After looking at pictures of myself with my daughter at the park on Feb. 1, 2009 I started my weight loss plan. I work out 7 days a week I strictly monitor my calories and what gives me calories. About 3 days ago I was putting my smallest sized clothes I own on (size 18W) and told my husband the pants where falling down and my shirts were tenting. He then laughed a little and said my work out clothes were worse (size 24/26 pants 3X shirts).

I was a bit shocked then as silly as it sounds it hit me... I really have lost some weight! He pointed to the 6 tubs of clothes (sizes 20-30W) I had packed in my closet and told me that maybe I should do that with the size 18's and think about donating all of these clothes to charity and go purchase some that fit. My first reaction was a horrified "NO!!!" He looked at me oddly and asked if I planned to gain back all my weight or something. Which I replied " HECK NOOOO!!!" again. He then kind of looked at me puzzled and asked then what was the problem with getting rid of them and I had no real answer.

It ment giving away my security blanket of sorts and getting rid of the clothes I had for years. I would like to say I was throwing it into bags with glee but it was hard letting all that go. But I packed it all up and went shopping yesterday. I went to Layne Bryant first tried on a few things and realized... O...M....G it is all to big. I admit it I let out a little scream of excitement. I then went to Target and started trying on the normal people sizes (I have not been in the normal people section since I was a teenager) I tried on XL... it was TO BIG!! I moved to Larges and THEY FIT! I bought 4 new pairs of work out shorts and 5 new tops all size Large (12/14). I could not believe it. I am saving clothes shopping for a bit further down the road since I am still loosing weight at a good rate. It will feel nice jogging using both arms instead of one holding my pants up one moving.

Anyways here are my progress pics. I am down 75lbs and have 63lbs left. I am 5'8 and want to weigh 155 when I finish. It is also weird loosing more then I have left to go (if that makes sense)

Here is my before and in-between (my in-between taken in my NEW work out clothes!!!) :

Edit: Resized the pics so they match in size

EDIT 2: Added face pic compares to this post from second page.

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FANTASTIC JOB!!! You go girl!!!!

You have done one amazing job, and you just keep up the great work!

Amazing!

Keep up the great work!

Dee

GOOD JOB!! YOu look AWESOME

you go girl! thats excellent progress!

You look amazing! Isn't it fun to try on smaller and smaller sizes? Keep up the good work!

Oh my goodness yes and seeing that I have a waist again was amazing.

I would also like to add for those starting out around 300lbs that is where I was. My weightloss was also slowed a bit in May when I had to have a tumor removed from my thumb (not cancer thank goodness) but was on bed rest for 3 weeks that month and no lifting for 4 weeks. Which felt silly but my thumb and arm had to be elevated at all times to preserve the nerves in it. Diet for me at least has been the biggest thing in helping me drop the pounds it really showed then. The whole month of May I still lost 10lbs just by sticking to my calories and not using being stuck in bed as a reason to pig out. You can still lose weight even when you are having health issues is something I think is good to let people remember too!

I plan to post pics when I hit my 100lbs down mark which hopefully will be end of July/mid August if I keep going like I have. I have had a few stall weeks where my weight does not budge for up to 10 days. Which was soooo frustrating but I kept on doing my thing and then the next week I would drop 5lbs so it does pay off to be patient!

Also getting to make a thread on here with my pics was a goal I had since I found this site and was lurking watching everyone else and reading their stories. The fact I actually have enough progress to show to people makes me feel pretty darn good. I hope someone lurking will see my pics and maybe get motivated like so many others here motivated me with their stories and photos.

WoW Good for you!!! Isn't it such a shocker when the clothes you thought you could never wear are STILL TOO BIG?!?!? WOOT! Congrats!!

I still have my "fat clothes" and I don't want to give them up either....they're soo cute though! I got most of them from consignment, so anyways, I don't have a budget for new stuff. I think I will just get these ones taken in.

That is soo exciting!!

wow.. amazing you look beautiful :]

You look FANTASTIC!!!! Well done on the loss so far, and woo hooo keep posting them as you lose, it's so inspiring!!!!

