After my revelation to get healthy, I decided to count my calories for one day. I made no changes to my eating habits and just wrote down everything I ate. I looked up the calories online and wrote it all down. I was absolutely shocked at what I was putting into my mouth. I had no concept of serving sizes. I was probably eating 3 servings of food instead of 1 serving. I made poor choices for snacks. I ate too many sweets. I decided to limit my calories to 2000 a day.

This began my calorie counting. It was hard at first. I realized that trying to eat under 2000 calorieswas difficult to do, and it really wasn’t that much food. I tried to eat fruits and vegetables as my snacks, and eat healthy foods for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. I found myself reading every label and deciding if I wanted to eat those calories. It was all about sacrificing and substituting.

My weaknesses are sugar (ice cream, cookies, cheesecake) and pizza. I decided to completely cut out pizza from my diet. I knew I could not just have 1 slice and a salad for dinner. If there was pizza in my house, I would eat the entire pizza without any regard to health or fitness. As for the sugar, I started substituting the yummy treats I was obsessed with for lower calorie alternatives: frozen yogurt, Snackwell’s cookies that were about 50 calories each, Rice Krispie Treats for 90 calories. Those were my desserts.

The other part of this equation is EXERCISE. I started swimming at the local pool. I swam a few times a week. I wasn’t a fast swimmer when I first started. I did about 20-30 minutes a few times a week. I swam one length of the pool, rested, then swam back. I had to rest a lot, but that was okay, it’s all about building up stamina.

I got better at swimming–then the time came when I was able to swim half a mile without stopping! I was so happy and proud! More landmarks arrived: I swam an entire mile without stopping! I ran a 5k! Nothing was going to stop me! 🙂

YOU MUST CHANGE YOUR ENTIRE LIFESTYLE

I know that everyone (including me) wishes there was an easy way to lose the weight. There is no magic answer, no magic pill, no secret diet. Yo-yo dieting will do more harm than good. YOU MUST CHANGE YOUR ENTIRE LIFESTYLE. Eating healthy and exercising HAS to be a change and commitment you are willing to make for the REST OF YOUR LIFE. Even if you reach “goal weight,” you have to keep doing the work to stay where you are at. Reaching goal weight is not a pass to go back to eating poorly and being lazy. I know, not what we want to hear, right?

You will be amazed at how your body changes. Keep at it!

Vegas 2009

Losing weight was easy in the beginning. It took me just under 2 years to lose 100 pounds (and then I kept going to lose another 10). Two years of hard work. As I got closer to my goal weight, the harder it was to continue losing. My body was fighting the loss; my body was also turning into muscle. The changes I made are going to stay with me for the rest of my life.

Anyone can do what I did.

Weight Loss Log

Date

Weight

9/22/06

250

10/31/06

239

11/12/06

236

11/24/06

237

12/03/06

232

12/10/06

229

12/22/06

228

12/27/06

230

1/9/07

227

1/27/07

225

2/10/07

223

3/20/07

216

4/7/07

213

4/21/07

211

4/28/07

212

5/1/07

210

5/5/07

208

5/13/07

205

5/20/07

203

6/2/07

202

6/13/07

200

6/19/07

199

7/13/07

196

7/24/07

194

8/10/07

190

8/19/07

189

8/31/07

186

9/8/07

189

10/6/07

184

10/27/07

183

11/19/07

181

11/28/07

179

12/7/07

178

12/15/07

176

12/25/07

180

12/29/07

176

1/19/08

175

2/2/08

172.5

2/15/08

171.4

2/22/08

170

3/14/08

167.8

3/15/08

167

3/22/08

165.6

3/29/08

163.6

4/12/08

160.8

5/8/08

158.6

5/11/08

157.6

5/18/08

155.2

5/23/08

152.4

6/20/08

159

7/13/08

156

7/19/08

154.4

8/10/08

150.6

8/29/08

148.4

9/15/08

147.4

10/12/08

147

10/31/08

145

11/28/08

146

12/25/08

144.2

My Food Philosophy

I currently strive to eat 1590 calories a day. On days I exercise, I can burn an average of 500 calories, so I will eat more calories than the 1590. Some days, especially on long bike rides, I can burn over 2,000 calories. On days that I have an intense workout, I have to eat more calories to fuel my body. This is crucial to have a healthy body. Starvation does not work!

I am not a doctor or RD. The way to achieve optimal health, in my opinion, is to not deny yourself anything but to eat foods you love in moderation. Find “skinny” alternatives. For example, if I’m craving Mexican food, I’ll make a lighter version of things I love: quesadillas and enchiladas with light cheese, light sour cream, lean meats, lots of veggies. Eat smart and exercise!

