My story on how I lost over 100 pounds, in a year and how you can do it too!

About me

Hello! My name is Amy, and this is my story on how I lost over 100 pounds in just over a year’s time. I am here today writing this for the same reason you are probably here reading it…. I was tired of being unhealthy! It was time to make a change! Like too many of us I have lost and gained my entire life, tried every diet known to man. I’d go wild planning and portioning out meals! I’ve tried Atkins, Weight Watchers and many others but each time I would gain it all back. The problem with these diets was I was either eating the same crap just in smaller portions or I was cutting out food groups completely. After many failed attempts I have now learned after losing over 100 pounds that “diets simply don’t work”!! Those diets didn’t teach me anything about food or give me any understanding as to why I had issues to begin with.

How I got here

Since I was a little girl, I had always struggled with my weight and being taller than average added to my awkwardness. The first time I had realized it was an issue was when I was made fun of by a bunch of teenage boys as I was swimming at our local YMCA. At the age of eleven I remember going to my mother in tears asking for help, telling her I was unhappy. She put me on a low-calorie diet, and with her assistance I lost over 80 pounds. That would begin my yo-yo journey for the next 35 years. Over the years I tried to get help from my doctors with no avail. One male doctor told me “At this rate I’d be tipping the scales at 300 in no time”. He offered no help; I left the practice after that! My next male doctor stated, (“It’s pretty simple, calories in calories out”) which left me feeling bad about myself. If it’s so easy, why can’t I do it, I felt like a failure! When someone comes to you for weight loss assistance, they need more that calories in calories out. They need education, guidance and perhaps some empathy could go a long way too! I now know that he was the one that failed me, he was the professional. Do better!!

A bit about me

I am a 45-year-old mom with two teen boys, a hubby and a property management business that I run but rewind three years ago I worked full time as a licensed Insurance Agent…a stressful desk job. During that time, I was diagnosed stage 2 liver fibrosis. Liver disease is hereditary in my family and there is still no known cause therefore no known cure. I was 285 pounds when I was diagnosed, the heaviest I’ve ever been…I honestly didn’t even realize I was that big. During that time my hubby and I decided to purchase another short-term rental property so he and my boys would be better taken care of financially. We were planning…. planning life without me.

A decision to make

I had a decision to make!! At first, I cried…a lot and almost just said it is what it is, there was nothing I could do. I watched my mom, my aunt, and uncle die of this same disease, so I nearly gave up! My oldest son Hunter said to me, ” mom you have to fight, do what you have to do but fight.” I’m getting all choked up writing this now. How could I not?? I decided to “do whatever I had to do”!! I decided to FIGHT!

My plan of action

The best thing I could do for myself and my health at this point was to lose weight but how was I going to do it? Being unsuccessful so many times led me to not have much confidence in my abilities. However, I was determined…. I had to be! I called my local Bariatric went in for an appointment and was approved for surgery. The thought of surgery was something I was never really comfortable with. Surgery with liver disease didn’t make a lot of sense to me either. I felt it would put my body and liver though more stress along with potential complications and vitamin deficiencies. After my consult with the surgeon, he gave me a diet to follow but told me I wasn’t required to lose anything. I took that as an opportunity to give it one last go on my own. I said to myself, “If I can lose a good amount of weight on my own before my next appointment then I will prove to him I can do it on my own”. If I don’t lose the weight, I would have proved to myself that surgery may be the best option to save my life.

On my way

By my next appointment I had lost 40 pounds! I told my Dr. that I believed I could do this on my own. They agreed and decided to help me throughout my journey. I still go for visits with my nutritionist, it helps to keep me accountable. Take advantage of these services in your area, don’t be afraid to ask for help! Advocate for yourself! Now on to the good stuff!!

My weight loss tips

First and foremost- Diets don’t work!! What I mean by that is in my experience fad diets are just that…. a fad. They are not sustainable and are not something you are going to stick with for the rest of your life. Don’t completely cut out certain food groups but do learn to make better choices. Do your own research! I got where I am by reading countless articles, watching videos, reading case studies. Every day I’m still learning! Teach yourself about your food and the ingredients that are used. Go by this simple rule, “The less ingredients, the better”. Forget about your goal weight but instead focus on 5lb victories, set and celebrate the small goals. If I had set a goal to lose 100 pounds it may have felt very overwhelming. Take measurements at least once every 3 months and don’t forget to take progress pictures, you’ll wish you had later.

Tracking/logging your food

Food and calorie tracking is on top of my list, this cannot be skipped. I make sure to stay in my calorie limits I set forth for myself to reach my goal. Too many times I’ve heard people say, “I don’t understand, I really don’t eat that much”…. it’s me…I’M PEOPLE! Don’t let this be you too! You will never fully realize what you are consuming in a day if you don’t track. Once you do you will be surprised. I cannot stress enough how important this is. In my experience if I don’t track, I will not succeed. This is something I will do for the rest of my life. Here is the affiliate link for the calorie tracker book I use if interested. I’ve tried using the apps but for some reason I can’t stick to using them. A book is just better for me. Seeing the book in my sight is a reminder for me to track.

How many calories should I consume?