Thank you so much for your post. YOU LOOK AMAZING! This is just what i needed today. I've lost 53lbs, had a bad week last week with a few wrong choices and went up 1lb. Then it's as if I gave myself the ok to NOT CARE. But I've done so well, hardly had a moment like this since I began 5 months ago. So I have to look at it as a blip in the road, and today is a new day. I have to continue, I know I can reach my goal, I have to stay committed. Once I allow myself to have a bad treat, I crave it. So the longer I go without it, the less I want it or think about it. So I have to know my limits and keep my goal in mind. Thanks again, it will be a rough couple of days but I've come too far to give up ... I WILL NEVER GIVE UP! Your pics are very motivating.

YOU CAN DO IT!!!! *waves her pompoms* Get back on the horse kick it in the ass and you will get the weight off. One bad week in the grand scheme of things is not going to matter. Just remember how icky it felt seeing a GAIN instead of a loss that is what I do. Oooo and I keep a picture.. a really really ugly omg I could be mistaken for Shamu the whale photo of myself next to my computer and when I think of eating something bad I look at it and go "I AM NOT THAT HUNGRY!!!"

You can do it. You can lose the weight. You will reach your goal!!!

WOW! You have done great! I am the same height as you and am starting at 248 lbs! How did you loose that much weight in 4 months? I mean do you have an example of your "strict" diet that you were/are following? I have my class reunion coming up in Sept. so any advice or help would be very appreciated! Again, great job on your weight loss-- you have now been added to my inspiration board!

First meal is one tub of fage 0% yogurt with 1tsp of vanilla extract and 3 packets of splenda. The yogurt has 90 calories and 15g of protein in it (big bang for your calorie buck) I will also either have a slice of Alvarado St. bread (90 calories) with a small touch of jam or peanutbutter or a Kashi Go Lean waffle (strawberry and blueberry yummy 85-90 calories). And then a fruit either 1/2C of blueberries or raspberries, 1C of strawberries or 1 peach, nectorine, plum, apple, orange, or 2 apricots.

Meal two is a sandwich made with 2 pieces of Alavado St. Bread (180 calories.) 4oz of turkey or roast beef, or ham fresh sliced from the deli so no icky additives (120-150 calories). 2% slice of cheddar or swiss cheese (60-70calories Kraft or Sergento make the best). Then I add either mustard (freebee) or 1TB of kraft reduced fat olive oil mayo (45 calories). Then stack on as many veggies as you want for bulk. I also normally have another fruit serving.

Or if I know I am going out to dinner I have my super filling low calories lunch:
1/2C of egg beates (60 calories) 1 turkey sausage pattie (60 calories) 1 slice of cheddar cheese (60 calories) and serving of fruit.

Dinner is normally 4oz of what ever lean meat I want (pork, chicken, lamb, beef, fish) and huge serving of veggies. I will sometimes if I have the calories throw in a healthy starch like brown rice or potato or yam.

For snacking the jello 60 calories pudding snacks are yummmy. And the pringles made with oelestra are a god send for salty and low calories they have 0 value however but for stomping a PMS craving they rock. The ghirardelli chocolate squares that come prepacked are another good instant craving killer as long as you can stick to just one square. If I get hungry during the day having fresh fruit washed and prepared make it easy to grab that or baby carrots or a 60 calorie string cheese. I keep a running tab of my calories and work around my goal amount I find it makes me able to go out and if I splurge on lunch I know my dinner needs to be low calories and adjust it.

It is sort of a life style change you flex around your life to get the calories and values you need and go with what works for you. Once you get good at it, it becomes second nature. Then you sit around wondering how you ever ate so much before. That I think is what will end up breeding long term results. When you change everything you do to a new healthy life style.

Ohh my work out routine:

Day 1- 40 minutes lower body strength training. 30minutes/11miles recumbent stationary bike. 60 minutes/4 miles of walking/jogging up and down hill the whole distance.

Day 2- 40 minutes upper body strength training. 60min/4miles walking/jogging up and down hill the whole distance.

Rinse and repeat every day. I change up my strength stuff like miltary presses or medicine ball windmills or wall sits etc to keep every group working and keep myself interested. I am working up to jogging the full 60 minutes and hopefully getting up to 5 miles. I also worked UP to this level. Save your soul and start slow and work up to new fitness goals.

When I started I could barely walk 20 minutes on flat ground or lift 5lbs dumbbells in each hand. Now I can lift 20lbs in each hand and jog over half of my 60 minutes UP AND DOWN HILLS!!! It just gets easier the more you do it. Also you will feel like a mac truck ran you over backed up and ran you over again when you start don't let it discourage you. Work through it and you will be amazed at what you can do.

WOW! Very pretty!!!! Keep going!!