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AshenShugar
Member
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Posted: 25 October 2005 02:44 pm |
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I've been fat my whole life. My entire family was, too. I thought it was in my genes, that I was destined to stay fat. I am 5'6 and topped out at 298.
I was wrong. Genetics is not destiny. I have lost 78 lbs since January and I am still plummeting. Actually as of today it's more like 81. But if I can do it, I think anyone can. There is no trick to it other than being absolutely determined and absolutely ruthless. There are people out there who will try to discourage you. Ignore them the same way you ignore the snack-food section at the supermarket. Both are junk.
It's almost impossible to describe how different I feel. And I am still technically obese. I can hardly even imagine what it will be like when I get to 160 and have traded my fat for muscle mass.
I won't lie and say it's easy; in fact, it's the most difficult thing I've ever attempted. But believe me, the results make it all worthwhile. Just keep your eye on the prize.
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iluvchocolate3
Member
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Posted: 25 October 2005 10:56 pm |
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That is terrific...keep it up. Your story is truly a success..:)
For those of us that are on the beginning of our weight loss...how did you do it?
Did you count calories and eat healthy?
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AshenShugar
Member
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Posted: 26 October 2005 09:05 am |
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There were 3 basic elements to it:
1. Calorie counting. You have to find out as closely as possible your daily calorie requirement. This site is good for that, and it will take a little research.
2. Decide how quickly you want to lose, and cut the calorie intake accordingly. Don't try to do too much too fast or you'll just wind up crashing your diet. Work your way into it. What you do eat needs to be healthy. You simply have to get used to the idea that you can never again eat the way you did before. You have to accept the fact that the changes in your diet are forever. After a while, you won't even want to eat the same junk as before. Occasional exceptions are OK, but they need to be just that--exceptions, and infrequent at most. Once you have your calorie regimen, do not deviate from it for any reason whatsoever. If you develop the discipline to refuse foods that you like in the very beginning, it wil be much easier later on.
3. Exercise. This is absolutely critical, because exercise not only burns calories by itself, it keeps your metabolism up. When you lose weight your body thinks it's starving and lowers your metabolism--and energy level--to compensate. Exercise is the only cure for this, other than a determination to stay active. Like everything else, you have to start slowly. And it will probably take a few weeks to find the right combination of diet and exercise. Exercise is also important to maintain your level of muscle mass, because that is the first thing burned during weight loss, at least in the beginning. So I reccomend a combination of aerobics and resistance training with weights or machines.
Remember--in the end, it's not about sugar, protein, carbohydrates or fats. It's about calories. Burn more than you take in, and you will lose weight. Take in more than you burn, and you'll gain weight. It's that simple. You have to accept the fact that there is no easy way to do this, no trick to it, no hidden method that works the best.
You're going to be hungry. You're going to be tired. This is the price you must pay to lose weight. There's no other way. But consider this: If you're overweight the way I was, you are already hungry and tired. Hungry because it takes so many calories to maintain your obesity, and tired because dragging all that fat around is very fatiguing. At least this way you get something out of it other than the scorn and ridicule of others.
Good Luck,
Joe
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ILuvWAstate
New Member
| Joined: | 23 November 2005 |
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| Posts: | 1 |
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Posted: 23 November 2005 10:44 am |
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Thank you Joe!
Everything you wrote makes sense. I hate dieting, I hate low carb commercials, I hate the pain of my shins when i'm walking and jogging, and I especially hate the burn of lifting weights. I do love feeling productive each day.... finally, at 24, things are beginning to make sense. It's time to change.
Very grateful,
your story is inspiring,
I hope you continue to work hard!
Widian
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Peter
Founder, caloriesperhour.com
| Joined: | 24 May 2005 |
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| Posts: | 4179 |
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Posted: 23 November 2005 07:48 pm |
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4. And don't wait till New Years! ;)
Peter
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fantasia31
Senior Member
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Posted: 24 November 2005 04:16 am |
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| Yep Peter, well said. Your changes need to be a lifestyle, and lifestyle does NOT depend on the date. There is no sense in waiting... it will just take that much longer to get to your goal AND you have done that much more damage to your body! Lessons I have learned through experience, sadly....