You may be asking yourself how many calories should you be consuming to hit your weight loss goals? This site Calorie Calculator is so easy to use, all you do is plug in some basic info and it will give you your calorie goals. I feel my body requires a bit less to hit the same goals so I tend to go a bit under their recommendation. Your metabolism can take a hit from many years of yo-yo dieting. You’ll need to find what works for you and you’ll be constantly changing that as your weight changes. I remember getting upset when I’d see someone eating and drinking whatever they wanted thinking I should be able to do that too. Now I’ve come to the understanding that we are all different with different nutritional needs and that’s ok. There is power in understanding and knowing your body and it feels amazing. Which brings us to my next tip…

Weigh In’s

Weighing in and logging your weight and body measurements is very important. Get yourself your book, build the habit of tracking (habit forming takes 30 days). Take your measurements every 3 months. As far as weighing in I do this every morning (this may not be for everyone). I don’t do it to see constant weight loss, I do it to learn about my body. It has been one of the most powerful tools to me. It will teach you how your body reacts to certain foods and workouts. Don’t get upset about normal weight fluctuations, they are absolutely normal. There is no reason to worry because you are choosing to make the right decisions for your body. Even if your body doesn’t respond on the scale for a bit…it is responding. You are finally treating your body right and it will show…keep doing you!

Workouts

Oh yes…workouts! This has been one of my biggest obstacles. For someone who gets bored easily like myself switching it up often keeps things interesting. I do enjoy hiking with my friend’s, going for walks, taking Zumba classes. Also love my workouts at home with my yoga mat (weights a good YouTube video). Early morning workouts when it’s quiet at home are the best. Take your yoga mat put it outside in a private area and do your own workout, there’s nothing like it. I also recommend doing the HIIT workouts as those will really ramp up the weight loss for you. Incorporate weight training as building muscle is very important, the more muscle the higher the calorie burn. Find things you enjoy doing and just make it a goal to live a “more active life”. Before you know it, you’ll be doing things you’ve never done before and meeting some new friends.

What do I eat?

Limit processed foods as much as possible, limit complex carbs such a pastas and white bread and avoid artificial sweeteners. Simple Carbs found naturally in fruit and vegetables would be better to consume. Buy a food scale to teach yourself what your servings are, they are a godsend! The less ingredients the better, get used to reading labels. When reading labels, I also take in account the carb content, sugar content, sodium content and the calories. Everything is about portion control! When my husband and I go out to eat I choose the lowest calorie option, typically a grilled item. I cut my meal in half as soon as I get it and take the other half home. I do this so I’m not tempted to eat it, this works!! Lastly, I do not drink my calories! I drink water, tea or coffee but I do not drink milk or juices or alcohol. Drinking alcohol made weight loss near impossible for me. Not to mention the obvious reasons of not being good for your liver. That’s another story for another day! 🙂

Plateaus

We all go through them! You will too it’s how you choose to respond to them that will make all the difference! There would be 3-4 week periods where I did everything right, but nothing changed on the scale. This is when a lot of people give up but what are you giving up on? This is your new and beautiful life! This happens for multiple reasons, your body is just catching up, maybe you need to lower your calories if you haven’t yet from all your weight loss…go back to your calorie calculator. Are you drinking your water? Always drink at least 64oz a day (I swear the more you drink the faster you lose)!! Take your measurements as during this time you could be changing your body composition. If you are doing everything right and nothing is happening on the scale… just keep going! Take pride in knowing you are doing everything right and you are taking control. This is when you’ll be put to the test but remember this is a journey not a race. It takes time! If you come to terms with the fact that this is a lifelong change then your plateaus will be easier to get through. This is when your mindset changes and you finally awaken and understand. I could have never understood this until I felt it, I have never felt this until now that is why it is so important for me to share this with you all. I’m tired of people struggling when they don’t have to! Mindset is everything!

Hunger

In a Facebook group I am a member of one user’s reached out to me asking for advice. She stated she was always hungry when she cut her calories. This question stuck out to me above all others! I stumbled upon an interesting article that explained appetite in humans, the article changed me completely (changed my mind set). I obviously experience hunger as well, we all do it’s normal. The article stated basically that hunger was something we were born with. The first humans had to go long periods of time without eating. Hunger kicked in as a defense mechanism so that the body didn’t starve. It’s much different today, as our diet is high in calories. Our bodies have lived on much less. Hunger now kicks in when we don’t eat for a few hours. However, we are not in any danger of starving. I now look at it as my body is just trying to trick me into eating when it’s not necessary…lol kidding but not really! Pay more attention to your nutrition as you’re the one who’s been keeping track. You’d be the first to know if you were really starving to death. You’re in control not some innate hunger pain…remember this!

Positive Outlook to lose weight

This is very important!! Avoid pointing out the parts of yourself you are not happy with. I know we have all done this but make a conscience effort to stop! Instead look in the mirror and say out loud something you like about yourself, do this every day! Your body will respond physically to the positive love it’s receiving from you, I believe this wholeheartedly. Google the experiment where the students spoke poorly to one plant and kindly to the other. The plant that was spoke poorly to wilted and died the plant that was spoke kindly to flourished! Most importantly love yourself and be patient with yourself thought-out your journey! Know you are capable of anything!

As for me

100l lb weight is crazy to even think about but I take things day by day. I set a five-pound goals and I would work to hit them. Setting small goals really works! I still do that today. It’s rewarding to be crushing your goals constantly! I am healthier than ever and feel absolutely amazing. However, the best news is I no longer have fibrosis. In fact my doctor is now convinced that what I had was due to fatty liver and was not what my family had. I now only have to be tested once a year for monitoring. This changed my life completely…. I changed my life completely and so can you!!! It’s never too late!

Click here for affiliate link to Calorie Tracker book I use. 🙂

Keep an eye out for more content in my “Blog area” as I will be sharing more stories, tips and things and I’ve experienced throughout out my journey! Thank you for reading of how I lost 100 pounds! If I can help just one person than this was all worth it!