Taradawn15

The most exciting thing happened yesterday and I became so excited about the rest of my healthy life. I raced my 3 year old son to the mail box and back home. Yes this sounds silly but before there is no way I would have run in public. Yesterday I did it without even a second thought. We used to go on family walks and I would walk behind everyone and watch my husband chase around our kiddos and watch them giggle at him as they chased him down. Now I finally get in on the action. Being overweight I was to scared to go to Disneyland with them because I didn't know if it was safe to ride. I am going to plan a Disneyland trip for Christmas this year and guess what I will be going with my family! It really is the small victories that have made this journey so worth it and that I believe will help to keep me on track in the long run. I am so excited that my kids will hopefully grow up and remember me as being Active part of there childhood, a mom who goes out and helps them practice there new sport and so many more new adventures we will share! NO MORE WATCHING FROM THE SIDELINES FOR ME!

The most exciting thing happened yesterday and I became so excited about the rest of my healthy life. I raced my 3 year old son to the mail box and back home. Yes this sounds silly but before there is no way I would have run in public. Yesterday I did it without even a second thought. We used to go on family walks and I would walk behind everyone and watch my husband chase around our kiddos and watch them giggle at him as they chased him down. Now I finally get in on the action. Being overweight I was to scared to go to Disneyland with them because I didn't know if it was safe to ride. I am going to plan a Disneyland trip for Christmas this year and guess what I will be going with my family! It really is the small victories that have made this journey so worth it and that I believe will help to keep me on track in the long run. I am so excited that my kids will hopefully grow up and remember me as being Active part of there childhood, a mom who goes out and helps them practice there new sport and so many more new adventures we will share! NO MORE WATCHING FROM THE SIDELINES FOR ME!

Was thinking of this today.
Get an empty two liter plastic bottle and fill it with Water. Take it to the sink and turn it over and squeeze. A bunch of water will come out quickly. Now stop squeezing and watch what happens. Water stops coming out and the bottle tries to regain its shape. Once it regains the shape, water will start coming out again.
That's exactly what is happening when you have a stall. That's why you'll see the measuring tape change even if the scale isn't. Your body is just catching up and redistributing before it starts again.

Always feels nice to know we are not going it alone, there are others dealing with the same issues.

I know it, I think I do the same thing now that you mention it....and YES, we do have "fat" days. I remember how I'd want to roll my eyes when a thin person would feel fat or have a 'fat day'. I would think "GIVE ME A BREAK"
Now I get it!!!! No matter what size we are, we do have 'off' days when we don't feel up to par and it's ok!!!!

Lol, when I'm having an I feel fat day, I touch my collarbone and remind myself how far I've come!

The most exciting thing happened yesterday and I became so excited about the rest of my healthy life. I raced my 3 year old son to the mail box and back home. Yes this sounds silly but before there is no way I would have run in public. Yesterday I did it without even a second thought. We used to go on family walks and I would walk behind everyone and watch my husband chase around our kiddos and watch them giggle at him as they chased him down. Now I finally get in on the action. Being overweight I was to scared to go to Disneyland with them because I didn't know if it was safe to ride. I am going to plan a Disneyland trip for Christmas this year and guess what I will be going with my family! It really is the small victories that have made this journey so worth it and that I believe will help to keep me on track in the long run. I am so excited that my kids will hopefully grow up and remember me as being Active part of there childhood, a mom who goes out and helps them practice there new sport and so many more new adventures we will share! NO MORE WATCHING FROM THE SIDELINES FOR ME!

The most exciting thing happened yesterday and I became so excited about the rest of my healthy life. I raced my 3 year old son to the mail box and back home. Yes this sounds silly but before there is no way I would have run in public. Yesterday I did it without even a second thought. We used to go on family walks and I would walk behind everyone and watch my husband chase around our kiddos and watch them giggle at him as they chased him down. Now I finally get in on the action. Being overweight I was to scared to go to Disneyland with them because I didn't know if it was safe to ride. I am going to plan a Disneyland trip for Christmas this year and guess what I will be going with my family! It really is the small victories that have made this journey so worth it and that I believe will help to keep me on track in the long run. I am so excited that my kids will hopefully grow up and remember me as being Active part of there childhood, a mom who goes out and helps them practice there new sport and so many more new adventures we will share! NO MORE WATCHING FROM THE SIDELINES FOR ME!

The most exciting NSV to date.....all of a sudden I had a collarbone!!!!

This is my third long post on my journey so far. Probably should have been a blog, but no time to keep it up! Thanks for hanging in there with me!


