Motivational Monday: We Lost 100+ Pounds!

This is actually a repost from 2015. It's been a long time since then and I thought now, being the first Monday of the new year, would be a great time to share it again. This post is about several people who lost 100+ pounds--their before and after photos and their best tips and advice for losing the pounds. I find it super motivating (not to confuse motivation with determination!) and I'm sure you will, too.

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I have a VERY special Motivational Monday to share today! Since this is the 100th Motivational Monday post, I thought it would be so fun to share photos and tips from several people who have lost 100+ pounds. I'm in the 100+ club myself, but even I learned some great info from reading what these inspiring people had to say!

While I wish I could share each of their entire stories, that would be extremely lengthy; so I decided on a Q&A type format. I gave each of them a list of questions, and let them answer as many or as few as they wanted, and I'm posting the most valuable and unique answers here.

Be prepared for some serious inspiration!!

AMANDA
Age: 32
Occupation: Social Media Coordinator
Starting weight: 293
Pounds Lost: 126
Time maintaining 100+ pounds lost: 6 months

How did you lose the weight? I tracked calories with the Lose It! app and started a couch to 5K app in March 2014, which sparked my love for running.

What was the hardest part of losing the weight, and how did you overcome that? The first few months were the hardest because I was cutting calories and getting more exercise but wasn't seeing results right away. I wanted instant gratification! I read motivating weight loss posts that reminded me that I would see results eventually and that I had to be patient.

What was the most surprising/helpful thing you learned about yourself while losing weight? Running is fun and therapeutic! I used to hate it, but now I crave running and enjoy the time to myself to just think and focus on everything in my life.

What is your best suggestion for keeping the weight off and not returning to old habits? Make it a lifestyle change! Find healthy foods you love so it doesn't feel like a diet that burdens you. Find an activity you love to do so you don't dread/avoid exercise.

AMY
Age: 37
Occupation: Stay-At-Home Mom
Starting weight: 270
Pounds Lost: 135
Time maintaining 100+ pounds lost: 6 months

How did you lose the weight? I joined a 12 week weight loss competition at my gym (3 times in a row, as they do it spring and fall). The first time, I won third place; and the last two times, I won first place! The competition provided challenges to compete in, and also involved lots of bootcamps, classes, and cardio, as well as information sessions on nutrition. They made it fun, and I guess I am a bit competitive :-)

What was the hardest part of losing the weight, and how did you overcome that? Starting the change and being totally out of my comfort zone about trying new things and new classes. I used to watch the classes and finally just had to push myself to try them. The more you go, the more fun it gets; and I discovered that nobody really cares what I’m doing, because they are all worried about what they are doing :-)

What is your best advice for others who are trying to lose weight? Don’t let one bad day discourage you; if you mess up, pick yourself up, try to stop beating yourself up over it, and move on. Baby steps--it all happens little by little, not overnight.

What is your best suggestion for keeping the weight off and not returning to old habits? Everyone is different, but for me (still being new to this), I weigh myself every morning. I try to stay in a five-pound range, and if I see that number going slightly up for a few days then I know I need to change something up. I also find honestly writing down what I eat (yes, even that cheat snack) helps me stay on track.

CATHERINE
Age: 38
Occupation: Marketing Manager
Starting weight: 282
Pounds Lost: 110
Time maintaining 100+ pounds lost: 10 months

How did you lose the weight? I used Medifast to take off the majority of the weight, and did the last ten pounds or so on Weight Watchers.  After I lost most of the weight, I started a 5k training program, and now I run/work out regularly and follow Weight Watchers to maintain my weight.

How do you keep going when you are lacking motivation and feel yourself falling back into old habits? I try to remind myself of how much better I feel now, and how much I am able to do that I couldn't at my heaviest.  I couldn't even get through the first day of C25K before, and I recently completed my first half marathon.

What is your best advice for others who are trying to lose weight? Keep trying, and don't give up. I tried to lose weight dozens of times (and with multiple different programs) and never lost more than 40 pounds, which I always gained back. Even if you stop and start 100 times, just keep going.

What is your best suggestion for keeping the weight off and not returning to old habits? Tracking everything I eat (and weighing and measuring) is extremely helpful. I also have a plan for what I'm going to eat every day and when I'm going to exercise -  putting it down on paper helps me stay on track and not fall back into bad habits.

CHRISTINE
Age: 44
Occupation: Part Time Special Education Teacher / Part Time Travel Agent
Starting weight: 350+
Pounds Lost: 110
Time maintaining 100+ pounds lost: 14 years
Blog: Magical Adventures Await

How did you lose the weight? I lost my weight using Weight Watchers.  At first, I didn't exercise; but then I added short workout videos at home, and then gradually started working out in the gym.

How do you keep going when you are lacking motivation and feel yourself falling back into old habits?  I got into running.  I am still really slow and I use a combination of running and walking, but having a race on my schedule with a goal to look forward to keeps me motivated.

What is your best advice for others who are trying to lose weight?  Don't try to make huge changes all at once.  Start with small steps.  Even if you are going to watch your diet every other day, it is a start; and then you won't feel like you are deprived.  You can gradually work up to a healthy meal plan daily, with some planned indulgences.

What do you wish your “heavier self” had known?  That losing weight and getting active was possible.  I was overweight for the first 31 years of my life. I just never thought anything else was possible.

It is never too late to start.  I am 44, still working on losing weight and I am training for my first full marathon!  Anything is possible!

CLIFF (Jodi's husband - her story is further down)
Age: 31
Occupation: Database Administrator
Starting weight: 660
Pounds Lost: 315
Time maintaining 100+ pounds lost: 5 years

How did you lose the weight? More than anything, it was a mental change of making up my mind to be consistent and to not give up. Physically, I started by cutting out things that I knew were bad for me that I felt like I could live without (for me, soda was the first thing), and limiting my calorie intake according to a formula I found online and later MyFitnessPal. I then began working out regularly (1-2 days a week at first, then 3, now I’m up to 5).

What was the hardest part of losing the weight, and how did you overcome that? Overcoming my lifelong conditioning of eating poorly was the hardest part, by far. During childhood, I had formed horrible habits and was 450+lbs by the time I left high school. Overcoming it was a process of altering habits gradually; changing the kinds of foods I ate over time so it didn’t feel like I was having to get rid of all food that I enjoyed (read: was addicted to) all at once, and lowering my food intake in stages rather than trying to go ‘cold turkey’ as I had tried in the past.

How do you keep going when you are lacking motivation and feel yourself falling back into old habits? My wife helps me a lot. We’ve been very fortunate in having each other for support. If I feel like I’m slipping she’ll generally be on point and vice-versa. In a ‘long term’ sense, I also focus a lot on trying to lengthen my life as to spend as much time with her as possible, which is a big motivator. Also--old pictures. Nothing makes you remember what life was like 300 pounds ago, and how you never want to go back, like old pictures.

What is your best advice for others who are trying to lose weight? Slipping ‘off the bandwagon’ isn’t a reason to give up. Don’t expect yourself to be perfect. You won’t be. Instead of looking at one night of bad eating (or whatever you did) as ‘failure’ look at it as a bump in the road on a long journey. Don’t use it as an excuse to break down and stop, use it as a reason to work harder tomorrow.

What is your best suggestion for keeping the weight off and not returning to old habits? Don’t approach weight loss as if it’s a short term project that you can complete in a year or two and then you can ‘go back to normal’. Instead you have to create a new normal for yourself. If you want to keep weight off you need to come to a mental understanding that living healthy isn’t something you’ll be able to stop doing if you want to keep it off. It’s not a situation where you lose 50 pounds, or 100 pounds, or whatever your desired number is, and you can just go back to how things were that made you unhealthy in the first place.

