Well it's rather hard to sum up in a few paragraphs the tremendous changes I have made in the last fourteen months without boring you to tears. It's very hard to believe that I'm really a shy and very modest person, especially when you see me in my Calvin Klein (gone astray) ad. Or my strike a pose pictures. Yes I would agree I have shed some of that along the way not to mention the physical and emotional changes that I have made.
But I have put myself out there like that in the big and bold, so that for those that think it can't be done and say that they have tried everything and nothing works for them! Well guess what I'm one of the few that HAS not tried everything. The only things I have, were done over 10 yrs ago, Weight Watchers, NutriSystem, ("that was silly paying for packaged food") and the Zone was in the last 5 yrs..
I have been over 200lbs for all of my adult life, (let's see they call it obese on your Dr's chart) not a word I like at all. Few yrs ago I was having major stomach problems (gee, maybe you think it was too much fat in my diet?) Well the Dr. wanted me to do some testing, and being the big baby that I am, I opted to finally get with the program, so I cut out caffiene, the big regular soda, and the peanut MM regular daily ritual and started following the Zone, but not religiously, but having small meals, and what I thought were balanced out with what I needed, and over a two yr period lost 70lbs. Wow, I had got down to 160lbs at that time, stayed there for awhile, I never went back to old habits, but I really wasn't trying very hard either and my excercise was nil. Slowly I gained 26 lbs back over the next yr and half. Even at the 160lbs I knew I was overweight, but geez, it was a far better cry than the 236lbs I have packed on this body of 4' 11 3/4" for so long. (no wonder I needed orthodics to keep my cracked heels together before). I knew I had to do something, I just couldn't bare going back again in weight, I was having to buy bigger clothes, it was horrible.
Christmas came that yr, and I purposely ate things that I knew would make me sick, because I wanted an excuse to feel sick the next day so I could punish myself and get back on track. Well for the first time, these foods did not make me sick. But I made a self conscious effort to get with it anyway,
Plus back in March of 2003 that yr, I joined Curves, went faithfully 6 days a week, that was way, way too much for me, I did lose body fat, and wt and inches, but it was nothing in comparison to the first 6 weeks on this program for the whole time I was doing it. I was burning myself out because I was not getting the right fuel for all that excercise. I still had my membership, but I slowly stopped going that summer and fall.
Probably a week went by and there were no changes in my weight after Christmas, then I was up late watching HSN, and saw Michael Thurmond talking about the 6WBMO, I'm like Oh my G, this is that neat guy that's on Extreme Makeover, that helps those people out in such a short amount of time tone up and lose wt. I've always wanted to have tone sinewy arms and legs, just never did anything about it. So of course being the impulsive shopper that I am, I bought the program. I got it that Friday, and figured I would throw it in my spare room and never open it. But as you can see, that was far from it, I couldn't wait to get started. I'm sure everybody has something in there house that you can at least get started on your first day on plan, and then you can worry about your shopping later. Well I ended up with asthmatic bronchitis that week, so stuff was not tasting well, nor was I feeling well, struggling for air. But I did it anyway. When I bought the program, the claim to fame was 6 weeks lose 30lbs., and I bought it on 3 installments. Well by the time my st installment came around, which was my first 6 weeks, I had lost 20lbs, well now normally, I'm ususally mad at myself for my purchase and when those installments came, not this time, nor was I sending it back because I had only lost 20lbs. I had set a goal for myself when I started for 129lbs, because the only wt I could ever remember weighing when I was younger was 127lbs. Well once I lost these 20lbs with this program and so quickly, I was hooked and realized I had not made a dent in my wt loss at all, and changed my goal wt to 121lbs ("as a maybe I'll see when I get there"). This was so easy so I milked the program for all it's worth.
I guess I previously had been doing it all wrong, now how did I not know, that I could eat every 2 1/2 to 3 hours apart with all the right combos of foods for my body and loose wt?
I started out using my glider for my cardio, (lucky if I could do 10 minutes but slowly worked myself up to 50), until the weather got nicer, than that baby got put against the wall, and I went walking instead. Kenny Chesney has walked and worked out with me for the last yr on my CD player. The bands I could never get down, old doors in our old house, but I tried. I vowed to go back to Curves, but I was kinda of waiting until I was at least the same wt. I was when I left that last summer, (I mean after all, there were taking my money out of my acct each month). Well I went back Feb 14, 2004, my 5th week in the program. They have resistance equipment which is similar to using the bands. I only go 3 times a week. And that's where I have built my lean muscle, along with doing stuff around our farm. But most of that's is only in the spring and summer. And boy this last summer with all the rocking picking and irrigating, I had the stamina to keep going because of this program.
At the beginning I wondered if this would have worked for me in the past, I really don't know, because you have to first off be in a certain frame of mind. I'm very happy that I did find the program when I did, because obviously it was the right time for me. I figured I would follow the program, see if it really worked, not try to change it, or alter it, just DO IT AS WRITTEN.
The longer you are on the program the better off you are, because you build healthy habits and a daily ritual that is going to stay with you for the rest of your life.
