Hi, my name is Kelly and I am a fat girl.
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Well, I’m not fat anymore, I’ve lost 100 pounds but I can still say that because once a fat girl always a fat girl at heart! I love to eat, and I love to eat large quantities! In 2008 my husband took a photo of me from behind sitting at the kitchen table playing a game with our two boys. When I saw the photo I was devastated! My ass was hanging over the side of the seat and my back looked like a football player it was so broad! For some reason when I looked in the mirror every day I didn’t see how fat I was! But seeing it from behind was another story! I weighed 231.5 pounds. I was a size 18 needing to go into a 20 and wore a size 40D bra! From that day on I decided enough was enough and I went on a diet and started exercising. Today I am a size 4 and weigh between 130 and 135 (I let myself fluctuate depending on what I eat sometimes you just can’t help yourself!) This is a before picture and this is the only pair of capri pants that I saved, they are a size 18. (See me in them now, above.)
My amazing and beautiful best friend Julie M. and I started power walking 3 miles a day every day! Rain or shine, hot as in over 100 hot and cold as in wearing winter coats, gloves and ear muffs! Within 7 months I dropped 80 pounds! I cut my calories by trying to tell myself that what ever I took to eat, to put half of it back. I cut out fast food and junk food, eating more yogurt, chicken, fruit and vegetables. How does one let themself gain so much weight? It wasn’t hard! 10 pounds a year over 10 years, it adds up! In November 2007 my Mom passed away at the age of 54. She had several medical issues from Rheumatoid Arthritis to COPD and Emphysema. She was always my best friend growing up. My husband and I moved her in with us the last few months of her life. I had all medical control and in the end had to make the decision to take her off life support. This is her and I at my wedding. (Keep in mind the dress she has on it’s a size 8, I’ll tell you more about it in a minute.)
My mom passed away two days after my 11th wedding anniversary. That next march I was diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis. It is a similar form to RA both being autoimmune diseases that affect your joints. Also in March, three days after my birthday, my grandmother passed away. I started taking immune suppressing drugs to help stop the progression of the disease. They ranged from pills at first (that made almost all my hair fall out, but it was all good in the end it grew back in curly, something I always wished for) then to self-injecting two drugs into my stomach at home once a week. I have had success with the drug I am currently on, and I go in every 8 weeks for an infusion where I sit in a chair for two hours and read romance novels!
It was time for a change, I told myself no more excuses. Having PSA wasn’t going to be my excuse! It is so easy to lie to yourself and make excuses, to just not make the effort to start! I also have hypo thyroidism and that doesn’t help either! I told myself that lugging around all that extra weight had to be harder on my joints in the first place so I set myself goals. I originally set a goal of dropping 81 pounds to weigh 150. I met that goal and my husband and I went to a charity silent auction and I wore that dress my mom wore to my wedding. It is a size 8. I didn’t keep many of her clothes but this dress I did, hoping one day I could fit into it!
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Now I wasn’t happy being a size 8. Say what! Am I crazy…..maybe. I thought maybe I could re-set my goal and lose another 20 and make it an even 100 pounds! Wouldn’t that be cool. That didn’t happen right away, I actually put back on about 20 pounds. We purchased an elliptical which was my new best friend and easier on my joints, and I used an app on my phone called My Fitness Pal. I logged everything I put in my mouth! And I mean everything, even condiments. I never cheated! It really helped me realize just how many calories I put into my mouth! I worked my butt off, literally. I dropped the 20 I put back on and another 10. Within a few months of that I made my goal, and was proud to say I lost 100 pounds!! I took a photo of me in those same exact capri pants. See it at the top of this post.
I have kept the weight off for a few years now. I exercise five to six days a week. Three days at home, I still use my elliptical and five to six days a week my husband and my boys and I go to the gym. My new goal now is to tone up my muscles. Trying to get a little less giggle with my wiggle. I went from a size 18 to a size 4 and a 40D to a 34B. Now the boob loss was depressing but lets be reasonable, I’d rather belong to the itty bitty club than have the 100 pounds back! Every pant size I lost I immediatly gave it to goodwill! I was not going back….. ever again. I felt weird about giving my bras away so I kept them. What does a 100 pound bra loss look like you ask?
One good thing about losing weight is the fact that you get to get a new wardrobe. I had several. I even lost a half a size in my feet! New shoes people!! I had to get my wedding ring resized, it was all a good feeling! My husband is awesome he loves and supports me no matter what I look like, he makes me feel sexy and loved and that’s all a girl can ask for, right. I may wear a size 4 but underneath, people, is not exactly pretty and you will never catch me in a bikini! Having two kids and a 100 pound weight loss I have a hard time even wearing yoga pants to the gym! It’s probably more all in my head and I really shouldn’t care what other people think, but I do. I have awesome friends and two amazing teenage boys, I am a stay at home mom and love it! I ran my first 5k last year and now I do 5k mud runs and color runs with my amazing and beautiful sister-in-law Julie F. They are usually for a good cause and tons of fun! Who doesn’t want to play in mud!
Every day is still a struggle with food. That’s why I said once a fat girl always a fat girl at heart. It would be so easy to gain every pound back. What ever life throws at you, a death of a loved one, medical issues what ever it may be if you are ready, I mean truly ready, to lose the weight, you can do it too! I am blessed with the best husband I love to pieces the best two best friends in the world and amazing sons. Losing weight is hard work and it takes time to start to see changes. But you can do it too!
