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Who has success stories in taking the weight off, and keeping it off?
-What was your main motivation in getting started? Did something in particular happen that gave you a push to finally do it?
-What was your main means of losing weight - did you join a program at a gym, followed by a doctor, join Weight Watchers,etc.?
-How did you determine your goal weight?
-How long have you kept it off?
-Any tips for keeping it off?
I'm not sure how much of a success I can claim. It wasn't a lot of weight, and haven't kept it off a long time (ask again in a couple years). But it is something.Quote:
Originally Posted by e.e.cummings
I'd tried half-heartedly but since I was only about 30 pounds over ideal, just over the overweight BMI, I really didn't worry about it much. When I finally did lose weight, I wasn't actually trying to. What happened is, I was sort of freaked out by my hysterectomy at age 31, it seemed way too young to me, and I was determined that my life after hysterectomy would be just the same. In fact it isn't the same at all, I lead a much healthier lifestyle.Quote:
Originally Posted by e.e.cummings
Before surgery I'd been biking because it was convenient, but I'd only bike when there wasn't another option. As soon as I felt able (slightly sooner than I was "cleared" for it) I was back on my bike and it became my preferred mode of transportation.
I got into a good lab just then, and was really excited about my research, so I was spending much longer hours in the lab. (This led to problems at home, which is another story. Sometimes our actions can have both positive and negative effects--weight loss, but marital issues, for example.) Being at work so late, I skipped a lot of suppers.
Unintentional, it just sort of happened.Quote:
Originally Posted by e.e.cummings
I didn't, but I think 130-135 pounds is ideal for my height, size and lifestyle.Quote:
Originally Posted by e.e.cummings
My surgery was in Oct 2005, I probably reached a stable weight summer 2006. So, almost 4 years. Sort of.Quote:
Originally Posted by e.e.cummings
Actually I lost another 10 pounds the next summer (2007).
And another 5 when I went to Omaha and back (2009) for an all time low of 128.
But since I the Omaha trip, I've put back on 15. So I'm back where I was in summer 2006. My BMI is hovering just below 23, which is the overweight line for my height & weight. I'd like to get back down but not sure how to go about it. Still, I'm 20 pounds below where I was before I started cycling for transportation.
Incorporating exercise into my lifestyle. When I started biking, it took me 20 minutes to get to work. If I drove and walked to the office, it was 15 minutes--only 5 minutes less. I make this trip twice a day. Investing only 10 minutes of my day into biking, I got 40 minutes of exercise.Quote:
Originally Posted by e.e.cummings
I always take stairs now. Even when I'm going to the 5th or 7th floor.
When I do drive somewhere, I park in the far corner of the parking lot. This led to a funny story. Once when I did this, my husband griped that I was pushing my lifestyle on him. Our daughter (13 at the time) overheard him and said "You're married. That's what she is supposed to do."
I have an entirely different attitude about physical exertion now, and about distances. When I bought my first bike, it was so I wouldn't have to walk 20 minutes to school: I could bike 5 minutes. Later, in grad school, I started bringing my bike to campus to save myself the 20 minute trek across campus. Now, unless I'm in a hurry, I'll walk the 20 minutes. I'm eager to shovel the driveway and vacuum now, instead of dreading the physical labor.
But whether this is enough to keep it off, we'll see. I am concerned about the weight that has been creeping up, and not just because I'm at the outer limits of my expensive cold weather cycling wardrobe!
I lost 35 lbs and kept it off for 2.5 years. After being a yo-yo dieter all my life (inluding a 50 lb loss with weight watchers 20 years ago that I promptly gained back), what finally worked was discovering why I had a tendency to put weight on. You see, I gained my weight while doing everything right, including biking 100 miles a week and eating 1200 cals a day.
In the end, I found my problem is that I have impaired glucose tolerance. Basically, I undersecrete insulin, making me a mild type I diabetic. SO, when I eat carbs, my blood sugar stays too high for too long, which turns off glucagon secretion also impairing my ability to burn fat for fuel. Once I started to eat a low carb/high protein diet (i.e. feed my body the foods it could metabolize) my weight 'normalized', that is 35 pounds just melted on a diet of 1400 cals per day, with regular exercise. For me regular exercise means most days I either cycle or go to the gym (although for me exercise is also critical for improving my glucose tolerance). At the gym I'll weight train, swim, or do the arc trainer.