DEB
Age: 40
Occupation: Elementary Music Teacher
Starting weight: 315
Pounds Lost: 142
Time maintaining 100+ pounds lost: 10 months

How did you lose the weight? I don't restrict any food groups (but some foods I choose not to have around much because of binge potential). I track food on MyFitnessPal, and found that I rather enjoy running--for how it makes me feel, and the additional calories that help me be satisfied and not "cheated".

What was the hardest part of losing the weight, and how did you overcome that? The hardest part for me is the constant mindfulness that is required; sometimes I feel like it takes up too much of the space in my brain.  I still struggle with that.  Also, I struggle with the "all or nothing" mindset... sometimes in ridiculous ways. For example, rather than buckle down on the calories on days I don't earn extras from exercising, it is a battle to not just say, "Well, I already didn't exercise, may as well eat a second burger", or whatever is tempting that day. I know what I need to do and how to do it, but I wish I didn't STILL have this internal struggle from time to time.

What was the most surprising/helpful thing you learned about yourself while losing weight? I can talk myself into or out of just about anything. Sometimes I just forget that.

What is your best advice for others who are trying to lose weight? You deserve to be healthy, comfortable in your own skin, and able to enjoy life feeling good. Making healthy, reasonable, and responsible food choices while allowing yourself things you enjoy, and staying physically active can make this a reality.

What do you wish your “heavier self” had known? After failed weight loss attempt after failed weight loss attempt, I had myself convinced that (as ridiculous as it sounds) 300+ pounds was my body's "natural" weight--it was where my body wanted to be. Now, I look at those pictures and feel really disconnected from that. It was, of course, an excuse to not make the changes that my body really craved. Now, though I am still on the large side, I look at those pictures and can't imagine that I could ever think that I was destined to be like that.  I wish my heavier self had known that it was okay to expect that life could be better and that I COULD do something about it; it just takes patience, self-forgiveness, and stubbornness.

ELICIA
Age: 29
Occupation: Stay at home Mom
Starting weight: 265
Pounds Lost: 120
Time maintaining 100+ pounds lost: 3 years
Blog: Elicia's SparkPeople Blog

How did you lose the weight? I used SparkPeople.com, tracked my calories, and exercised 4-5 times per week.

What was the hardest part of losing the weight, and how did you overcome that? The hardest part for me was changing my eating habits. Eating smaller portions, eating different foods, and tracking everything. I made small goals and made meal plans before grocery shopping. If I didn’t have it in the house, I didn’t eat it!

What was the most surprising/helpful thing you learned about yourself while losing weight? Before I lost weight, I assumed I was just a big boned person. However, as I was losing I kept having to buy smaller and smaller clothes. At my goal weight of 140 pounds, I was a size 2! I couldn’t believe it! I was at the top of the healthy BMI range and was a size 2.

What is your best advice for others who are trying to lose weight? Make small goals. I initially made a goal to lose 10 pounds. I hit that goal, so I kept making small goals until I reached my ultimate goal weight. I also recommend tracking everything that you eat. Even if you are having a bad day!

EMILY
Age: 23
Occupation: Stay-At-Home Mom
Pounds Lost: 105
Time maintaining 100+ pounds lost: 5 years

How did you lose the weight? I hired a personal trainer to teach me how to exercise and eat properly. Then I found a passion for learning about nutrition, and I continued on my own by eating right and exercising (including running, of course)!

What was the most surprising/helpful thing you learned about yourself while losing weight? I learned that I love to cook! Because I began losing weight as a teenager, I’d never really cooked for myself before. I had to take the opportunity to learn new recipes and different ways to incorporate new healthy foods; turned out I really enjoyed it!

What is your best advice for others who are trying to lose weight? Your mind is powerful. If you believe you’re going to fail, your actions will follow your thoughts. Visualizing myself at my goal weight was a trick I used that really worked and got me through many workouts.

What is your best suggestion for keeping the weight off and not returning to old habits? Don’t expect to be perfect—you’re going to gain weight once in a while. People who have always been a healthy weight fluctuate too! Don’t throw an entire day, week, or month away because you overindulged for one meal.

JENNIFER
Age: 35
Occupation: Stay-at-Home Mom
Starting weight: 332
Pounds Lost: 141
Time maintaining 100+ pounds lost: 2 years

How did you lose the weight? I always answer this question by saying "just how the doctors tell you to do it... be careful about what you eat and MOVE!"  I started out walking and then, slowly, running; all while watching what I ate. I never followed a specific plan or cut anything completely from my diet.

What was the most surprising/helpful thing you learned about yourself while losing weight? Probably the most surprising thing that I learned about myself is that I'm a runner... and I just ran my first half marathon!  If someone had told me three years ago, after the birth of my fourth child, that I would run a half-marathon three years later, I would have laughed in their face. I learned that I am capable of more than I could have ever imagined!

How do you keep going when you are lacking motivation and feel yourself falling back into old habits? I think about my husband and four little ones. My momma just passed away in July, at 57 years old, after a long struggle with diabetes, kidney failure, and many other complications.  I saw what a struggle the last 10 years of her life was like... I know what if felt like to watch her go through it. I know what it feels like to no longer have her here to see, to talk with, to get advice from.  I don't want my kids or husband to go through the same. That is motivation enough.

What is your best advice for others who are trying to lose weight? Keep at it. Try again. YOU CAN DO IT!  I tried for years before something finally clicked.  Start simple.  I didn't start out attempting to lose weight... so my focus wasn't on the scale. I just started walking several times a week, and after a month or two, I realized that I had lost weight. Worry less about the number on the scale and more about trying to make small changes to improve your health.

JESSICA
Age: 36
Starting weight: 284
Pounds Lost: 110
Time maintaining 100+ pounds lost: 1.5 years
Blog: A Little More Each Day

How did you lose the weight? I joined Weight Watchers in July 2012 the day after my birthday. I tracked points (not simply filling) and got to goal in a year, with running in the mix too.

What is your best advice for others who are trying to lose weight? If you aren't willing to do it every day for the rest of your life (whether it is a type of exercise or a food you're eating/not eating or an amount you're eating or a medication you're taking), don't rely on it as a strategy to lose weight or you'll just regain it when you stop doing that thing. Also, give yourself credit for the things you're doing well. On days the scale isn't moving, you're still eating healthier and moving more and that has benefits beyond the scale.

What is your best suggestion for keeping the weight off and not returning to old habits? Find a way to hold yourself accountable, whether it is regular weigh-ins, or a support group, or a refusal to buy new pants (I do all 3). Also, make a list of why you lost weight and why you want to maintain that loss and review it often! I pull mine out when I smell fresh chocolate chip cookies. :)

What do you wish your “heavier self” had known? I wish she'd known that she wasn't unhappy because she was overweight - she was just unhappy and needed to work on believing in herself. Running has done far more for my sense of self than losing weight ever did, so I would definitely like to go back and give my 250 pound self who started running a super high five!!

JODI (Cliff's wife - his story is above)
Age: 32
Occupation: Healthcare Auditor
Starting weight: 380
Pounds Lost: 181
Time maintaining 100+ pounds lost: 2 years
Blog: House Bailey

How did you lose the weight? I started working out at least 3 days a week and using My Fitness Pal. I started on a recumbent bike, then elliptical, and now I'm running.

