GettingFitAt38 Your story

I truly enjoyed reading your story.I have to agree with everyone else.You are an amazing person.You saw want you wanted and you went after it.You must be a very strong person to keep going,keep pushing.I think I am the type that would get fustrated and throw it all down.
How much did you end up losing afterwards? Did you have to get any surgery done to gt rid of the lose skin? Hope that question wasn't to personal.
HAve a great day everyone,
Lori
 
Hi Gettingfit@38,
I'm a big fan of yours as well. You are simply amazing. I am still struggling to get through just the first half of MIC. Thanks for inspiring us all.
Lisa
 
Lori..............

Hi and no that wasn't too personal a question at all. So far I've lost 208lbs, I'm currently 167lbs and surprisingly, "No!" I was worried that I might be left with tons of loose skin, but I'm wondering if the weight training from early on (350lbs) helped me shrink the skin in a more controlled manner?
I don't know? But I've read stories where others have lost large amounts of weight through dieting alone, and they had a lot of loose skin afterwards. So I'm wondering if somehow exercise made the difference, and if in particular, resistance training made the difference?
The one area that didn't survive the transition as well were my breasts! They're a little on the sad side, but hey, it's a small price to pay for better health, a healthier lifestyle and the fun of working out! :)

I'm not sure how much more I'll lose, I'm letting my body dictate that. I'm just going to continue to workout, eat as well as I can, and try to shave off inches where I can! :) Whatever number I end up on is fine, I guess at my age I'm not quite as "picky" about having to achieve a certain number, just as long as I'm happy with my size, my clothes fit me well, and my hubby gets that "gleam" in his eyes, I'm okay! :)

Donna
 
Bobbi, you made my day!..............

You have no idea how many times I've said to myself, "now what would Bobbi say if she knew you were eating a pint of ice cream for dinner instead of a healthy dinner full of fiber rich foods?" WHEW!!!! I feel much better about ALL those times now! :)

And you're right, sometimes for whatever reason, you just crave that "something" and if I try to deny it and eat the "sensible" dinner, I still go back an hour or so later and have whatever it was I was craving because it's still on my mind and I still want it! I'd been better off just having it in the first place and saving the wasted calories I ate on the "sensible" dinner! Which didn't satisfy me to begin with!

Donna
 
RE: Lori..............

Hi Donna,

I just wanted to jump in and say thank you for the inspiration. I'm having a really low day today, but reading about you helped more than you can know.

I was in much the same situation you were in when I started getting healthy. I wasn't quite 300, but almost. I'm about 175 now (5'll"), size 14/16. I look pretty good--considering (the right clothes hide a multitude of sins). At least I look "normal." I can buy clothes in "regular" stores. I can eat in restaurants without stares and whispers. I can ride a rollercoaster without worrying that the lap bar won't lock. I can sit in a chair with arms without worrying about whether I'll have to stop halfway down and get out before I get stuck. I can get out of the bathtub--effortlessly. And people are simply nicer to me. Needless to say, I'm also infinitely healthier and more energetic.

But, I've been stuck at this weight for many, many months, despite doing "everything right" (thyroid problems). Sometimes I get really down and want to give up. I start thinking to myself, if I can't be truly "thin" (l35-145, as I was when I was young), then why bother being "thinner." I start feeling really sorry for myself because I have to work so hard for so little (or so it seems at these low times).

But then I read about someone like you, and I keep going because I know you had even higher odds stacked against you than I did, and you didn't give up. Just knowing I'm not alone out here makes all the difference. So thank you for listening and for another day of health. Let me know if I can cheer you up someday when you're feeling low. Most days, I'm a great cheerleader.

Shari
 
RE: Lori..............

Getnfit,

I just finished reading your story. Congradulations on all the hard work and sticking with it.
 
Donna - your story is absolutely amazing and sooooo inspiring:-jumpy

I enjoyed reading your story and would love to give you a big ol' hug!!!!! You brought tears to my eyes:( but in such a happy way!

You should be so very proud of yourself. You are a very strong, couragous and smart woman. It must have taken such commitment, strength and courage to lose that much weight! You truly motivate me! Keep up the good work.

I am curious as to what type of diet you followed and are still following?? How did you get yourself thru the hard days? The cookie, ice cream and potato chip cravings???? Sounds like you might have some pointers for the rest of us!

Thanks again for your honest and wonderful story!

Pammer:)
 
RE: Lori..............

Shari, if you're 5'11", 135-145 is kind of thin. You might want to try to content yourself with a higher, more realistic weight like 160 or so. Can you give us an idea of what kind of exercise you're doing and how you're managing your eats?

Please don't be hard on yourself - you've really come a long way, and it seems you're keeping the weight off, so you should be really proud of that.

Just Do It! :)
 
RE: Sherry, Sherry, Sherry.................

I like it when you say that you don't eat clean because I don't bother with it either. Quite frankly if you exercise then you will lose weight without dieting and I don't believe dieting really works. I think it is not so much what you eat as how much you eat. I have tried low fat versions of almost all foods and I have not lost weight by eating like that (probably because I have not been calorie counting but just assuming that eating the low fat versions is enough).

I was always looking for more challenging workouts that will burn off all the greasy foods I like.

Yen
 
RE: Lori..............

Hello Donna,

Weight lifting and exercise in general definitely does tighten the skin as you are losing weight. People who just diet alone won't get that benefit, which is why I always advocate exercise and a good diet as oppose to just dieting.

Yen
 
RE: Donna & Moisturising...