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AshenShugar
Member
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Posted: 25 November 2005 12:27 am |
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UPDATE:
Well, the grand total is now 95 pounds. Anyone reading this with serious weight issues will understand how totally psyched this makes me feel. In a way I feel this is a place where people really and truly understand the issues involved in being overweight, and just how incredibly difficult it is to do what many of us have accomplished.
Those who are NOT seriously overweight just don't get it. They can't understand it, even with the best will in the world.
The things we have to struggle with:
1. Depression and self-esteem. Two HUGE issues for fat people, because we're not exactly popular and not exactly well-regarded. Depression robs us of energy and motivation in a vicious circle with the weight problem. And, of course, we've all been encouraged to think of ourselves as little better than reptilian slime. Because we're fat we have trouble getting jobs, trouble getting laid, trouble buying clothes--the list goes on. Fighting through these two issues towards success is, I believe, among the most difficult things a person can do.
2. Injuries. If you exercise long enough, you will injure yourself. And most certainly if you exercise with the intensity and frequency needed to take off serious weight. You'll deal with frustration, anger and outright fear You'll be sitting at home cradling your injured whatever, thinking "what if I can't exercise any more. Will I get fat again?"
3. Obsession. In developing the drive to succeed no matter what you run the risk of blowing your circuits entirely, spending as much time in the gym as you do at work, memorizing nutrition information lists, taking dangerous medications to hasten weight loss, or even binge-purging.
4. Discouragement from others. "C'mon, one bite won't hurt." "Aren't you hungry?" "Is it worth giving up the things you enjoy?" "Why are you so vain?" "You're not THAT fat." "Why aren't you happy with yourself?" Tell you what, folks. Worry about your own #$#$ diet and let me worry about mine. The fact that I don't eat the 1850 calorie/serving dish you just prepared is not a personal insult. But it is insulting when you demand I crash my diet to soothe your egos. Grow up.
5. Lasting effects. Some of the effects of being fat last forever, no matter how much weight you lose. Back problems, arthritis, heart disease--all of them are improved by the weight loss and exercise. But they never go away completely. Or those annoying little wrinkles in your skin which, if you can't afford plastic surgery, will still be there the day they plant you in the ground.
Considering all of the above, is it any wonder that so few of us manage to actually do it? But many of those reading this, myself included, will tell you yes it CAN be done. So never give up. Ever. Count calories from your death bed if you have to, and tell the nurse changing your diaper you still won't eat the %^&&% corned beef hash, cheese omlette and toast dripping with butter and jelly that could make a blue whale grow a gut.
For those of us who have done it, I really think we're entitled to a little boasting and ego stroking. Why not? We earned it. True, maybe it's not as big an accomplishment as becoming President or flying the Space Shuttle. On the other hand, it is also true that, statistically, we are very much a minority. Look up the numbers and you will find that few--#%@&!ed few--people are really successful at weight loss.
Next bad habit to get rid of--smoking.
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NevD
New Member
| Joined: | 26 October 2005 |
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| Posts: | 1536 |
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Posted: 25 November 2005 02:02 pm |
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Great post, AS -
One of the best I've ever read.
And yes, success deserves some celebration - so why not use this forum...
NevD 
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vanbaalen5
New Member
| Joined: | 8 January 2006 |
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| Posts: | 2 |
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Posted: 9 January 2006 04:02 am |
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Hi Joe,
This is my first day on the boards, and I just had to say congratulations to you. I love how you sum up so eloquently what it takes to lose weight. It really is a very simple thing to grasp. What is difficult is really having the deep desire to stick with it and not continuing old thinking patterns such as "this one time won't hurt". Thanks for the reality check.
Lisa
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JILLDOUCET
New Member
| Joined: | 5 January 2006 |
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| Posts: | 10 |
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Posted: 9 January 2006 04:50 am |
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I'm at the beginning of my final journey down weight loss lane. I refuse to live on Fat Boulevard for much longer. I have been so inspired by Joe's story. I know I can do this. I HAVE to do this because if I don't , I will die and I'm not ready for that yet! I want to live before I die. I want to enjoy life. I'm only 44 but I'm living the life of an elderly person. I can't take it any more!
Congratulations on a wonderful job Joe and keep inspiring us!
Jill
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AshenShugar
Member
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Posted: 10 January 2006 05:37 pm |
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Hello, all.