What was the hardest part of losing the weight, and how did you overcome that?  I actually had two giant obstacles in my way at first.  One was the complete dislike of most fruits and vegetables; and the second was being a sedentary, heavy smoker since the age of about 13. I quit (officially) smoking when I started running (about 18 months ago) and through a lot of trial and error, have taken baby-steps to eating (and liking!) lots of fruits and veggies. Slowly introducing new foods and exercise was definitely the key.

What is your best advice for others who are trying to lose weight? Read Katie’s blog! Her mantra of not changing anything that you can’t stick with forever was a very eye-opening thorough process for me.  I contribute so much of my success to her story and ideologies about the mental and physical struggle of losing (and maintaining) 100+ pounds lost.

What is your best suggestion for keeping the weight off and not returning to old habits? I keep a control center on my fridge, complete with pictures of what we used to look like and how we have changed over the years.  We keep a spreadsheet there as well and weigh in every Wednesday and keep a workout schedule that we fill out each month.  It’s a constant reminder to stay the course.

JULIE
Age: 49
Occupation: Third-Grade Teacher
Starting weight: 240
Pounds Lost: 100
Time maintaining 100+ pounds lost: 15 months

How did you lose the weight? I lost the weight by running and following Weight Watchers.

What was the hardest part of losing the weight, and how did you overcome that? It was all equally hard.  Staying motivated has always been an issue for me.  I stayed motivated by finding blogs to follow on the Weight Watchers site, and elsewhere on the internet, of people who lost weight by running and/or following Weight Watchers.

What was the most surprising/helpful thing you learned about yourself while losing weight? I am goal-oriented. I need to have a goal, like a race, to keep me motivated, otherwise I get lazy.

How do you keep going when you are lacking motivation and feel yourself falling back into old habits? I still go to Weight Watcher's meetings every Saturday. That really helps me.

What is your best advice for others who are trying to lose weight? Give yourself time. Think about how you want to look a year from now, and think about what you are doing NOW to make that happen.

What do you wish your “heavier self” had known? I wish I had known how happy I would be at a normal size. I wish I had known that running, and other forms of exercise, really are the best therapy.  I wish I had known that endorphins make you feel great!  I wish I had known that the changes in your body that consistent exercise makes is like magic!

KAREN
Age: 29
Occupation: Stay-at-Home Mom
Starting weight: 274lbs
Pounds Lost: 117
Time maintaining 100+ pounds lost: 7 months

How did you lose the weight? I signed up with MyFitnessPal and started counting calories. I dabble with paleo and clean eating, but I mostly just eat what I want within my calories. Counting calories opened my eyes to the nutritional value of a lot of junk foods and I stopped eating a lot of those things! I started exercising and running within this past year and that has helped shed the weight a lot faster coupled with my healthy diet.

What was the hardest part of losing the weight, and how did you overcome that? The hardest part was thinking about how much work I was putting in with eating correctly and exercising so much and still having so much weight to lose. When you're in the middle of losing an amount of weight like 100lbs it can mess with your mind. When you feel awesome that you've already worked so hard to lose a number like 50lbs and then realize you have another 50 or more to go, it can defeat you if you let it.

What was the most surprising/helpful thing you learned about yourself while losing weight? Everything!! I've never been a fan of exercising, and I especially hated running pretty much my whole life. Who knew I could be a success story and willingly train for a half marathon? I didn't know I could be this person, and I really like her!

How do you keep going when you are lacking motivation and feel yourself falling back into old habits? This happens to me a lot, and I'm so fortunate that I really love running because when my eating slips up those miles are the only things that help me keep going! It's hard, but you just have to take it one day at a time, throw the junk out, fight those cravings with tears and tantrums and get back into it again.

What is your best suggestion for keeping the weight off and not returning to old habits? Look at before pictures!! Remember the who and the why that you're doing this for, remember how you felt then and how good you feel now. And running helps too!

KELLY
Age: 27
Occupation: Administrative Assistant
Starting weight: 274
Pounds Lost: 115
Time maintaining 100+ pounds lost: 3 years

How did you lose the weight? Weight Watchers - full lifestyle change and hard exercise program.

What was the hardest part of losing the weight, and how did you overcome that? Feeing like I couldn't eat what I want when I wanted. I overcame it by still allowing treats, but planning for them instead.

What is your best advice for others who are trying to lose weight? If you are tired of starting over again and again, then don't quit.

What do you wish your “heavier self” had known? How awesome life is when you are a normal healthy weight! The things you can do and places you can go are SO much bigger.

Losing the weight was the best thing I could have ever done for myself. Now I get to be a great role model of a healthy lifestyle for my daughter so she will not have to go through what I went through. What an amazing gift to give her!!!

LINDSAY
Age: 35
Occupation: Police Dispatcher
Starting weight: 304
Pounds Lost: 130 pounds initially, and five years later I am maintaining 110 pounds lost.
Time maintaining 100+ pounds lost: 6 years
Blog: Lindsay is a Lifetime Member

How did you lose the weight? Weight Watchers helped me to lose the weight and continues to help me to maintain the weight lost.

What was the hardest part of losing the weight, and how did you overcome that? The hardest part was making the change in the beginning.  I was living the single life and eating out all the time.  It was a huge adjustment, so I made the Weight Watcher plan fit MY life.

What is your best suggestion for keeping the weight off and not returning to old habits? Stay connected to a support system.  Meetings, on-line message boards, walking buddies, family and friends, whomever it is... stay connected. When somebody stops communicating that means they need some extra support.

What do you wish your “heavier self” had known? I wish my heavier self knew that she was beautiful.  I always knew I was an awesome person on the inside, and after losing my weight, I feel the outside now matches the inside.  Regardless of the packaging on the outside, I was, and will always be, a beautiful person.

NICK
Age: 30
Occupation: Technical Operations Manager for Standing Cloud, an AppDirect Company
Starting weight: 317
Pounds Lost: 120
Time maintaining 100+ pounds lost: 2 years

How did you lose the weight? The company I work for moved to an office with showers and I started running before work with friends / co-workers

What was the hardest part of losing the weight, and how did you overcome that? Winter; I hate running on the treadmill, I feel like a hamster :-). I started playing lots of indoor sand volleyball instead (something I really enjoy).

What is your best advice for others who are trying to lose weight? Find ways to work out that you really enjoy so that it's something you look forward to rather than having it as a chore. Find healthy things to eat that you don't have to gag down.

What is your best suggestion for keeping the weight off and not returning to old habits? Same as above; you need to find ways to eat and exercise that are sustainable.

PAM
Age: 64
Occupation: Retired Secretary
Starting weight: 328
Pounds Lost: 170 lbs.
Time maintaining 100+ pounds lost: 4 years
Blog: Pam's SparkPeople Blog

How did you lose the weight? I simply started eating healthier, fruits, veggies, using better cooking methods, not so much frying and breading! I quit snacking all the time, and started walking. I started slow, both in cutting back on my eating and my walking, but as the pounds dropped, I got more enthusiastic, and tried harder. I walked further and ate healthier!

How do you keep going when you are lacking motivation and feel yourself falling back into old habits? This is tough. I keep a "before" picture on my fridge and I never forget all the humiliation that went along with being morbidly obese. I also try to remember all that I have gained  in my life by losing the weight--I can walk anywhere, and fit in chairs, airline seats, booths in restaurants, I went from taking five prescriptions for high blood pressure to needing no prescription drugs at all! I got my health and freedom back and I refuse to give it up!

What is your best advice for others who are trying to lose weight? Just remember: You have the power. You are in control of the choices you make. It feels so good when you make good lifestyle choices. The shame and embarrassment I felt over what I had done to myself is gone.

