I've been floating around, mainly lurking, around here for a while now. Just to summarise where I'm at so far.....

I started wanting to do something about my rather huge weight problem in January 2005 (yep another New Years resolutioner). I got to the gym, found a trainer, who helped me for eight weeks put some semblance of a decent diet together and taught me to start exercising. I did very little before.

I started to get into this thing and ditched the pink dumb bells, found a better trainer, and started lifting. I began to really push the cardio, and concentrate on improving my endurance and stamina. This is the girl who couldn't walk around the block without wheezing.

In the last 18 months I have gone from 262lbs to 196lbs. My dress size has dropped from a US 22 to a US 12.

My head hasn't caught up with where I am now. I find it really hard to relate to myself as I am now. My lifestyle has completely changed - my hobbies, my favourite foods, everything has turned around. Which is great.

Has anyone else who has gone through a big change in lifestyle experienced this? Does it get easier? I am just kinda worried that what made me a lazy, morbidly obese, couch potato is still there somewhere! And realistically, I am only half way. I'm worried about my mental stamina to get on with the rest of the journey (and lets not even talk about lifelong maintenance at this point!)

As ever grateful for any insight

Kylie

Good for you! You have done very well. It must feel good to be able to wear nicer clothes and feel that much better. Keep up the cardio, weights and diet. You cannot believe how much better it will get. A lady friend of mine did the same. At about this point she purchassed some very attractive dresses/outfits that were a size or two smaller and used them as self bait/motivation. Keep it up. If you can post a public picture, it helps to be self motivating. And Yes I am the computer village idiot who does not even own a digital camera, and I am talking. Some day I will talk about how I publicaly self intimated myself into quiting smoking, and it worked.

Has anyone else who has gone through a big change in lifestyle experienced this? Does it get easier? I am just kinda worried that what made me a lazy, morbidly obese, couch potato is still there somewhere! And realistically, I am only half way. I'm worried about my mental stamina to get on with the rest of the journey (and lets not even talk about lifelong maintenance at this point!)

Your idea here is spot on. You're not a different person. You have to realize that the couch potato was capable of what you do now, and the person you are now is capable of adopting the couch potato lifestyle. Because both of those things actually happened.

Most of what you are gaining takes a long time to appreciate. Like being alive and well ten years instead of having serious and debilitating disease chasing you to your grave. Type II diabetes is not something you want to experience. You can't FEEL now how much better it is to not deal with that, but it's like money in the bank.

The lifelong maintenance is easier because you know you can do it, and you know how. It's a lot tougher when you have never made any progress to believe that you will make any. Check out all the new people who post stuff here like someone tapping a microphone and asking "is this thing on?". When you haven't done it, it's a lot harder to know you can do it. Give yourself credit for having done it.

And here's why: Most people don't just "fix it and forget it". Life isn't really that easy, and when you aren't worried about your fitness, there are other things to worry about. When you worry about them, it's easy for the fitness to slide back. So get ready for that. It's going to happen some day. Know that it's not the end of the good times - you just have to bail out your boat, patch the bottom, and get back to sailing.

The other thing about mental stamina is that it's not something you are born with. You train it up, just like everything else. So if you find someday you don't have it, don't despair, just go get some more. It's work, like anything else. But you can do that work.

Nothing of substance to add but just to say fantastic job.

You are half way up that mountain. Keep your head down and your sprits high and you'll get there in no time.


Just keep in mind you aren't a different person, just a better one. And once you realize that, your old couch potato days are long gone.

Good luck and God speed.

Congrats Kyles! :claphigh:

you have done amazing work in the past year and few months... you have done what all of us here know is possible, but many MANY people think it impossible.. you have just proved all of those people wrong :nod: you have proved that a proper diet and exercise CAN make a positive change in your body and it will lift your spirits every time you see a picture of what you looked like before… that is a powerful tool… post a picture on your refrigerator of yourself at your largest… that will remind you why you are making healthy choices every time you go to eat something… if you have before and after pictures, I’d suggest starting a journal and post those pictures up. every month or so take new pictures and post them… it is very motivational for there to be a whole community cheering you on :nod:

my transformation was not nearly as dramatic as yours, however I still feel where you are coming from... I competed in a figure competition in September 2003 and fell off the wagon in a HUGE way right after the competition... I gained all the weight I had lost back plus an extra 10-15 lbs... it was very depresing to think I had come so far only to go back to where I had been PLUS more :mad: I was soooo pissed at myself, but instead of doing something about it, I let myself fall into a depresion and did even LESS about it... looking back it was the dumbest thing I ever did... I should have known that I could recover fairly quickly and be back to where I had been, but I just couldn't see that at the time.. I think part of my problem had been that I had dropped the weight very quickly to get to the show I wanted to compete in... this time I'm taking things a lot slower so that it will be easier to maintain once I make my goal... that's essentially what you're doing... you're going at a very good moderate pace.. because it's taking so much time, you are developing habits that I just hadn't taken the time to develope the first time around... just keep reminding yourself of how far you've come and that you have proven that it IS possible to change how you look, to change your matabolism, to change your very life... have faith in what you are doing based on what you have accomplished up to this point and you'll do fantastic :tucool:

I really appreciate all your help on this one. I'll be brave here. The first pic was taken before I had any idea what I weighed, though I suspect it was over 262lbs.

The second was taken at Christmas at about 200lb or so.

Great job, K!!

Don't be shy about posting those pics! They show all your progress! Congrats!!!:D :D

ok

I am 31

at 17 I weighed 100lbs was into sports and was in great shape. I really didn't have to try to stay lean. one of those people everyone hated because she can eat whatever she wants. well the problem that noone new about was that I saw myself fat. at 18 I stoped the sports concentrated on college and had a boyfriend who would take me out to eat all the time. I went from a size 3 to a size 16 and from 100 lb. to 170 lb. that is when my weight problem started and my eating disorder started.

I was depressed and at 20 yrs old would not go out because I didn't want anyone to see me my relationship ended as well. This caused a major depression and i lost almost all the weight. I went down to 125 lb. was working out but still throwing up half of what i ate.

One time I threw up blood and decided this had to stop.
I started working out and reducing my carb intake. I maintained my wieght

but.

The wanting a struggle to contain my enormouse appetite never goeas away.

I was married by 27 and currently have 2 boys 3yrs and 10 mn.ths

I was 185 lb. and am now 140

It is always a stuggle. I have to workout and eat very little to maintain.

In my opinion food is like a drug

you can stay away if you are disciplined and very devoted to be healthy
but one taste or too much temptation can through you back

I have to turn off the tv when a whopper pops out on the tv

I eat before any party and stuff myself with water just so I wont eat

and eben then I start to nibble and the next day I am going crazy on the stair master to burn the calories

I pray every night for help it seems to help ease the pressure.

people can be a great tool. they can motivate you to keep going;

good luck and great job

what you did took amazing will power and strength.

wow kyles... the difference in your face is amazing... keep up the great work... you'll be at your goal faster than you think... just don't give up :tu: