… and that was the last time I weighed myself. I decided that it was time to let go of the stranglehold on my weight and let the cards fall where they may. A lot of things happened along the way, as they do in life, and I came to see that I spent an inordinate amount of time thinking about my weight. I decided I wanted that time back.
I still eat a mostly whole-foods, plant-based, vegetarian diet made primarily of produce I purchase at my local farmers market.
I still keep daily activity as a priority in life, although these days I do a lot more hiking through beautiful trails and a lot less elliptical in the confines of the gym.
Health is not a number on a scale.
to be continued…
July 2012, 168 pounds
June 2012, 168 pounds
May 2012, 172 pounds
April 2012, 177 pounds
March 2012, 169 pounds
February 2012, 167 pounds
January 2012, 170 pounds
December 2011, 169 pounds
November 2011, 164 pounds
October 2011, 161 pounds
September 2011, 161 pounds
August 2011, 163 pounds
July 2011, 163 pounds
June 2011, 163 pounds
May 2011, 164 pounds
November 2010, 173 pounds
–maintenance break–
August 2010, 180 pounds, GOAL #1!
July 2010, 183 pounds
Apr 2010, 196 pounds
Nov 2009, 225 pounds
Oct 2009, 229 pounds
Sept 2009, 233 pounds
Aug 2009, 239 pounds
Jul 2009, 245 pounds
Jun 2009, 250 pounds
May 2009, 255 pounds
Apr 2009, 262 pounds
Mar 2009, 265 pounds
Feb 2009, 270 pounds
Jan 2009, 287 pounds
WOW! Great work! Very inspirational. Keep up the the good work!
You are so amazing and quite the inspiration! I love the name of your blog and really want to adopt it as my new mantra!
This is not a Diet,this is my life!
Well said!
Laura
The numbers that caught my eyes.
You indeed are truly unique and special in attaining your goals. As I currently start at basically the same starting point and the same goal range. I find it especially pleaseing to know that it can be done.
Keep up the great job you’ve accomplished.
i have to say i was getting down on my self i have lost weight but i have not lost the belly fat i am trying but it will take time i am 5’4″ and when i started i was 185 that was 1 year 1 month ago i am now 156 i feel good but there are days like today that i feel fat my body measurements are 40-31-41 i was reading your blog and i have to say thanks i am truely inspired to keep going
Hi there, I am struggling 58 yr old female, trying to eat healthy. I have used this site for months and down only 7 lbs. How did you get started and how did you determine what you ate & how much? I have been eating almonds, oatmeal for breakfast, cottage cheese (low sodium) & a packet of tuna for lunch . I do habut have 1 Coke a day ( reg) I had a bad case of aspartame poisoning so no artificial sweeteners. This really makes dieting much harder. I eat no processed foods! Any Ideas for me???
I avoid all artificial sweeteners and most added sweeteners. I stay away from very sugary foods and tend to satisfy my sweet tooth with fruit or occasionally dark chocolate. I never drink soda and rarely drink juice. Water is the best beverage if you’re trying to lose weight.
It’s hard to give you advice without seeing how much you’re eating- because it varies so much from person to person. Your calorie intake should be based on your current weight, age, and activity level. When I started, at nearly 300 pounds, I ate about 2000 calories a day and lost about 8 pounds a month. Now I can lose maybe 3-4 pounds a month eating 1800 calories a day, but I also exercise 6 days a week strenuously for 60-90 min.
If you want me to take a look at want you’re eating, message me on fatsecret (k8yk)
It is 7 less pounds than and you did not gain .Good work
I just found your blog and I wanted to congratulate you on your journey and lifestyle change! How exciting to finally reach your goal weight! I can understand the process- I lost 81 pounds (211 to 130) three years ago and I am so happy to see another person who did it honest way- no gimmicks involved. I have found that my maintenance is so different than my weight loss (in many more ways than just the number on the scale and the calorie count), and I would love to hear about your experiences with maintenance as time goes on. Way to go girl! Congratulations!