Keeping the weight off is a never-ending battle for me, but I try to stay determined, because going back to that sad, overweight, unhealthy woman I was for so many years is just not an option anymore. My husband is fighting Stage 4 Cancer, which will ultimately be terminal, and that gives me added motivation. I need to stay healthy and strong in order to take care of him, just as he took care of me for our whole married life.

SARAH
Age: 35
Occupation: Stay-At-Home Mom in Nairobi, Kenya
Starting weight: 265
Pounds Lost: 101
Time maintaining 100+ pounds lost: 1 month
Blog: One Mama Gets Fit

How did you lose the weight?  I lost the weight by eating clean (whole, real foods) and working out six days a week.  All that old fashioned advice - it actually works!

What was the hardest part of losing the weight, and how did you overcome that? Living overseas and not having access to modern equipment/classes/gyms (or being able to just go out for a run because of safety concerns) and all the fancy health food; and on top of that, having young children (especially one who wakes multiple times at night) - the hardest part has been keeping my mental focus on the goal (even when very sleep-deprived).

To overcome this, I have posted motivational statements and sweet notes from friends around the house and doing my best to bring as much newness and spice to my workouts so that they don't get old.  A bonus? Having a husband that keeps me on my toes and lovingly encourages me every day that I can do this!

What is your best advice for others who are trying to lose weight? Give grace to yourself.  We're not perfect and losing weight won't be perfect.  When you make a decision that you're not terribly proud of, give yourself grace and then try to do the next best thing.

TAMARA
Age: 41
Occupation: Wife, Mom, and Second-Grade Teacher
Starting weight: 340
Pounds Lost: 138
Time maintaining 100+ pounds lost: 2 years
Blog: Tamara Shazam

How did you lose the weight? I realized that the work was going to be hard and it was entirely up to me to get it done. I couldn't rely on a feeling, mood, external motivation or anything consistently besides my own will and determination, so I started running, rethinking my food intake and forced myself to be really honest about everything I ate, thought, and did.

What was the most surprising/helpful thing you learned about yourself while losing weight? Even though in 2014 my goal was to lose weight, I actually unintentionally maintained my weight.  What I learned, quite by accident, was that maintenance will look nothing like going back to my old habits; maintenance takes just about as much work and focus as losing weight does. This is truly a lifelong nutrition and exercise shift, and I can't stop the work when I hit my goal.

How do you keep going when you are lacking motivation and feel yourself falling back into old habits? My body project was chugging along slowly when a friend suggested that I start reading Runs for Cookies. It was there that I read about the significant trifecta between me, motivation and determination. Katie wrote about how my determination allows me to take an active roll in my weight loss, while waiting for motivators (like I had been doing), was taking a more passive route.

It was a life-changing moment for me, and from then on I've relied on my determination, primarily, to move forward, and use the pride I know I will feel when I meet my goal as motivation.  I have used physical tokens as rewards for when I meet a goal, but I find that they really aren't as motivating as the accomplishment itself in the end. I also keep a website so that I have a public forum from which to share my story.  Holding myself accountable publicly is HUGE motivation!!!

What is your best advice for others who are trying to lose weight? You have to be really honest with yourself.  That may sound easy and you may think that you are in your own head so that's impossible to be anything but honest, but I spent years telling myself that I was just was a certain way and had medical challenges that prevented me from being successful. Those were just lies I told myself to give the excuse to stay unhealthy, because my real truth was that I was crazy lazy when it came to my health in general.

What do you wish your “heavier self” had known? With the exception of a brief year at the end of high school, I have always been heavy and didn't know any other way of living life.  I wish I had known how much I was limiting myself.  My world is so much bigger now. Life isn't intimidating anymore.

VALERIE
Age: 31
Occupation: Mental Health Crisis Counselor
Starting weight: 288
Pounds Lost: 129
Time maintaining 100+ pounds lost: 6 months
Blog: Fit2b30

How did you lose the weight? Ate fairly "clean" and in moderation, as well as a combo of exercise--strength training and cardio. I worked out 4-5 times per week when first starting, but now down to 3-4 times per week. I stuck to lean proteins, lots of veggies, fruits and high-quality carbs.

What is your best advice for others who are trying to lose weight? Just start making small changes at first and don't make large goals at the beginning. Start with small goals, and when you hit each one, then you can change them as you go. The more manageable your goals the easier they are to achieve and maintain. Also, you won't become as easily discouraged if you set small, manageable goals.

What is your best suggestion for keeping the weight off and not returning to old habits? Put old pictures of yourself up somewhere or on Facebook so you can see how far you have come and what you have achieved. Why would you want to go back to your old self if you were not happy with it?

What do you wish your “heavier self” had known? I wish I had really been aware at the "food" I was eating and how bad it really was for me. The "food" that I was eating was not actually food, it was all processed "frankenfoods" that had absolutely no nutritional value.

It is NOT easy to lose weight, but it is possible! It takes hard work, motivation, determination, as well as heart to achieve your goals. Take it one step at a time and you can achieve it! If I could do it, you can too!

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How inspiring are they?! I am so stunned by all of these amazing people. If they gave you a boost of motivation today, please leave them a comment here and let them know!

A huge congrats to everybody on your hard work!!

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The Reality That "Weight Loss Success Stories" Don't Tell You

Today, something showed up on my Facebook feed--a memory from 2014. It was a photo of Woman's World Magazine. Yours truly was on the cover, advertising a full spread of my weight loss secrets.

Looking at it now, it's kind of embarrassing. Even at the time, I cringed a little at the dramatic way they flaunted my "success" at losing weight.

What the heck is "success", anyway?

I lost 125 pounds, gained some pounds, lost some pounds, gained quite a few pounds, lost quite few pounds to reach my lowest adult weight, gained too much back to reach my highest weight in 10 years... the magazine only shows the one small part of my story.

I can't even be specific when I write how much I gained and lost each time over the last 10 years. I simply don't know! Yes, I lost a lot of weight. I guess that's considered a "success story". But when does it end? At what point am I considered a "success"?

I thought I was a weight loss success story when I hit my goal weight and stayed there for a few months. I thought that I had it figured out, that I could stay within a small range. I was terrified that I wouldn't be able to, but I thought that if I felt the pressure, I'd be able to do it. Especially considering how public my weight loss had become.

As we all know, I never did figure it out. Even after 10 years, I'm working on it. I'm still down 80+ pounds from my starting weight, but I honestly can't tell you if I'll be up 10, 20, even 30 pounds next year! Or, maybe I'll be back down to my goal. I don't know.

All I can tell you is that losing weight is fucking hard. Mentally, it's the hardest thing I've ever done.

Looking at this cover of Woman's World, it advertises that I lost weight by "eating Pop-Tarts, peanut butter, ice cream, and cookies!" (with the exclamation point).

True. I did eat those things.

What it doesn't tell you is that I ate about one-half to one-third of my previous portions of food, that I struggled with binge eating disorder, that sometimes I got so pissed off at the world for not being able to just eat whateverthefuckiwantedwheneveriwanted and that I had anxiety about eating too much or not knowing how many calories were in the food I was eating.

I even had nightmares--literally--about eating too much food and gaining weight.

The "success stories" that we read only tell a small part of the story. I used to read them all the time for inspiration, and it seemed like it was so easy. Just eat less food, swap out some high calorie foods for lower calorie foods, and exercise. Soon, you'll be a tiny size 2 and you'll run a sub-4:00 marathon. You'll lose your urge to overeat and you'll love choosing carrots over ice cream! (Exclamation point)

(I'll include a link to a PDF at the bottom of this post if you want to read the article)

I don't want this to sound cynical, because maybe it actually does work that way for some people. I was not one of them, however.

