Huge weight loss stories 200lb+ w/o surgery

[Mermaid02]

Weight watchers online is less than $20 per month and gives you access to great resources!

 

[Angelhalo]

Good Luck Op!!

I need to lose weight as well. Not 200 lbs but a significant amount nonetheless.

The thing that finally pushed me over the edge is my BIL. He eats nothing but junk. He is a VERY heavy guy and he has had a heart attack and a defib placed in his heart and all kinds of stuff. Yet he refuses to make any changes and his Docs say they have no idea how long he will actually last. I don't want food to control my life like that.

I think sticking to it, just has to do with how much you want it, or need it. Sometimes it takes a scary wake up call. This is something that could cause me to die at some point, and I amnot cool with that. If it's death or fish, death or lowfat mayo, then I think I know which one I will pick.

DH and I are doing low carb right now. With low carb, we get to keep our full fat mayo, full fat sour cream, full fat cheese, etc etc. You might want to look into it. I would suggest that no matter which way you decide to go, you get some cookbooks that go along with your diet change of choice. It is nearly impossible to start something new when you never have any idea what to make.

 

[Angelhalo]

Also don't worry about not likely certain healthy things there are plenty of different foods out there that are good for you and that I'm sure you will like You mentioned fat free dressing and mayo. There is nothing saying you have to use fat free or full fat of either of these. I actually don't eat any condiments, I figure out other ways to incorporate flavor, for example I squeeze fresh lemon on my salads.

Ahhhh yes this is what a lot of people suggest. If it is a flavor suggestion, then this is great!!!

However, for me, condiments are about texture. I do not like anything that even remotely resembles dry. I like the "feel" of a sauce. This is one reason the Low Carb diet works so well for us! Last night I made a wasabi sauce for our seared tuna, that was just HEAVENLY! A little lemon juice or soy sauce would not provide the same rich mouth feel of a sauce that had a tablespoon of mayo mixed into it.

Not arguing with you or saying you are wrong or anything, don't want it to be taken that way. I love lemon juice!! just not in the place of an actual creamy sauce.

 

[Bilberry]

I've read of some people loosing weight quickly by measuring before and after meal insulin levels.

http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/i-lost-37-lbs-with-fingerstick.html

 

[Nette]

I used to run the messageboards for the SugarBusters website. And the #1 thing you can do to succeed at this is to get educated about nutrition. All of the people I know who have lost large amounts of weight and kept it off are voracious readers and are constantly learning about food and nutrition. The great thing about doing this is that your diet will evolve over time rather that trying to make one giant change that pretty much guarantees failure.

For example, when I wanted to lose weight (I had about 50lbs to lose) I read Sugar Busters (obviously). From that I learned to cut out the "white" foods. So I did that and dropped most of the weight. But in maintaining the loss I read even more information about WHY I would gain weight from different foods. I also learned about how the food industry is making food (or as Pollan would say "food like substances") addictive. I gave up diet soda when a nutritionist pointed out to me that "no one is getting skinny from diet soda" (Yes I realize that is a blanket statement that is not completely true). And the thought of the garbage in regular soda keeps me from drinking it. Who really needs to consume those chemicals. It makes me sick to even think about it.

I know this must all sound "holier than thou". I don't mean for it to. I'm just saying that as my knowledge about foods (and food like substances) has increased, the way I eat has evolved. That made the changes small enough to stick to easily. I'm not saying that there were foods I cut out that I didn't go back and change my mind on later -- for example, I eat baked potatoes now, where Sugar Busters strictly forbids them. But if you eat the skin (and don't put a ton of butter on them) they're actually pretty good for you.

On another note... I don't consider fat-free or sugar-free options all that "healthy". They're loaded with sugar (or sugar substitute) and other chemicals. Gross.

 

[AshleyW]

Good luck, OP! You can do it!

I suggest checking out myfitnesspal.com. It's been a really great resource for me while trying to loose weight, and it's free! You enter in all your information, and it calculates how many calories you need to eat per day to lose "x" amount of lbs per week. You can pick if you want to lose .5lbs, 1lb, 1.5lbs, 2lbs, keep your weight steady, or even gain weight! They have a HUGE database of foods that makes tracking calories really easy, and they even have a cell phone app, so you can keep track while you're on the go. The thing I REALLY love is the barcode scanner on the app, so all you have to do is scan the barcode of whatever you're eating, fill in how many servings, and it does all the figuring for you. They've also got blogs, forums (with REALLY supportive people, and people who have had lots of success!), tools, recipes.. tons of cool stuff.

Anyway, no matter what you choose - it'll be a lot of work, but totally do-able, just gotta stick with it!

 

[arminnie]

Exercise really helps - but don't think it's impossible to lose weight w/o exercise. Sometimes it can be almost impossible to exercise because of weight or health issues.

I lost 25 pounds last fall without even trying - in my 60+ years the only thing I have ever been able to do without trying is GAIN weight.