I basically ended up at the weight I am now (140lb) because that is when my body stopped losing. This may sound heavy to you 00s out there, but I have a good deal of muscle mass (and am thrilled to be a size 6). I won't make the mistake I made 20 years ago on weight watchers of dieting off my muscle: I let myself get too thin, and once I lost my muscle very rapidly gained back even more fat than I lost. My diet now is not only low in carbs, but high in protein to be sure I preserve all the muscle I gained to carry around those extra 35 lbs of fat I shed!
Of course my weight fluctuates, but I have an upper limit that if I hit, I eat stricter (i.e. cut down on alchohol , snacks, and calorically dense items) until I am back to the low end of my range.
A few years ago I lost 20+ lbs and have kept off 15 of those for the last 3+ years. Ideally, I would like to lose 3-5 that have crept up over the winter. I'm not worried about that at all, as I always put on a few pounds in winter. They disappear in springtime.
The main thing I did is stop my Starbucks habit. I was having an grande latte and a muffin-cake thing every day, equaling 1000 calories before I got to work! That was unacceptable. I stopped.
I also started eating more fruit at lunchtime. That seemed to cut down on the amount of other things I was eating.
I was already riding alot at the time (28 mile round trip commute 3 times a week), but I added in a spin class every week. I would have done more than one per week, but that's all I could work into my schedule. I think Pilates also helped alot. I was already doing Pilates, but I started practicing several times a week instead of just my weekly class.
I also decided to make some major life changes that resulted in a Much Happier Me. That way, I was happy with myself and did not sabotage myself like before.
So in summary, I lost weight and have kept if off by:
-knocking bad habits
-eating more fruit, which meant I ate less of other things
-adding a spin class and doing Pilates several times a week
-getting happy with myself (it's an ongoing process)
My motivation was when I realized that none of my clothes fit. And then I took a good long look in the mirror. And then I joined a gym and got weighed for the first time in years, and was shocked at the number on the scale which was 35 lbs more than it had been 6 years earlier when I had last weighed myself.
I changed my eating habits, although I did it gradually over 10 years, and lost the weight gradually over that period.
In general, I cut out fast food, cut out fried food, cut alcoholic beverages (couldn't take the hangovers anymore, anyway). I also reduced portion sizes. I eat when I'm hungry and stop as soon as I start to feel full. I used to eat bigger portions because I would eat everything on the plate even if I was stuffed halfway through the meal. Now I just put less food on the plate to begin with.
In the beginning I started by cutting the easy things. For example I like eggo waffles for breakfast with butter/margarine and syrup. By using less margarine and switching from regular syrup to the lite variety, I cut a couple of hundred empty calories from my breakfast every day without changing how it tastes.
I also really like the advice on losing weight in Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook. Eat well during the day -- healthy breakfast, lunch, snack -- and don't try to cut calories until dinner. If you skip meals or reduce calories too much during the day, you'll be so hungry at dinner time that you'll wind up overeating. But if you're adequately fueled all day long, it's easier to eat less at dinner.
As for keeping the weight off, it has to be a lifestyle change. Whatever changes you make to your diet and exercise routines in order to loose weight should be things you won't mind doing over the long term.
I was fresh out of college and at my heaviest (155-160). I was miserable, and my parents were always quick to point out how fat/out of shape I was, even though they were the exact same way. I guess I wanted to prove I wasn't like them and could not only lose the weight, but keep it off.Quote:
Originally Posted by e.e.cummings
I joined Weight Watchers, doing the online program. I liked it a lot as I felt it taught me how to actually cook healthy things, while still allowing me to occasionally indulge. The whole point system really made me think about what I was about to eat ("One Reese's cup is how many points?! Give me an apple!"). Of course, coming from college where I was eating tons of fast food, pizza, and ramen, just dropping that from my diet probably played a big part in the weight coming off.Quote:
-What was your main means of losing weight - did you join a program at a gym, followed by a doctor, join Weight Watchers,etc.?