“If you work at something with total commitment for a really long time, you will succeed.” 8th grade runner, in newspaper story.
Such a simple but profound statement from a young girl who set out to change her life by running. A statement that has come to define my journey.
I gauge my progress by non-weight goals. Yes, I do weigh in every morning. I do love to see the scale go down. But my real excitement comes not from the number of my weight, but from the increasing quality of my life.
The time I started trying on all my clothes and ended with a totally empty walk-in closet!
The first time I walked a mile in 20 years!
Sitting in a seat in a plane and not touching the person next to me anywhere!
The first time I felt a lump, thought it was a tumor and realized it was a bone!!!
Walking out of Coldwater Creek—a store I had always longed to shop in--with a bag full of clothes!
I feel like I have been let out of a cage. I am excited about life every single day. Even the hard days.
Joy, empowerment, potential…these are the things that keep me on track. However, every outcome involves a journey, and there are a few essential tools that keep me focused. You’ve probably heard all these before. Even if you have, when you start doing these things yourself you’ll feel like you’ve made a terrific discovery you want to share with the world!
Here, then, are my tools for success.
1. My Fitness Pal… Except for the time when my life was consumed with taking care of my dying sister, I have tracked every bite I’ve eaten almost every single day. This has been the most valuable thing I’ve ever done. Why have I stopped losing? I’ll look back over the last month or so. Oh… I see I’ve added in a couple of tablespoons of Peanut Butter a night. Could that be it? Oh… I see that a greater proportion of my daily calories is coming from carbs. Could that be it? Knowing that no one will see it but me, I am completely honest. You can download it for free for your smart phone or computer. If you don’t have one, just track somewhere! Track everything!
2. An honest assessment of my eating habits and problems… You may want to read my old post, “Sneaks, Snacks, Sweets and Lies… “ I posted this when it first began to get hard, and it seemed to resonate with a lot of people. I continue to live by this each day.
3. Protein. I HATED the protein regimen when I first started it. Now, I love to have my Protein Drink almost never miss a day. You know those delicious Starbucks Mocha-Frappes? The ones with about 500 calories? Well, I figured out that the ingredient that gives it its flavor is espresso! So now I go to Starbucks every few days and get 6 shots of espresso, straight. Into the blender goes ice, 2 shots of espresso, Water, maybe a little coffee, and chocolate Protein powder. I top it off with a little real whipped cream! 150 calories and low carb! Yum!!! I have energy for hours, and believe it or not, espresso has much less caffeine than real coffee!
4. Mostly Low carb diet: Once upon a time I craved carbs every 20 minutes or so. Now, I long for them but don’t crave them. The difference is huge. Craving: Addiction. Longing: Eh… that would be nice, but I can do without. If I eat heavy carbs, I crave them. If I begin my day with refined carbs, I want them all day. I don’t obsess about them, but I am careful about them. If I want a couple of bites of baked potato, I have it. About once a week I have a McDonald’s vanilla cone. But toast for Breakfast? Hash browns and French fries? Cookies and chips? If I eat these things for a couple of days, I feel poisoned, and I don’t lose weight. If ever I get seriously off track—and I have—for an entire month at a time, I know that to get back on track I first have to cut out the carbs. Then it gets to be easy again.
I made a commitment to myself. If I was going to undergo major surgery, with all its potential risks, I was going to totally commit to the process. If I never reach my personal goal—and with as much as I have to lose, it’s possible I won’t—it won’t be because I didn’t give it my all, for as long as it takes.
The last thing I want to share with you in a separate post is dealing with food addiction. Watch for it soon!
Hope this helps!

I am only 28 and exercise 5 to 6 days a week and I still have a ton of saggy skin, so I don't know how much age has to do with it.
Also for me the bedroom is a very scary place, with clothes on I feel amazing and great about the work I've put in to get to where I am now. Get me undressed and alone and it is not the same story, apparently I have body issues I never knew about. Also I am a bit more fragile than I was before so when my husband was home briefly we had to re learn how we could both enjoy ourselves in new ways. It's a fresh start and we all kinda have a new learning curb for our new bodies. Don't give up and don't feel bad. However I would go to the doctor, I struggled with no sex drive severely after having one of my children and it wasn't a hormone thing is was my head having a hard time adjusting to my new rolls in life and new prioritys. The doc gave me some meds to help well I went to counseling to help sort everything out. Keep at it and keep lines of communication open with your partner that way they know what's going on and don't blame themselves.

