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Shelley Lost More Than 100 Lbs on Her "Last Diet"
Posted on Jan 27th 2010 11:00AM by Melissa JoulwanFiled Under: Motivation, America Takes It Off
Each week, we introduce you to bloggers who share their weight-loss journeys and hefty doses of inspiration with their readers. This week's featured blogger is Shelley of A Forty-Something's Weight Loss Journey.
Name: Shelley B.
Age: 46
Height: 5 feet, 2 inches
Before weight: 256
Current weight: 152
Goal weight: 138
My weight loss approach: Because I had so much to lose, I wanted to get some weight off quickly. I did a medically-supervised shake program for about three months, and I lost about 35 pounds. But I was starving and grumpy a lot of the time. I then went on to counting calories. I tried to stay around 1,000 per day but eventually upped the amount to 1,200 per day, with occasional forays into the 1,500 range just to keep my body guessing. My diet also evolved from eating a lot of processed "diet" foods like frozen meals to "clean eating." I discovered that I really liked fresh fruit, veggies without sauces or fake butter, and plain non-fat Greek yogurt with a little fresh fruit and whole wheat cereal mixed in.
I led a very sedentary lifestyle and the act of moving my body with intention to sweat was a foreign concept to me, so I didn't do a lot of exercise in the first six months of my diet. At first, I just rode my bike for a couple of laps around my street! Eventually I bought a Wii Fit and did their step aerobics for about 30 minutes a day, three days a week.
As the weight came off and it became easier for me to move, I felt like I was ready to step it up a notch, and I started going to a gym. I work out in very small groups with a trainer, doing 30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of strength training three days a week. This has made all the difference in the world to me! I discovered the motivation behind having a trainer who knows me and what I am capable of doing -- even when I don't think I can do whatever is suggested. Thanks to my trainers, I have now run a mile several times and am working my way toward running a 5K, which is something I never thought I would walk, much less run. My arms are very firm from the weight training, and I have muscle definition now! The best part is that my body shape has changed drastically. I wear a much smaller size at my current weight than I did when I was going up the scale all those years ago.
Why I wanted to blog about it: I started my blog the day I started my diet. I already knew that I wanted this to be my last diet, and the only way for that to happen would be to not re-gain the weight. I needed to be able to look back and see how hard I'd worked, how much I'd struggled and how hard-fought my successes were. I really believe that by doing this, I will not repeat the mistakes of my previous diets. I won't reach my goal weight and be "done." Instead, I'm making this a complete lifestyle change forever.
The best part of blogging: I have such a feeling of community -- that I'm not alone in my journey. It's been so nice to give and receive encouragement from other weight-loss bloggers, and to share with them the ups and downs of this crazy thing called dieting. For example, the weeks when I would do everything right and not lose a pound, my blogger friends kept me sane and prevented me from throwing in the towel to dive face-first into a plate of cookies. The reassurances, encouragement -- and sometimes a gentle nudge or two when I needed it -- have made me feel like there are others out there who understand what I'm going through. In turn, it's been so great to see how others are doing in their journey down the scale. I just love reading about their excitement with all the positive things that weight loss brings!
Best comment I've received: The best comments have come from people who told me that because of what I've been able to do, they were motivated to start their own weight loss journey. The very idea that what I was writing about actually inspired someone to make a healthy change still stuns me. The other thing that I love about comments is hearing from my regular readers. A lot of my regulars are quite funny, and their comments have made me laugh out loud many times!
What's next for my blog: As I get closer to reaching my goal weight (whatever that may be; I don't have a magic number in mind), I think my blog will evolve from focusing on weight loss to maintenance and what it takes to keep the weight off. That's something I've never been able to do, so there will be a lot of new chapters when that comes around. However, I know that as long as people Google "weight loss blogs" like I did in the beginning of my journey, my blog will have new readers who will see that it is possible to lose a lot of weight. As you can see by my timeline, it won't happen overnight, but with a lot of determination and a little knowledge, it can be done.
For more inspiration, see how Jennifer blogged her way to a 100-pound weight loss.
Name: Shelley B.Age: 46
Height: 5 feet, 2 inches
Before weight: 256
Current weight: 152
Goal weight: 138
My weight loss approach: Because I had so much to lose, I wanted to get some weight off quickly. I did a medically-supervised shake program for about three months, and I lost about 35 pounds. But I was starving and grumpy a lot of the time. I then went on to counting calories. I tried to stay around 1,000 per day but eventually upped the amount to 1,200 per day, with occasional forays into the 1,500 range just to keep my body guessing. My diet also evolved from eating a lot of processed "diet" foods like frozen meals to "clean eating." I discovered that I really liked fresh fruit, veggies without sauces or fake butter, and plain non-fat Greek yogurt with a little fresh fruit and whole wheat cereal mixed in.
I led a very sedentary lifestyle and the act of moving my body with intention to sweat was a foreign concept to me, so I didn't do a lot of exercise in the first six months of my diet. At first, I just rode my bike for a couple of laps around my street! Eventually I bought a Wii Fit and did their step aerobics for about 30 minutes a day, three days a week.
As the weight came off and it became easier for me to move, I felt like I was ready to step it up a notch, and I started going to a gym. I work out in very small groups with a trainer, doing 30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of strength training three days a week. This has made all the difference in the world to me! I discovered the motivation behind having a trainer who knows me and what I am capable of doing -- even when I don't think I can do whatever is suggested. Thanks to my trainers, I have now run a mile several times and am working my way toward running a 5K, which is something I never thought I would walk, much less run. My arms are very firm from the weight training, and I have muscle definition now! The best part is that my body shape has changed drastically. I wear a much smaller size at my current weight than I did when I was going up the scale all those years ago.
Why I wanted to blog about it: I started my blog the day I started my diet. I already knew that I wanted this to be my last diet, and the only way for that to happen would be to not re-gain the weight. I needed to be able to look back and see how hard I'd worked, how much I'd struggled and how hard-fought my successes were. I really believe that by doing this, I will not repeat the mistakes of my previous diets. I won't reach my goal weight and be "done." Instead, I'm making this a complete lifestyle change forever.The best part of blogging: I have such a feeling of community -- that I'm not alone in my journey. It's been so nice to give and receive encouragement from other weight-loss bloggers, and to share with them the ups and downs of this crazy thing called dieting. For example, the weeks when I would do everything right and not lose a pound, my blogger friends kept me sane and prevented me from throwing in the towel to dive face-first into a plate of cookies. The reassurances, encouragement -- and sometimes a gentle nudge or two when I needed it -- have made me feel like there are others out there who understand what I'm going through. In turn, it's been so great to see how others are doing in their journey down the scale. I just love reading about their excitement with all the positive things that weight loss brings!
Best comment I've received: The best comments have come from people who told me that because of what I've been able to do, they were motivated to start their own weight loss journey. The very idea that what I was writing about actually inspired someone to make a healthy change still stuns me. The other thing that I love about comments is hearing from my regular readers. A lot of my regulars are quite funny, and their comments have made me laugh out loud many times!
What's next for my blog: As I get closer to reaching my goal weight (whatever that may be; I don't have a magic number in mind), I think my blog will evolve from focusing on weight loss to maintenance and what it takes to keep the weight off. That's something I've never been able to do, so there will be a lot of new chapters when that comes around. However, I know that as long as people Google "weight loss blogs" like I did in the beginning of my journey, my blog will have new readers who will see that it is possible to lose a lot of weight. As you can see by my timeline, it won't happen overnight, but with a lot of determination and a little knowledge, it can be done.
For more inspiration, see how Jennifer blogged her way to a 100-pound weight loss.