I think I looked at the chart for my height and picked a number in the middle. I've never hit that number, but I've stabilized about 5lbs above it. I've come to realize my body probably just can't hit that number without an unrealistic amount of exercise and really strict eating habits.Quote:
-How did you determine your goal weight?
I joined WW 6 years ago roughly this week. It was my New Year's resolution:rolleyes: The first 25lbs dropped pretty quickly and without exercising at all. I held that weight for about a year and then I started to tinker with exercising. I could never stick with anything until I started cycling 3 years ago. That's when I realized gyms weren't for me and I was an outdoors girl. Now I'm biking, hiking, kayaking, and throwing in the occasional workout video. I like to exercise now!:cool:Quote:
-How long have you kept it off?
As a few others have said, it can't be thought of as a "diet". It has to be "This is how my life is going to be from now on." To me, a diet implies something short-term, that you just go back to your old habits after it's over. But you also have to want it. I laughed when my boss said his family was doing their annual weight loss challenge. That shouldn't be the reason you lose weight. It should be because you want a healthier life, because you want to live longer and better.Quote:
-Any tips for keeping it off?
Other things:
-Find exercises you really like (and if you're on this site you've probably already done that).
-Don't stress or consider it "failing" if you have a cookie or a piece of cake or a drink. That's called life. You just have to make that the exception rather than the rule.
-I still measure out as many foods as I can so I know I'm eating a "portion".
-I keep lots of fruit and sometimes yogurt or cottage cheese at my desk so that I'm not tempted to wander around the building and eat crap.
-Variety. A few years ago I noticed I was eating "safe" foods, things I didn't have to think about the calorie or fat content because I'd been eating it for so long. I didn't enjoy eating anymore. I've since started eating pretty much whatever I want, but still healthy foods, and making a point to try out new things (I had radishes for the first time last week!). Much to my amazement, I didn't gain weight and was much happier. :)
At the end of high school in 1985, I weighed 150. I was about to start college, and didn't want to be overweight. I stopped eating red meat, and started exercising from the book "Callenetics" by Callen Pinkney. I got down to 125 before the beginning of school, and looked good and was pretty healthy. I think I had 125 as a goal based on a height/weight chart in a book.
Through college, my weight was stable. Then I moved to NYC and started taking yoga and ballet classes. Ballet mirrors made me crazy, and I starved myself down to 112. I was counting every calorie, journaling about every crumb I ate, and eating almost no fat. I was miserable. Even though I weighed 10 lbs less than I weigh now, I felt fat. My mother was worried about me, and I was on the verge of anorexia. I stopped taking ballet, and injury kept me from yoga, too.
I eventually got back to the 120s after I moved from NYC and stopped exercising. I still felt fat, but wasn't obsessing about it, so I was getting healthier. Then, I got my first bike. Ever since, my weight has been stable, still in the mid 120s, but I feel great and am finally happy with my body. I no longer count calories, but I think I eat around 1800 a day, way more than when I was doing other forms of exercise.
Four and a half years ago my sisters and I looked at each other, looked at our kids and said "how did we start out that thin and end up looking like we do now?" Our father had also recently gotten out of the hospital after having a heart attack and stroke. He was in his late 70's so it wasn't THAT surprising that he had these, but unlike his father and brother who both died when they had heart attacks in their early 70's, my father lived through his, and the reason the doctors said he did was that he was so strong to begin with. He never smoked, he walked and ran and gardened daily, he ate really well and kept his weight down.
That was all the convincing I needed. My sisters and I all supported each other in trying to lose weight, but we didn't follow any kind of formal program. Each of us (and a couple of friends who eventually joined us in this quest) set our own goals and figured out on our own how we'd get there.
I went with the pretty basic, tried and true method of exercising more and calorie counting. At first I was just walking regularly, then I upped that to jogging and doing pilates. I did some kind of exercise six days a week, but never more than 40 minutes each day. Over seven months I lost 30 pounds and kept it off for several years. I didn't have any real goal weight--I think that I was o.k. with anything from 130 (my weight when I got married) to 140 (my pre-pregnancy weight), since both of those were in the normal BMI range for my height. My weight stabilized at around 135 and stayed there until I started training for the triathlon I did last summer. At that point I actually gained weight because I was exercising so much harder and more frequently that I developed massive thigh muscles. The day of the triathlon I weighed 143, but I was o.k. with that since my clothes still fit just fine (except for my skinny pants, but that's another story).