131 Responses

Hi Lisa! First and foremost, thank you for the wonderful comments on my blog. It’s still hard to open up about anxiety, so it’s always nice to get positive feedback from people 🙂

Secondly – I was the exact same as you. NO idea what calories were, substituted my usual billion desserts a day, and started exercising with swimming!! I think a lot of it is self discovery too. You can’t do what worked for others, you gotta find a way that works for YOU.

Can I recommend a great book? It’s called Intuitive Eating. It really helped me get “in tune” with my natural hunger and fullness signals. It’s the ultimate way to maintain a healthy lifestyle and maintain your weight of course!! Take care! Awesome job!!

I read “Intuitive Eating.” I agreed with most of it. I’ve tried to incorporate some of that into my eating habits. In my journey I’ve tried not to deny myself things, but instead to eat them in moderation or find similar substitutes that are healthier.

Thanks for checking out my blog – I agree with you about the exercise – it is such an important part of the mix!

I’ve been struggling a bit, but it is different now. I used to think that if any weight came back, I needed to batten down the hatch and get ready to see it all pour back on. Now I know 10 is not greater or equal to 100 – hmmm…it took me a while to learn that, but math never was my gig.

Keep up the good work and thanks for commenting on my blog…keep coming back.

Your story is so fantastic and inspiring! I lost 100 pounds last year which was definitely hard, but now that I am learning how to maintain this weight loss I need all the encouragement I can get! Thanks for being that today 🙂

I am glad I found your blog, I like your style. Great work on the weight loss and taking on a new lifestyle. That’s what it is all about. “Dieting” doesn’t work!
Myself I lost 180 and have been recently getting back down to my healthy range after a 40lb relapse.

It is so good to see someone who realizes there is no easy fix, and the changes have to be healthy lifestyle ones, not just going “on” and “off” a diet! What’s so great, too, is that once the changes become habits, the effort becomes so much easier.

Since I’ve lost most of my excess weight, I’ve seen tremendous health benefits, and am well on my way to reaching my goal. Thanks for your well-written, inspirational story. Looking forward to reading more!

My girlfriend who is obese recently asked me if I felt any sympathy for her because she is obese and I am not.

I told her frankly that I’d been working on changing my lifestyle since THE YEAR 2005 and NO I didn’t feel sympathy. For 5 years I’ve been working to improve my eating, losing weight, began exercising, etc and in that time I’ve had to endure her criticisms of “eating out with you is always so complicated, why can’t you just order whats on the menu?” type-comments and watching her eat french fries and desserts.

No it isn’t easy and it doesn’t happen overnight. And the hard reality is that I will always watch what I eat. I am not the person who can snarf down a big-mac without it affecting my waist line. Because it is a slippery slope and the older I get the harder it is to snap out of the downward spiral.

sorry for the novel. I’ve been lurking around your site and I think you’re AWESOME.

LOL No worries about the novel. Thank you for sharing your story. It’s really hard having a friend/partner/spouse who is not supportive. The jealousy, the sabotage, the little snide comments…they aren’t productive! Good for you for keeping at it!

Thanks for sharing your story! I’ve struggled with my weight my whole life. I definitely have to watch what I eat and workout to not gain weight. It’s so hard, but you’re right, nothing else works except for changing your whole lifestyle! There are no easy fixes!

I completely agree with your view on weight loss. It is most definitely a lifestyle change! I am currently documenting my own journey to lose 100 lbs at http://my100poundmeltdown.com/ I began on May 29, 2010 and hope to reach my goal January 1, 2012. I have currently lost 22 lbs. I am currently following the Weight Watchers program and exercising. You are an inspiration!

Hi Lisa! OMG. I just read your “Fat Story” and am so inspired by your story! I too lurrve sweets and pizza and have really been struggling to remain satisfied with 1400 calories a day, so your story gives me hope that maybe I can up my daily caloric intake and STILL lose weight.

Anyhow, I’m so happy to have discovered your blog and your story (via seattlerunnergirls blog and my guest posts). I can’t wait to spend more time on your blog so I can learn more about your success.

Hey Lisa, I’m committing to returning to calorie counting after the holidays (I know that’s kind of a cop out about the holidays, but I’m focusing on some mental health concerns in the meantime, one battle at a time!)…my question is about how you count calories. When I’ve done it in the past, I always tended to eat more packaged foods because I knew the calorie count. But those are frequently less nutritious than whole foods I cook myself. How do you count calories for home cooking?

That’s a great question AJ….A lot of my calorie counting are based on estimates. If I can figure out how many calories are in something I’ve cooked at home I tend to eat a lot of those same foods.

