Most of my life, I was thin/skinny/beanpole etc. But just before I found Topshelf -- and maybe part of why I found my way here -- I got severely ill. It was in the late Spring or early Summer (depending on your definition of early June) 2006, and I was probably a size... 6 or 8 in US women's sizes, I forget. But I got deathly ill. There are other things that happened that day, but the practical upshot was I was completely bedridden for about 9 months, and could only make it 15-20 feet at a time for the next couple months after that.
My eating habits did not change, however, despite my new lack of active living. By mid-2007, I was in plus sizes (16-18) but I was still not able to really be active for a couple years yet. By the time I moved to Arkansas in May/June of 2009, my sizing began with a "2" and in March 2010 I was my absolute heaviest at nearly 400 pounds! Melanie / rasufelle can vouch for my worries that I may have to buy a second seat for the flight to Australia in June of 2010.
I lost some weight in Australia, and when I returned to Arkansas was lot more active and walking more. By the time I left Arkansas in October of 2011, I was down to only 310 pounds and back down to a size 28.
On 2 January of 2012, I weighed 297 pounds, was a size 26, and began work at Subway. Walking 20 minutes each direction, walking or riding the bus anytime I wanted to go anywhere... that helped. But I also made a decision for a lifestyle change. Portion control. I began eating a lot less and a lot healthier. Not a lot of greaseball food, and only portions about the size of my fist for a meal. For example, a six-inch Subway sandwich would be a meal. Hey, getting them as my employee meals helped with the budget, too!
I have been losing weight at a very satisfying pace with this lifestyle change. I do not know my current weight, as I don't have a scale or even know anyone nearby that has one at the moment.
But I got tired of hitching my pants up at work and went to Walmart after work tonight, and while trying on pants and skirts, I received a rather pleasant shock...
I'm a size 12.
Comments
THAT
is great!
Congratulations.
Very nicely done.
OMG
I am soooo jealous!
Way to go girl!
Yep... never give up!
My story is so similar.
Skinny all my life, then hernia surgery at 38. Went from 175 up to 225 in about 3 months.
Felt gross, couldn't drop the weight, even though like you, I ate normally, I think! Perhaps ate out more, but not much.
Then... now, three years later, suddenly, over this summer, the ONLY change in diet I made was to eat raw broccoli every day for snacks (I can choke it back with diet ranch dressing!), I'm suddenly back down to 180!
Never Give Up :)
Wonderful feeling, isn't it?
Congratulations on your weight loss--I think it's astounding that you could lose so much. I do understand the role a disability can play in gaining weight: I've used a wheelchair almost exclusively since the mid-nineties, and let me tell you, one can pile on the pounds without ever being aware of it. One day in 2009, however, I saw a picture of myself, and was horrified--I was a record 206. When I hit a peak of between 218-220 lbs. in April of 2010, I finally did something about it. Currently, I'm at around 188 lbs. (I'm 5'6", and wear a 16, so I have a bit to go before I get to your level) all through a change in diet and trying to get out of my wheelchair and on crutches more often.
As for you, I am proud of you, and more than a bit envious. You've proven disability or injury is not a bar to losing weight.
Livin' A Ragtime Life,
Rachel
Weight Loss
What a great feeling being able to move around again instead of people moving around you (LOL) I lost 145 pounds and kept it off 2 years and counting.
You Rock ,go get em -- Keep up the good work.
HUGS (now that I can get my arms around you)RICHIE2
Gee, I thought I was doing good...
I thought I was doing good to drop 37 pounds in 18 months... but you've really done good. But you've got the key, portion size. My doctor told me that I needed to watch my carbs because I was prediabetic. On the scale that the measure such things I was at 6.7 and it had been on the rise for a couple of years. She said if it got to 7.0 she would have to put me on medication. I took a good look at my eating habits and with a few small changes I managed to cut about 500 calories daily. That put me on track to loose one to two pounds a month. I'm down from a size 22/24 to a size 18.
Congrats to you and I hope I can keep going as well. I still need to lose another twenty or so pounds.
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
Ich bin eine Mann
Wow, good for you, Edeyn!
Wow, good for you, Edeyn! That is such a wonderful, positive, inspirational change! You could serve as a role model for so many people.
Kris
{I leave a trail of Kudos as I browse the site. Be careful where you step!}
Getting to 12
Getting down to a 12 the old fashioned way (the one that works) is awesome!
I've finally started getting some of my extra off (but didn't have anywhere near as much extra, nor was I as small to begin with)... Your approach to weight loss is FAR better than what I'm doing.
Best wishes, and enjoy your "new" body!
Annette
Very Well Done
Edeyn! I think that takes a lot of discipline and will power.
I don't know how much it applies to us, [maybe a lot (?)], but US body weight trend toward obesity is leading to very serious health consequences. Obesity linked diseases and Alzheimer's might hugely increase US health costs in the medium term, and I don't see the public or politicians finding any way to fund it!
Sorry, last least it was a short rant.....
I have a similar, but slightly different problem. I weighed 173 lbs this morning; 20 YAgo, just after GRS I weighed 162. Last yr my lightest was about 166, but I've been doing a lot less biking this yr. I'm not that much heavier; the problem was 20 yrs ago a lot more of that weight was muscle. I had a 30" waist; not that great, but I could mostly wear 12 or 12 Tall clothing. Dresses, suits and tops were fine, jeans and skirts were a little small in the waist so I needed size 14.
Now my waist is 35" and was more when I weighed 178 in May; I like biking, when I'm feeling OK, but I can't motivate myself to do abdominal exercises.... OTOH, I never dress up!
Hugs and Bright Blessings,
Renee