And then everything went downhill. In training for the triathlon I did two things wrong: first, I got out of the habit of carefully watching what I ate (didn't really need to since I was burning off calories so efficiently!) and second, I fell and injured my ankle and ignored the injury until after race day. Knowing that my ankle needed some rest to heal, I took a week off from exercising. When I started up again, it still hurt and seemed to be worse (pain going up my leg, with lower back twinges). So I took four weeks off. I didn't change my eating habits to compensate. Started up again, and things were even worse than before. So I went to a doctor, who diagnosed a bad sprain, went to PT and my ankle got stronger but my back got worse. At that point I was in such bad pain that the thought of exercising at all was out of the question. Cycling, oddly, didn't hurt at all but my lower right leg and foot were numb so even though cycling didn't make it worse, I was worried about the lack of sensation and how it might cause problems, so I even stopped cycling.
Between September and the end of December, I put on 15 pounds! Yikes! Turns out I really messed up my SI joint, so I'm going to be in PT for a while yet, but I've been given the o.k. for cycling. Right now it's just on stationary bikes (I admire people who can ride when it's 17 degrees out, but I'm not one of those people!), so I'm looking forward to the weather warming up a bit. And now I'm back to serious calorie counting. I just want my clothes to fit again.
The lesson I've learned from all of this is that keeping my weight stable is going to take pretty much constant attention to my activity level and to what I eat both. I can't pay attention to one and ignore the other. I hate it that I don't have the metabolism I did at 20 years old anymore, when I could eat anything I wanted and stay thin as a rail. I hate it that my life is so busy now that working in exercise takes careful planning instead of "oh, I have an hour and a half until the dining hall opens for dinner. I think I'll go for a run." I hate it that biology is telling me that I'm useless for my ability to reproduce anymore and so now I need to stop using so many resources (I think that's why our metabolism slows down as we age--the human race doesn't need us any more, so please stop using all these calories that the 15 year old fertile people need).
Sarah
What I eat now eecummings is abit different from 30 yrs. ago. And it isn't all better now. Since then my weight has fluctuated between 3-9 lbs. at different times in life. I recognize since I haven't been pregnant it may have helped me deal with weight. But being small means that small weight gains show quickly in clothing fit, etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by e.e.cummings
It takes some mindfulness and living a life daily that enjoys healthier foods and some form of regular exercise.
I no longer eat much white rice or heavy pastas. Hence, I can't eat much sushi now because of the white rice leading to high glycemic/sugar crash for me. Reduced drastically in past 3yrs.
Bread must be artisan and no fats, etc. We normally don't buy and keep junk food at home..except for those lovely chocolates from Christmas, etc. :) My portions of meat have reduced in size and frequency very gradually over the past few decades. No real conscious thinking about this reduction. More just laziness and just saving some money. I eat meat 1-2 times weekly.
Much deep fried food turns me off. It always has anyway. I've never been keen on even tempura. I just like a little delicately fried calamari with lemon, thank you. For deep fried foods, think instead of eating food more naked --grilled, broiled, roasted or lightly sauteed. You will taste the delicate texture and taste of most seafoods better anyway.
The biggest negative development last few years, is I am eating more sweets compared to 1/4 century ago. So try to counter with fruit or just settle for little light biscotti. So I get picky on biscotti quality. Or if I have a slice of cake, then it's every few months, from a gourmet baker/pastry shop..ie. quality fine baking not junk with shortening, etc.
I thank myself for not capable of ingesting more than half glass of wine before I get woozy/drunk. Alcohol will never be a weight issue for me. :p
Yes, agree cycling and other exercise requires effort but if you enjoy it, it's not. Effort for how I should eat, is more just not buying certain foods for home, etc. No I've never weighed my portions, just an eyeball thing.
I started cycling at 31. Before, exercise was just walking around alot since I don't drive then and now.
