Sweetlove's quest to lose 100 lbs

[meganfm]

Congrats on what you've done so far!

The hard part is knowing that this isn't just temporary-you really have to make life changes. I packed on a lot of pounds at the end of elementary school/beginning on high school because I was having a hard time and ate a ton of junk food to occupy myself. I ended up being about..5ft7 and 185lbs by the time I was 13 or 14? But then I cut out all the crap I ate-started eating tons of fruit, and ran on the treadmill at the gym and in gym class. Now I'm 5ft10 and 135lbs for the past...4 or 5 years I think (I'm in college now). Although I don't restrict myself nearly as much as I used to, I still have to be very careful about what I eat. My friends can eat whatever and never gain a pound, but I still need to make sure I have a balance. Just be careful not to starve yourself-I had a few days where I tried to eat too little and I almost passed out.

Once you feel more comfortable (I know it's scary) I really suggest doing some toning and weight training. I lost weight just by running and diet, and even though I'm slim I still have parts of my body (like my upper arms and hips) that are quite "soft" because the weight is so hard to lose there. If you can afford it, get a lesson or two with a personal trainer who can show you how to use the equipment and how to tone the areas you're concerned about it, so you can work effectively once you're on your own.

Good luck! It's definitely a tough journey but COMPLETELY worth it! I love seeing people I haven't seen in a few years and how shocked they are to see how good I look.

[Dawn]

best of luck to you!!!!!!

[sweetlove]

Originally Posted by meganfm

Congrats on what you've done so far! The hard part is knowing that this isn't just temporary-you really have to make life changes. I packed on a lot of pounds at the end of elementary school/beginning on high school because I was having a hard time and ate a ton of junk food to occupy myself. I ended up being about..5ft7 and 185lbs by the time I was 13 or 14? But then I cut out all the crap I ate-started eating tons of fruit, and ran on the treadmill at the gym and in gym class. Now I'm 5ft10 and 135lbs for the past...4 or 5 years I think (I'm in college now). Although I don't restrict myself nearly as much as I used to, I still have to be very careful about what I eat. My friends can eat whatever and never gain a pound, but I still need to make sure I have a balance. Just be careful not to starve yourself-I had a few days where I tried to eat too little and I almost passed out.

Yeah, I've always loved McD and sweeties, so it's definitely a struggle trying to avoid those things, but now that I've learnt to do so, I feel so much better and I don't even crave it anymore (lol, I still might get my occational Ben&Jerry's though, but as long as I do it rarely, it shouldn't be an issue).

Quote:

Once you feel more comfortable (I know it's scary) I really suggest doing some toning and weight training. I lost weight just by running and diet, and even though I'm slim I still have parts of my body (like my upper arms and hips) that are quite "soft" because the weight is so hard to lose there. If you can afford it, get a lesson or two with a personal trainer who can show you how to use the equipment and how to tone the areas you're concerned about it, so you can work effectively once you're on your own.

Yeah, I definitely want to try out weight lifting eventually and I'm thinking about booking a few hours with a personal trainer who can tell me what to do and how to do it and also be there for me the first time in the weight room - being a little fat girl in a weight room with lots of fit guys is intimidating, lol

Quote:

Good luck! It's definitely a tough journey but COMPLETELY worth it! I love seeing people I haven't seen in a few years and how shocked they are to see how good I look.

Thanks!! I'm looking really much forward to what you're saying now and it is one of the things that keeps me going.

And again, thank y'all for the kind words, I really think this thread is a good motivation for me

[meganfm]

Originally Posted by sweetlove

Yeah, I've always loved McD and sweeties, so it's definitely a struggle trying to avoid those things, but now that I've learnt to do so, I feel so much better and I don't even crave it anymore (lol, I still might get my occational Ben&Jerry's though, but as long as I do it rarely, it shouldn't be an issue).

Of course it's alright to indulge sometimes! Maybe once every couple of months I'll run and get a McDs breakfast, and I love Dairy Queen every once in a while too. It's all about moderation! Plus there's often low fat-options, I remember Oprah talking about Skinny Cow chocolate ice cream bars? They're supposed to be very tasty and low in calories.

[sweetlove]

Oh yeah, I've heard a lot of good things about Skinny Cow products, so I think I'm gonna check them out next time I have a craving

[wordbox]

I got the ice cream sandwiches and they are so good! 140 calories and really satisfying.

[sweetlove]

Oh, I definitely want to check them out now. I'll see if my local grocery store has them tomorrow!

[MichelleAntonia]

Originally Posted by sweetlove

Yeah, I definitely want to try out weight lifting eventually and I'm thinking about booking a few hours with a personal trainer who can tell me what to do and how to do it and also be there for me the first time in the weight room - being a little fat girl in a weight room with lots of fit guys is intimidating, lol

please, please DON'T feel intimidated by the weight room! your absolute hands down BEST results will come from time spent in there!

through my many years being the only girl in the weight room, sometimes being out of shape, overweight, dressed like crap, etc, i've found that all those fit guys are usually very nice. in many years, i haven't has as much as one guy stare, be rude, all those horrible things you might imagine that guys might do in their element. lol. 99% of the time, they either leave you alone completely, don't even notice, or are helpful and nice in passing.

[sweetlove]

Originally Posted by MichelleAntonia

please, please DON'T feel intimidated by the weight room! your absolute hands down BEST results will come from time spent in there! through my many years being the only girl in the weight room, sometimes being out of shape, overweight, dressed like crap, etc, i've found that all those fit guys are usually very nice. in many years, i haven't has as much as one guy stare, be rude, all those horrible things you might imagine that guys might do in their element. lol. 99% of the time, they either leave you alone completely, don't even notice, or are helpful and nice in passing

Yeah, I'm really eager to start training with weights, and a few days ago I found a forum for weight lifters/gym enthuisiasts, and the guys (and gals) there seemed really nice and I realized that they don't seem that scary and intimidating after all. And what you've written backs that up, so I have made it into a small goal that I'll have at least tried weight lifting by the end of january.

[GGLOVER33]

Glad to see your doing so well, keep up the good work. I'm routing for you .

[sweetlove]

Thanks GGLOVER!!! I'm routing for you too!

Anyways, today I think I've reached my first plateu - I haven't lost anything whatsoever since last week. I can't say I'm not bummed, but I knew that this was coming, and I guess I should just keep working until I start losing again. Or should I increase my workouts?

[MichelleAntonia]

^perhaps it's a momentary thing, but it's never a bad idea to keep your workouts constantly changing to keep your body guessing (and your metabolism scrambling to step up to the ways you've challenged your body!) exercise should never be so challenging that just the thought freaks you out, but it's always gotta feel somewhat 'hard', like an obstacle to get over. that way you know you're always pushing yourself hard enough.

but don't take that too literally, don't rush into tough stuff either. lol.

you're doing good!

[sweetlove]

Thanks! I have two programs that I use, so maybe it's time to change from the one I've been using over these last two weeks and into the other one for a while.

Right now I've actually grown into a stage where I somewhat enjoy working out (or at least the post-workout feeling, lol), which I think is good as I stay motivated.

[sjunky13]

Congrats on working out!!!! Thats awesome , and I agree the weight training will help along with cardio for burning fat. If you are not losing anything, it could be because you are losing fat and replacing it with muscle,but you havent started lifting yet. I would check your food intake. And I agree skinny cows are sooooooooo good. Try the mint choco ones.KUTGW! Please comeback and share any tips you learn for first time WL. i am intrested to learn .

[Compass Rose]

Ack! sweetlove, I am right there with you, as I have reached a plateau now for almost two weeks and I only have 9 more pounds to lose. Just keep on truckin' with your program and you'll bust through it. I consider those pesky plateaus as good friends, as they represent the new "plateau" where your body feels the most comfortable and your next plateau will be a lot less weight than your last. It's a good thing.