Overweight and Unfit to Lean and Fit

P

Pollytc

Cathlete
O.K........does this apply to any of you? If so, what did you do, where did you start, and how did it all click for you? I know there are several of you who have worked out all your life, and some who were just somewhat out of shape and then discovered Cathe, etc. But are there any of you who were alot heavier and very unfit and completely opposite now?

Also, how long or when did you notice the first change? If you want to elaborate more, I would love to hear about all your changes along the way.

Thanks!!

Kim
 
Hi Kim! I'm a Kim, too!:)

I lost 110 pounds (235 to 125-127) in 15 months and have maintained for 6 months (lifetime to go!) using good nutrition/portion control and consistent exercise. My cholesterol, triglyc., BP, sugar levels, etc., which were all once high are now in the normal and healthy range (was at the Dr. two months ago and he said bloodwork was "immaculate!"):)

I've been a vegetarian for 23 years (and yes, a very heavy one!)and also a pain in the neck picky eater--I knew a specific eating program wouldn't work for me. I also wanted new habits I could have for a LIFETIME, knowing that would be a key in my longterm success. Like I said, I used portion control (as opposed to when my portions were OUT of control!), and I started exercising using WATP tapes, barely being able to do the one mile at first. All I did was keep plugging away, not letting myself get discouraged when I couldn't all the things all the women in exercise videos do! Have you ever seen The Firm videos where they say "beginners follow Libby?" I couldn't even do that. It was VERY discouraging sometimes, but I'm not stretching the truth when I say I saw improvements with my health and fitness each week. They may have been small victories--an extra pushup here, one more leg press on the Fanny Lifter there--but small victories can add up bigtime!

I had many setbacks along the way. I'd pig out and get so angry with myself that I'd eat more.. I get in an argument with dh and head right to the fridge (still do!). The one thing that kept me going was literally repeating to myself that falling off the horse (in this case my lifestyle change of healthy eating and consistent exercise) meant getting right back up and on! I refused to let one day of poor eating choices ruin my efforts. This was not easy. Many times I cried and wondered if it was all worth it. Well, let me tell you now that I'm on the other side: It was worth every single second of hard work! :) I'm healthier than I've ever been in my life! I can take my staircase two steps at a time when before I couldn't walk up the stairs without being seriously out of breath. Little things I notice like being able to get up out of gushy chair just using my leg strength. It is a whole new life. I'm not one to judge a person who's overweight--society does a good enough job of that. I believe body image and self image are two very separate things. Size does not equal beauty, and I love a person whether they be 100 or 1000 pounds. But strictly speaking as someone who went from very unfit to someone who can out-pushup her dh}( I believe I am much better off, both physically and emotionally, at my current weight and fitness level. And it sure doesn't hurt that my 19 year old neighbor called me a hottie (I'm 37!!!):eek:

I'm sorry this is so long, Kim. I don't know what your goals are, but I wish you all the luck in the world as you reach for them! I am tangible proof that what may seem unattainable certainly is not!

*edited for spelling errors
 
Hi Kim!! Thanks for your story!! As a small child I was never overweight, but had chubby tendencies, and matured very, very fast (physically). By the time I was 14, I went on my first "diet and exercise" program. I lost weight and went from a size 10 to a 5. Back then that was a big deal. From that point on I always engaged in exercise, and have always had a major interest in it ever since. Joining a gym when I was old enough, actually bought Kathy Smith and Joannie Greggains exercise albums, and this 20 minute workout with Bess Moss when they started coming out. I was in great shape til I had my daughter and had a C-section with her. After I had her, I did get back down to my size 8 clothes, but my body was different and everything fit different. Two years later I had to have a major abdominal surgery which went opposite of my c-section scar (my dr. called my stomach my road map!!) and a year later had another abdominal surgery, then one more a year and a half later. During all this time, even though I would exercise, and I did lose weight here and there, nothing has been the same. Five years ago I divorced, and the weight piled on. I go on and off the exercise bandwagon, but have not stayed on it for any amount of time long enough to see good results. I am hoping that someday it will all click for me and I will be one of those success stories you read about!! Motivation for me is hearing people's success stories. Thank you so much for yours!! It is very inspiring!!!!

Kim
 
Kim, thank you for asking, and Kim, thank you for sharing lol! That was a very motivational post! You rock!

Gina
 
I've lost 90+ pounds in the past year and a half, and have gone from a total couch potato to someone who can get through IMAX2. I'm not ready to run a marathon, but I really enjoy exercise now, and find that I can do things I never would have thought of two years ago. I can spend a day moving load after load of mulch in my yard. I can run up and down the stairs many times in a row (in the past if I forgot something on one level, I'd just do without until I could muster up the pep to do the stairs). I lift using the weights Cathe uses on her DVDs, and will need to heavy up for lower body soon.

I did it gradually. I don't like meetings, so I signed up for WW online. At that point, I started walking for exercise. I started at 20 minutes and over time, worked up to 45 minutes. Then I found Leslie Sansone's walking tapes. I worked up to her "4 mile" tape.

Then that got too easy/boring so I moved onto the FIRM. I did those for about 6 months, and then bought Cathe's Cardio hits. Then I needed to see her cardio/weights. Then I got some of her weight routines. And that brings us to today.

My weight loss has slowed -- in fact, I'm just trying to maintain this summer because I feel a need to integrate where I am physically with where I am mentally.

This was the best thing I've ever done for myself. I only wish I'd done it years earlier. My goal was "fit by 40" -- and I am!


242/151/135
 
Hi Kim: I was overweight all of my life and pretty much sedentary until I hit my 30's. I was not a competitive or driven child and was content to stay at the back of the line in gym class. In high school we had to run to a local park for gym classes and I used to lag behind and have a cigarette on the way (I'm neither proud or ashamed of it, it's just what I did). I had very large breasts and they were my excuse for not running or exerting myself in anyway for that matter. I wore a size 18 kilt through high school and was married in a size 20 wedding dress. Through my childbearing years (3 kids) I wore nothing but loose cotton clothes and always with an elastic waist band. A friend brought me to an aerobics class when I was in my early 20's and it was a nightmare, my face was beet red, I couldn't keep up or breathe or move my body like everyone else in the room, it was demoralizing and I thought I'd never try it again. Ten years later I was 50 lbs. overweight and felt 20 years older. My fit and active husband's health took an ill turn and once we got back on an even keel from that I realized that maintaining my health wasn't good enough because how do you take care of something you've never maintained?? I also realized that I had lived in this body for 30 years and had no idea what lay beneath the rolls and layers. I started to take the extra fat out of our diet and began walking 5 kilometres a day and doing 30 minutes of aerobics 3 times a week at home with Charlene Prickett's old 'It Figures' show. The first changes I saw in my body were my face leaning out (I actually saw my jaw line for the first time as an adult) and my big breasts started to deflate (nursing and gravity helped too I'm sure ;-) ). After a while I started to notice a waist line and once I got into the groove the changes seemed to be daily. The last body fat to leave my frame is at the outer thigh and low back (love handles). In 9 months I got my weight down from 190 to 132 (I'm 5'8") and was amazed at the long slender physique that stared back at me. I was very aware of the fact that people now looked me in the eye (many men that I talked to couldn't have told you what colour my eyes were, their eyes were cast down to my breasts and that used to just burn me!!) I admit that I became addicted to exercise and my weight went down to 125 at one point and although I didn't see it at the time I began to look older than my years and a lot of friends and family thought that I was sick. I have never been so cold in all my life as I was through that period. I realized at that time that comments about me being to skinny hurt as much as comments about being too fat. I discovered Cathe almost 4 years ago and have been going to a gym since '98. Fast forward to today, my weight hovers between 140 - 145lbs, I'm 42 years old and I teach BodyPump (think Power Hour) classes as well as Yoga/Pilates/Tai chi 3 - 6 times per week. I love my fitness and the fact that by expending energy to workout I acquire more energy to give to others.
If I don't workout for 3 days my body and mind crave it, if I am addicted to endorphins then so be it, it's a lot better than nicotine, alcohol, shopping, gambling....pick your addiction.
If I get frustrated that I want to drop 5 lbs I tell myself to remember where I was before my revelation and that I would have killed to have this body at 20 years of age. It's so true that weight loss and fitness are not a destination but a journey and 12 years into my journey I am still loving the ride:7

Take Care
Laurie
 
I just love your story and your attitude! How inspiring, Thanks for sharing. All of the above stories are wonderful and they keep newbies like myself going!
Thanks
Sherry
 
I wasn't heavy when I was young but I wasn't really into anything but reading either. When I turned 30 I began to put on about 5 lbs or so a year. At 42 I began having trouble with anxiety and panic attacks. I exploded emotionally and they medicated me heavily. The anxiety and panic also brought on cycles of depression. I felt like I was on a roller coaster. Before medication I could only sleep in one hour spurts. Anyway, the meds added about 50lbs really quick. As I got better I started looking for ways to get off the meds. My doctor told me that some people had good results controlling their anxiety disorders with proper diet and exercise. I had gained a total of 91 lbs over the years. It seemed like a huge task to get myself back. When I looked in the mirror I didn't see me, I saw this swollen, heavy, fat, out of shape person I didn't know. It was terrible. I saw a Firm infomercial and ordered it. I researched diets and chose the Zone. I lost slowly, about 2 lbs per week. When I started I could only do about 10 to 15 minutes of the workout but I kept on plugging. (Sorry so long) I lost 82 lbs in 15 months. I would like to lose about 9 or 10 more. I am stuck a little bit but I am not unhappy. I started at a 22/24 and am now a size 6 and I was off my meds after 3 months of exercising. I have maintained for about 8 months now, I also learned what to do when my anxiety level goes up and haven't had to use medication for it even one day since I got off the meds. I feel great and found out that I love sports, I played softball for the first time in 20 years last year and was the most improved player and was pretty good actually. I enjoy a million things that I couldn't do for a long while or never tried. My DH bought me a mountain bike for Mother's Day and I love it. I like high intensity workouts the most. I credit the Firm for most of my weight loss and Cathe for taking me to more intense levels, increasing my cardio capacity and teaching me different lifting styles. I am a complete opposite now at 46 than ever in my whole life. I am not afraid of a challenge, in fact, I love one. I feel like I can do anything. At first I saw small minor changes physically but my emotional changes were fantastic. I had complete attitude change. The best day for me on this journey was when I got to size 12, I looked in the mirror and I was beginning to look like me again, it felt so good, the next one was putting a pair of size 6 jeans and not believing it was me in the mirror.
 
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