Weight Loss Success Stories

Morgan is 5'6" tall. In the before photo she weighs about 225 and in the after pic she is at 135 pounds.

Morgan was over 100 pounds above her ideal weight after years of adding pounds in high school and university. When she finished University she was at her heaviest weight ever, at about 250 pounds. 

It took her about two years to lose 115 pounds and she has maintained her current weight of 135 for over three years now. 

Congrats to Morgan. Thanks much for your inspiring story!

I initially  began with small changes (changing unhealthy go to’s with more nutritious options).. a huge part of my weight loss was fueled by being unhappy and being uncomfortable in my own skin. 

I was never a heavy child, I was quite the opposite, underweight most of my life and spent my time doing competitive dance and swim. As I got older my dedication to the sports diminished and I became more concerned with hanging out with my friends and other teenagery things.

Because the exercise shift was so massive and my eating remained the same within the 4 years of high school I gained 65 lbs and an additional 40 lbs once university food became incorporated into my diet. I had never been so heavy before.

I was insecure, none of my clothes fit, I was bigger than all of my friends and people began making fat jokes when they thought I was out of hearing range. Enough was enough. One day after I finished my last exam and was getting ready to start my new summer job, I decided that school was over, exams were done; it was time for a change. What’s better to work on than my happiness? 

I dug up an old weight watchers book from the depths of my basement dating back to high school (the first time I attempted to loose the excess weight.) and the journey began. The first year I lost 80 pounds through just diet shift- I used weight watchers to help me monitor my eating choices and keep my diet balanced and my habits healthy (I come from a long line of eating disorders on my mothers side of the family; 3 generations of models… go figure) The remaining weight came off in my second year as I slowly incorporated regular exercise into my routine as well. 

Through my weightless journey I developed a better relationship with food and exercise, but in that I also developed a better relationship with myself. In those two years I learned how to love myself again. Not because I was thin, but because I was taking care of myself, nourishing my body and claiming back as my own.

Weight loss is hard, and it doesn't happen overnight, but  that doesn't mean it won’t happen. Take it day by day and don't beat yourself up for the little binges or bad days. Progress is progress- just keep moving forward.

Going From XXXXL to Medium Size Shirt

Shawn Before Losing 140 pounds

At 205 pounds (after losing 140 pounds)

Shawn used to wear an XXXXL (4XL) shirt but now wears a medium size shirt. He's lost 140 pounds. It took him just six months to lose the first one hundred pounds. Another thirty pounds got pounded away by the end of the first year - in Janurary 2010. He got down to under two hundred pounds at one point soon after but is now wavering at a pretty happy 220 or so..

Shawn lost his weight by counting calories. He allows himself cheat days and junk food on a regular basis but says the key is to keep within your calories for most days. His exercise of choice is basketball and the gym.

He started a blog - 344Pounds.com - when he first set out to lose the weight. He sent the 'before' pic and link to all his friends and relatives. This was embarrassing for him but he felt it would be pivotal in motivating him to stick to his goal.

Check out his site, he has some very inspiring posts including some great before and after pics and his first year weekly weight loss progress chart.

There are a lot of people who like to lose weight by counting calories. I've always thought this weight loss method appeals more to women than men. (Weight Watchers is based on this, and seems to be much more popular with women than men, see some success stories on this site about Weight Watchers...) My personal opinion is that whether this is a successful long-term strategy depends a lot on the type of personality you have. For example, in my case, I'm too much of a rebel type, I could never stick to this kind of detailed regiment of watching my calorie consumption all the time. I also think you'd be much more prone to experience hunger and discomfort if you are keeping to your calorie count, but it is based on foods that are not filling and nutritional. My personal preferred route is just to stick to exceptionally healthy foods most of the time. I believe you can eat a great deal of deliciously cooked vegetables, beans and brown rice, never feel hungry and consistently lose weight. I'm the type who would much rather educate myself on the healthiest foods and focus on eating those rather than on counting calories. (See some great info about healthy food here. )

But different methods work better for different people. Congrats to Shawn! Please visit his site.

Losing Pain and 60 Pounds

Congrats to Teri who lost sixty pounds seven years ago and has maintained this weight loss since then. 

She says she used to be a yo-yo dieter all her life and had tried many diets. 

"I had a stressful career, and my position required excessive travel.  I was home on average of three days a month, and mostly I wined and dined for a living (sounds tough, doesn't it?).  When the weight creeps on at five pounds a year, it doesn't seem so bad.  At least not until the 10th year.....

My life as I knew it came to a halt when a suicidal deer ran into the side of my car in November 2004.  I had severe neck and back injuries, and spent the next four months in either my bed or a hospital bed.  Between the myriad of medications and the desire for only "odorless, silent comfort food", that catered pity-party was good for another 10-20 pounds.

When I was finally out of bed, I had the restriction of only being allowed to drive one mile round trip. There was a Weight Watchers meeting 1/4 mile from my house. The Saturday morning I went, I sat in the parking lot and watched the people go into the Church, and watched them come out. I didn't get out of the car. The next week, I went in and joined. That was in April of 2005.

I'd love to say my journey was effortless, without a speed bump or detour, but not true. The first eight months were great - I think I had a loss most every week, and in nine months I had lost 45 pounds. Then I hit a plateau (or was it a mesa), and I did the +.2, -.2 shuffle for the next 3 months.  

As frustrating as that was, I kept trying to remind myself that this was the way I was going to be eating for the rest of my life, and chose to view it as "premature maintenance".  The real issue was that I was unable to exercise (I was barely able to move).  

My doctor sent me for Aquatic Physical Therapy, which over time evolved into water-walking, then water aerobics.  I talk about it in Let's Get Physical.  Once I started to exercise, I didn't lose that much more weight, but I lost three sizes!  As I've been known to say to my members, "items in the overhead shift during flight", and I was thrilled to put some of my "items" back where they belonged.

I hit my goal in June of 2006 and Lifetime in August. I was ecstatic. I was a different person. I was in a lot less pain (and I attribute that to not carrying the weight equivalent of a 7-year-old on my back and neck every day).  What I didn't know then was that I had not only lost 60 pounds, but I would be looking back seven years later and not have found it again."

Thanks much to Teri for this very inspiring story! She has since become a Weight Watchers leader and finds it the most rewarding job she's ever had. See her blog at Weight Weight Don't Tell Me. 

Teen Loses 100 Pounds in Ten Months

Charles before weight loss

Charles after weight loss

Charles is a teenager, age 16, who became determined to lose weight 14 months ago. At that point he weighed 285 pounds. Within ten months of starting, he had succeeded in losing 100 pounds! Three months later he had lost another 15 pounds to reach his goal weight of 170 pounds. (He is 6'0 tall.)

Charles did this with amazing tenacity and has completely changed his life around. Here is his hugely inspiring story;

Since the age of five, I loved chicken nuggets, fries, pizza and Chinese food. My love for fast foods and large portions were two of the most significant factors that impacted my weight drastically.

I didn't want to listen to my parent’s concern for me to eat healthy foods. Almost everyday, I desired fried foods that were high in calories and fats. When going to restaurants, I would only order foods such as pepperoni pizza, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and cheeseburgers without even glancing at the other options on the menu. I also led a sedentary life and played video games or on the computer. I was gaining huge amounts of weight per year. 

In May 2011, I went to the doctor for my physical and my weight had peaked at its highest – 285 pounds! My doctor explained to me that if I didn't do something about my weight, I would have an increased chance of developing heart disease and diabetes later in life, as well as a decreased life expectancy. My mother had diabetes and took insulin 4 times a day. My grandfather had died from atherosclerosis.

I ran out of breath while walking up the steps and during physical education, always came in last, which resulted in taunts from others. Also, I could never wear “cool” clothes for kids my age, and had to wear men’s XXL shirts and huge baggy pants. I was ashamed to be seen in public. In school, I was degraded and ridiculed with hurtful comments and jeers from students. This lowered my self-esteem immensely. I was extremely devastated and didn't want to go to school or talk to anyone. 

One day after getting up from bed, I couldn't breathe. I felt as if I was going to die. I prayed to God to help me and it was then that I decided to make a serious effort to lose weight and become healthy. 

My mom had a workout video called “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” by fitness guru Richard Simmons. It was basically dancing and exercising to great music. It was fun and made me feel good. I read on the internet about healthy eating and devised a menu for myself. 

After checking with my physician, I began to eat well-balanced meals which consisted of more protein, less carbs/fats, and I also counted calories. I completely avoided white bread and sugar. Instead, I ate low cal/carb wheat bread and used Equal. I hated salads before, but now I loved it and dressed it up with fresh veggies and low cal dressing. Diet sodas were permanently replaced by bottles of water. 

The first few months were not easy; I battled the temptation of food and just a short walk on the treadmill made me run out of breath. However, I remained focused on my goal and I worked harder each day. 

I began running one mile with strain, and after 5 months and 50 lbs less, I was running 5 to 7 miles per day. I started doing muscle toning basics and athletic style cardio workouts using videos which had a definite boot camp attitude. 

In 10 months, I was 185 lbs, I had lost 100 lbs. 

It has now become a habit for me to eat healthy and on a timely basis. I do not eat dinner beyond 7:00PM. If I get hungry at night, I have sugar-free, fat-free Jello or an Atkins bar. In addition to running, I love playing basketball, and doing strength and weight conditioning. 

After thirteen months, at 170 lbs, I have lost a total of 115 lbs and maintained my weight.

I understand the plight of teens who suffer from obesity and the emotional and physical strain associated with it. I want to tell them to believe in themselves and do their weight loss regimen a little at a time. Also to never lose faith in themselves or let anyone bring them down by telling them that they can’t do it. Have faith, stay focused, it will take hard work and determination, but the rewards will be great. Thank you, Charles Haines

Losing 50 Pounds and Keeping it Off

Shira at age 25, 175 pounds

Shira at age 45, 125 pounds

When Shira was 25 years old she weighed 175 pounds and felt she was about 50 pounds overweight given her height of 5'4".

She went on to lose the weight starting from the inside out through jornaling, positive self-talk and visualization in addition to lots of exercise and eating better.

What is doubly wonderful about her story is that she has successfully maintained this weight loss for twenty years. At age 45 she still weighs 125.

Check out her website at The Lighter Perspective. Congrats Shira!