# From 300lbs



## Sarah Bella (Mar 26, 2007)

I actually just found this forum and i wanted to say GOOD FOR YOU ALL!!! 

I can tell you from experience that losing weight is one of the hardest things in life to do. When my daughter was born i weighed 300lbs. It was a struggle for a very long time and i tried ALLL the FAD diets only to find that when i went off the diets the weight just came back on as fast as it came off. DEPRESSING!!!!

3 years ago i really had to change my lifestyle, not only for me but for my VERY obese husband and my kids. I stopped smoking, saved my money in a jar and when i had enuff $$$ saved up i joined Curves. i REALLY loved that gym as it catered to large women like myself so the atmosphere wasn't intimidating at all. The trainers were fabulous and offered so much encouragement. And i could do 1/2 hour a day, EVERYONE can find half an hour a day to do something good for themselves. My husband saw me losing weight and i guess he was afraid i would leave him behind so he joined the gym at his work. i also learned how to eat properly and what my danger foods were (i'm a carb junkie, give me a loaf of fresh baked bread and im a happy woman). i lost most of my weight the first 8 months and after that maintained it for a while. i stuck with it for 2 years but after that i got bored and had to do something else so we got a dog, a high energy dog, a Lab  hubby and i are both about half the size we were before and we are much happier people for it. 

Start small, make little changes to your lifestyle, like going from 18% table cream in your coffee to 10%, or from 10% - 5%. Switch from regular tea to green tea, it increases your metabolism along with many other health benefits. Use smaller plates, the portions will seem larger  And eat slower, you'll notice you feel full quicker. I used to do REALLY silly stuff, like if i was going upstairs for something i would run up then run back down then go up again to get what i wanted then back downstairs. I would walk or jog on the spot during commercials when watching TV, i could manage 1 commercial at first, then i set my goal to 2, then 3 then the whole commercial break. I like chocolate! A LOT!!! so i would buy a KING SIZE chocolate bar, cut it up into small pieces and freeze it. When i felt the need for a sweet treat i would go to the freezer (outside, in the garage) and snag a piece, my chocolate bars would last about a week instead of 2 minutes, and because the bits were frozen it was an effort to chew so by the time i was finished my brain THOUGHT i just had a whole bar and i was as satisfied with a piece as i used to be with the whole bar. It's still a very conscious effort for me to go to the coffee shop with my husband without getting a sweet treat for myself so i do allow a treat every 3rd visit. 

most importantly, you need to believe in yourself  

i believe in every single one of you


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

Wow...what an inspiration. Thanks for posting this!


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## tinda (Jun 11, 2005)

Congratulations!!

You must be sooo proud of yourself & your DH. You have learned the secret -- diets don"t work! Re-learning and refining yourr eating habits do. :dance:

Oh yeah-- Dont' forget the exercise. It's important.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

THANK YOU!!!! I am still trying to lose the same 20-25# and I'm feeling very stuck, so it is so inspirational to hear success stories like yours. I really need to remember the exercise aspect. I really don't have an excuse - there are sure plenty of jobs that need doing around here and would burn a fair number of calories in the process.


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## dashley (Jan 23, 2005)

This is a wonderful story, thank you for sharing it!! You just took charge of your life and accomplished what you needed to accomplish. You have guts!!!

:rock:


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## Wolf mom (Mar 8, 2005)

Inspiring, Sarah Bella.


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## southrngardngal (Oct 18, 2005)

Thank you for sharing your story. It was just what I needed to read today.

I am using the smaller plate idea and your right. Using a smaller plate tricks my brain into thinking that I have eaten a lot more than what I ate. I also am doing the slow chewing and I added laying down the fork in between bites too.

Congratulations to you and your husband on your weight loss.

southrngardngal-Jan


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Good for you! I read an article some years ago about a morbidly obese woman who wanted to start a walking program. But, she could only get from her garage to the sidewalk and back. For a walking partner, a friend gave her a toy poodle. She could keep up with the poodle and soon they were making it to the sidewalk, and a few steps to the left or right. Then, they made it to the corner. She was elated, and I'm sure her little dog was too. Step by step, literally, they eventually made it around the block. When I read the part of your getting a Lab as an exercise partner it made me think of this woman.


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## QuiltingLady2 (Jan 3, 2007)

Sarah your story brought me to tears. Thank you so much for sharing. I'm at day 8 and this is when I usually fall off or lose interest. Took me years to gain this weight but, my inner child thinks it should come off in a week. LOL

Really, what an inspiration. Are you at your goal now? What do you do to maintain? Are you white knucking it or are you happy with your diet and satified now in maintainance? 

 Thanks again

QLady


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## kygreendream (Mar 20, 2007)

And what the rest of us want to know what do you eat? I am a carb addict! I have PCOS and insulin resistant, so thinking of food makes me loose weight. Since I have a poor ankle- osteoarthritis I have found it almost impossible to loose weight. I stopped working in April and went from a 16 to up creaping 18 if I dont do something soon then I will be WWWWAAAAAYYYYY to big so now I have to start something because I am starting to get brown spots on my forehead from the insulin. Thank you for the encouraging story! I am so glad you did so well. Joyce


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