I used to joke that the only way I’d weigh less than 150 lbs was to chop off a leg. Well I’m here today, all limbs intact weighing in at 148.2 lbs!! I am now at my lowest ever weight as an adult, three years after being at my highest weight of 242 lbs. Even in high school I remember my doctor telling me to try to get my weight down to 150, but of course there was no actual information about how I was to do this, just that I needed to lose weight.
Before finding this sub and learning about CICO and myfitnesspal I had tried everything. Fasting, liquid only diets, the special k challenge, hot sauce on everything, you name it I probably tried it. As soon as I found myfitnesspal/CICO three years ago my whole life changed! Its amazing what a little knowledge can do. I lost ~20 lbs right off the bat, but I didn’t realize I needed to recalculate my calories/would eat back all of my exercise calories, so ended up maintaining that loss for a year. For the past two years my weight has been steadily going down. Know that there were definitely upward spikes, either around holidays, vacations, or when I would start working out after some time off. Progress Graph
When I started out I researched the crap out of CICO, spending a good part of my time lurking on this sub. I would be so envious of posters with flair of 60, 70, 80, 90,+ lbs lost, and I would get pretty down on myself about having “let myself go” and get so heavy. Even though I knew I could lose the weight I really didn’t think I’d make it past 150. Now I’m here and my ultimate goal weight of 135 is only 13 lbs away! It seems so crazy to me that I’ve lost 94 freaking pounds!! And when I get to my goal I’ll have lost over 100!!
So how did I manage to lose 94 lbs? Well, as I’ve mentioned myfitnesspal has been amazing and pivotal for my success. I started by logging everything I ate, then I graduated to sticking to 1600-1800 calories a day. Side note: if you don’t already have a food scale, get one! It is so, so much easier to weigh out servings of foods than it is to use measuring cups/spoons!! I started pre-logging my food in the morning so I could plan out my day. I almost always pre-log a little dessert or some wine (or both) for the end of my day. I now meal prep breakfast and lunch so I can log most of my week ahead of time. I’ve learned to prioritize protein and try to plan my meals around hitting my protein goals. As a vegetarian who is lactose intolerant that can be tricky to do while maintaining a deficit! That said, I don’t really pay much attention to carbs or fat.
I’m currently eating around 1200-1300 calories a day. I 100% do not recommend starting this low if you can help it. It is hard, it takes planning, and it can very easily make you burn out if you aren’t sure what you’re doing. I’m now in a place where I don’t mind it and it's almost easy, but I also am very flexible with myself, which is something I’ve learned over the past 3 years. I could not imagine my 242 lb self restricting down to 1200 and sticking with it for 3 years! Some days it does not matter how much I want to stick to 1200, my body needs/wants 1500+, and that’s okay. Other days I have to really try to get up to 1200, that’s okay too.
Food wise I have not cut any foods out, nothing is “off limits.” I still drink alcohol, eat pizza and baked goods. I just do so with both eyes open, I log everything (beforehand if I can) and eat more mindfully of the calories involved. Going to have pizza and beer for dinner with friends? I'll have a high protein salad for a late lunch before I go so I'm not hungry for much. If I go over calories one day, I just try to do better for the rest of the week, no big deal. This is my life, I only get one. I’m not going to gain 94 lbs back just because I ate all of the cake one day.
Exercise wise I have been very active throughout my journey. I run, I lift weights, I walk a lot, but I wouldn’t say any of this has helped me lose the weight. It has helped me to be more fit and athletic, which is important to me, but the weight loss was 99% from eating less.
So for anyone out there who is just starting out, or wherever you are on your weight loss journey, know that you can do it, believe in and love yourself, you will get there. You too can lose the weight, without chopping off any limbs!
First progress pic from 242-198 lbs Face progress Progress pics
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