At different times I've added in tai chi, now yoga and some pilates. Must admit I'm not always consistent and regular. My back reminds me that I should keep up on stretching, balance exercises.
I will turn 51 in a few wks. Things could be a whole lot worse. :)
For even healthy looking women, it is a long journey of mindful living and habits. I just received an email from a 53 yr. old good friend. She is 4'11" at 108 lbs., a cyclist for past 20 yrs. (and car-free) who also does regular light weight training. She's trying to understand what she did wrong -- now, with dr.'s diagnosis of osteoarthritis.
One just has to live well and mindful....can't be perfect. We're all mortal.
When I'm not cycling and during non-cycling years in life, the amount of walking I did ranged from 20 min. to 1 hr. daily. To get somewhere or take public transit. Think about it: it takes me 15 min. to walk to commuter train station, then get off to walk 15 min. to destination. And coming home, it's same time/distance of walking.
Since I've been car-free for so long so far (since 20 yrs. old), I don't really consider walking as exercise but more as a means to get around. But really, it is exercise after all. :)
I just fool myself: I just consider it all part of life/living. :o
Ever since starting at my current job, the weight started climbing. This was due to lots of travel, lots of rich hotel food, and no exercise.
I accepted the weight gain begrudgingly, but it wasn't until I kept having to get bigger and bigger clothes that it started to annoy me. Finally, I couldn't find any big clothes that weren't ugly. And since I hate spending money on clothes anyway, I decided it was time to lose weight.
I joined the Biggest Loser Club program. It's pretty simple: count your calories, exercise, make sure there's a deficit.
Over 12 months, I lost around 28Kg. The club program calculated my ideal weight at 64Kg. At the moment I'm hovering between 67 and 69Kg. My weight has stayed in that range for around 12 months. I don't feel the need to push myself to lose those last few kilos. I'm happy with my weight right now.
For me, the challenge for maintaining the weight loss has been actually determining what my calorie intake should be, given that my exercise levels far outstrip what the club's program anticipates. Although the club program now has me on 1400 calories per day, the fact is that with so much cycling, I've had to bump it up big-time. I'm now on around 2000 calories a day and I seem to have struck a pretty good balance.
There were some unexpected benefits from losing the weight. For years, I'd suffered back pain. I never realised it was because my body was being forced to carry so much excess weight. Now, my back is fine 99% of the time. That last 1% is due to injury from car crashes - I know it will never be perfect, but dang, that 99% sure does feel good :D
I can actually buy clothes off the rack and know that they will fit me without having to try on a million sizes before finally admitting defeat.
The best part, though, is rediscovering the joy of cycling. After far too long off the bike, the best thing I ever did was to get back in the saddle. :D
Max
I've lost 80 lbs. and kept it off for 10+years.
I switched to a no "red meat" almost beady-eyed vegetarian diet, consisting of occasional fish (cod, tilapia, salmon, etc), occasional chicken. Other than that veggies, legumes, wheat flour items. I take lots of vitamins. I drink mostly water, coffee occasionally and fruit juice. Beer on rare occasions. I hardly ever eat sweets. I never drink sodas.
I bike as much as possible. I eat 3 times a day with 2 snacks in between. Striving for healthy ones. :D
Best wishes. Anyone can do it. Keep trying. Don't lose heart.
I started this thread, and one of the reasons is that I am happy to be a ‘success’ story in achieving my target weight, but I am equally cautious to keep that weight off, and I want to learn from others. I can see all around me how common it is to lose the weight and then gain it back. I could hear it from friends at the gym when I returned from Christmas, I see it at work, from a close friend (an avid cyclist) who lost 30 pounds 2 years ago, only to put it back on, and he is now trying to lose it again. I am proud of losing the weight, but now the next goal is keeping it off.
When I was younger, I was always very athletic and in good shape. I had my first and only child late (37 years old) and was happy when the weight melted off while nursing. However, once the nursing was over, I gained, and for 9 years, I was overweight. My normal weight was around 125-130 before I had my son but I was up to 165 at the beginning of this year (on a 5’4 frame). I had an expanding closet of clothes of sizes ranging from 4 to 14.