I am on fatsecret as mrs smith1. I don’t know if I am a food addict, I am a recovering addict, alcoholic and I have been overweight all my life. I started this journey at 337 and am down to 271. I use to want the magic pill or plan. I wanted the results with as little work and sacrifice as possible!! Imagine that from an addict!! LOL. Now I am very confident and even proud of the changes I have made and continue to make. I know I have to consciously decide what to put in my body, how much, and how often. I am exercising regularly but it has not become second nature yet or really fun on the positive side I don’t dread it either. I know it is necessary to reach my long term goal. I want it to become a pleasure. Anyway, I would love any guidance, tips advice, encouragement. I am not on a diet. I am learning how to eat healthier and make better choices that will last a life time. I am breaking the food bondage not just for me but my family as well. Have a blessed Mothers Day!
I don’t think food addiction (issues, disorders, whatever you want to call them) are an either/or proposition. I think if you’re very overweight, you have some kind of issue with food and body image, but there’s a spectrum. Some are worse off than others. Anyway, I hear you on the magic pill
But I finally learned that everything worth having is worth working for.
Exercise didn’t become really fun for me until I had lost so much weight that everything got easier. When I was finally able to run, that’s when it got really, really fun! I love how I feel during and after exercise.
The best advice I can give you is to keep an open mind, realize that there is always something new to learn, and to have patience. I truly believe we can all get to the weight we want to be as long as there is patience. And I think it’s fantastic that you are doing this for your family as well. It is so important because children really do learn by example.
Best wishes to you, not good luck, because there’s nothing lucky about this. It’s a choice you make. Once you make it, nobody can take it away!
Wow! You give me hope! My weight has fluctuated up and down for the past 25 years. About a month ago when I hit an all time high of 299 and I realized I was looming very close to 300 pounds I decided I needed to make a lifestyle change, not go on a “diet”. Dieting was obviously not working for me. So for the past month I have been watching what I eat. Trying to stay within a certain number of calories a day. Trying to watch my fat, carb and protein intake. I’m trying to be balanced or find balance. I also started walking 5 days a week. I’m not sure where I am headed from here, but would like to read more about your journey. It might help me figure out where I’m going.
Hi, fantastic, consistent weight loss and more importantly, life change. I’m three to four months in to my journey and life change is my main focus. You have an interesting approach to weighing yourself and it obviously works because you have won the ‘significance of numbers’ battle. I don’t personally think I could cope with a daily weigh in, but, have opted instead for monthly. Like you, I know if I’m doing well or not. I know if my eating or exercise is off and can make adjustments accordingly. The monthly weigh keeps me in touch with the overall direction of my weight but helps me not obsess, especially as I have not as yet won the ‘significance of numbers’ battle
Congratulations and happy maintaining!!
I have been having trouble giving myself a kick in the rear for a long, long time. I try to start eating healthy and then I give in to temptation. I was working out for some time, then my schedule got busy and I haven’t gotten back in the swing again. I think somehow it’s not something I want hard enough or I would have already done it. It’s just a thought, not a commitment now, and I need to move past it if I want to see real change in myself.
What a great journey you have recorded here. I hope you take time to look back at this and are proud of what you have accomplished. How inspiring! Keep up the great work.
I love that I found your blog. While I am always interested in someone’s weight loss I also like it if the person posts their age and height as that seems to put it in perspective. Any chance of sharing?
I’m 5’8″ tall and I’m currently 34 years old (7/16/2012)
Thanks for sharing that weight record…it made me feel a lot better…I’m a bit of an instant gratification type person and get frustrated if I don’t lose 3 pounds a week (unrealistic expectation I know, why I quit watching the Biggest Loser!!). It was nice to see how slow but steady wins the race!! My record would look a lot like this. 82 pounds gone for me and 175 is my goal also!!
This is the best blog on weight loss, diet, healthy eating, and related issues I’ve seen in a while! Thanks for being here. You’re an inspiration. =)
Your last recorded weight stands out to me because that’s about how much I weighed at that same time. But being around 170 is the biggest I’ve been and that’s when I first started taking steps toward being healthier because I became really unhappy with myseld at the time because of my weight and appearance. I had gained about 25 pounds since entering college and at the point i had just finished my second year. I can gladly say that right now I’ve shed that 25 and I’m back to my fresh out of high school weight. I am more happy with myself how I am now than i was at this weight in high school. Probably because I appreciate more now that I’ve achieved this.
recently I’ve been lacking drive and motivation to be healthy because I have a lot of this going on in life but I think I’ve found new inspiration from your blog! ^_^
Sorry i’ve thrown my life story (of the last few years) at you.