Here I am, 10 years later, feeling like I failed because I gained some a lot of weight back. I'm still 80+ pounds below my high weight, so why can't I feel happy about that? The magazine doesn't mention the constant battle in your mind when you lose a large amount of weight, then gain some, then lose some, etc. It doesn't go away! (At least for me.)

I don't want it to sound like I regret dropping the weight--I certainly don't! I just don't want anyone to read the "success stories" like mine and think that it ends there. That I lost weight, I'm super happy, and that I have it all under control.

Because of my blog, I've gotten to know several people who are "weight loss success stories"--some of them very well-known--and I've yet to meet one that feels they have it all figured out. Each one that I've talked to has the same feelings I do. We all feel like it's only temporary, and that a single bad day could lead to gaining every pound back.

I want to be happy with how I look now, but when I look at photos, I can't help but compare them to my photos from 2016 or 2017 when I was my thinnest. When I was 253 pounds, I would have killed to look like I do now (roughly 170 pounds--I avoid the scale these days!).

I wrote in detail about a lot of this on my post "What I Wish I Knew When I Started Losing Weight". When I started losing the weight, I had no idea I'd actually get "there"--meaning my goal weight. I had tried SO many times before and failed, so why should that time be any different?

I want to end this on a positive note, because I really don't want this post to sound negative. I really, truly, believe that all the sacrifices I made were totally worth it to lose the weight. Not just for the vain reasons, but life felt easier when I was thin. I am so glad that I did it!

I just really don't want people to see my story and think that it's all sunshine and rainbows. To sound cliché, rainbows don't appear without some rain--and trust me, there was a LOT of rain!

If you're on a weight loss journey of your own, please don't think that it's easy. Don't read those magazine stories and think that the person's journey ended there. The magazines share what sells. They share the all the fun, inspiring, motivational parts of weight loss. They make it look easy.

It's not easy! But it's worth it. And even though my weight is up and I've been trying to get back to losing weight (although it's not working well), I don't ever want to give up. I felt so good when I was the "success story".

I don't care if I am considered a success story in the public again. That doesn't mean anything to me. I just want to feel like I'm living my best life--eating to live rather than eating to ease my stress or anxiety. I have good days and I have bad days. My hope is to have more good than bad.

I really want to get my weight under control again, and feel good about myself. I want to feel that "success story" that Woman's World (and other media) made me out to be. Mostly, I just want to feel healthy and live my best life!

(Here is the full Woman's World article in PDF form if you're interested in reading it)

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My 10-Year Weight Loss Anniversary (and 10 crazy-cool opportunities I've had because of the weight loss)

I have been such a terrible blogger lately! It's amazing to me that I used to write every single day for a few years. I've been writing less and less frequently, and I'm starting to wonder if I'm approaching the end of the road of my blogging days; but I'll cross that road when the time feels right.

I will write a post about our wedding anniversary (similar to this post) hopefully before I'm 100 years old, hahaha.

Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of when I started losing weight. It was the last day that I weighed 253 pounds. It's so hard to believe it was that long ago; but on the other hand, it's hard to remember what life was like before I lost the weight.

Some crazy accomplishments regarding my weight loss over the last 10 years:

#1. I lost a total 132 pounds at one point (February 2016). (The lowest Wednesday Weigh-In was 122, I believe; unofficially, I reached 121 at my lowest.)

#2. I started running--something I never thought possible. I ran 5K's, 10K's, half-marathons, and even three full marathons. WTF?!

#3. I started writing Runs for Cookies in 2011. Here is my first post (there are some that are dated prior to this post, but I copied those over from a previous online journal I had). My blog has led to most of these opportunities.

#4. I was featured in Runner's World magazine, Woman's World magazine, Shape magazine, the local newspaper (twice), the morning Channel 4 news, The Today Show, The Dr. Oz Show, Another Mother Runner podcast, Half Size Me podcast (three times), Everyday Runners podcast, Run to the Top podcast, and a full-length documentary called From Fat to Finish Line that was available on Netflix (again, WTF?! CRAZY.). Here is a link to my "Press" page, which lists everything with links.

#5. I started coaching cross country (this is my fifth season). Getting kids excited about running is super rewarding, even though I am not currently a runner myself. (I have no idea what was happening in this picture, hahaha)

#6. I met some amazing people--super inspiring blog readers; other bloggers; Bart Yasso (the "Mayor of Running); David Willey (Editor-in-Chief of Runner's World); Kerry Sanders (of The Today Show); Pete Thomas and Ada Wong (of The Biggest Loser); and probably a few more that I'm forgetting.
I met up with total strangers to run two Ragnar Relays, and some of those people have become super close friends. I've had meet-ups with blog readers, and I have to say, these have been my favorite people to meet! I love hearing their diverse personal stories.

#7. I traveled to places I wouldn't have otherwise:

St. Louis, MO (for Purina, who sponsored a few posts in my blog)
Boston, MA (to visit a Ragnar teammate and for a Runner's World magazine series of races)
Portland, OR (to visit a blog reader-turned-BFF and to run my personal best 10K time)
Roanoke, VA (to visit a Ragnar teammate)
San Diego, CA (to run a Ragnar Relay)
Key West, FL (Ragnar Relay)
Kansas City, KS (to visit a Ragnar teammate)
Bethlehem, PA (for Runner's World magazine)
Seattle, WA (to visit a blog reader)
NYC (for The Dr. Oz Show, a BlogHer panel, and a couple of Purina events)
Indianapolis, IN (a blog-reader meet-up for The Indy Mini)
Joliet, IL (for The Warrior Dash)
Minneapolis, MN (for my first Ragnar Relay)
Cleveland, OH (for my first marathon)
Chicago, IL (for my third--and final--marathon)
Rockford, IL (to surprise my sister and run her first half-marathon with her)
Lake Cadillac, MI (for a last-minute random 10K race with Jerry)
Dayton, OH (for my RRCA certification, and to visit a Ragnar teammate)

(I have a list of all my traveling adventures and corresponding blog posts on my Travel page)

#8. I became an RRCA-certified running coach.

#9. I had a boudoir photo shoot--something I never would have done if not for the weight loss. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I never felt better about my body as I did during that photoshoot. You can see a couple of my (more modest) photos here and here.

#10. I had surgery to remove excess skin from my abdomen after the initial weight loss. This helped not only cosmetically, but my comfort and health as well (I was getting rashes under my excess "apron" of skin, and the bouncing of my skin was very uncomfortable when running).

As a bonus (#11): While I'm currently the heaviest I've been since 2010, I am still about 85 pounds less than I was on August 19, 2009. While some may not consider that an accomplishment because of the recent gain, I am a million times healthier, happier, and more able-bodied than I was 10 years ago. I consider that a success.

(Not saying that I don't want to drop about 20 pounds, but I don't want to downplay the fact that I've maintained such a large weight loss for such a long period of time.)

And there you have it. This list is far from complete of all the opportunities and accomplishments I've had over the last 10 years, but these are the most notable that come to mind.

Interestingly, writing this post just inspired me to run. I don't know if I'll do it regularly, but just for today, I'm going to do a short, awkward, difficult, and very slow run. Because I can :)

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Thoughts On My Current Weight (and Wednesday Weigh-In)

I was going to post this yesterday, but I was feeling rushed and decided to wait so that I could write my current thoughts about my weight and where I am right now. Not that it's super exciting or anything, but I feel much better than I ever have about my body, weight, and exercise, and I think it's worth writing about.