Motivation to try to lose? I started to become convinced that I either had a thyroid condition or was pre-menopausal because I felt like I was cutting back on my eating, increasing my exercise, but nothing was happening. I was checked out by doctors and I was neither. I just needed to eat less, move more. Also, I thought about my father who had had a stroke in his early 50s. My age was creeping to that. As my husband and I bought new bikes early spring, I was buying bike clothes that were virtually the same size as him (he is 6 ft tall, 175 lbs, no weight problems, never had). I felt like a pudding. I didn’t feel good in my clothes at all. I felt old – I had always been athletic before, I didn’t feel like myself. I was out of breath when I tried to run or climb stairs.
The cycling that we did through the spring and summer yielded some results but it levelled off pretty fast, plus I started to get ravenously hungry. I would come home and want steak for supper, and I barely ate red meat before. My increased activity fueled my appetite. I stopped losing anything.
In September I decided to join a gym. It had a program called Transform. For 4 months you had the services of a trainer and a nutritionist and full use of the gym and its classes. My husband was skeptical, he thought that I would fall prey to the usual ‘join a gym, go for a couple of months, then quit’ thing. Perhaps his skepticism made me want to prove him wrong. At that point, my goal was to lose 20 pounds and get down to 135. I remember the trainer saying ‘it’s not that much’. It felt like a lot to me!
I was thrilled that they had spinning classes at the gym. My trainer led me through my weight training, which helped a lot. On my own I would never have touched weights, but the trainer said it is a big part of getting into overall shape – just cardio was not going to do it. I bought a Polar heart monitor and it really helped in tracking my workouts. One of the most valuable things the nutritionist did was have me record my eating for two weeks. I used My Daily Plate on livestrong.oth and was amazed at some of the calorie content of foods that I had been eating. She advised me on how to balance my intake, the structure of my plate (half veg, quarter grain/quarter protein). She did not have me on a diet, she just gave me general guidelines. She was not at all in favour of prescribing ‘diets’ or even suggested menus. She wanted me to learn how to eat in general and make it part of my lifestyle, which is what our visits focused on. I was given Nancy Clarke’s book suggested in one of the above posts, which was a great help.
I should note that I was posting on this web site about weight loss and reading other people’s posts – it really helped me. Also, the camaraderie of the friends that I made at the gym was a real boost.
As I got into my training, I started to work out too hard. I started to becoming exhausted and sleepy. I was having problems fueling my workouts with what I was eating. My trainer said she had seen it many times, people work out too hard, they hurt themselves, get sick or just exhaust themselves, and eventually drop out. We had planned a vacation down south and the timing was good – my trainer said I should slow down. While I was away, I scraped my knee on coral while I was snorkeling and didn’t think anything of it at the time. Once I got back, I started feeling bad – increasing headaches, chills and started to lose my appetite. With H1N1 in the news in a big way, I thought that is what I had. Once I realized the scrape on my knee was not healing, I went to a travel clinic and sure enough, I was infected by the coral. I was told to not work out until it was fully healed, which put me out of commission for about two to three weeks. But I kept losing the weight, and I reached my goal. It was almost easier because I did not have the confusion of fueling my workouts while trying to lose weight. I just needed to make sure that as I got better I did not let my returning appetite get out of control.
I was really afraid of Christmas – visiting my parents, trying to stay away from my mom’s delicious cooking. But I managed – I allowed myself some treats, I didn’t totally deny myself. Before I went home, I bought the Tony Horton 10 minute workout DVDs that I saw advertised on tv – time was an issue for me and it sounded good. (First infomercial thing I had ever bought!) And they actually worked – I could do those workouts easily, just 10 minutes if I wanted to, combine some if I wanted something longer, but at least I had something to do while on vacation for when I had indulged. I came back from vacation and had not gained weight.