I really didn't expect my post to become so popular, but I'm glad to have given encouragement to everyone. Just as an update, I have now lost 108 pounds. And I've probably put on 15-20 pounds of muscle. People now come up to me and tell me they had to look twice to even recognize me, I look so different.
I know that some of the others on this board have made similar progress. If you have, I congratulate you and would encourage you to share it with everyone else. Losing weight is, at best, a lonely struggle. I think it helps people to find out they are not alone.
It's interesting that when your body changes so radically, your thoughts are slow to follow. If being a fat person is central to your sense of identity, as it was to mine, the thought "I'm not fat anymore" can be disorienting, even frightening. But the benefits are incredible, and in my opinion more than make up for the effort involved. So keep trying, everyone.
Joe
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JILLDOUCET
New Member
| Joined: | 5 January 2006 |
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| Posts: | 10 |
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Posted: 15 January 2006 01:46 am |
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Hi Joe
WOW 108 lbs. HOW WONDERFUL!!! I'm so happy for you. I can't wait until I can say that I've lost that much It seems so far off but I'm forging on!!
Thanks for the inspiration!
Jill
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lovemylabs
New Member
| Joined: | 13 January 2006 |
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| Posts: | 6 |
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Posted: 16 January 2006 10:33 pm |
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Just wanted to say congratulations on all your hard work. 108 lbs. is a huge accomplisment and you deserve to boast!!!!!!
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Synicalchick
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 16 January 2006 11:44 pm |
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:DFabulous! It's encouraging to see someone that posted that I can relate to. I am 36 5 6 1/2 and a week ago Monday I weighed in at 321. My top weight a year ago was 341. Today I weigh 311. I stumbled across this free site and use it religiously every day. I have been food journaling everday for a week and have been sending it to other to read and the love it. I'm thinking about posting it here as well. I've tossed around different 'diet' ideas and had a Eureka last Monday when I found a link that let me plug in my numbers so it could tell me how many calories a day I would have to consume to maintian my current weight. 2,600 was what it came up with so I have cut off 500+. I try not to go over 2K and here I am just one week later.. 10 pounds lighter. I am in for the fight of my life and prepared to go to war. It's true what they say.. until you are mentally & emotionally ready to change and love yourself enough to lose.. It's not going to happen.
The biggest loser is an inspriation as well.. they finally had another female on this last week that weighed in right under 300.
I've never belonged to a forum before so I'm not sure what the etticate is. Do I just start posting off of this one or do I need to start a completely new and different one?
Thanks Tracy :yumm:
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paulie8pointer
Member
| Joined: | 18 January 2006 |
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| Posts: | 26 |
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Posted: 18 January 2006 11:42 pm |
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| Hi Tracy - I just started with this site too. You can get my first forum by doing a search above by my user name. I started at weight Watcher last week - 344# and lost 13 the first week. I too have been so inspired by the biggest loser. It's going to be a long road for us but it's time! Paul:)
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Synicalchick
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 19 January 2006 02:03 am |
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I started a diary here. It's listed under diary's. I think mine is called
Synicalchick's diary, all 321 pounds of it. check it out and good luck! 
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the4beans
New Member
| Joined: | 29 January 2006 |
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| Posts: | 1 |
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Posted: 29 January 2006 08:26 pm |
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| Hello, congrats on your success! I started at 305 and am down by 40 pounds. I lost it in about 3 months then went on vacation in august and never went back on it. I was cal counting and jumping on a trampoline 30 min a day. I am trying to get modivated again to return to the diet. good news is that i have not gained any back! ... so my question is, Do you have hanging skin in your belly area. or does the excersizing help with that? how many calories a day did you consume and how much did you excersize in a day? I am 31 and have carried this weight for about 12 years. prior to marriage and babies i weighted about 200lbs and high school weight was 160 - 180lbs. thanks so much.
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runner mommy
New Member
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Posted: 30 January 2006 07:16 pm |
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you're doing so great...but you know that!:P
Thank you for sharing your insight and the wisdom you've gained while working towards your goal. I'm close to maintaining end of my goal but even that is not easy. I still struggle w/ some bad eating/food habits and feel like I'll just end up where I started if I don't break them for good.
for instance..just because my neighbor made *Otis Spunkmeyer* cookies ( darn school kids for selling all that cookie dough ) did I really really need to eat 5 of them? 5 white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies at 170 calories a pop...on top of my daily calories...didn't cut anything out to eat those puppies... I have no self control in the face of cookies, probably would be easier to just eat none than one.
anybody have anything gross to share about cookies? I read once someone referring to ice cream as frozen lard...gross... I now picture that when faced w/ ice cream.