I never thought I would be at such a "high" weight and be comfortable--even content--with it. I put "high" in quotes because it's all relative; I'm almost 40 pounds up from my lowest weight. When I first dipped into the 160's a few years ago, I panicked and started Weight Watchers (or calorie counting?) to get my weight back down. That number was so important.

As of yesterday morning, I was at 160.0 pounds. Down a little from my last weigh-in.

I tried explaining to Jerry where my mindset is right now, and I had such a hard time describing it. I'm not sure I'll do much better here, but I'll try.

When I posted my high weight a couple of months ago (165-something) somebody mentioned that my current high weight was their GOAL weight, and for some reason, that really struck a chord with me. I started to feel more accepting and introspective of my goals.

Interestingly, quitting drinking has made me really think about why we do the things we do, including weight loss. Why did I feel like it would be awkward to be the only one not drinking at a get-together? Why did I feel it was so important to get down to and maintain a weight under 135 pounds?

Thinking about the drinking is what led to the weight, so I'll start with that. Not drinking is no longer an issue for me--I don't have cravings and I don't feel "left out" or awkward. And I started realizing that if anyone feels awkward, it's usually people who are drinking around people who aren't. I'm not judgmental at all, and I couldn't care less about who is or is not drinking. However, when I used to drink, I always used to notice when someone wasn't drinking. And I wouldn't even think of ordering a drink at a restaurant if my companion wasn't drinking. It would have felt awkward.

I asked myself recently who I was trying to impress. Anybody can drink; it's not like I was doing something "special". So, why did I feel like I wasn't "cool" for not drinking? It seemed so ridiculous to me (and this is the part I have such a hard time explaining to Jerry). I have no idea if people judge me for not drinking, but why would I feel that mattered? Do I really care if I look "uncool" for not drinking?

And the answer is no. I don't care if people judge, because I'm not trying to impress anyone. If people feel awkward drinking around me, it's not my fault. I never even bring up the not drinking (people have asked and I give a short explanation, but I try not to make it a "thing"). I'm doing what I'm doing because it's what I want to do; there is no reason to live life trying to fit in or impress others.

Which brings me to the weight issue...

I weigh 160 pounds. I wear a size 10. So what? I'm not at my lowest weight, I can no longer say I'm 100+ pounds below my starting weight of 253, I'm not a size 2 or 4. Does anyone really care?! I'm approaching 40 years old and I have two kids. I think I look pretty good!

I don't know why I never gave it much thought before. I think having a blog that is so public about my issues with weight made me feel pressured to be an "ideal" success story--dropping the weight until I'm not just average, but thin. Not just exercising for health, but a marathon runner. Going from obese to average wasn't good enough--I felt like I had to stand out because so many people were interested in (and impressed with) my story.

And yes, the story is more dramatic when I can say I lost 137 pounds, ran three marathons, and could run a sub-8:00 mile for 6+ miles. But other than using those numbers to feel like a valid success story, WHO CARES? I don't care what other people weigh or how hardcore their exercise is. Sure, it might be impressive to learn, but it's not something that sticks with me for longer than that moment. I don't think about how fast they are or how skinny they are or anything like that. So, why should I try to have "impressive" numbers?

It seems so ridiculous now!

It was then that I became peaceful and content with my weight. I used to think I was content with where I was, and I tried convincing myself (and others) of that. Subconsciously, though, I was assuming that I'd get my weight back down to "thin" and then I'd *actually* been content.

I can honestly say that even if I don't lose another pound, I am content with where I am. As long as I am healthy and able-bodied to be active and enjoy life, I'm cool with this body. I'm done trying to impress anyone with my weight loss and/or running success stats.

As for my current habits...

Since making peace with my body, I've also made peace with food and exercise. I don't count calories or anything else. I don't even try to eat "intuitively"--which always felt like a diet, too. I eat what I like, and I try to make my portion size what I feel is ideal (not stuffing myself, but not feeling deprived). I don't put much thought into it at all, actually. And after I eat, it's totally out of my mind. I don't feel guilty or worry about how it will affect my weight.

For exercise, I've been walking. I haven't been following any sort of plan (even the one I wrote several weeks ago). Instead, I take Joey for long-ish walks, focusing more on just being mobile than on "exercising". I've learned that my body gets stiff and achy when I spend a few days being inactive, so even just going for a stroll makes me feel good. I'm sure I'll start riding my bike (for pleasure) as the weather warms up, too.

Every evening after dinner, we (Jerry, Noah, Eli, and I) take Joey on a walk around the neighborhood. We used to do this all the time, and it's so nice--we get to talk about what's going on with each of us without the distraction of phones, computers, TV, etc. My kids love their phones, but even they really like going on these relatively short (20 minutes or so) walks in the evenings. There have been a few times where all I want to do is sit down and chill after dinner, but I feel like the walks have been important--not just for exercise, but for family time--and we do it regardless.

Is going for strolls with the family as impressive as running several miles a day? Nope. Does it matter to me? Nope.

I thought about the irony of posting a weigh-in every Wednesday (or Thursday or Friday) when it clearly doesn't matter; but the transparency of it validates that I am not ashamed. So I think I'll continue to do it, at least for a while.

I saw this on Instagram (not sure where it originated--I am told it is from "The F*ck It Diet" book author) and I thought it was highly appropriate here:

Amen to that!

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Weight Loss Update: Julie's 100-Pound Weight Loss, 3 Years Later

Today, I have a guest post from Julie. A few years ago, she shared a bit about her weight loss for the 100th Motivational Monday post (20 people who had lost 100+ pounds). I always love to hear from people who have been working at maintenance for a while, and I'm excited to share her update with you! Here is what's been going on with her, and her weight maintenance, for the last three years. 

I am so excited to be writing this update for you on my weight loss journey. Not for the reasons that you might be thinking, however.

Since writing the first story about my 100 pound weight loss for Katie’s blog three years ago, I have struggled to keep the weight off! Yep, people, the struggle is real. However, losing that 100 pounds has changed my life so dramatically that sometimes I still have to pinch myself because I can’t believe that I am living this life.

After losing 100 pounds in 16 months, I did pretty good at keeping my weight at or around 140 pounds for a solid three years. I was running five days a week and entering a lot of road races. I went from 5K's to 10K's, and eventually signed up for my first half marathon.

I was enjoying my new body! I started a fashion Pinterest board and began to buy beautiful new clothes. The day that I was finally able to shop at Ann Taylor Loft and White House Black Market was magical. Being able to pick out clothes that I wanted to wear instead just buying whatever fit me was a game changer. I was feeling so good about my life!

Then, my weight crept up to about 147 pounds 2016. However, it wasn’t so bad. I still felt great! I was still running 4-5 days a week and I began lifting weights three days a week, working with a trainer. I was feeling very strong.

I turned 50 that year and never felt better. I felt better at 50 than I did at 40, for sure! The year that I turned 50, I decided to check an item off my bucket list by walking the Camino de Santiago. The Camino de Santiago is a 500 mile walk across Spain!

I started my walk in June in St. Jean Pied de Port, France, and reached Santiago, Spain 31 days later. For me, it was a spiritual journey that changed my life in so many ways, but that’s a story for another time. I know, however, that I would not have been able to complete that pilgrimage if I had still weighed 243 pounds.

And, by the way, when you are walking 13 to 20 miles a day, you can pretty much eat whatever you want and NOT GAIN WEIGHT. I ate ice cream every day! Sometimes more than one. Funny, though, other pilgrims were losing dramatic amounts of weight, but nope--not me. On the bright side, I didn’t track my eating for 35 days and I didn’t gain any weight! That was a new concept for me.

