+*+*+*Share your secret please

[Lucet]

What happened that day that you not only made the decision to loose weight but you also stuck to it. Why is it that some people stick to it, others just quit and most of us have a hard time. Was it something someone said? A health issue? What was it? Or do you just do it? 

Thank you for your answer , 

[Paradise555]

For me it was my health. I was getting sick and tired of being sick and tired. I wanted to change. This change is still happening after 18 months and still improving how I train at the gym, eat and everything. It isn't an over night thing to get "healthy" but it is a lifestyle change. 

[OCDOC]

Vacation in Florida  2015. Eating and drinking like a slob. 

I declined offers from my kids to join them on the beach and in the pool (claiming to hate the sun).

My youngest asked me again when it was cloudy. It was then that I admitted to myself that I was embarrassed to take off my shirt (and swim) in public. 

Got home and said enough is enough. That was 25 pounds (and counting) ago. This Summer I want to do EVERYTHING my kids want to do without feeling like I did in Florida.  Rob

[Lucet]

"A lifesyle change"

You can say that again. I have to keep on remembering that its not gonna happen overnight. Then I get so impatient. And after 1 week or working out its as if I want to see 10lb less in the scale. I know how silly this sounds. Well I am glad that your doing good.

[JohnRi · Accepted solution]

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@Lucet wrote:

"A lifesyle change"

You can say that again. I have to keep on remembering that its not gonna happen overnight. Then I get so impatient. And after 1 week or working out its as if I want to see 10lb less in the scale. I know how silly this sounds. Well I am glad that your doing good.

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As my doctor is fond of saying, it took weeks, months, sometimes years to gain the weight.  You aren't going to lose it over night.  It will take weeks, months, or even years...

I've made a complete lifestyle change.  Down 37 lbs, 59 to go....

[Lucet]

JohnRi- Thats awsome !!!!! Congradulations. That is true My story is in 2 years I gained 20lb. Yeah I noticed the trend in 2014- and in in 2015 I did not gain 10 more- I did not loose any either. I'll be more patient with myself.

[SebringDon · Accepted solution]

I'd been thinking for a while I needed to make some changes. I'd been obese most of my adult life, and I was tired of being heavy, tired of being tired, and tired of not wanting to look in the mirror. Being 63, I knew if I didn't do something soon I might never do it. I also knew from experience that a "diet" would mean nothing in the long run, having "dieted" with little results dozens of times.

Then I went to visit family and my sister asked me to help her get her Fitbit set up. As I worked through the process with her, I realized it would fit right in with my desire to do something about my weight and health, and would also give me an outlet for my mild OCD.

After I got back home, I thought about it for a week or so and got my first Fitbit, a Flex. Within a week I was hooked, within a month I'd changed my diet substantially, and not long after I upgraded to a Charge HR, passing my Flex on to my wife.

The rest is history, a steadily falling weight and a steadily rising health and sense of well-being.

Yeah, I'm hooked. I'd recommend the same course to anyone struggling with the same issues.

[JohnRi]

For me, I went to the doctor in August of last year for an infection.  I was 281, my heaviest...  He told me to come back for a physical in September.  I did, and well, the news wasn't good.  My lab work and medical tests later, I've got high blood pressure, cholesterol is high, and I have mild/stage 1 damage to my heart....  He told if I didn't change my way, I'd be dead in 10 years...

So I changed my diet, and exercised a little until my nuclear stress test on my heart cleared me for heavy exercise.

I started walking once I was cleared...  I continue to improve my diet...  And walk farther, and more often....

It was fun to buy new clothes once my old clothes got too big! 

Dropped 37 lbs, 59 to go...

[Lucet]

SebringDon- Your story is truly amazing. It must be great that feeling good is just the motivation. I'm 29 and I feel that if I dont eat healthy now or make an effort to do so in the future its only gonna add up. I dont even have kids yet. I want to invest into my health. A lot of desires - but I just cant seem to breakthough. Am just gonna keep going ahead anyways.

[marthemar]

For me it was a number of things.  I had gotten fed up about 4 years ago and started exercising and logging everything I ate. I lost 50 lbs.  Then I got sick.  I was diagnosed with COPD because I had breathing problems and smoked.  I quit smoking right away (have not smoked or wanted to smoke one since).  At the time, I told all of the doctors it was not that I could not get air into my lungs, it was more like my throat felt like it was closing and I was gasping through a closed straw.  Well, after 2.5 years of not being able to exercise because it would throw me into an all out breathing attack.  It was so bad that I could not do even the lightest yard work or anything.  I had a choking fit on corn one day last May.  For 3 weeks, my throat hurt and I had to take ibuprofen every 4 hours to  keep the swelling down.  From the time I was diagnosed with COPD til the choking fit I had gained over 70lbs.  I was about 270 lbs on my first visit to the gastroenterologist.  Within a couple of weeks, I was diagnosed with sever silent reflux.  I was throwing up continuously throughout the day into my throat and air passages.  At this time I decided I really needed to do what I could to lose weight.  I eliminated carbs just in my dinners. I started cooking meat and vegetables for dinner every night.  It was quick to cook and much healthier.  I lost 18lbs from May to September 1st.  That was the day I had surgery to repair the valve at the top of my stomach (nissen fundoplication – full wrap).  I was 250.8lbs that morning.  Now, coming out of that surgery is like having a gastric bypass.  There are a lot of diet restrictions.  After a four to six weeks, I could eat whatever I wanted, but I chose to keep the portions to about a cup of food at a time.  I figure god gave me this tool, I am going to use it. I now exercise 2.5 to 3 hours a day.  I cannot do anything too intense because of nerve damage in my throat, so I have to do the slow and steady approach.  I am now 188 lbs and loving life.  I still have about 20 lbs to lose, but it feels awesome to be 80% of the way to my goal of losing 100 lbs. 

