Tams weight loss journey

OK, I'M NOT A DOCTOR OR AN EXPERT ON WEIGHT LOSS BUT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKING ME FOR MORE DETAILS ON HOW I LOST MY WEIGHT SO HERE IT IS. THIS WORKED FOR ME BUT REMEMBER EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT AND YOU NEED TO FIND WHAT WORKS FOR YOU AND STICK TO IT! check out my comparison pics at the bottom!

I HAVE COME A LONG WAY IN MY WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY AND IT WAS ALL WORTH IT...I'M WORTH IT!! THIS IS MY STORY...MY WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY TO BE HEALTHY AND FIT STARTED IN JUNE 2002 WHEN I WAS 260 POUNDS. I'M 5'8" TALL. I REALIZED I WAS TIRED OF LOOKING IN THE MIRROR AND SEEING A UNHEALTHY, OVERWEIGHT AND MISERABLE PERSON. I NEEDED TO LOSE THE WEIGHT FOR MYSELF BUT I ALSO WANTED TO BE AROUND FOR MY WONDERFUL HUBBY (WHO HAS ALWAYS LOVED ME NO MATTER WHAT MY SIZE IS!!) , OUR 3 GREAT KIDS AND OUR FUTURE GRANDKIDS! SO, AFTER VISITING MY DOCTOR, I STARTED COUNTING CALORIES, EATING MOSTLY LOW FAT AND FAT FREE FOODS AND EXERCISING DAILY. I HAD TO START BY MAKING SMART FOOD CHOICES AND READING LABELS. I SET REALISTIC GOALS FOR MYSELF. I AIMED TO LOSE 1-2 POUNDS PER WEEK BY COUNTING CALORIES, EATING MOSTLY LOW FAT AND FAT FREE FOODS AND EXERCISING BY WALKING A LOT. I STARTED EATING HEALTHY BUT I DID ALLOW MYSELF A TREAT EVERY NOW AND THEN (IN MODERATION) SO I WOULDN'T FEEL DEPRIVED BUT THE TREAT WOULD STILL BE WITHIN MY CALORIE LIMIT! I ATE WHAT I WANTED WHICH WAS MOSTLY HEALTHY FOODS BUT IN SMALLER PORTIONS AND I STAYED WITHIN MY CALORIE LIMIT EACH DAY. THE FIRST YEAR I STARTED OUT EATING NO MORE THAN 1,200 CALORIES BUT NOW I USUALLY STAY AROUND 1,500 TO 1,700 CALORIES AND I FEEL FULL PLUS I STILL WALK DAILY! TO ME, THIS WAS A HEALTHY LIFESTLYE CHANGE WHICH I CAN KEEP UP FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE AND NOT A PUNISHING DIET WITH UNREALISTIC GOALS. I EAT LOTS OF FRUITS AND VEGGIES, LEAN MEATS AND I DRINK SKIM MILK, WATER, TEA AND DIET SODA. I EAT A VARIETY OF HEALTHY FOODS, SO I DON'T GET STUCK EATING THE SAME THINGS ALL THE TIME. THIS KEEPS ME FEELING SATISFIED AND NOT DEPRIVED. I DON'T SKIP BREAKFAST!! I USUALLY EAT A BOWL OF OATMEAL WITH SKIM MILK EVERY MORNING TO KICK START MY DAY. I LIKE TO EAT GRILLED FOODS AND I AVIOD FRIED FOODS WHEN POSSIBLE. I EAT FRUIT WHEN I HAVE A CRAVING FOR SWEETS. I HAVE LEARNED TO EAT MUCH SLOWER SO I ENJOY THE TASTE OF MY FOOD. I KEPT (AND STILL DO) A JOURNAL SO I KNOW HOW MUCH I HAVE ATE AND HOW MUCH EXERCISE I DID EACH DAY. THIS KEEPS ME ACCOUNTABLE! AS THE POUNDS CAME OFF, MY SELF-CONFIDENCE GREW AND GREW! I HAVE LOST 120 POUNDS AND WENT FROM A SIZE 22/24 TO A SIZE 6 (4'S IN SOME BRANDS!!) AND MY LIFE IS AMAZING! I'M A WHOLE NEW PERSON OUTSIDE BUT THE SAME (BUT MORE CONFIDENT) ME ON THE INSIDE! I