I use the internet and the MyFitnessPal app to count my calories. To be honest, calorie counting is always an estimate. However, a close estimate is better than eating freely with no regard for calories and portions.

I also don’t do recipes if I can’t find the calorie information ahead of time. I prefer cookbooks and website that freely post their calories.

Love your blog. It is very inspiring and encouraging, reading about others struggles and successes.

We have a lot of similarities; I started out at 256 and have lost 112 so far. I too started out with swimming. After losing the first 80 lbs, I felt brave enough to join the gym. I am actually hoping to lose another 10 or so, and I am trying not to stress about it; as you said, the more you lose, the harder it is to lose! The last 10 lbs are going to be the longest haul.

I’m so thankful to have stumbled upon your blog! Your weight loss journey gives me hope. I am currently at my all-time high of 250 lbs. After several half-hearted attempts, I had just completely given up and quit trying. I need to lose 100 or so pounds…I weighed 140 on my wedding day almost 15 years ago! 100 pounds seems like such an unrealistic goal, but you did it! So maybe I can too! I can only last about 15 minutes on my stationary bike. But it’s a start. And I’ve started counting calories and keeping a food journal. Knowing that you started at the same weight I am, and lost the same amount I need to lose is just the motivation I needed. Thank you for sharing your journey!

I’m glad you found my site Tresa! My advice is to start small. 100 pounds was a scary number to me too. So I said I’d lose 50. I worked towards losing that 50 and once I got there I KNEW I could get to 100. Make small goals for yourself, do what you can, and you’ll get there. 🙂

Wow, that is amazing you have accomplished so much. I’ve lost a total of 80 pounds, and you know what, you are so right. It’s all about diet and exercise.As I get closer to my goal though, the one thing that scares me the most is maintaining. It was easy to put the weight on, and take it off, but the hard part is keeping it off. Again, good job.

Get on that Bikram Yoga class! It will change you!!! I have tried MANY forms of yoga, and even at 200+ lbs, it’s still the only one I keep going back to. Take at least 3 classes back to back and you’ll see a remarkable difference.

First off congratulations that is amazing. I have a question though I finally realized I need to loose weight, I’m 200 pounds and 5’3. I wore a size 13 pants a year ago and was only about 150. Then according to my doctor I started nesting because me and my boyfriend moved in together. The weight just came in so suddenly (like within 3 momths) that I barely noticed until my pants didn’t fit me anymore. But still I really hadn’t noticed how much weight I actually put on. My boyfriend and I are still together and he loves the way I look, but I’m not happy with it. We went to the beach about 2 weeks ago and I was out of breath walking from the car in the sand to the shore, and if that didn’t slap a fat sign in my brain a professional picture of us sure did. I finally realized that I needed to do something about it. So I finally made him put healthier food into the house and I’ve been eating salads with food, I’ve been trying to stick to the serving size. Cut out cold drinks and only drink water an milk. So finally my question is how much an what kinds of excersise do I need to do to start seeing progress. I cant afford a gym membership or any fancy equipment and where i live there are no sidewalks 🙁 go figure.. So what can i do? My scale at home says I am making progress but another one says different. Miss Eirene if you could please help me and give me any advice you can that would be awesome. And with whatever advice your are abled to give me I will be so very much appreciative! Thank you and again congratulations!

Hi Lisa! I stumbled upon your site tonite. I was on twitter following Rita from Fitblogger and it suggested you too, so I went to your site.
Wow! What a shot of encouragement right when I needed it. My husband and I are on this journey too. I’ve lost 53# so far and have about 116 or so to go.

OK…so I’ve been in this place….in my head…..for a while now. You know this whole “you have to change your entire lifestyle” thing! I don’t know why, and I do know it’s just mental, but embracing that feels like letting go of an old friend. I know logically I’m letting go of something who’s comfort was a lie and was really killing me…but yikes! Just today I was thinking about it again….trying to get my head around it…and there you are saying it again! Right when I needed it I guess.

So, thanks for that! Reading you tonite inspired me. Maybe I can have a better week after my 2# gain this week!

Hi Eric–thanks for checking out my site! I can relate to what you said about saying goodbye to an old friend. The old life was comfortable and familiar but I’d reached a point where I was done. I just had to say goodbye to that old me and try the best I could to change. I don’t think I miss the old me now. I think the new me is pretty great and I like that I am happy where I am at. You can totally do this!