In 2017, I began to slowly gain more weight and I was weighing in consistently at about 153 pounds. I was trying to get that 10 pounds off, but nothing seemed to be working. I continued to run and lift weights, so I was still feeling strong--pretty good, actually. But the weight was just not coming off. Since I still felt so good, I guess maybe I wasn’t trying too hard to lose it!

Weekends have always been so hard for me. I love to have good meals with my family, which usually include beer or wine, and I just haven’t been willing to give that up. I was still signing up for road races and by this time, a few of my friends had taken up running, too. We made it a goal to sign up and run at least one road race per month.

In 2017, I also decided to start a 5K road race here in the town that I live in, San Juan Bautista, with the proceeds benefiting the students of San Juan School (where I teach 3rd grade). Thankfully, the race was very successful! (We actually had our 2nd Annual Fiesta Fun Run this past May. We included a 5K, 10K, and 1 Mile Fun Run and doubled our participants!)

Then came 2018--the year I decided to run my first full marathon. Yikes!

The training was much more intense than I thought it would be. It was hard to get all my runs in and and continue to work full time. I was always exhausted and I got sick three times during the winter and spring.

During my marathon training, I decided to take a break from weight lifting. I just didn’t have enough time (or energy!) in my day. My appetite amped up right along with my mileage. I was always hungry. So I started eating more and was not able to stay within my daily Weight Watchers points goal and earn my blue dots (which are earned by eating within a certain healthy range every day).

It was frustrating but I needed the calories! I was still weighing in at about 153, not gaining weight but not losing either. (Don’t most people lose weight when they train for a marathon? Ugh!).

I finally ran my first marathon on April 28, 2018. It was the Big Sur International Marathon and the route was majestic! But it was SO. FREAKIN’. HARD. There was hill after hill after hill!

For a brief moment during the marathon at mile 21, I thought that I might not make it to the finish line. Yep! I hit that proverbial wall. But, I pulled up my big girl panties, prayed a couple of “Our Father’s” and “Hail Mary’s”, and was able to shuffle my way across the finish line. I earned that coveted medal!

Needless to say, I stopped running the next day. At first, it was just for recovery. I kept telling myself that you’re not supposed to run for three weeks after a marathon, right? And remember, I was no longer lifting weights either. So, basically, I wasn’t doing anything. But, I was still eating. A lot! I still had a huge appetite.

You know what happens when you don’t exercise but you still eat like you are, right? You gain weight, people! And that’s just what I did. The scale crept up to 163 pounds. YIKES!!

Now that it is summer and I am on vacation (the benefit of being a school teacher), I have gotten back into running and weight training. For the past month, I have been running 4-5 days a week as I train for a half marathon in September.

I’ll being running The Giant Race, which is a half that I love and have run for the past 3 years. It’s in San Francisco and the finish line is on the Giant’s home field at AT&T Park. It’s so fun and I am totally motivated to train for it!

I’m also back to weight training at the gym three days a week. I missed weight training and I like the way I feel when I am doing it consistently. I feel strong and I love the way my body looks when I more muscular. It’s not perfect, my body. Never has been and never will be.

But after losing 100 pounds, weight training is the one thing that has made me feel more confident about the way my body looks. The muscles help fill up the loose skin, kind of.

I have been working very hard at eating to lose weight. The scale is going down slowly. I am at 159 pounds right now. Though every day is a struggle, I am not going to give up! I will never give up at this weight loss thing. My weight may go up a little and down a little; it’s the ebb and flow of life. But I will always work at being healthy and strong and living my best life!

Julie Castaneda-Hicks lives in San Juan Bautista, California, with her husband of 28 years, Micheal Hicks. She is the mother of two adult children, Ashley, who is 25 years old, and Zachary, who is 23 years old. She has been teaching at her local elementary school for 25 years, where she currently teaches 3rd grade.

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The Simple Mind Trick That Helped Me Lose Weight for 52 Weeks in a Row

Jerry and I had an interesting conversation today, and I thought it might be fun to write about on the blog.

My weight loss is old news. Very, very old news that I'm sure nobody wants to hear about anymore. So much has changed since I first hit the scale and saw that I'd lost 125 pounds!

A comparison when I reached the 125-pounds down mark. The was shortly after breaking
my jaw, which is why you can see my scar and maybe even the wires on my teeth.

However, in thinking about this recent weight gain, Jerry asked me some questions about when I lost the weight in the first place, and there are a couple of details that I never really went in-depth about. They were crucial to my weight loss, though, so I really ought to write more about them.

Anyway. To quickly recap, in a nutshell, how I lost the weight in 2009-2010:

I reduced the amount of food I was eating (counting calories/points).
I ate whatever I wanted to eat, just in smaller portions.
I started exercising after I'd lost 60 pounds--walking first, then running.
I ate some sort of treat every day--usually dessert.
I didn't give up any foods or food groups; nor did I count macros.

Everything I've ever written about my weight loss could probably be summed up in those five sentences.

There was another piece of the puzzle that was a big factor, and I don't know that I've ever really written about it. It's nothing ground-breaking; just something that kept me going when I really wanted to quit.

I decided that I didn't want to play the "what if" game anymore.

For years and years, I was always saying to myself, "What if I'd just done it the right way a couple of years ago? I'd have been at my goal weight already." "What if I never started binge eating?" "What if I had quit buying and eating pints of ice cream the first time I decided I shouldn't?" "What if I had learned, as a child, how to eat intuitively?" "What if I didn't use food to curb my anxiety?"

(Bear with me, this will make sense in a minute. I hope.)

For 52 weeks straight, I lost weight. I didn't gain weight and I didn't maintain my weight. I lost it! For an entire year! That's pretty impressive. And I can tell you exactly why it happened...

No matter what the scale read each week, I wanted to be able to know that I did everything in my power to make the right choices and follow my plan--I didn't go over my calories/points at ALL. Because, if I had, I would have gotten on the scale and thought, "What if I didn't eat that extra bowl of ice cream this week?" or "What if I actually measured out my portions more accurately?" etc.

I wanted to be able to KNOW that I did EVERYTHING that I had control of--that there was nothing I could have done differently.

I fully trusted my plan (counting calories/points) and I knew that eventually, it would get me to my goal weight if I just followed it long enough. (I didn't expect that I would lose weight every week--that was just a cool bonus.)

By putting complete trust in the process (lower calorie intake), I was 100% confident that I would lose the weight. I knew that if I started overeating or binge eating, I would get on the scale and think, "What if I hadn't binged?"

Considering my weight loss is old news, and I've gotten older and (I like to think) wiser, I don't feel quite so rigid (and maybe that's why my weight is up right now). But my belief is still the same--if I just follow my plan, doing all the "right" things that I have control over, eventually I will get back to my goal weight. And I won't be able to say, "If I had just _____, I would be there already."

In other words, if I do what I am supposed to do, it's totally out of my hands. What happens on the scale doesn't matter--I would feel good knowing that I did everything "right"--so I wouldn't have anything to question. There wouldn't be anything that I "should have" or "could have" done to change the outcome.

There were some weeks that I lost 4 pounds, and other weeks were I lost just 0.5 pounds. My average weight loss was approximately 1.8 pounds per week (125 pounds lost in about 16 months). That's not a ridiculous amount in either direction.

If I had quit halfway through, months (or even weeks) later, I would have asked myself, "What if I just hadn't quit? I'd be down X amount of pounds right now." And that's an easy way to beat myself up. I was really tired of doing that, playing that "what if" game in my head. So, I stopped.