Okay, this is a sensitive subject but I what I will say is we judge ourselves much much much harder then potential partners do. I have a boyfriend who didn't know me when I was heavy. I made a big deal out of warning him about all the ugly skin etc.and it seems it is a much bigger problem in my own mind then his.
So, during the weight loss journey you go through a lot of head games - be patient and let your brain catch up with your body.

WOW! I logged on tonight to reluctantly look at the responses to my post , and all I can say is my eyes are watering a little because I never expected so much positive feedback :wub: . I am inspired. Thank you. I knew if I put it out there I would hold myself accountable, and I had to wonder if so many of us didn't struggle with the same thoughts And tonite @TBodner1971 I shall being "peeling wallpaper" I even have a hair appointment on Thursday, I haven't had seen my hairstylist in minus 60 pounds, guess I will see the new me. Thanks everyone!

Find a good deterrent. A few years ago I quit smoking. I needed something to occupy my mind (and hands) every time I wanted a butt. Believe it or not peeling the wallpaper in my kitchen did the trick. If you can find something else to do, typically a craving will go away in 20 minutes. I can't recommend wallpaper therapy to everybody but find a good deterrent that will work for you.
Here are some examples:
Get up and walk around
Try your skills at Sudoku
Keep a puzzle on your dining room table (every time you have a craving, you must place 10 puzzle pieces)
Look at before and after photos online
Start writing a journal during the time of day your cravings are at there peak
Call a friend
Play games on the computer ( I promise that candy crush saga has no calories)
Last but not least.......Peel wall-paper. If the cravings get real bad, a hammer through the walls may create more work than you'd like but may occupy more of your time. Before you know it, you'll be skinny and your house could be remodeled.
Good Luck, and hide the treats and the hammers.

Here's me at my heaviest 251, me 51 pounds down and me a week ago at 145, 106 pounds down and so excited about it! 10 more pounds and it will be time to work on maintaining!

We all have moments, I have days I don't eat the best and regret it... But I know I have a addiction and struggle everyday. It's ok to have slip ups after all we are human and giving up everything forever is next to impossible.

Here's me at my heaviest 251, me 51 pounds down and me a week ago at 145, 106 pounds down and so excited about it! 10 more pounds and it will be time to work on maintaining!

Thank you, I'm 5'4 1/2!

Yikes guys, a lot of grumpiness on here, lol! Maybe we should all stop for a min and have a snack or Protein Shake or something! Anyways just so you know there's a lot of yummy recipes in the food forum for the purred phase. So just wanted to tell you if you look up some new recipes that may help your hunger. I know for me one of my biggest problem was getting bored with food, so sometimes just mixing it up helped with my hunger. Good luck

Here's my list:
Daily AM: 3 Kirkland calcium citrate (500 mg each), 1 Kirkland Multivitamin with minerals, 1 Kirkland Vitamin D3 (2000 I.U.), 1 NatureMade Super B-Complex
Daily PM: 3 Kirkland calcium citrate (500 mg each), 1 Kirkland Multivitamin with minerals
2 x per week: 1 Spring Valley B-12 sublingual (2500 mg)
Lynda

Here's me at my heaviest 251, me 51 pounds down and me a week ago at 145, 106 pounds down and so excited about it! 10 more pounds and it will be time to work on maintaining!

I woke this morning to an email from Alex congratulating me on my anniversary with VST.
What a difference a year makes.
A year ago, I had just decided to move forward with surgery and joined VST after lurking for a few weeks.
A year ago, I was carrying 133 more pounds than I am today.
A year ago, I would never have believed that so many people that I had never met, would make such a profound difference in my life.
So many of you here have been so many things to me that even those closest to me could not be.
You walk in my shoes. We share a unique bond and I am thankful to so many of you for being a wealth of information, mentors, shoulders to lean on and the cheerleaders we all need from time to time.
If you ever doubt that your contribution here matters, don't. I'm still in the throws of my journey and continue to seek out VST as much as I ever did for continued support and information.
I hope to be the same help to others as so many have been to me.
A big Thank you and huge cyber hug to you all! I couldn't have done it without you.
Chris

So the last month for me has been so great, but as for my tracking food and watching what I'm eating not so great though I did learn a lot. My husband came home for 3 weeks from his year long tour in Korea and that was amazing. He was followed by family that came in town from Norway. So needless to say I was not being so faithful on watching what I was eating. Luckily I didn't over eat much, it was more that what I was eating was junk. I actually found that when I don't monitor my eating I way under eat for a few days and then have a day or two of being crazy hungry and the cycle continues. So starting today I am back on track with my eating and exercising,