Hi Lisa, Thanks! It’s nice to know that I’m not the only one who’s had these kind of feelings….and that there’s hope; especially during a rough couple of weeks. Too much of my normal routine changed (by outside forces) this week and it threw me. Things will normal out in a couple of days and I can get back to my regular healthy ways…I hope! When the tiger gets out of the cage, I know I’ve gotten it back in before…but I never know how hard it’s going to be. I’ll get there…thanks for the inspiration. I’ll def be visiting your site for inspiration and motivation to get on track! 🙂Eric recently posted..Weigh In Results – Eric: Expected but ready to start new.

The rough patches will come and go. I still have rough patches even now. It’s okay. The secret is to stick to it. I know it’s REALLY hard when there are outside forces coming between you and the gym but you gotta make it work. When we had family in town from Texas this summer I got up extra early to fit in a workout before we spent family time together. I am so happy that I did! I needed to workout my normal routine to stay active AND because we were eating out at restaurants so much. It was hard but doable.

i just found your blog and wow, i am glad i did! thanks for sharing your story! it’s definitely inspirational and what i needed to read right now!sarah (sarah learns) recently posted..bluegrass goodness

I found your blog tonight and will be adding it to my links. I’ve been heavy for a long time, and twice have tried (ultimately unsuccessfully) to lose the weight. The first time I lost about 40 pounds playing DDR for an hour every night. Didn’t change my eating habits, and gained it back as soon as I quit playing. Tried again a few years later with Weight Watchers, lost 64 pounds, hit a plateau and gave up. Resumed my old eating habits. 🙁

Sunday when I woke up, I weighed myself for the first time in months. 250.5 pounds. 7.5 pounds away from my heaviest. I signed up for the gym, and restarted Weight Watchers. This time I am NOT going to give up. I am going to make a point of reading inspiring blogs like yours, using support communities, and trying to incorporate healthy habits into my life. I’ve got the worst recent pics I could find of myself on the new blog to remind me who I do not want to be.Deb recently posted..Fresh Start – 250.5 Pounds

Hi Deb-
Thanks for reading and telling me about your story. I will check out your blog. I think it’s pretty common for people to lose weight and lose focus, or get discouraged from plateaus and then go back to old ways. I think that’s more common than not. I think weight watchers is a great program for people who want to lose weight but need more accountability, or need a support system! Good for you joining and gym and WW. You CAN be successful this time!

This is wonderful and inspiring! I too have lost weight…over 120 lbs so far and loving life! It’s a true blessing to get a second chance at life and pay if forward!! Good for you Lisa!!! You are an inspiration!

You know what’s great about your blog? The fact that you’re doing this the right way and with a lack of gimmicks. I’ve been trying to find healthier ways to eat, because I have the tastebuds of a two-year old! I may be trying out some of your recipes!

Amazing story Lisa. I was looking at some blogs on how people achieved their goals and stumbled upon yours. I am about 5 months into my journey and have gone from 285 to 225….hoping to get to 180 and sustain that weight.

The one thing that I am learning is that this journey to get “healthy” is not a very popular journey, haha. Reading blogs like yours definitely helps. Continued Success Lisa!Steven recently posted..Time sure does fly…

Wow, you were sure and steady! My husband has lost 40# over two years and is working on more. For myself, I eat well and exercise but still at times find a food log to be very helpful– it really lets you know what’s going on and keeps you honest.Mary @ Fit and Fed recently posted..Got my Nikon D200 repaired!

Congrats on your accomplishment. My husband lost 110 lbs in 6 months before we met..then continued to lose another 40+ after, and is now shooting for another 10 more to get to 170. You guys are all amazing for what you have done with your motivation and perseverance.

Sheer determination and willpower to cut out anything and everything he could except what his body could get by physically on. Constantly moving, 3 hrs at the gym every day, plain chicken and lettuce, etc. so amazing to think of. He said he would lie in bed starving and think about meeting someone in shape that would like him back. Hopefully I didn’t disappoint 🙂

It’s been 2 years so far and counting! Oh boy DO WE work out together! That’s what makes it all work for us! We work out in various ways almost every night of the week. But, so it’s not a “chore”, we do a lot of fun sports like beach volleyball, softball, basketball, hiking, etc, then do weight training a couple times a week in between. He started retelling his story a lot around work so he decided to start our blog 🙂 I have a measily 30 lb story and an Ironman somewhere around there, but man, you guys are amazing 🙂

Hi Lisa. It’s a pleasure to meet you and hear your inspiring story! Taking a few years to lose weight the right way has positioned your for a lifetime of successful maintenance. I’m looking forward to hearing more about your journey!