Another benefit to this way of thinking about it was that when I did finally have gains on the scale, I knew exactly why it happened. I could say, "Well, I didn't follow my calorie plan, and I ate too much. That is why the scale is up." I couldn't be upset about the gain, because I would know that I didn't follow my plan to the best of my ability.

Now, I want to make it very clear that I am not saying that everyone will lose weight every single week for a year if they adopt this mentality!

I was willing to accept ANY weight gain on the scale as long as I knew I was giving my plan my 100% best effort. I knew that eventually, the weight would come off if I followed my plan.

There are also other reasons for the scale to fluctuate each week--sodium intake, a change in exercise, menstrual cycles, etc. There are always some outside factors that affect our weight, so we basically have to look at the overall trend--if, over a long period of time, we are losing weight, then we are doing what we need to!

I never understood why women at Weight Watchers would eat very lightly the day before their weekly weigh-ins, or why they took of their shoes or jewelry, or even strip down to some very skimpy items (I've seen it all!). Those things have nothing to do with our body composition.

I could drink a gallon of water and get on the scale weighing eight pounds more than I did a moment before drinking the water... but that doesn't mean that I've gained eight pounds in my body composition. It's literally just water sitting in my stomach that I will pee out in the next few hours.

So, when I did my weekly weigh-ins, I stopped worrying about what I was eating the day before. I stopped trying to avoid sodium, I stopped eating only lightly, I stopped taking off my shoes at Weight Watchers. I knew that what I was doing was the right way (for me) to lose weight, and that I was following the program. If I was following the program, I would eventually get to my goal, shoes or no shoes.

I simply followed my plan to the best of my ability and I trusted the process. That's it!

Where does this leave me now? The reason Jerry brought this whole thing up was because lately, I've been feeling desperate to get my eating back on track. I even did something that I am super against--I started thinking of fad diets that I could hop on board for a little bit to get back to goal quickly.

But that is a cycle that I was in ever since I realized I was overweight at age nine or so until I was 27. I was always trying fad diets and then quitting. I never got anywhere!

This is what caused me to create my advice of "Don't do anything that you're not willing to do for the rest of your life." If you don't want to be on this fad diet forever, then my advice is not to do it now. If we pick plans (or create our own!) that we can stick with (and not just CAN stick with, but are WILLING TO stick with), then we can trust the process, no matter how long it takes, that we will get there.

I had a really great day with the calorie counting today, and I'm going to bed soon (I'm trying to make a bed time of 11:00 now, with school starting soon). I can wake up tomorrow knowing that I did what I could today to inch my way toward my goal. Whatever the scale says, I know that I wouldn't have done anything differently.

I am still struggling big time with getting back to my "happy place". Ideally, I would wake up early and go for a run first thing in the morning, then come home and have breakfast. I would read a chapter of the Bible as part of my 40 Goals by 40 Years Old List, and read another book for 30 minutes. I would work on my blog, do "chores" around the house, run errands, and all the other stuff that needs to get done. I would cook a good dinner for the family, and then clean up the house a bit before relaxing with a book (or a good TV show) and my dessert of some sort. Then I'd be in bed at a decent hour.

This is what I used to do! And I felt really good about myself when I felt like everything was "right". Lately, since gaining the weight, struggling with exercise, being unproductive, and just feeling like I'm falling more off track on the daily, my anxiety has gotten out of control. And the higher my anxiety gets, the further behind I feel until I get to a place that feels like I'm "too far gone".

I've certainly been feeling like I'm too far gone lately, and that is a totally hopeless feeling. So, I really need to get it together. I know I sound like a broken record, because I'm saying this constantly. I feel like I did 100 pounds ago--super overwhelmed with all of the things I want to get back on track.

I've been doing a LOT of thinking this week about the things I'd like to change and how I can (slowly) go about doing that. Instead of jumping into all of these ideas that I have, I just want to stay grounded and do what has always worked for me in the past: count calories, and trust the process. Even though it's going to suck getting back at it after so much time, I know without a doubt that I will feel a hundred times better about myself after even just a week of it.

This was after my Wednesday run--the humidity was INSANE. I felt amazing afterward!

Tomorrow, I have an appointment with my psychiatrist at 9:00 in the morning (it's a 45 minute drive), so I'll need to get up early (thankfully, I don't have a run on the schedule!). But I think getting up early will be good for me.

It's a start!

(So much for getting to bed by 11:00--it's now 12:15. Blogging takes so much longer than one would think! I'm not going to read through this for errors, so I apologize for spelling/grammar issues.)

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A guest post update from Sarah, who'd lost 101 pounds

You may remember several years ago, when I did my 100th Motivational Monday post--it was a short Q&A with 20 different people who had lost 100+ pounds! Well, it's been a few years now, and I wanted to check in and see how things were going for them.

One of them was Sarah:

(You can read her original Q&A here)

Sarah has a great update to share! So here it is, in her own words...

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Three years ago, when Katie sent out a request for folks to share their stories if you had lost 100+ pounds, I had just hit that mark of losing 100 pounds. I was living in Kenya with my husband and two young children.

After the birth of our second child in Nairobi (just a year prior), something just "snapped" within me and I desired to get healthy. I'd realized that the "snapped" feeling was that I was finally feeling safe and loved. Not like anything was ever not safe or that I wasn't loved--but that I was finally able to breathe and had the space to work on me.

I felt like I could be me. I worked with a long-time friend who is a nutritionist and personal trainer and she taught me to how eat well and work out. I am forever grateful for Stephanie and how she worked with me (virtually) for a year. When I got to see her for the first time since returning from Kenya (131 pounds lighter)--it was all tears.

The past three years have been full of adventure and increased learning while maintaining my weight loss. We made the decision to leave Kenya after many years there, and while stateside we got pregnant with our third child.

During that time, I stayed active and maintained a healthy weight during my pregnancy. It was the best pregnancy, and I thoroughly enjoyed "looking pregnant"--unlike my other two. It was nice to sport a cute "baby bump"!

Nine weeks after my daughter was born, we moved our family to Southeast Asia. Even with another new adventure and transition, this healthy lifestyle had already been deeply rooted in me and there was nothing to change it. It's in my bones now.

After only seven months in Southeast Asia, we moved back to the States. We have been here for a year now and are enjoying our community and life here very much. Life is just sweet.

The process of becoming healthy has been liberating for me.  In some ways, I feel like I truly came alive for the first time three years ago.

I've learned that eating well is a lifestyle. Some days, you just need something sweet. And some days, your body is craving more veggies. I've learned to listen to my body. Give it good stuff.

I adore cooking. I could spend a great portion of my day researching recipes and tweaking them to make them healthy and cooking.

For the past three years, I've been learning what I love to do for exercise and staying active. I do love a good sweat from a run, but I enjoy weights and strength exercises so much more. There's a thrill from being able to lift heavy.

Above all this, what makes my heart happy is being able to play and be active with my family. Run with my kids. Go bike riding. Rock climb. Not be scared to go jump with them on the trampoline for fear that it might break. Go down waterslides without worrying what the weight limit might be.

So many of those types of worries, sadnesses, and fears are removed.

I'm not sure what the next three years will hold. I have so much loose skin from weight loss. I keep wondering if I should have it removed or just live with it, like a "badge of honor" of sorts.

Ideas of how can I challenge myself? Any goals I want to have before I turn 40? Those things I am thinking through. But, really, I'm just enjoying right now and the fact that all this is a gift from God--it's just been such a sweet gift.

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