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runner mommy
New Member
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Posted: 30 January 2006 07:17 pm |
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you're doing so great...but you know that!:P
Thank you for sharing your insight and the wisdom you've gained while working towards your goal. Some of what you've written really hits close to home for me. I'm close to maintaining end of my goal but even that is not easy. I still struggle w/ some bad eating/food habits and feel like I'll just end up where I started if I don't break them for good.
for instance..just because my neighbor made *Otis Spunkmeyer* cookies ( darn school kids for selling all that cookie dough ) did I really really need to eat 5 of them? 5 white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies at 170 calories a pop...on top of my daily calories...didn't cut anything out to eat those puppies... I have no self control in the face of cookies, probably would be easier to just eat none than one.
anybody have anything gross to share about cookies? I read once someone referring to ice cream as frozen lard...gross... I now picture that when faced w/ ice cream.
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Synicalchick
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 30 January 2006 09:33 pm |
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Nabisco and or Keebler 100 calorie packs.. they have oreo/chips ahoy and honey maid cinnamon snacks.
If you find your self bored.. my diary is LOADED with what i use for low calories snacks. Tast tested by a true FooD Freak
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jinglepot
New Member
| Joined: | 1 February 2006 |
| Location: | Canada |
| Posts: | 4 |
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Posted: 3 February 2006 02:21 am |
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Yay Joe!!
I am really impressed with not only your achievement and attitude, but how clearly you are able to express yourself in writing. Just like the other people posting here, I love how direct you are, and how you just cut to the chase. I don't want to be somebody who can't get a job, can't get laid, etc. Thanks Joe, for saying what we all are thinking!
I was never overweight my entire life until my sister was killed and I gained 65 pounds that year without really realizing it, no kidding. I went to my doctor for an unrelated injury to my hand/wrist and he said, "Do you realize how fat you are?" I was shocked, but at least that woke me out of my fog/coma. I had gone from 123 to almost 190 pounds in no time. Somebody (Peter?) quoted here that "Food is fuel, not therapy" and that says it all for me. Also I had always been a competitive runner and a rugby player for 15 years and I guess because I played sports so much, I never had to research or understand nutrition to stay at a healthy weight. I am amazed and appalled by my own ignorance -- I sincerely had zero understanding of how the body works/burns and didn't know anything about the calorie counts of food, or how fiber and nutrition works. I am surprised that I was able to survive -- my lack of knowledge is/was astounding. I started coming to this site because I needed real straight-forward information -- I didn't want to get hooked into some stupid fad diet, I wanted to fix my body and get healthy again. I haven't yet lost all of the weight I gained, but I am getting there. My thing at the moment is running stairs, which sucks for fun compared to rugby, but since I broke my sternum in rugby last year -- this works for me as far as cardio. My building has a back staircase, sort of like a fire escape, and I can run my stairs there with nobody watching me. I had trouble exercising in public because I had been openly ridiculed. I can tell you exactly how many times I have been running in public and some idiot has yelled something like "Run You Fat F#*%" or "Run Fatty Run!" and one time, some guy spat on my forehead and called me garbage. Seriously. Totally unbelievable. I don't know where this hatred for fat people comes from. I'm not even that much overweight anymore so I can't imagine what some people have to put up with. Insanity out there!
Also, I live alone and LOVE to eat in front of the tv (often considered a very bad idea) but now I snack on radishes instead of chips. I am not the kind of person who likes sweet treats, but I am crazy for zingy, salty stuff. And weirdly, radishes are crunchy and have a crazy bite to them, and aren't boring (to my taste) like celery or carrots, which I hate. So, that is something to try if you like crunchy snacks.
Sorry about this long rambling post, just wanted to say thanks to Joe for his story, and to this site for the info and say keep going everybody!
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LattesMom
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 4 May 2006 08:56 pm |
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Time for an update, Joe. Are you still there? How are you doing?
I found so much to relate to in these posts. It is exciting to think ahead to when I will be able to say I lost 78 lbs (or 90--my goal). But I am glad to be reminded that I need to change my thinking as well as my body size.
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