That's Fit

Shelley Lost More Than 100 Lbs on Her "Last Diet"

Melissa Joulwan — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 11:00:00 EST

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.

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