More than 100 pounds to lose . . .

[lauraz2001]

Four years ago my boyfriend was killed in a car accident.  At that time I was losing weight and down 100 pounds after a year of dieting.  within three years after he was killed, I had gained all the weight back.  Last June I decided to get back on the weight loss journey and in the last six months have lost 50 pounds.  I received my Fitbit for Christmas and I am really invigorated about getting fit again.  I am still in need of losing another 125 or so.  I am looking for people who like me have a whole lot of weight to lose so that we can encourage  each other on this journey.

[lauraz2001]

I am in the same boat.  Lost 50 pounds since last June - need to lose another 125.  We should totally encourage eachother.  

[formerlyfit]

Yes, we are all here for each other.  Thinking positive is the best medicine.  There are times when it is tough but at least we are doing something about it.  We are trying to  make ourselves healthier!  Knowing there are others in the same boat means we can help each other with words of encouragement and at times just listening.

[badboatygirl]

thank you for the great words of wisdom i no you are write but when working out like a banchee and going crazy trying it is so discouraging to see a gain or no loss but i am not giving up this time, and your write it is about feeling better and health and i already see more energy yes i feel like going to sleep at 6pm some nights after a long work out but i am slowly getting better!! thanks again

[badboatygirl]

i actully did not no you can gain weight when you first started working out i do ton's of reserch and try to learn but there is so much different things out there "eat this, don't eat this, do that don't do that, take this blah blah blah" so i get iratated when i don't no what to do anymore but i am glad you said this about the water weight at least i no i am not working out like a crazy person for no reason!! lol thank you

[badboatygirl]

wow thats great i lost 40lbs with weight watchers but i put every pound plus more on when i quit so now i have 100lbs to loose and just started working out like crazy and trying again. good luck

[teeny95]

Sorry to hear about your loss. Hopefully the exercise helps with the endorphins and all. Keep up the good work. What all have you been doing to shed the pounds?

[MrsColorsmith]

Another one here with over 100 pounds to lose.  I'm down 45 from my heaviest weight and 15 pounds from my first goal weight.  I'm at one of those plateau points, though.  Will get past it, but it's a little discouraging. 

[TICKET]

I just wanted to say that I've lost a little over 100 lbs. (five years ago,) and that it can be done. Some of it has snuck back on--hence the Fitbit! Be encouraged--you can do it!!!

[mom2three]

I am new here and also have to lose 100 pounds.  My first child died as an infant, and that started the roller coaster ride of weight struggles for me - 31 years ago.  I have raised a family since then, but once that unhealthy cycle was in place it seems to be a permanent part of my day.  I have been down to 118 pounds and up to 267 pounds.  At this point it is about my health and just trying to do my best through each day.  You know - the whole eat less, move more?   Or eat better, move  . . . . somewhere.  I don't know.  Just know it's time to do it my way.

[Maria_Rosado]

Spoiler

Hello Laura,

My name is Maria and I'm 18 years old. I'm only 5' 1" and I weigh in at 230. I need to lose weight, I've been bullied my whole life about it and it's never good to carry around the extra baggage (if you know what I mean). I've tried countless things to push myself and to keep my head high, trying to motivate myself and believe that I can do it but I never make it. I got to the point where I lost 15 pounds but gained it back when I got homesick. I need motivation and help, maybe we can help eachother! I need other females that are going through what I'm going through. My boyfriend is a fitness fanatic but he is already in shape and when he does his workouts he doesn't do cardio or things of that nature, which is what I need. 

I hope we can help eachother out!

Spoiler

[MissKai]

As it has been said , truly, I am sorry for your loss. 

Way to go on starting the journey to a better you!

I started my journey at 288 and as of today I a 251with a goal weight of 140. So I have 110 more pounds to lose as well!

[DarleneM]

Stress and trauma can cause us to stress-eat and not take care of ourselves. I'm sorry for your loss and I can relate to how your situation has come about.

I have struggled with my weight since puberty. I'm 5'8" tall and large frame, always been larger than the "average" according to the doctor's average weight scale. In 1985 I had four children and left an abusive husband; at that time I was up to 265-280#'s.  I started my life over and got myself back on track, taking better care of ME in the process. I was 29 yrs old with four small children and we were very active, walked and played hard. Over the next two years I lost 120#'s and was the healthiest I'd ever been. I walked and biked, was down from a size 26 women's to a size 11-12! 

Over the next 10-15 years I yoyo'd with my weight but never got up over 220#'s.  The company I had worked for many years closed the office and my job was terminated. I stressed and gained weight. Later I was able to transfer to another job within the company but it required a move 500 miles away from my (grown) children and I gained weight again. I started back walking everyday and tried to eat healthier and kept my weight pretty steady, that is until that job terminated 4 years later and for the first time I was unemployed. My grown children were 500 miles away, I was unemployed and went into severe depression. My weight shot up to over 300#'s and kept rising,.  Finally at 340#'s I had enough and hit rock-bottom. My health was affected and I just could not DO what I wanted to any more, my joints hurt and being over 55 yrs old going through menopaus, my metabolism was next to nothing!

This year I made a consious decision to take better care of me.  I turn 57 in a few weeks and by this time next year I plan to drop all the extra weight that I gained.  A friend told me about the FitBit and how it has helped her track her calories/steps/activities and I bought one about a week ago.

The Fitbit Flex works for me, it gives me a means to track my steps and log in my meals and see how my calories are burned. It's effortless and I love that!  The pedometer I was using helped but I had to remember to wear it and reset it... the FitBit makes things a lot easier. I've already seen a little weight loss this year and I have more energy sticking to my "PLAN". I am motivated to be healthier and lose the 100+ pounds I have gained back. I may never be 180#'s again, but at least I'm working on a healthier weight and being more active.

I hope my story helps to inspire others just as your stories have helped inspire me. I love the support this forum provides and look forward to hearing your success stories!

Darlene

NC

[lauraz2001]

Darlene:  Your story is much like mine (sans the death of the boyfriend).  I have 3 grown children and I lived more than 500 miles from them (including the first three years after my boyfriend died).  I now live close to two of the kids.  I will be 57 this year as well, in September.  I am 5'8" and weighed between 145-165 until I was pregnant with my first child at age 27.  After that I was around 200 pounds after the birth of all three kids which happened in 3.5 years.  When my ex-husband left me at age 34 I gained about 80 pounds.  By age 37 I had lost 100 pounds and weighed 180 (which is pretty perfect for my large frame and muscular build).  I gained about 10 pound a year (up to 230#) until was in a serious accident at age 42 and I then gained 100# within a year.  I stayed between 310 and 350 until I was 51 when I lost 105#.  Then after the boyfriend accident at age 52 I gained it all back.  Now I am down 55 pounds and determined to get back to 180.  

[GmaJanet]

Hi Everyone,

First day as a fitbit user, so far loving it.  I have 130 lbs to lose.  I'm eating Paleo, or as some of you may know it as the caveman diet.  Basically it is just eating whole foods and no processed, packaged foods.  I love eating this way, and I feel soooo much better.  Now I just need to add the activity level to the combination.  I have several questions that you all may be able to answer.  My fit bit said I burned over 500 calories while sleeping, that seems like alot, is that really accurate? 

[kazzarich]

So sorry to hear you have experienced such tragedy 😞

I have 200 pounds to lose at least! Would love to have you add me as a friend and we can all do this together 🙂

Karen

[Sadybug13]

Hey Everyone, 

Trauma and emotional eating can be such a huge part of our weight loss efforts. I too have had similar issues although mostly with parents. In 2009 I lost 80 pounds and was 11 pounds away from finally being back in the 100's, which I hadnt seen in over 10+ years. Then started the court battles when my ex filed to try to get custody of our son, which started the stress. At that time I had a boyfriend I had been with for about a year. We found out in early 2010 that his father had cancer. 4 months after we found out, in July of 2010, his dad passed away. While we were going through that, we found out my Mom had a brain tumor. She was my best friend. Just 4 months after we found that out, she passed away in December of 2010. The last year, my mother-in-law (my boyfriend is now my husband ) passed away unexpectedly after a surgery she had been approved for. So there has been a lot of loss, and court battles, and jobs lost and on and on over the past 4 years. Needless to say, I emotionally ate those 80 pounds back on plus a few more. I cant beleive that here I am now trying to lose it all again. And on top of that I had a left total knee replacement about 10-11 weeks ago, which is a good think considering I could barely walk anymore before that and I am only 45 this year! So I know it is time to put all that past me and that 2014 is my year!! And I am trying to look at it all in small chunks, not thinking OMG I need to lose 130 pounds. So having other people to help with motivation is a fantastic thing, and to help encourage. I am looking forward to getting to know people so feel free to add me if a friend if I havent gotten around to sending a request yet (I am working on that LOL)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

[NobodysPerfect]

I am so sorry for your loss. Best of luck reaching your weight loss goals!!

[carbon_dragon]

My condolences. I lost my dad about 3 months ago but your life has certainly had its share of stress. I've lost weight before and gained it back. Recently (4 or so years ago) I lost about 130 pounds by seeing a nutritionist and exercising and eating better. Then the nutritionist went back to her old job and I thought I could just coast and before I knew it I was back at 230.

I'm working harder in exercise and trying to eat less (1900 calories or so daily) and healthier but it's tough to do and I think it always will be. The tricky part is you have to constantly adapt because the body seems to adapt to lower and lower food and higher exercise. If you don't change things up and do different exercise, you burn fewer calories and start gaining again. I'm afraid it's a challenge that will last till I die.

I do recommend a good nutritionist if you can find one. It can really help.

[cathlabjay]

My condolences I know where you are coming from.  Feb last year I lost my husband of 32 years.  We knew his health was failing but thought we would have more time together.  He was only 59.  Then Oct of the same year I lost my father found out he had cancer and 1 week later he was gone.  I think he knew more and was not telling mom or any of us what was going on.  Any way with all of this going on my weight kept getting bigger and bigger then 2 weeks after coming back from my fathers funeral I fell and broke my tail bone.  Not fun cant sit or stand or walk for long periods of time.  I have been off work since then and not healing like my doctor would like.  So we started running more tests and I am now seeing an oncologist.  We are in the wait and watch period of leukaemia.  They tell me at this point loosing the 100 lbs I need to loose will help eat very health so I am tying. I started this journey needed to loose 100 and I now have 91.6 lbs to go. Not to bad for about a month.

[fluffynurse]

After reading many of the post I see a cycle that most of us go through ( stress/ trauma= excessive eating and then weight gain). We can get through all the trauma in our lives and even the trauma of the actual process of weight loss with the support and compassion of our fitbit companions and family members. I do not know the spiritual beliefs of any one here but know all of u r in my prayers! I am here for any one who needs a shoulder for support and an ear to listen.

Vonda