HAVE THE ENERGY AND CONFIDENCE TO BE HAPPY WITH MY BODY AND MY MIND. I NOW LOVE LOOKING IN THE MIRROR AND SEEING A HEALTHY, HAPPY & CONFIDENT PERSON LOOKING BACK! I STARTED OUT BY WALKING 1 TO 2 MILES DAILY AND IT WAS HARD! LUCKILY I HAVE A GREAT SUPPORT SYSTEM WITH MY HUBBY AND KIDS. THEY WALKED WITH ME, GAVE ME ROOM TO DO WHAT I NEEDED TO DO, AND THEY BECAME (AND STILL ARE) MY BIGGEST MOTIVATIONAL SUPPORT! I EVEN WALKED IN THE WINTER, NO EXCUSES!! I EXERCISED IN MY BASEMENT WHEN NECESSARY. I WORKED UP TO WALKING 4 TO 6 MILES A DAY (AND I STILL DO) AND I EXERCISE IN MY BASEMENT BY JUMPING AROUND AND DANCING TO MUSIC, WALKING/JOGGING IN PLACE WHILE WATCHING TV OR LISTENING TO MUSIC, AND WORKING OUT TO EXERCISE VIDEOS. I REALLY LIKE RICHARD SIMMON'S SWEATING TO THE OLDIES VIDEO. I EVEN DANCE/JUMP AROUND WHILE FOLDING PILES OF LAUNDRY OR DUSTING AROUND THE HOUSE! JUST GETTING MY BODY MOVING AND EATING HEALTHY MADE MY EXTRA POUNDS DISAPPEAR. I NOW WALK WITH MY HEAD HELD HIGH CUZ I WORKED HARD FOR THIS "NEW & IMPROVED" ME, AND I HAVE A HUGE SENSE OF ACCOMLISHMENT! I'M COMMITTED TO EATING HEALTHY AND EXERCISING REGULARLY FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE CUZ THESE ARE THE KEYS TO MY SUCCESSFUL WEIGHT LOSS. WEIGHT TAKES TIME TO GAIN AND IT TAKES TIME TO LOSE! BUT ONCE THE WEIGHT IS GONE, IT'S ALL WORTH IT...YOU ARE WORTH IT!! JUST GET YOUR BODY MOVING AND KEEP IT GOING. THERE IS NO SHORTCUTS OR MAGIC PILLS, IT'S A LOT OF HARD WORK BUT I DID IT AND I'M VERY PROUD OF MYSELF! I'M ENJOYING THE MANY COMPLIMENTS I'M GETTING, THEY ARE A GREAT WEIGHT LOSS MOTIVATION FOR ME! SINCE MY WEIGHT LOSS, SOME PEOPLE DON'T EVEN RECOGNIZE ME AND SOME PEOPLE JOKE WITH MY HUBBY ABOUT HIM GETTING A "NEW WIFE" OR THEY WANT TO KNOW WHO THE "HOT" BLONDE IS WITH HIM ! LITTLE THINGS LIKE THAT SURE MAKE ME FEEL VIBRANT AND ATTRACTIVE AND I KNOW MY HUBBY ENJOYS HEARING THE COMPLIMENTS TOO! I DO WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT I'M STILL THE SAME FRIENDLY, NICE, CARING, LOVING PERSON NOW AS I WAS WHEN I WAS HEAVY!! WE ALL NEED TO REMEMBER THAT OUR WORTH AS A PERSON IS NOT MEASURED BY A SCALE BUT IT REALLY FEELS FANTASTIC TO HAVE LOST THE WEIGHT AND TO BE SUCCESSFULLY MAINTAINING IT. FOCUS ON GETTING HEALTHY AND FIT AND BE COMMITTED TO MAKING YOURSELF #1! REMEMBER, EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT SO FIND SOMETHING THAT WORKS FOR YOU THEN STICK TO IT AND NEVER GIVE UP! YOU HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE SO STAY FOCUSED ON YOUR GOAL AND THE RESULTS YOU WANT WILL SLOWLY BUT SURELY COME! I HOPE MY STORY HELPS GET YOU MOTIVATED AND GIVES YOU THE INSPIRATION TO ACHIEVE YOUR WEIGHT LOSS GOAL LIKE I DID. I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT!! YOU ARE WORTH IT!! FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME.