to attempt to get to a lighter running weight to reach some personal goals. Weight loss IS possible. I feel better in my mid thirties than I did through my twenties.

Now you're just bragging. ;)

[PrincessMommy]

that's great... congratulations

[Georgiana Daniels]

I love hearing success stories---congratulations :D

[Guest]

Awesome! :)

[Sarah CB]

I read this article the other day and found it encouraging: http://greatist.com/live/best-way-to-lose-weight-for-good?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=runnersworld&cid=soc_Runner%27s%20World%20-%20RunnersWorld_FBPAGE_Runner’s%20World_ThirdPartyonly:Greatist_

 

Thank you - very interesting!

[Sarah CB]

Congrats!

 

Here's a cool article about why some people see nothing-nothing-nothing-sudden drop (also jibes with my personal experience) -- http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html/

Thanks for this!!

[Sarah CB]

Congratulations!!! That's fantastic work!

I'm about 24lbs down so far too.

 

Awesome!  I'm still surprised that I've been able to do it :)  

[Sarah CB]

I have lost 35 lbs and maintained it for three years. I'm currently cutting back to attempt to get to a lighter running weight to reach some personal goals. Weight loss IS possible. I feel better in my mid thirties than I did through my twenties.

 

This is so great to hear!  I am hoping that with the kind of tracking I'm doing I'll be able to figure out how to maintain.  What is your best advice for maintaining?  

[Sarah CB]

Thanks to everyone for your encouragement!  I still can't believe I've lost as much as I have.  I've got 22 pounds to go before I reach my goal weight, so I'm about halfway there.  I actually think I might get there - and I haven't been that weight since before my pregnancy with my fourth kid. 

 

Here's what I'm secretly looking forward to: wearing skirts and dresses in the summer without having to wear a pair of jockey skimmies underneath (to prevent thigh chafing).  

[hornblower]

I think honestly the thing to steel yourself for is that  your 'reward' for reaching a milestone is that you get to slash even more calories from your menu plan. I hate that part.

And maintaining will mean adjusting your caloric intake down, probably every 3-5 years but possibly sooner if hormonal changes hit you hard.  This is the realistic part that people don't really want to talk about but I think if you know it, it's easier. I know some people think they'll just do this for some time & then 'go back to normal' but that will never be possible if you want to maintain. 

[Meadowlark]

I think honestly the thing to steel yourself for is that  your 'reward' for reaching a milestone is that you get to slash even more calories from your menu plan. I hate that part.

 

And maintaining will mean adjusting your caloric intake down, probably every 3-5 years but possibly sooner if hormonal changes hit you hard.  This is the realistic part that people don't really want to talk about but I think if you know it, it's easier. I know some people think they'll just do this for some time & then 'go back to normal' but that will never be possible if you want to maintain. 

So true. I'm in that maintaining part. Losing it was honestly the easiest part. I've lost 60 pounds, just recently gained back 10 and trying so hard to get back on track. It's really never ending if you want your body to stay at that weight. For me, I have to accept that life will never be the same. I cannot go back to what I was doing before because the minute I do, there is 5 pounds. I think it's important that people realize that maintaining is every bit as hard, if not harder. That said, I'm a much happier person 50 pounds lighter!

[kiana]

Too true. "Yay, another pound down" is just so much more motivational than "Yay, another day when I was inside my goal weight range".

[abcmommy]

I think honestly the thing to steel yourself for is that  your 'reward' for reaching a milestone is that you get to slash even more calories from your menu plan. I hate that part.

 

And maintaining will mean adjusting your caloric intake down, probably every 3-5 years but possibly sooner if hormonal changes hit you hard.  This is the realistic part that people don't really want to talk about but I think if you know it, it's easier. I know some people think they'll just do this for some time & then 'go back to normal' but that will never be possible if you want to maintain. 

Truth.

 

Im succeeding with Weight Watchers after failing hard with a straight up calorie plan (my fitness pal plus a whole lot of exercise).  The good thing about WW is that even tho it is calorie reduction it also has other factors involved (and currently seems to encourage careful carb consumption).  Also maintenance is not so rough in WW.