KBtotheBB

Alright. I need to lose weight. A lot of weight. My problem? I have a looooooot of weight to lose. Like, enough to where I'm *already* thinking, ugh, I'm never going to do this. I know I'm supposed to break it down into smaller goals, but smaller goals don't change my big goal. What is my big goal? I want to lose 80lbs. (I hate that I even got to this point - pregnancy or no pregnancy.)

I am making this move our big corner ... things are going to change in the B household when it comes to eating and exercising. I plan to join both a gym AND Weight Watchers. I have not been successful on WW in the past, but I will admit that my focus was not where it should've been. So, take my little poll below and help pump me up!

How much did you lose?
How long did it take?
What steps did you take to lose the weight?
If you did WW, what plan did you do?
What else do you feel that you gained from losing? (Besides a lower number on the scale.)
What did you do for a daily snack?
Name one vital change you made to your lifestyle.
Give me one tip for losing weight.

sarasuzy

How much did you lose? 15 lbs
How long did it take? 2 months
What steps did you take to lose the weight? WW online, a little bit of exercise
If you did WW, what plan did you do? Flex..online (no meetings)
What else do you feel that you gained from losing? (Besides a lower number on the scale.) I felt that by doing WW I realized that every little bite counts. That kind of changed my mindset about food. And besides the number on the scale, I felt better and better about myself.
What did you do for a daily snack? 94% FF popcorn, pickles, Edamame, 100 calorie packs, those little WW cakes, WW fudge bars, Babybel cheese
Name one vital change you made to your lifestyle. While I was actually IN WW, my whole eating style was totally different. I really gave every bite of food a lot of thought. I planned ahead for splurges and didn't mindlessly eat.
Give me one tip for losing weight. Don't focus on the end number...focus on smaller goals and doing what you need to each day to work towards it. Don't let a bad week derail you.

I have to admit that after losing that 15 lbs, I kept it off for a few months while I was still on WW, but since then I have gained 5 lbs back. I'm not totally upset about that, as I feel comfortable in my clothes still and enjoy a little more freedom, but I wish I could have the discipline to stick with it.

You can do this, Kim!!!!! Don't overwhelm yourself...take it one day/week at a time.

Sparqi

How much did you lose? 50 lbs
How long did it take? 6 mo
What steps did you take to lose the weight?
1. Joined WW (I had my mom as a buddy...it helps if you have a friend to help keep you accountable)
2. Committed to walking at least 30 mins a day, every day (I have dog...no brainer there)
3. Committed to 2 days a week at the gym- 1 hr each time (I had a personal trainer give me 2 routines to alternate. I didn't use the trainer each time I went)
4. Write everything down that you put in your mouth
5. Dump all the trigger foods that make you binge. Don't even let them in the house.
6. Tell everyone you are on WW
7. Drink your water
8. If you fall off the wagon, don't sweat it. Tomorrow is a new day with a whole new set of points. What happened yesterday doesn't matter (really helps prevent spiraling out of control).
9. Start your day with a good breakfast
10. Take your measurements when you start (it's icky, but it will be a blessing later when you hit a plateau in weight, but are still losing inches)
If you did WW, what plan did you do?
Flex. I love my bread. But, I really want to do Core.
What else do you feel that you gained from losing? (Besides a lower number on the scale.)
Much more confidence.
A ton more strength
No more knee pain
What did you do for a daily snack?
I am trying to keep my snacks fresh fruit or veg with the WW Spinach Feta Dip or Salsa
I also love nonfat greek yogurt with fruit or granola
WW 1 pt ice cream bars are great if you want a cold snack
A 1 pt bagel or slice of bread with laughing cow or lowfat cr. cheese
Name one vital change you made to your lifestyle.
I plan nearly EVERY MEAL. I still count points every day. Maintenance is HARD. But, we all eat healthier now. I buy very few packaged things. It's a challenge to me to take a recipe and make it over!
Also, I am now an exercise addict. If I miss my morning walk/run, I am MESSED UP for the whole day. (sorry, that was 2)
Give me one tip for losing weight.
You have to do it for you. If you are doing it for yourself and your health so you can be there and feel good for your family, then you won't cheat. It's just not worth it to cheat. Sure, you'll have birthday cake now and then, but there are plenty of points for that (on either Flex or Core). Stick to the plan as best as you can and you WILL lose weight.

Hugs, Kim. If I can do it, anyone can. I have never, ever, ever been this thin or fit. Not when I was a teen. Not when I was ballroom dancing 15 hours a week. This is the best shape I have ever been.

symesa

How much did you lose?
40 pounds (and now, I need to lose 30)
How long did it take?
8 months
What steps did you take to lose the weight?
1. Attended meetings EVERY.SINGLE.WEEK
2. Followed "the program" very carefully
3. Signed up for 1 "fun" form of exercise/activity each week -- like yoga or bellydancing.
If you did WW, what plan did you do?
Core. I love Core because it is the way I want my kids to eat. Also, I'm all about volume...I love to eat a LOT of food which I can do when it is the right kind of food. I just cannot say enough good stuff about Core (starting with no tracking or measuring - hallelujah!)
What else do you feel that you gained from losing? (Besides a lower number on the scale.)
That joy of accomplishment.
More control (which is great for a control freak!)
No more carpal tunnel!
What did you do for a daily snack?
Aside from fruit & popcorn, I "treated" myself to WW fudge bars, Skinny Cows, FF/SF chocolate pudding. I could not do 100 calorie packs -- not only do they contain "junk" that I was avoiding like HFCS, enriched flour, or trans fats but they were trigger foods for me where I couldn't stop. They were just not good for me.
Name one vital change you made to your lifestyle.
1. Going to meetings. I will likely go to meetings the rest of my life.
2. Starting to view foods the way I described them to Isabella -- oh, that one helps make you clever and healthy...but that one is just junk. Seriously, just practicing what I preach was vital (and I need to get back there right now!)
Give me one tip for losing weight.
Perseverence is key. In fact, it is the ONLY thing. This will be a forever thing. The going down will likely take a long time, but the keeping down will be forever.
And, I will emphasize the importance of meetings when doing WW. The people who lose and KEEP IT OFF are those that just keep going back to the meetings. It's the people who surrender to the fact that they cannot do this alone who have true success. I know I will go to the meetings every week until the weight is gone, and then I will go back every week after it to make sure it never comes back.

morgan27

Here is how sad I am - the most weight I ever lost was while BFing. So right after birth I lost a lot and fast and kept it off while nursing. Almost exactly a year after G weaned (which was this past May) I started gaining weight - 15 lbs. since May.

I am at the point where I am thinking "well, maybe I will just get pregnant so I can loose weight!"

Or I guess I could watch what I eat and get my butt in gear but whats the fun in that!?

jandj-2002

Gotta run out to my WW meeting. I'll answer when I get back!

Kurt&Nathansmama

How much did you lose? 25 lbs
How long did it take? 7 months, but have since put on 8 lbs .
I hired a personal trainer and followed his program
If you did WW, what plan did you do? n/a
What else do you feel that you gained from losing? (Besides a lower number on the scale.)
A sense of accomplishment. It also felt really good to get back into my skinny jeans and walk in front of my Ex husband! His fav put down was calling me fat ass. ( I did say EX husband!) So to be smaller and happier is just about killing him.
I enjoy playing at the park with Nathan. I can go down the slides with him.

What did you do for a daily snack?
I mixed fat free vanilla and plain yogurt together w/ fruit. I followed atkins for awhile a few years ago and now fruit feels like a cheat!
Name one vital change you made to your lifestyle.
Exercise. I feel like crap if I don't do something.

Give me one tip for losing weight.
Take measurements. They totally keep you going when the scale doesn't move.

Puddin'

How much did you lose? 15 lbs
How long did it take? 3 months
What steps did you take to lose the weight? WW and Running. Note: I have gained 12 lbs of it back as I hurt my ankle and had to stop running but didn't reduce the amount of food I was taking in. Since running again the weight is coming off again.
If you did WW, what plan did you do? Flex
What else do you feel that you gained from losing? (Besides a lower number on the scale.) Flexibility and agiliy...both better to keep up with the kdis
What did you do for a daily snack? 6 almonds in the morning, corn chips wih salsa in the afternoon
Name one vital change you made to your lifestyle. Paid more attention to what we were having for dinner. I love cooking and now I choose meals that are not only fun to cook but better for us.
Give me one tip for losing weight. If you slip up, as people do because we are human, just get back on and move forward. If you eat something "bad" for you it doesn't mean the day is shot so you can eat anything, it just means you slipped.

KiwiMama

How much did you lose? 40 lbs (although I now have 30 to lose again thanks to my bod hanging on to baby weight.)

How long did it take? 1 yr

What steps did you take to lose the weight? joined a gym & went 3x a week. did both cardio & weights

If you did WW, what plan did you do? flex, I need the portion control

What else do you feel that you gained from losing? (Besides a lower number on the scale.) more energy and no aches in my knees and back, just felt healthier

What did you do for a daily snack? hummus and bell pepper or carrots- had to have the crunch factor

Name one vital change you made to your lifestyle. We rarely eat fast food or buy pre-packaged meals. It's better to cook from scratch and know what you are getting.

Give me one tip for losing weight. If you bite it, write it!
Don't give up on yourself if you hit a plateau or struggle, keep pressing through it. Also, for me, I need to have the right mind set to start. Things need to be in order around me before I can take the time to focus on myself.

You can do it! We can do it together, I'll always be there for you!!!

jandj-2002

I've done WW before and after each childbirth. I'll just talk about what I'm doing right now.

How much did you lose? As of today, 8.5lbs
How long did it take? 10 weeks
What steps did you take to lose the weight? WW. Exercise in the beginning but the past 3 weeks my back is recovering
If you did WW, what plan did you do? Flex plan. I need to watch points and portions for now. Core will kick in for maintenance.
What else do you feel that you gained from losing? (Besides a lower number on the scale.)
In no particular order.
Clothes fit GREAT! I have a new wardrobe of great fitting and feeling clothes just by wearing the same thing in my closet.
Lots of encouragement from DH and compliments.
Greater interest in $ex! Who said that? Yeah, I think it's a body image thing.
I just feel so much better - and it was only 8.5 lbs so far!
What did you do for a daily snack? I pop popcorn in paper bags and spray buttery spray.
Name one vital change you made to your lifestyle. Thinking about what I eat. No more mindless eating.
Give me one tip for losing weight. Jill stole mine! Write down everything. Just the effort to do that will make you think about if you really want it.
Also altho it sounds daunting to lose a LOT of weight, just 10 lbs makes a huge difference. And I"m tall. I'm shocked at how great I feel.