Posts: 2,090
5/30/12 4:09 P

I LOVE the way I eat now. Breakfast is always 2 Weetabix with skimmed milk then mid -morning I'll have a pear/apricots/apple. At lunch I have 200g of fish or chicken with brown rice, mixed vegetables and a WHOLE broccoli head followed by a galia melon (whole!) or half a honeydew melon. At night I have a tin of tuna with roasted red peppers, or soup, or diced raw red and green peppers and onions with octopus or just now I has a 2 egg omelette with runner beans,peppers, broccoli and artichokes followed by lychees.

I really really eat and get a lot for my 1300-1550 cals a day.

I'm so very lucky that the fruit and veg in Spain is delicious and fairly cheap.

I occasionally allow myself a Morrisons Eatsmart meal if I'm rushed off my feet and have no time to go buy fresh food and prepare it.....but I still eat it with a whole broccoli!! Broccoli is my new chocolate!! However, if I do allow myself these foods now and again I'm aware that the cravings will be back in full force for the next 4 or 5 days so I try to avoid it.

My daughter is too young to understand or appreciate what I've achieved but she's certainly thrilled that I can run after her now or go swimming or ride a bike with her.I used to leave all of that to my husband! She also likes that I wear colours now and not just black!

current weight: 209.0

222 201.75 181.5 161.25

141

Posts: 367
5/30/12 7:15 A

What a roller coaster of emotions, health concerns and professional concerns. All made better by switching to a healthy lifestyle. Its the small simple things that really count - like finding out your nutritional enemy (sugars and flour for you) and having the strength to battle through the cravings for these refined and highly addictive foods.
I also have PCOS and manage it well by avoiding processed and high GI/GL foods. Its the best way. Whats your diet made up of now?
Your daughter must be so proud of you too! Thanks for sharing all this.
Nicola

Posts: 2,090
5/29/12 10:48 A

It has got to the stage where I was under so many specialists at the same time (endocrin for PCOS and thyroid, Rheumo for possible lupus, Nuero for sleep apnea, on treatment for high cholesterol and blood pressure, and a specialist for a srious achilles tendon injury needing an operation and daily physio for knee problems) and at 41 yrs old I became terrified of my future. I am a ballet teacher and I wondered how on earth I was going to teach for the next 25 yrs till retirement when I was already sat in a chair only able to dance with my arms and teach by clear explanation.

I got fed up of weighting for some kind of miracle to occur that would reliave these conditions and realised that the majority of these conditions would at least get a little better if I could lose some of my weight.I just decided to start one day but without making past mistakes of using milkshake meal replacements or low fat diets or low cal. Whilst investigating healthy ranges for the food groups for a balanced diet I came across Sparkpeople and was off on my journey. I decided to cut out sugars and flour to try and cure my PCOS and this stopped my cravings and chocolate addiction.

Within 3 months of starting my blood pressure was normal, my cholesterol was low, I no longer had sleep apnea or migraines, and had had my first period for 5 years (and have had monthly ones ever since for the first time in my life. This is NOT due to being lighter because I'd never had a regular cycle even though I weighed between 7 !/2 and 9 stones...I think it's related to processed foods affecting the hormones and causing insulin resistence).I also no longer needed the achilles tendon op and my knees are slowly starting to cure themselves.

I don't think that my success this time was due to feeling motivated. It was more a sense of being dedicated to doing something that just had to be done and NOW. I knew I was heading for even bigger problems than the ones I had. I've had a image of myself these past months as a donkey with blinkers on its eyes going after the carrot.

There were lots of things that happened last summer that made me want to lose weight (breaking 2 chairs in public, having to ask the man next to me on the airplane to do my seatbelt up because I couldn't, my 6 yr old daughter having to defend her Fat Mummy to schoolfriends who made nasty comments about my size.....being charged double the price for a leg wax for being large...) and these made me want to lose weight desperately but in the end it was the health issues that made something click.

current weight: 209.0

222 201.75 181.5 161.25

141

Posts: 367
5/28/12 12:25 P

I was hoping you would post your achievements! So incredible. Really inspiring. What was it that motivated you to make those life changes that led to such dramatic weight loss?

Posts: 2,090
5/28/12 6:33 A

Well, it's hard to blow your own trumpet, but since you asked I'll toot away on it. I started on Spark Sept 4 2011 weighing 18st 1 pounds and yesterday reached my goal weight of 10 stones which means I've lost 8st1 in just under 9 months and feel fantastic for it. I have got rid of lots of health problems, feel so much more energetic and feel 20 yrs younger. Now I'm aiming for another half a stone so I've got room to flucuate and then we'll see. I was in a UK size 22/24 as long as it was elasticated and am now wearing Primark size 10/12 George size 10 on things with buttons and zips.

I totally believe that it has been due to the Spark trackers and articles keeping me focused on my "carrot" that have helped me achieve my goal so quickly and all the amazing support from the friends I've made on here along the way.I will be forever grateful to this site.

Edited by: LIBELULITA at: 5/28/2012 (06:34)

current weight: 209.0

222 201.75 181.5 161.25

141

Posts: 367
5/28/12 4:59 A

We Brits are not really good at sharing our achievements, the americans definitely do it better!

On a site like this though its good to shout about it if you've reached your goals (long term and short term) and share your succeses with the group. Use this space to tell us your achievements, as it will help to motivate and inspire other members. It doesn't matter if its 1lb weight loss in 1 week, 8 stone or a 5k run, lets hear about it!