I became keenly aware of those around me who had taken the same program as I had and either not succeeded in the first place, or lost, then gained it back again. That is why I wanted to gather info from people who are successful at keeping it off – it is one thing to lose it, it is another thing to keep it off. I feel like my target weight is realistic and I don’t think that I need to do an unnatural amount of exercise to keep it off – left to my own, I probably would have set a lower target weight based on my weight in 20s, and I would have had to work very hard to get to that. But I feel good at this weight (135 lbs), I feel toned, I notice that I am treating myself better – it is more fun to buy clothes, I treat myself to manicures, pedicures, play with my hairstyle – things that I could have done when I was heavier, should have, for that matter, but I feel more positive now, and want to take care of myself better than ever. It goes without saying that it feels good to be in better shape, and I can’t wait to get back on the bike this spring. It has not been that long for my weight loss – I really hope I can keep this up!
I have dealt with weight issues all of my life, but after my third child was born I really put on the pounds. I had gestational diabetes with each pregnancy so I only gained 15 lbs during the pregnancy but gained 30 after my daugher was born. I had 188 lbs on my 5'5'' frame when I tried the Carbohydrate Addict's diet. I lost 40 pounds but quickly put 20 back on. I don't consider that the beginning of my successful weight loss.
Motivation: My brother passed away 4 years ago at 47 from complications from surgery to remove a brain tumor. I decided that I had to take my health seriously and for once I focused on health and not weight. I began to make some real improvements in my diet but I continued to play at exercise - 30 minutes going slowly on the treadmill doesn't do it for my metabolism. I did lose about 10 lbs.
My husband started cycling a few years ago and fell in love with the sport. I was so out of shape that I really didn't think I could ever do what he did. I started riding my old bike around the neighborhood and eventually could make it around a nearby lake (about 16 miles) if I stopped halfway. I began adding miles slowly; switched from my Trek Calypso to my husband's old hybrid and eventually was riding 20 to 25 miles. My husband bought me a road bike and I ventured out to ride with some of the members of the bike club who liked riding with new riders. I only later realized that they were giving up their faster rides to help me improve and work on skills.
To make a too long story slightly shorter, I fell in love with cycling. I rode every chance I got and continued to up the distance. It helped that I have the most supportive group of cyclists in my bike club. My husband suprised me with my Madone for Valentine's Day a year ago. I now ride between 150 and 200 miles a week (weather permitting) and have gotten my weight down to the low 140s and my speed up on the bike.
My doctor originally thought that 135 was the lowest I should go but on the last visit said to just see what happens. I eat a healthy amount of real food and even splurge fairly often on sweets. I can maintain the weight loss because of the amount of exercise I do. I also run 4 miles at least 2 days a week and have recently added weight training.
I used to feel that I could not control my weight - that I was cursed to be heavy. I will probably never be really thin but I love the fact that my 47 year old body is strong and becoming more fit every day. I have finally fell in love with exercising and this former "non-athlete" is amazed daily with what I can accomplish - it is so empowering.
I think a general health workup is essential for ANYONE struggling to lose weight. Women are far more likely than men to have thyroid problems in particular, and the symptoms can often be fairly subtle, but the effects of a metabolism that is not working correctly can be far reaching.
A lot of research is suggesting that the so-called "normal" ranges for most labs leave many patients undiagnosed. A TSH level over 3 may need treatment, and at the very least, more extensive thyroid function tests.
If your thyroid function is low, you can pack on weight even if you're eating like a bird and exercising constantly.
-What was your main motivation in getting started? Did something in particular happen that gave you a push to finally do it?
My moment of clarity happened one evening while watching TV. My last pair of 'comfy' jeans were no longer comfy. In fact, I could not sit and get comfortable while wearing them. I realized I needed to stretch myself with respect to working out. I'd been running for about 1.5 years but it didn't prevent the weight from slowly creeping up. That night I signed up to do a marathon that was 3.5 months away. So I had something on the calendar! Something to target.
-What was your main means of losing weight - did you join a program at a gym, followed by a doctor, join Weight Watchers,etc.?
Just additional time running. I don't recall really limiting my eating but I probably did. I did cut back wine to Friday and Saturday nights.
-How did you determine your goal weight?
No weight goal just wanted to fit back in my clothes.
-How long have you kept it off?
Kept off 10-15 pounds for 4 years now.
-Any tips for keeping it off?
I sign up for several races a year. I also sign up for a real test at least once a year like marathon or ultra-marathon. Last August I started commuting by bike as many days a week as I can. This year I'm doing olympic distance triathlon. Makes me get to the gym or get outside.