Hi Donna,

Just read about your breasts - I would try moisturising them with a good body firming moisturiser, or you can get specific bust firming lotions that need to be applied from underneath the breast (where your bra sits), up to the arm pits, and up to the jawline, so that the neck is included too. A good nourishing oil such as Sweet Almond oil, and even better Avocado oil (which is wonderful for the skin) make good moisturising products. Take care not to go over the nipple.
I can sympathise, mine are in pretty poor shape after years of breastfeeding, but I started earlier this year to include them into my skin care programme, and my stretch marks look better, in fact they look better in general.

But well done with not being left with loose skin as some can be left with lots of it. You have good genes, Donna !

Anna :)
 
I admire you, Donna, as much as I do Cathe. Both of you refuse to let anyone else dictate how you craft your lives and your successes.

One of things I've appreciated most about Donna is how she's shared every step of her journey with us. I remember first becoming cyber-acquainted with her when she posted a question: "How do you bounce back after you haven't lost any weight" (paraphrase). When she noted in her first paragraph how much weight she'd already lost I had to take out my calculator to make sure I was seeing it correctly: 147 pounds in about 8 months. HELLO!

It is so easy to underestimate the day-in-day-out, steady-eddie work involved in achieving and maintaining health and fitness. Donna is at once a billboard for the simple truths about human physiology, AND a remarkable testament to what one can achieve when she believes in herself and is willing to do what it takes.

DONNA - YOU ROCK!

Annette Q. Aquajock
 
Donna thank you for sharing your life with us!
you are an inspiration to me.
My family has many people close to your starting situation, and I would love for them to be able to have your very special attitude!
Bless you!:- Bless you!:- Bless you!:-
Judy


Live by the golden rule: treat others as yourself :)
 
RE: Sherry, Sherry, Sherry.................

I've got to disagree here. I don't think that you can lose weight without 'dieting' (of course we all have different opinions about what constitutes 'dieting'). I exercised regularly all summer without losing a pound. It wasn't until I cleaned up my diet that I lost weight. Personally I think weight loss is about 85% diet and only 15% exercise.
 
Man, you ALL are inspiring! Doing Cathe at 200+ lbs.???
WOW. WOWOWOWOWOWOWOW.
I didn't start on Cathe until over a year after I was at my most comfortable weight, AND I worked my way up to Cathe pretty incrementally! I did everything that would typically come 'before' doing Cathe, before I really took the Cathe plunge.
The fact that many of you are working hard with Cathe and are losing weight with Cathe floors me. You are all so inspiring!!
My heart and pride goes out to you all!!!
Kathy
 
RE: Lori..............

Well, I could be a lot MORE content with 160. :)

For exercise, I use Cathe videos 3 times a week for strength and endurance training (varying between videos), and I ride my bike at 10-15 mph, 10-15 miles a day, 3-4 days a week (more during the summer).

As for eating, I follow the WW plan. I lost well, but very, very slowly until this year (I'm going into my third year), but I've only lost 10-15 pounds since last October. I've tried eating more/less than WW suggests, and even varying the amounts (the Wendie plan) to shake things up. I've tried near-starvation (burning as many points with exercise as I'm eating) to tying my eating to my exercise and eating the recommended amounts. I've tried more exercise, less exercise, taking CLA, taking my thyroid meds an hour before I eat or take other meds, and watching when I take calcium supplements to avoid interfering with the thyroid meds.

To be honest, if it isn't dangerous to my health (other than the near starvation, which was in desperation and only for a short time), I've probably tried it. I'm at the end of my rope--honestly. And the worst part? I don't think anyone, even my doctor, believes me. I feel everyone thinks I must be cheating, must be doing less than I say. So--if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them (and I'd probably remember you in my will or something--not that that would amount to much--if they work).

Thanks,
Shari
 
RE: Sherry, Sherry, Sherry.................

Hello Jennifer Ann,

The reason I said that is I remember when I was at university I had an old bike and I was cycling every day, I lost a lot of weight without dieting at all because I eating quite a lot of foods high in fat and calories. Now, I don't cycle like that anymore and I don't exercise everyday, so maybe I should combine diet and exercise.

Can you tell me how you cleaned up your diet? I might want to incorporate it into my regime.

Yen
 
RE: Sherry, Sherry, Sherry.................

I think the key is that you were at the university meaning that you were very young. When I was in my late teens and early 20's I never had to diet to lose weight. I didn't even really have to do any exercise either. I had a naturally high metabolism. If I started to put on a few pounds I'd go to a few aerobics classes and lose it all quickly. But now that I'm my early 30's, exercise doesn't work by itself anymore. I know that a lot of other people have the same experience as they get older so I know it's not just me. I think diet and exercise is the way to go because while you can lose weight by only dieting (it's about 85% of weightloss IMHO) if you don't exercise (especially strength training) you lose muscle so when you start eating normally again you gain weight. That's why most dieters gain more weight than they lost. I've also read some studies showing that people who dieted and exercised are more likely to keep off the weight because they have a healtier attitude towards food than the people who only dieted.

Basically I count calories. I use Fitday.com to track my calories for the day. I try to aim for eating about 50% in carbs and 30% in protein and 20% in fat. Usually I end up eating a little more fat and a little less protein and a little more carbs. I've also substituted lower fat dairy products (skim milk & 2% fat cheese). I don't eat bread because I never acquired a taste for whole wheat bread and the white bread I like isn't very healthy. I try to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. Basically what I've found is that eating low fat and low calorie lends itself to a healthy diet because the only way I can be full is to eat a lot of fruits and veggies. The only meat I eat is chicken breast. I generally avoid 'fat free' products because they're usually not that great and have a lot of calories. Did you know that the low fat animal crackers in the vending machine have almost as many calories as a Snickers bar? When I figured that out, I decided that if I was really hungry and only had access to a vending machine, I'd go for the Snickers because at least it's really good.
 
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