You really inspire me, Lisa. The diet + exercise equation is also my objective. But sometimes I really can’t afford not to eat sweets. That’s why sometimes, if ever I can’t control myself to eat chocolate, I will skip lunch or dinner and just take my dietary supplement.

what an inspiring story! I’m excited for you and jealous of your athletic capabilities. I have so many things i want to do and think im scarred to start because I know I’m such a long ways from being in shape.stephanie recently posted..Monday weigh in

Muscle weighs more. And muscle growth achived with resistance training (weights) also results in a higher bone density than achived with cardio training alone. This will result in heigher weight for someone with a specific dress size than someone who achives the same dress size with dieting alone.

So, my point is that trying to LOOSE WEIGHT isn’t a good measure (pun intended) of you level of fitness. A fit toned girl will probable fit into a smaller dress size than a girl with little muscle tone and poor bone density. The fit toned girl will look smaller whilst weighing the Same or even a little more.

Would you be better focusing on Body Image, and achieving a specifc dress size rather than focusing on what the scales tell you?

I think you will find that your ‘weight loss journey’ can continue, and you can improve your self image (fit into small clothes) if you focus on Shaping Up rather than trying to Drop Another 10 Pounds.

I love your insight. I agree. In the beginning it was all about weight loss for me. As I enter my 6th year of maintenance mode I am more focused on toning up, increasing muscle strength and flexibility. I am less concerned about the scale and more concerned about seeing MUSCLE development and still fitting in my pants. 😉

Yeah. The ‘toning up’ point not ‘weight loss’ point was highlighted to me a few years ago.

It was actually a ‘naughty’ picture on the internet but, to make the point it went on about 130 pound woman. Ther was a comparison of two girls and initially it was only their weights that were disclosed to you. Everyone thought, oh, overweight obese etc, but in actaul fact the girl who was 130 pounds was 6.8 feet tall – and she looked stunning.

The point was that body image, or proportion, and a persons weight are not exactly related, and may give us an inaccurate perception of what weight should be. A healthy size 12 girl who is 6 feet tall is actually going to have body proportions desired by most women (hence the weight to height ratio) and there should be no reason for her to want to ‘loose weight’ however, if she wants to tone up or improve her BMI then that is what she should focus on rather than the ‘loose weight’ mentality we all get stuck in. (this applies to guys just as much as girl too its just that you are a girl and this is your blog etc).

My wife and I have actually removed our scales. We don’t bother with them any more. Really, there is no point. I want to be ripped and have chissled abs (my wife wants them for me actually) and she wants to get into a skimpy bikini and walk down the beach with not a care in the world holding my hand (I want that for her 😉 )

Anyway, yes, trying to loose weight because you think the scales should say so and so instead of blah blah is a little tricky because in The West, and in Australia in particular, we have adopted the “I need to loose weight” mentality rather than focusing on the body image we want to have. Most people think they are the same thing, and for a little while you can achieve an improved body image by loosing weight, but, as in your case, when you aproch what you have set as you weight goal, you may find that its not weight you want to loose but a spefic body image you desire. And they are not always the same thing.

Yes Lisa, it’s so true. In order to achieve your weight loss goal you have to change your life style. Most people don’t think of this. you need to stay away from processed foods, fast foods, sugary snacks and drinks, and doing some cardio. And do not compare yourself with anyone else because everyone is different and responds differently to exercise.

For years I did yo-yo eating and each time the weight came back plus more.
This Sept. at age 50 I just did a big mental change. I want to be healthy. Simply (HA) that means moving more, eating less, making small changes, and being positive and patient. I didn’t put it on all at once, so it won’t come off that way. So far, it is just about 2 months, but I am down 13.6 pounds and have 100+ to go.
This time is different because I don’t see myself on a diet, which is temporary, but a lifestyle change.

When I read about your journey, I felt connected. This is my life now. I am also grateful for the time line of weight loss. I look at your after pics and think amazing! Your time line gives me a REALISTIC sense of the journey.

I am on the road to joining you and thank you from the bottom of my heart for re-committing me to this journey!!!!

I stumbled upon your blog and I must say that I am glad I did. You have inspired me:) I am at the highest weight i’ve ever been at and feel ashamed.

I just got out of a 5 year emotionally abusive relationship and that didn’t exactly help me with my weight loss. I stayed because of my low self esteem and I didn’t think I could find anyone better.The crazy part is that I didn’t leave him, he left me. He recently lost 70 lbs and decided he didn’t love the fat girl anymore. Right after the break up I didn’t leave my house for days and almost lost my job. Then things started to come together and I realized that the biggest reason I stayed in that relationship is because of my weight…It has hit me like a ton of bricks. I’m finally ready to start my journey and heal my body as well as my mind.

Thank you so much for the comment. I’m glad to hear you have found your strength and inspiration. It can be life changing and once you start to see progress it’s very motivating and you empowering!! Keep at it!