Big weightloss milestone!

[Guest Sarah Faith]

I've been struggling with weight issues ever since puberty, I started eating my feelings just to not feel like I wanted to kill my self growing up. Unfortunately that lead to me ultimately ending up being just over 350 pounds by the time I was 22.. I've been dieting now since my GT more or less told me I had to lose weight for her to write the letter for HRT and that was when I was 24.

Well it's been almost exactly 4 years now since I started losing the weight and fighting my desire to binge based entirely on my emotional state. I actually reached my original goal weight awhile ago, which is of course why I started HRT a few months ago so that isn't the milestone I'm talking about. When I woke up today I decided to weigh my self and see where I was at, and for the first time since I was 13 or 14 the scale said I was under 200 pounds!

I'm honestly having a hard time even wrapping my head around that thought its been so long, and for the longest time I had just accepted 300+ being the norm for me. It's been a long journey struggling with losing the weight, and fighting the emotional eating and I still have a ways to go before I'm done, but It has been worth it I feel healthier than I did when I was 15.

I accomplished all of this with out surgery, with out any special diet pills, and even with out any crazy diet plans. The only things I have done to lose weight and get healthier has been to count calories and exercise every day, I always tried to shoot for a total of 1400 calories at the end of the day (my work out burns about 800 calories). I can't say that I have never fallen off the wagon because I have had weak moments where I did binge but I never let it destroy me and I would pick back up the next day and keep trying.

So I have reached a bigger milestone then I ever imagined or even expected out of my self.

[Guest JazzySmurf]

Congratulations!!!!

And congratulations :-) ahhhhhh you're my hero

[Guest JeepGirl90]

Congrats!!!!!

[Guest otter-girl]

Very well done.!

Hugs

Rachel

[Guest SusanB]

Congrats, i have my own milestone but it's only like 15 pounds and it has been hard. Can't imagine trying to lose that much, quite a goal.

[Guest Tamar]

. Rock on girlfriend.

[JJ]

Congratulations Sarah! Having also lot a massive amount of weight myself through diet and exercise alone I know what an accomplishment it is. And how amazing it feels. I too started out at 350 lbs.

My daily calorie goal and exercise were slightly different but not much. I built in a binge day each week which worked well for me and kept me from falling off the wagon.

I also never thought it was possible. It's amazing what can happen when we just try.

It makes an enormous difference in life. I found the disapproval and discrimination was greater for being overweight than anything I have faced being TS. But most important to me is all the possibilities it opened for me again. I am sure it has for you as well.

I am very happy for you

Johnny

[Guest JohnV]

I'm so happy for you! It's time for me to start my own weightloss journey.

Hopefully I have half the amount of success you have had.

-JohnV

[Guest Sarah Faith]

Aww thanks Sam, that's sweet

Susan, 15 pounds is a great milestone! When your really heavy, once you start changing your lifestyle to get rid of it, alot of it comes off really fast because it just requires sooo many calories to maintain. Losing any amount of weight and keeping it off is a huge accomplishment! So go you!

Johnny that's awesome! I've read you talk about your weight loss some before but never knew you started out at around the same weight as I did! I'm so happy that you were able to do it with just exercise and diet as well, a lot of people waste so much time and effort trying to find magic pills.

My experiences were similar Johnny, our society seems to have no room for those who are overweight.

Thanks John! You'll do fine just stick with it, I can say that persistence is really the best reason I was able to do it. I didn't give up on it even when I made some big diet mistakes!

Thanks all! It does feel like a great accomplishment, but I know that if I hadn't started losing weight I probably wouldn't be around anymore.

[Guest JazzySmurf]

sooo.... it's been a few days, and I feel like I ought to re-congratulate you again. Good job!!!

[Guest Sarah Faith]

Aw! Thanks a ton Sam

Unfortunately I realized tonight that the jeans I bought when I started HRT back in February are already starting to get a little too lopse.. This is gonna get expensive if I keep having to buy clothes over and over again. Good problem to have I suppose.

[Guest JazzySmurf]

:-) That is one of the better problems to have!! Go you!

[Guest Sarah Faith]

Thanks again Sam. =)

Another thing Ive found that is working for me, is that I have small dumbbells about 5 pounds each. Every other day I take them on the treadmill and for half my work out I walk with them in hand. About every 10 minutes I've been doing 18 rep sets lifting them from behind my shoulders straight up with my hands basically working my triceps out. Started doing this because I need the flabby batwings to go away. I freaking hate them.. Fortunately it looks like its working! Ive only been doing it a few weeks but Im seeing the flab there is tightening up!

All this exercise is such a pain, but it's nice to see tangible results!

[Guest BeccaC]

That is amazing Sarah, congratulations on your amazing achievement. I've lost a significant amount since the beginning of last year, but nowhere near what you have. Now comes the fun part of keeping it off Once I started HRT my appetite has gotten incredible... I have gained back almost 15lbs from the almost 80 I had lost, but I'm eating super healthy and its been good weight.. I had gotten to the point I was looking sickly... My 6ft tall linebacker frame did not handle weighing 170lbs very well...

[Guest Sarah Faith]

That's awesome Becca Losing weight is not easy, and less easier the lighter you start out! So congrats!!

When I started losing weight at 350, the weight just melted off for awhile. Now its slower and requires more work, but that's fine I'm getting there

Really beyond being more active, the best thing I did was give up normal soda for diet soda. Not drinking 1000+ calories a day in Soda is really helpful!

[Guest Jenn348]

At my worst last year, I was pushing 260. I sat and did nothing all day (physically), ate way too much and had 4-6 cans of soda. Depression was a big part of it all. Giving up the soda, getting moving and eating less really has helped quite a bit.

Now, I'm down to 220, ten pounds below the weight on my DL after almost a year.

The thing that helped me the most was the running. First, I worked on a trampoline for 30 minutes a day to build some muscle and get my joints prepared. Then, I started the Couth to 5K program. Now, I'm running 10-12 miles a week with my longest run yesterday at just over 5 miles through sandy desert terrain.

I'm hopefully starting HRT next week, and I hope to lose another 30 pounds or so during the first six months and then see where I am.

[Guest Sarah Faith]

Jenn, you're doing awesome Losing weight through life style changes is tough, but totally worth it. I'm sure you'll reach your weight loss goals if you just stick with it! Losing weight and keeping it off is definitely something to be proud of!