Since I had let myself go for so many yrs, I figured I would try to to this in a very conservative manner, I was not concerned with getting lbs off quickly, what I was more concerned about was building lean muscle to feel in the areas for when I did lose the wt, (plus like I said, I wanted tone looking arms) and also because of stretching my skin out for so many yrs. I'm sure I have a ways to go and I will still have more adjusting, but I have tried to do the best possible for my body, because I did not want to be left with a massive wt lost and then have all this extra skin to contend with. Yes I have some, and some wrinkling areas, but baby oh it could have been so much worse. I don't think I have killed myself with excercise, and one thing I can't because even with my daily medication for my asthma, when I get my heart rate up too high, my asthma coughing kicks in. And I even need to be careful when I walk, because of the crops or air quality or seasonal stuff. But what I have found is I don't make excuses for myself, I just do, because I love the results. I just take my time.
I had a goal of a size 7, again another number I could remember at a younger age, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be wearing a size two pants. Go figure. I have to try everything on now, and I really, really love shopping, and second hand stores are my favorite, and I'm always recommending them to others you would be surprised at what you will find, alot just brand new or like new, because others like ourselves thought we would fit in something eventually someday and just never did, so we donated it, and of course Ross's for some great new buys..
I have lost 70lbs and 70 inches, wow that 70 inches is more than my own height! Oh I guess that's not a real big deal. (short joke) But all of this was thanks to Michael Thurmond and Provida and lots of friends along the way on this great chat site. (Hey 100% gals") Thanks Dolores, you have always been helpful.
Here's are some stat's some are most astounding.
Wt start 186lbs Current wt. 116lbs 70lbs lost
neck 13.75" NOW 12.25" -1.50"
shoulders 46" NOW 39.50" -6.50"
chest 42" 42C NOW 32" (yikes) 34A -12.00"
biceps each 13.5" , 13.5" NOW 10.75", 10.75" -2.75", -2.75"
waist 37.5" NOW 26.00" -11.50"
forearms each 10.25", 10.25" NOW 9.5", 9.5" -3/4", 3/4"
hips or tummy 49" NOW 34" -15" WOW
thighs both 25.5" NOW 20" -5.5 "
calves each 16.50", 16.0" NOW 14.0", 14.0" -2.50", 2.0" (one was bigger)
BMI~41%, 2003 when I joined Curves NOW BMI now 22-23% in the am
I have had alot of support along the way, my husband several times in the beginning, asked me if it would work for him, I said well yes, but he had to make the committment for himself, I was not going to push him, I would help him if he truly wanted to do it, well he started on June 29, 2004 and to this date has lost 115lbs, and is still continuing on to his goal. It is so much easier when your family gets it, sees the results and cares enough about you and themselves to make the changes. It has helped out tremendously in our household because he's see what is all involved to make it happen and he helps out alot more. Plus all the fringe benefits of what the results have done for us.
My motto has always been if YOU think you look good then you feel good, and if you feel good, then at least YOU think you look good. So no matter what anyone else thinks, love yourself enough to care that you are number one, and then other things will fall into place. I have a new self confidence that I feel, and I'm not talking the head swelling kind, I just want others to have that feeling too. I use to cringe when I knew people were walking behind me, I would let them go first. Just way to much junk in my big trunk, ("or arse as most of us would say") if you get my point. I have to take photos to really see how I look, because even when I look in the mirror, I'm not seeing what other people are seeing. Even at my heaviest wt, I would look in the mirror, and not see what I saw in those ghastly pictures.
I can now go into my closet and wear anything in there, except the pair of pants on my top shelf ( "my start pants"). I can now not be listed on the Dr's charts as being obese, I can now be in the normal categorys, on age and wt, list, (but hey what is normal?)
Okay I think I lost my train of thought, and I certainly cannot make a short story short! I have friends who have started this program, and are astounded of the results they have accomplished. And they truly believe also, that this is the only way for the rest of our lives.
I reached my goal in my 44th week, and have continued to lose more, and maybe that was not a true goal number for me, I don't find it a struggle for me, but I stick with the principals of the program and eat out of couple of times on the weekends, I really can't do the crazy thing either, because I need to watch my portion because I hate to have the even slightly full feeling in my stomach. I would have never thought over a yr ago, that my favorite snack in the afternoon, was catfish and organic brown basmati rice.
NO pills, NO surgery, NO gimmicks, and NO silly fad diets, just real food, Why are people always looking for a different answer when it's right there under their nose?
Can I just say, I love to eat, and I still get to eat, and like all day long, more than anyone at work, and I get to say this in my modest voice ("I actually get to stay tiny by eating like this") I have to pinch myself sometimes, because even though it's sounds like I'm still obsessed with food, I'm not, I just like that I have the control over it, and it not of me. And I can stop at one or two and not have the whole bag.
With all the life's up's and downs that we all go though and I myself have in the last year, I never found an excuse to eat off program. The ONLY thing I was able to control was what I put into my mouth. Remember, stop, think and react different. If you think that this ends at goal, then don't waste your time, because then you will only make the excuse to others that this program didn't work for you. BECAUSE IT DOES. Remember that's how we got here in the first place. So really give it your best!
I DID IT, I'VE, DONE IT, AND I'M LIVING IT AND SO CAN YOU!!!!!!!
I only wish the best for you all too!!!!!
Donna
