Success stories in weight loss?

[shootingstar]

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.

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.

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.

[e.e.cummings]

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.

[Crankin]

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.