Howdy from Florida everyone, Former, but forever, fat girl here. My name is Joanne and I lost 157 lbs., which took 3 years (it?s been 5 years since the start of this journey).?I have since gained 17 lbs. of it back, so I?m in panic mode?so I guess now I say I lost 140 lbs.?.we all know how easy it is to gain and how quickly it can spiral out of control. ?I?ve been working like a whore trying to lose it. It is not easy and it?s not working.? The older you get the harder it is.? I am going back to the start to try and get on track. Here?s what I did.
1)??? ?Went to the doctor ? you have to make sure the heart can handle what you are about to do to it
2)??? I went to the nutritionist ? found a fellow fat chick and got useless advice ? skip this and follow the rest
3)??? Went to a weight loss doctor, I just got advice ? no pills, no surgery.? He gave me baby steps?I did only this for 30 days? ? same routine with all other aspects of life.
a)??? No drinking anything at all 30 minutes before,? or after a meal?and no drinking at all while you eat. The reason is that liquid pushes food down and makes you either eat more in the moment or in some it fills you up just to find you back in the fridge eating again.
b)??? NO CARBONATED BEVERAGES, give up soda ? I have not tasted a soda in 5 years.
c)??? NO SWEET TEA. I got unsweetened tea and added 2 sweet and lows and lemon?.just as good ? they pour way too much sugar into tea
30 days later ? weighed in ? I was down 7 lbs.
Next step:
Doc said exercise?here is where most people fail. I know I would have.? I run like fat Amy, horizontally.
My husband is a Marine, he went to Iraq. I asked one of his friends for help?Biggest Mistake and Best Mistake I ever made. If you ask a Marine for help, they will give it ? even when you beg for mercy or fake illness or possible heart attack/death. ?Two Marines tag teamed due to the migraine that I was.? I cried, begged and resorted to threats, but they dragged me ?literally to the gym 6 days a week. I never thought I could kill, but I really think I came close to going completely insane on Paris Island.? In one year of extreme torture ? to which they kept screaming at me ?pain is weakness leaving the body?? ?Failure is for pussies?. I was a Marine recruit evidently?I hated them.
One year later I was down 69 lbs ? I love that number and it was a good number since hubby was coming home from Iraq and he hadn?t seen me?I refused pictures, he knew what I was doing, but I don?t think he thought I would lose much.? I was 272 lbs when he left. He got off the plane and walked right past me ? I was 203 lbs.? I had to reintroduce myself.? One month later ? he left again, back to Iraq. I had lost another 6 lbs while he was home. He was gone 7 months this time. I worked harder ? still cried and hated the people helping me.? I wish I could say everything got easier ? IT DIDN?T ?I don?t care what anyone says.?? In the next 7 months I lost 52 lbs. I was then down to 151 lbs?.the rest of that year and the next I scaled back a bit and got down to 121 lbs..
Since I quit my job, ?I am now up to 138 and I need to get back down a bit ? not because I feel bad about that, but just because I feel? icky now,? adding weight can put your body into slug mode and make you lazy.?? Oh yeah, hubby got off the plane and once again he didn?t recognize me?.but this time he wasn?t happy.? Too much change for him ? don?t worry ? he is ok with it all now.
I never mentioned food. Docs advice ? be realistic and never ever waste valuable belly space on lettuce. If I ate salad I used spinach ? it?s good for you, has iron and fiber and keeps you fuller than iceberg lettuce, which has no value.? I was told to keep sugar intake between 5 & 7 grams per meal.? THIS, THE BEVERAGE CONTROL AND THE EXERCISE IS WHAT HAD ME LOSE THE WEIGHT. If you hare keeping sugar low ? donuts aren?t an option.? I changed nothing else about what I eat, I didn?t cut out carbs. I?m Italian ? this wasn?t an option.? I did not quit drinking. I just had to work for what I wanted. If I wanted a slice of pizza ? I had to earn it at the gym. When your mind can convert what it takes to eat what you want?.you can be successful.? You won?t be successful with a bowl of lettuce and a carrot stick, it?s why diets fail. Diet is a fucked up word. You need to change from ?I?m on a diet? to ?this is my life? because diet sounds like a temporary word with an end. Changing forever what you put in you put in your mouth or at least working harder so you don?t gain weight when you do enjoy that bowl of chocolate slathered ice cream with nuts and cherries? is a life change.
Joanne lives in Florida with hubby and 3 fur babies. “My kids are all grown and out – my daughters didn’t go far (they are like boomarangs) I also have a 3 year old granddaughter and a son following his dads footsteps and serving in the Marines, currently in Japan. I recently quit my job as a property insurance agent here in Florida and became a domestic goddess – with dust everywhere. I really just love to cook, read and stalk Ana 🙂 “
Do you have questions for Joanne? Leave them here! She is my top stalker, so don’t worry, she’ll see them and answer you back. By the way, I can’t fucking believe she is a grandma. She is smokin’, and the rack on her is spectacular. Seriously. I love penis, but Jo here is hot. Since I don’t cook, Joanne doesn’t know it yet, but I will be asking her for some recipes, and a few questions based on this post, so check back for a follow up! Do you have any good healthy recipes? Or a story to share? Send me an e-mail ana@34i.31e.myftpupload.com.
Ricki says
Yay Joanne!! I’m so proud of you my friend!!!! More importantly is that you did it in at safe, healthy, and realistically!! Love you!
Joanne Christenson says
Thank you Ricki ?????
tina says
Joanne, what a journey you shared. I also live in Florida, hollywood miami border line to be exact. Living where people vacation is def a hard thing. I was able to focus and shed 60lbs three years ago and its bee. A struggle since to get back into that mind set.
Congrats
Joanne Christenson says
Losing weight us a struggle. …it will always be one for me….wether im trying to lose as I am now ….or maintain ….it is an every day thing. I had to change my mind…..do I ever go to the dunkin donut drive thru? Yup…..I always want that boston creme donut…..I end up with coffee with a shot of sugar free caramel three splenda and cream…….the donut is not worth the 10 treadmill miles…..when you start to correlate what you are putting in your mouth. ..with the exercise you have to do so you don’t gain. ..you might make better choices.
Kari says
Thanks for sharing, Joanne! I’d be interested in recipes, too! I fucking hate to cook and I suck at it – so it has to be easy. LOL!
I’m down 17.5 pounds since I started WW – a week after Ana did. I know I need to get my ass moving more – which is my real problem. I’m lazy. I work 14 hours a day at my desk. At home. In my pajamas. While paying for a gym membership. *sigh*
Ana says
OMG, that is awesome! I’m scared to weigh in! But quite honestly, I have not been doing the program AT ALL. Just going to meetings and wearing an activity monitor will not make me lose weight. I haven’t tracked today, and this comment made me. I’ll be lucky if my TOTAL is 5 this week, after gaining back 4 of the 9 I lost. grrr.
Joanne Christenson says
5 pounds is a lot. …pick up a bag of sugar. Be proud of that.
I love my crock pot. I also have a braiser for faster cooking in my oven. I do love to cook….which is gooddo since we don’t eat out much (ever watch kitchen nightmares?) I do have tons of easy recipes you can make….what’s your favorite food?
Joanne Christenson says
What’s gooddo? Supposed to just say “good”
Ella D. says
That’s wonderful! I lobe your post. You really are an inspiration!