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Hi my name is Kelly and I am a 100 pound loser!
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Do you have questions for Kelly? Would you like her to write a post on something else like her diet plan? I’d like to know more. Leave your questions and suggestions here and I’ll have Kelly back again soon.
Julie says
As one of the Julie’s in Kelly’s article I can’t begin to tell you how hard she has worked. She has been an inspiration to me. After my last child I have had a harder time losing the baby weight than with my other kids. It has been Kelly’s success that has kept me motivated. Her plan is simple, exercise and eat less (and better). I don’t mean her plan was easy – just not complicated. I saw her say no when previously she would have had the biggest piece.
I think at the beginning I was happy for her to lose the weight but I didn’t take it too seriously. In fact, it kind of made me mad. She would indulge in the chips and dip with me, she kind of grumbled when I ordered pizza for dinner. I was offended. I had to realize that I was being part of the problem. I think what makes me the most proud of her is that she didn’t let my offense discourage her, she just said no. She said that’s what she has to do to lose the weight. She was determined. When I realized that I was one of the people not encouraging her (and I’m supposed to be a close friend) I realized that weight is more than just a battle against yourself. It is a battle between food, a battle between one’s willpower, and a battle between those who don’t want you to change or are afraid of you to change. Her weight loss has not only encouraged me but made me realize I need to be more encouraging to others.
Julie says
I meant to say she would no longer indulge in chips (among all the other yummy stuff we love). That used to make me mad.
Ana says
So true. My husband and friends would miss me indulging with them. What a good friend you are to realize and understand!
Shannon says
That is an swesome story. I know the strugglesd of losing weight and I have done my share of losing and gaining. I get my mind made up and I do really good for a while and lowe weight, to then fall off the wagon and eat the not so healthy and lose my portion control. I eat depending on my mood 🙁 I also have issues with eating late at night. I also don’t like doing things on my own, like exercising and getting someone to join me and committ to it is hard, not to mention haivng to work around my job and my husband and daughter. This is an inspiring eye opener and the fact you didn’t do any major diet and exact food changes makes it easier to want to follow. I love food and knowing that I can still splurge (once in a while) really helps with the urges. The loss of a loved one can add to the stress and it can help us make up our minds and sometimes it can send us spiraling. Good Luck with the weight and you look awesome!
Ana says
She is such an inspiration!
Kelly says
Thank you Shannon, I did splurge too, I would eat at Panda and get their orange chicken once a week as a treat for doing so well all during the week. Although I no longet get it, just got tired of it. I still do eat junk food sometimes. I am addicted to Mike & Ike candy. Although I tried to substitute them with raisens (not a good idea! They gave me gas ha ha ha 🙂 so it’s back to Mike & Ike for me!) The longer you go eating healthy and exercising the more you start to crave it! And the less you want to eat high fat food. (I still tell myself that in my brain when I see a cupcake or chocolate.) It is a never ending battle! Thank you for your kind worrds!
ANGELA says
Thank you for sharing your journey!
Kerry G says
Thanks for sharing Kelly! Very inspiring! How did you keep your motivation up while losing weight? I lack that so much. I know what to eat, portion control, gym routines, etc…but I never stay motivated, even though I have a gazillion reasons to be motivated.
Kelly says
During the biggest portion of my weight loss I had my best friend who power walked with me, she is awesome! We kept each other motivated. Having a consistant work out buddy helps it’s rare that both of you don’t want to work out, so we kept each other in line. Now my husband and two teenage boys and I go to the gym so we keep each other motivated! I have a wonderful support system! And seeing before pictures and those size 18’s is also a reminder! Keep at it Kerry my first attempt even my second or third didn’t work, eventually you just have enough and have that ah ha moment and believe in yourself!
Deb Cutts says
What an inspirational story. So glad you shared. I’ve always thought you to be beautiful, inside and out! Keep up the good work and feel healthy.
Angela B says
I am so impressed Kelly. We are so similar in so many different ways. I have a thyroid condition also and I have SLE Lupus. For the most part it’s in remission but the joint pain is very similar to what you have. I lost another 5 pounds since you saw me at Bunko. Every day is a challenge but its so encouraging to know it can be done. You did it. You ROCK!
Kelly says
Angela that is so great! That is how it’s done a little at a time but 5 pounds, that’s awesome!
Ana says
Angela, I was diagnosed with SLE Lupus for 10 years with joint pain. 2 years ago they tested me for Lyme disease and it was positive! Apparently that happens often. I find that keeping motivated when it hurts, and not eating because I feel sorry for myself are my 2 biggest problems.
Ana says
I downloaded My Fitness Pal today, and my husband pulled me off the computer and trained me. Great start!
Kelly says
It really did work for me, along with exercise. I don’t think there was ever a food it didn’t have for me to enter. I love it!
Ana says
I wasn’t sure what to enter this morning for the crusts I ate from my son’s PB & J
Julie says
I’m creative when I enter stuff that’s weird. So for bread crusts, I would enter the brand of bread and enter it as 1/2 a serving. I always overestimate. LOL Seriously though, entering everything is so eye opening. I am so glad Kelly turned me on to this ap. I am still trying to lose some weight. It has really helped me be a better judge of the things I eat. I also like that I can enter my exercise. My motivation to exercise is that I will get more calories to eat that day 🙂