So, what caused me to decide to take this path and stick to it?  I would say I just made the decision to take what was a bad time in my life and make it good.  Yes, I needed surgery.  Yes, it changed my life.  I will never be able to throw up again.  I will always have to carry medication in case I get sick or nauseous.  I cannot drink out of straws anymore.  Etc…, but I chose to make it a good life change.  I eat less.  I exercise more.  And I feel awesome.  It was just the kick in the butt that I needed to get myself back on the healthy track.

Good luck with your paths.  I hope everyone can find the inspiration they are looking for.

[awood08]

I asked my 6 year old son to bring me something that was less than 5 feet away. He laughed and said something like "Mommy are you that fat that you can't get up and get it for yourself?" while I was upset by his comment and scolded him for speaking to me like that. It was a reality check....had I really become that lazy that I couldn't get my butt off the couch to walk 5 feet away to get something? Yes...I had. So I decided right then I would change my life. Quit smoking, started walking every day, and drastically reduced my calorie intake and bettered my food quality.

Set my goals small each time, 15 pounds, 10 pounds, 5 pounds, etc. and only allowed myself one cheat meal a month if I hit my goal that month. 8 months in and I'm down 64 pounds and in my goal clothing size (12 sizes smaller than I started!)

[sabitabi88]

My moment was while I was looking back at some pictures from my cousins graduation party. I had seen them before that moment but never really LOOKED at them. This time when I looked I saw my big belly instead of the fun I was having that day. I looked like I was pregnant because my body likes to store fat in my belly the most. It must have been around that time that it finally clicked in my head that I had gained almost 20 pounds since high school and I was never even happy with the weight I was back then (this all happened about 4 years after HS). I had never counted calories before and IDK what made me decide to then but I did and I set my goals fairly small. My first goal was to lose 26 pounds and then 10 and now my goal is another 8. Each time I hit a goal I try to decide whether I want to lose more. The Fitbit didn't come into play until I had already lost the first 30. I didn't start for health reasons but I will say that losing 36 pounds took a lot of stress off of my knees, which I never realized didn't have to hurt while climbing stair.

[kambyqt]

I'm glad you made the decision to get fit. Small changes can really lead to big success. Make it your lifestyle change, have you noticed an improvement in your energy levels?

[kambyqt]

What an awesome story, we all tend to over indulge when on vacation but denying the kids fun probably made them feel lonely going out in the water by themselves. Cheers to making 2016 a better year.

[kambyqt]

Oh good! I agree with you 100% sometimes you feel like you might be on your feet all day just to realize you only have 4,000 steps so having a fitbit can help you identify that and give you the nudge you need to try and strive for 10k

[kambyqt]

Thats amazing, its good to know that such an innocent comment made by a child, fired you up. Keep up the great work woman!

[AmberBart]

Today is my 1 year anniversary in buying my FitBit and deciding enough was enough.
I went to the mall needing new jeans and I put on a size 20 and realized I'd need a 22 if I didnt want to feel sick with them digging in to my stomach. That was the breaking point. I REFUSED to go to a 22.

I went to Best Buy and bought a FitBit and the Aria scale instead. I almost died when I finally got the guts to get on the scale, but I was sick of the shame I felt. Wearing baggy shirts to cover my rolls, wearing spanks under my jeans hoping it made some difference.

My FitBit is the center of my day to day life. It keeps me on track and honest. I plug EVERYTHING I eat into the app and weigh myself at least 3 times a week to track my weight and body fat.

I went Paleo, and after I got the first 15lbs off, I started CrossFit (what a HUMBLING experience!!) and I've lived day by day, week by week ever since. I've had good weeks and bad weeks but I get out of bed every day trying to be a better person than I was yesterday. Work out as much as I can (4-5 days a week) and always always keep away from the refined sugars and carbs.

I'll be running my first 5K in 7 weeks 😄

2/18/15:    242.4lbs   56%BF
2/19/16:    207.0lbs   44%BF

Goal #1    202.4lbs   Target April 2016
Goal #2    <200lbs    Target May 2016
Goal #3    <185lbs    Target August 2016

[sabitabi88]

Wow, That's awesome! I have a real sugar problem. I love sweets! My office always has those hard candys sitting out and my will power isn't good enough to just walk by and not take one.

[Lucet]

Thanks you guys for sharing your personnal stories with me . Already I feel like I picked up a few great tips. Somehow I can also relate a little with everyone. I have not yet lost any lb  . I really started 188 days ago. I know its 188 days because I kept a journal in sparkpeople. And I had ups and down. 1 week good, 1 week bad. And during that time I have 3 trips out of the country . I dont want to use it as an exuse but threw me off track a little. Honesly I think I lost 3lb. I'll take it day by day. I am graduating in May . I am 148lb if I could be 140lb by May 7 (graduation day). That is my first goal. I am 5'3 and 148 for me is heavy. I use to be 118-120. Thanks again for sharing I read everyones story, and will probably read them again. 

🙂

[Lucet]

MarteMar your story like many storie here. Is truly amazing. Despite All you still lost weight. So anyone else really have no exuses. When you could not work out, you cut down your calories- Very motivating. 

Thank you for sharing