It was gradual at first. I started gaining weight, like most people do, when I started college. By the time I graduated, idk if high school me would have been able to recognize me. (High school graduation vs college graduation). Over the next 3-4 years, I taught high school English, got married, got pregnant, lost my mom to lung cancer, and had my son. Between grief and becoming a stay at home mom, I stopped taking care of myself. I would go shopping for special events and the only things that fit were in certain stores made only for plus sized people.
On February 16, 2019, 2 weeks after my son’s first birthday, I went for a stroller walk with him and my husband. We were walking HALF A MILE from our house to our neighborhood playground. The entire time I complained about how tired I was and how I wished we would have taken the car. On a half mile walk. This was the point where it all sunk in. I stepped on the scale for the first time in months to find that I was 272lbs, even though I had gotten back down to my prepregnancy weight of 230 only 6 weeks postpartum. That night, I made a post on reddit and downloaded myfitnesspal. The next morning, I re-upped my membership at planet fitness.
I knew I wanted to be around to run around with my kid and any future child we might have. I want to enjoy as many years as I can with them and my husband. I wanted to fit into clothes that every store carried. I wanted to see people in shock of what I could do. I wanted a better grip on my slowly declining mental health. I wanted to wear my wedding ring. I wanted to be a hot mom one day. So, I went all in.
Let me say this is far from the first time I have tried to lose weight, but it is the first time I've had any kind of success, and I think it will be the last time (until my next pregnancy). This is the first time I started by taking very, VERY small steps. In the past, I've gone for an all or nothing approach, and would slip up and immediately tail spin and start another attempt 2 months later. In very slow steps, this is what I've done.
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I downloaded myfitnesspal and started counting calories. I decided to be honest with myself and track EVERYTHING. Like if I had 5 potato chips, I counted them. This was so big. I did NOT restrict myself or even give myself a goal for a week. I wanted to see what my eating habits were REALLY like. In that week, I ate something like 2500-3000 calories a day. It was a wake up call I needed.
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I restricted my calories. I put my goal weight into mfp and said I wanted to lose 2lbs a week, and followed the calorie guide they gave me. It started off at something like 1800/day (and has slowly dropped to 1200/day over 7ish months). I continue to track everything. I have to be diligent with this, because I have to physically see this to understand. My husband did this in the beginning, and corrected his eating habits, learned how to track things in his brain and has hit his goal weight (he's 6'6", gets a billion calories, and had a lot less to lose). If I do not do it every single day I get off track too easily. I attribute 90% of my success to calorie counting.
2.5. I do not deprive myself. If am craving a soda, I have one. I just track it. If I want a cookie, I eat it. I just track it. If I am craving something "bad" like fast food, I plan a day to indulge. I put it on my calendar with a big red heart and eat maintenance calories that day (calculated by TDEEcalculator.net). I call it a treat day instead of a cheat day cause I'm extra. I try to schedule at least one of these a month, but do it twice if I'm feeling good about a milestone. (December had about 8). But I do not eat more than my maintenance calories. and often I don't even want to.
- A few weeks later, I started going to the gym. 3 times a week, after my son is in bed, I go to use the elliptical for an hour. I HATE working out in public, but now I look forward to this, because I get to listen to my audio books. Cardio is hard, but my heart rate when I started in March was always around 160 going 3 mph, and is now usually around 120 going 5mph. I can feel the difference. I know this is one of the main things that makes it so much easier and way more enjoyable to play with my son. I track these calories so I know what they are (for brain math), BUT I NEVER EAT BACK ANY WORKOUT CALORIES. r/loseit says it's okay to eat half back, but I find counting workout calories insanely difficult to do with any accuracy.
That was it for a long time. My son was still breastfeeding until 15 months (so the first 2.5 months of my journey). I didn't notice a significant hit to my supply that wasn't already happening from introducing cow's milk and him just getting older and self weaning a bit.
In June, I got diagnosed with bronchitis. This meant I couldn't workout for a few weeks, but I continued to lose weight because I kept up counting my calories.
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My husband and I started meal prepping every lunch and meal planning every dinner. We choose a recipe and prep 10 portions for our lunches. Yes that means I have the same lunch every day of the week, but this made a huge difference. I have always been a terrible snacker, and now I don't have to think about what I'll eat ever. We make it. I eat it. I don't snack. Also, this has saved us the most money EVER. I could also be active about my health even though I couldn’t work out in June.
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As I got better, I decided I wanted to be more active and got a bug to start a couch to 5k, despite never having been a runner. I played soccer until I was 12, and I was always the goalie, because I COULD NOT RUN. but one of my friends from middle school who has been trying to lose weight since I met her got weight loss surgery last year and has become a runner. I was really inspired by her to try and pick it up. I decided to do each jog 2x, so the entire program is 9 weeks, but I did it in 18. I can jog for 45 minutes straight, when I could barely do a minute in June. I do this 3 nights a week, also after my son is in bed. In December, I ran my first official 5k in 42 minutes. Slow, but steady.
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Intermittent fasting. I eat with a window of 10-6 every day. I will say I don't know if I think it does much. I was never big into breakfast, and this helps me stop nighttime snacking. I use the app Zero to track when I fast. I also tend to be lenient with this.
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BEACH BODY! A friend of mine signed me up for beachbody and it has been a game changer! I wanna say I started about midway through July? I have been doing lots of cardio stuff, but wanted to start building my strength too, and I knew it would help tone. I would do this during naps, since I am a stay at home mom. The workout programs I have been doing never last more than 30 minutes. and I swear to god (or the universe) I actually enjoy them. It feels like I'm in a class instead of watching a video. I do one workout a day (so, yes. I have been working out 2x most days, but it all feels so short and compact, it just feels like another part of my day now, not just something to dread.) Working out feels so non-negotiable to me these days, because I always feel better when I have done it. I cannot believe it took me so long to realize that. (I hate the name of this company, and also don't participate in the shakeology part of it).
I must emphasize that each thing was incorporated VERY SLOWLY. I waited until one step felt like a totally normal part of my life that I have always done before I moved on to the next step. That is what made ALL the difference.
I have talked to my doctor about all of these things. Especially in the beginning when I was losing so much water weight. She said most research says not to lose weight more quickly than 2lbs/week because you are likely to put it back on. I have evened out to losing 1-2 lbs a week these days.
This morning, I stepped on my scale to see that I am officially 100lbs down from when I started.
I am currently trying to conceive my second child. I still work out 2x a day, I am still doing 1200cals/day (have an appt to talk to my OB about this), but hopefully I will become pregnant soon, which obviously will mean a break from losing weight. But the difference is I know how to take care of myself now. I know what makes me feel good and I know that even though I’ll be purposefully gaining weight, I will be doing it healthfully and will be able to lose it easily, because I have the habits and skills I need in place to do so.
Stats if you're interested.
F | 5'7" | 26yo
SW: 272 lbs
CW: 172 lbs
GW: 135 lbs
And PROGRESS PICS!
A huge thanks to r/loseit, I don’t think I could have done it without you! Let me know if you have any questions! I am more than happy to answer!
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