My Story: All Comments Welcome

Hi Heather,

Just wanted to say well done on your decision! I lost 50lbs (over the course of a couple of years) when I was 18-19 and I am so much happier, healthier and confident today. (I also write for Diet Blog and some other dieting sites!)

Good for you on the weight-lifting, too; I wish I'd exercised when I was first losing weight, as I didn't get into it till I turned 19. I find the gym a great way to destress!

Like you, I was overweight for a long time -- from the age of about 9 or 10. It wasn't until I was 18 that I had a "lightbulb" moment when I just decided I was going to lose weight, and did!

If it'd help to talk to someone by email about your journey, feel free to drop me a line - ali@aliventures.com

Best of luck. If it helps at all, I believe you can do it (heck, if I can, anyone can!)

Ali

Heather
first of all, u must know that 80% of overweight people were abused in their childhood (your body tends to pack up weight to create a wall of flesh)
secondly, you were lucky enough to have a loving dad who was worried about your health. the rest of your family was probably not supportive because they were jealous of this bond (ie your mom?)
ive been called a cow, waste for society (i have 2 BAs), fugly, etc, by my parents who put me under medication only because they were ashamed of my looks. to a point that i moved without notice, started a new life.
ive been single for the past eight years (am 38)and developped diabetis II following antidepressants. thanks to a new GP, i have lost 30lbs since last august. im heres my little recipe, if it can help you. I must not build sugar in my system, so no white bread, pasta, pastry, cakes, pizzas. no pops, ice creams, of course. not that i was fond of it to begin with.
so i go for brown bread, white meat (once a day), rice once a day, basically raw food, with fat free dressing on the side, fruits, sparkling water, mozzarela, i can have one type of musli with nuts in it as well. living in france, it is easier to find cheaper lighter yoghourts, i must reckon.
at the beginning i was at a loss, but im not even tempted anymore, because i know ill be sick anyway if i indulge myself. it is very easy to follow, and is not restictive.
you must do your diet for yourself sweetie, keep the good works, even if you plateau for weeks.
i'd rather go for a shorter brisk walk every night (my MP4 was my best investment lol)than 4 times a week to the gym, and heck its free! it works better for me.
my last piece of advice would be: get a really nice haircut (bangs do wonders), you must put a stress on your assets: your eyes, lips, skin, wear some nice jewellery (i usually go for some larger earrings or a bigger necklace, or a charm bracelet) you can always find some cheap stuff if you look for it long enough
you can go for a turtle neck tshirt, or a low cut one, as long as the cut suits you. why not get one in different colours then?
u must know it will be a lifelong fight against your weight
just do it for yourself, if you like what you see in the mirror when you leave home, then it can only be a better day.

That's awesome that you have made that decision, Heather! Sounds like you've been through a lot. I highly recommend taking Ali up on her offer - lovely and compassionate gal.

Hope you stick around the blog and absorb some of the information. You'll find that there are a lot of us here to learn and we can all learn from each other.

I encourage you to really focus on grooming a healthy mindset first. Wake up every morning thinking about how you are going to be healthy (not how you can lose a pound that day). Starting a food log is a great idea (if you aren't doing this already). Hang around supportive people and change your environment to support your new and permanent lifestyle change.

I wish you all the success in the world. Sounds like you've got a great plan. Don't worry if things are slow at the start - your resolve will get you through. And may I suggest the use of a food diary. It will help you to stay conscious about eating healthfully.

Congrats on making the decision to change your life. My piece of advice: don't worry so much about losing weight, and focus instead on improving your body composition. This differentiation is important because with more muscle, your burn more calories just sitting around and watching TV. You can look into it more (I suggest bodyrecomposition.com), but basically, you can measure your body fat percentage using bioelectrical impedance scales or hand held monitors or calipers. While neither is 100% accurate, pick a method, measure under consistent conditions, and that will let you gauge your progress based on the relative changes.

Another quick recommendation, as you make progress, start looking into non-mainstream sources of information. The programs in the magazines you find on the news stands might work for a while, but the closer you get to your goal, the more difficult it will become. I'd check out t-nation.com. They have articles aimed directly at females under the section "figure athlete". Another decent site is turbulencetraining.com.

Best of luck to you :)

This post will be deleted so I hope you read it before then. You don't need to spend a year trying to lose 100 lbs. In fact, dieting for more than 12 weeks at a time is stupid. Someone your size needs a two week break from dieting at most every 12 weeks.

I was able to transform my body from fat and flabby to lean and muscular and I did it using Lyle McDonald's programs. Here's why this post will be deleted. Diet Blog's owners don't like someone advocating a program or product. Why? Hell if I know.