Refrain from that one/two glasses of wine on weekdays. Eat something small every few hours.
Have a big salad for dinner once a week w/o too much salad dressing.
I've vowed never to buy the next size up.
I have had to lose weight twice in my life; the first time was the hardest. I was almost 25 years old and out of college a couple of years. I had been partying, going out to eat a lot, and I was divorced from my first DH. One day my dad looked at me and said, "Robyn, you are getting porky." Mean, but true. I am five one (maybe five, half an inch now). So, I stopped eating red meat, upping the fruits and veggies, and switching to a lot of whole grains. Remember, this was 1978; not a lot of stuff we know now was common then. I started going to the food co-op in Tempe, walking, and doing stretching. And, I laid off the fried stuff.
I lost 25 pounds in a year. It was slow, but it really never came back. Later, I started doing aerobics, got obsessed and actually weighed 92 lbs. at one point, after I had my second son. Most of the time my weight has been stable, around the same it was in HS; between 105 and 108. If it gets to 109, I cut back.
When I was around 45-46 I started gaining. I had slowed down on the gym stuff, as I was burned out. My DH had started riding and so had one kid. I was jealous! Plus, I felt pretty bad about my body. I think I weighed around 122 at the highest point. So, when I was around 47, I started riding. I started slowly, on an old mountain bike and after a year and a half, I got a road bike. The weight pretty much fell off, with just some minor changes in my eating. I eat way less carbs now and when I do, it's all whole grain pretty much. I vary what I eat a lot more than before and I eat much bigger breakfasts. I eat at least 2 snacks a day. I've had to switch up my exercise a lot more, too. I ride, I do core work, yoga, and lift weights. I still walk and hike, and do occasional months of running. I x country ski and snow shoe in the winter. My whole life revolves around outdoor activity.
Even though I eat out quite a bit, I no longer eat a lot of Chinese or Indian food. It just puts the pounds on. I have to take more rest time now, due to some chronic injuries and health issues, but I would say I exercise 5-6 days a week.
A lot of people think I restrict myself too much and plan all my food and exercise too much. Well, yea, I do. If I didn't, I would be a fat person.
While we continue to bike, try to eat healthy here, occasionally I can't help but think that way down the road, one will be frail enough that exercise will not be much of an option at all. I hope I'm wrong. Sounds like we should also develop tandem paths for a sideline passion that is non-cycling /non-exercise to keep us happy, mentally active to distract us from eating too much for the times we cannot cycle, etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by e.e.cummings
When I do become weak forever down the road at the end of life I do want to say with confidence and good grace, for myself: I've tried to live well in body, mind and soul. I've tried my best, I've learned..and I've enjoyed it immensely. :)
Shootingstar, you just reminded me that my best motivation (more like inspiration) should really be my mom, who is getting close to 80. She walks everywhere, always eat on a lunch size plate, lives by the rule of a having a "king's breakfast, a prince's lunch and a pauper's supper", loves sweets but can make a chocolate bar last a week. She is tiny, but I can never remember thinking that she really deprived herself, it was just the way she managed her lifestyle. My great-grandfather lived to be 100, and what I remember of him is that he walked everywhere. Hopefully for all of us, particularly as most on this site are active and concerned about staying in good shape and aging gracefully, we will experience fit senior years.
Shooting Star, I hope I have enough other interests to carry me through if i ever get too frail to walk, do yoga, or do chair aerobics! I read, go to theatre, etc. Most of my other interests are kind of cerebral, so no physical effort is involved. Since I mostly ride with people much older than me, I can see how they bounce back from serious medical stuff because they are in such good shape. Some (who are in their late 70's) have had to stop riding with the group, but they often meet us for lunch. They still ride on their own, at a slower speed. Sometimes they walk around our lunch destination. These are all guys, so it is interesting to see how they handle this, as opposed to people who have sat on the couch and watched TV all of their lives. I am glad my new career is one that I can do well into my older years; as long as I can sit, talk, and write!
Sometimes I feel like I am the only one in the world who lives this type of lifestyle. If it wasn't for you guys, my DH, and 2 friends, it would be very discouraging.