Please google "Rapid Fat Loss Handbook". You're already comfortable with working hard in the gym by lifting weights so you're ahead of the majority of dieters who run from weight lifting any chance they get.

By using Lyle's Rapid Fat Loss Handbook you will be able to drop 100 lbs. in 24 to 30 weeks. People here will scream that rapid fat loss is "unhealthy". Ask them for proof. Ask them for sources. They don't have any. It *can* be unhealthy if not done properly. It doesn't have to be. Please don't listen to the conventional wisdom. The biggest motivator in the world for maintaining a lifestyle change is seeing progress. Standard dieting protocols that see you losing a pound a week are painfully slow and frustrating. Do you REALLY want to be dieting for the next year? Or, would you rather just reach your goals quickly so you can begin building muscle and increasing that metabolism?

Best of luck to you. Hopefully the censors at Diet Blog let this post stand.

Hi Heather. I'm Rob and I always say the best offense,(your weight issue), is good defense(knowledge. Let me explain:
Your probably aware that sugar is a killer. It makes you gain weight and just lays there in the stomach. But are you aware that out of the 4 types of fat, saturated fat is argumentally the worst type of fat for you? Saturated fat is the kind of fat that's visable. That's the fat that shows when you look in the mirror and say "god am I fat"! I'm sure you heard about "the layer of fat" that forms around your body. Look at the ingredients on food labels.
Do your research and know what's out there. Theres a whole bunch of ##it out there.

Heather, there is lots of good advice on this blog so hang in there. It is great that you have decided to take your life & health to a better place & look ahead. Don't get discouraged along the way & have patience. I know you have a time frame in mind but there are ups and downs to all of this so just stay patient & hang in there! If you have a bad day or meal, just get right back to it that day or right away. Don't wait until the next Monday because sometimes that Monday does not come. Get right back on the horse as the saying goes!

There is so much advice out here but you do need to find a food & exercise program that you can live with for life. This is a lifestyle change to work for you long term. Take baby steps & work towards your goal. You can do this!

Heather, Please make it easy on yourself and learn about raw foods, fruits and vegetables. That way you do not even have to think or put out any effort at all. Let nature alkalize and detoxify your body for you. If you fuel your body with foods that leave the least amount of metabolic residue, then your body doesn't have to use so much energy in keeping itself clean. Eating uncooked, unaltered and unsprayed fruits and vegetables will allow all the cells in your body to function optimally. Including the most important glands in the weight loss process, the thyroid and the adrenals. The best way to look at this journey is to forget about losing weight and and start thinking in terms of gaining health. Everyone I know who focuses on losing weight always finds it again. Gain Health with: Raw foods (fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds)
Fresh air
Sunshine
Supportive environments
Total self acceptance
Forgive everyone for everything (HUGE FACTOR)
Enhance your mind with art,music,reading
(A healthy body follows a healthy mind)
Ask yourself: Who do I want to be?
Where do I want to go?
What do I want to do?
Dream big!!! If you can see that your dream is possible it is not big enough.

Heather the key to success is NEVER GIVE UP!!!!

Thank you so much everyone, all of your tips and encouragement means so much to me, yesterday and today I was really feeling down in the dumbs because so many people DON'T believe in me, and then I checked this blog and saw how many of you (who don't personally know me) believe and encourage me. I will continue to change my lifestyle into a healthy one and I have many new tips and recipes to try!

Thanks again,
Heather

Heather, I to am overweight and am working on a great weight loss program. It is called "a change of life style" not a diet. It is called I want to live longer and see my daughters who are 16 and 21 get married and have children. I have not been over weight all my life, but for the past 18 years my weight just kept coming. I lost my mother to breast cancer 17 years ago. She was my best friend...and I went through a horrible time in my life. I have lost 30 pounds and two dress sizes. I am feeling great! I set myself goals and once I meet them I reward myself and then set new goals. My doctor said it was the best thing for me to do. I look in the mirror every day and that helps me start my day out and meet my goals. Don't weigh yourself everyday. Once a month or every two weeks is enough. I too will be there for you so you can e-mail me anytime you would like to talk. Good luck to you my friend...and may all your goals come true.

"Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain"

YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Heather,
Well done. There was a great programme on BBC1 last week, which you can watch here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00k2nlk/Georgias_Story_33_Stone_at_15/

You might identify with it.

Jess

Hi Heather, a free website that I use that has been absolutely essential to my success is SparkPeople. I use it to track my calories, get online community support, and read articles.
Ultimately, though, you have to figure out what works for you. Best of luck to you!!