I had hideous pain from sciatica - I could barely move (cyst on my spine). I barely could walk a few feet without being in agony. Every doctor who saw my MRI gasped. There was NO exercise. But I did lose my appetite because of the pain. Net result - I ate less calories than I expended (even if I was barely moving).

I'm fine now thank goodness. About 10 years ago I lost 40 pounds when I had major complications after surgery and could barely move for about 6 months. So don't beat yourself up if you are not quite ready to exercise.

 

[alldiz]

Looking for inspiration from people who have already or are in the process of losing huge amounts of weight like over 200lbs. How did you do it ? I HATE fish/seafood and everything healthy (fat free dressing, mayo,) I just need ideas of meals and exercise routines etc. I am 40 yrs old about 330 and want to drop 200 or at least 150 I know it won't happen overnight but I refuse to do anything but a gradual life style change because I know anything else won't be a permanent change. I have started working out at a gym, this isn't the first time but I want it to be the last time that I give up. It is so hard just to walk 15 minutes on a treadmill @ 2.5 speed with 3.0 incline and while I do it I try to think positive thoughts but being realistic --- I do wonder how it is going to make any difference. How do people really finally just get to that point that they are able to succeed? I have failed so many times that I just don't want to fail again. I want to be able to find clothes to wear in a mall for goodness sake and just feel like a beautiful woman for once in my life.

Adjust to the idea this is not a diet it is a lifestyle.

You will excersize 5 days a week for the rest of your life.
You will eat smaller portions more times a day.
More protein....vegetables......less carbs.
You will always be prepared and have healthy foods around you.

If you do this Most of the time you will have Huge results. Everyone slips....the key is NEVER give up.....and don't beat yourself up after the fact....MOVE ON!
Good luck You can do this!!!
Everyday ask yourself....."What have I done today to make me proud"?
Kerri
Kerri

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Wanted to congratulate you on making the decision to get healthy.

I had a cousin that lost this sort of weight several years ago.

He joined a gym, went 5 days a week and also saw a dietitian who helped him plan and she also suggested he keep a photo food diary.

Basically he kept photos of everything he ate/drank which he said helped keep him on track and kept him 'honest'. He just used his phone camera and then the dietitian used the photos to help him get a better understanding of food portion size.
One of the other things he did was to try and increase his everyday movement by taking stairs instead of lift and parking the car at the end of carparks etc.


You can do this
Quasar

I like the idea of hte pictures. So many people simply do not know what a proper portion size is. Most restaurant meals normally contain between 2 and 3 portions, yet people eat it all. I would suggest finding a nutritionist or weight loss group, just to start out with at least. I do Weight Watchers and love that nothing is off limits, I just have to be smart about how I do it. They also have a lot of recipes that do not sound like "diet" food, so if that is something you are concerned about, that would work well for you. Even if you just picked up one of their cookbooks (or any other diet program cook book) so you can see that healthy food can be tasty. I try to incorporate new foods all the time because I have found ofr myself, if I get in a rut and get bored I am more likely to go off plan.

I've read of some people loosing weight quickly by measuring before and after meal insulin levels.

http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/i-lost-37-lbs-with-fingerstick.html

That's not a bad idea. Particularly since many people who are overweight or obese are at a risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The only problem with this is that it can be expensive. I have diabetes so I have to test. Without insurance, I probably would not be able to afford strips. Strips are more than a dollar a piece. If you test before and after all three meals, you are looking at needing 180 strips. And this is if you do not waste any (sometimes the blood doesnt' go all the way in which causes an error and you have to repeat the test).

Due to the way they are packaged, you would be looking at 200 strips a month which comes out to roughly $234. There are also several things that can cause errors, so it's important to educate yourself. The readings mean nothing if you don't know how to take them or what to do with them.

 

[Kellydelly]

I am curious why you don't want surgery? With that much to lose it would seem like a viable option and even if you didn't want the gastric bypass the lapband seems to be minimally invasive.

Losing weight without surgery is obviously a better solution, if possible. There are a lot of complications that can arise from bariatric surgery. You have the same surgical technique (lap) for a lapband as a bypass, and the same risk of adhesions, strictures, malnutrition and other issues. You still have to learn to eat differently and exericse. May as well do that without the surgical risks .

Good luck to the OP . It's baby steps, and once you get going you will do great!

 

[Handbag Lady]

I can't speak for the OP, but I know why I won't do surgery.

You have to change your eating habits FULL STOP right away and you have no control. I couldn't stand that. I WANT to be able to have a piece of cake on my birthday or to celebrate a friend's wedding. I don't want to be that person who has to have their host change the menu just for her.

I just want to be normal.

I refuse to follow a full-on excercise routine. This would also kill me and make me go off, you have no idea.

I am doing: smaller portions. More water. Walking instead of driving. Walking laps at the mall. Less red meat (notice I didn't say NO red meat?). I have a portion device for pasta. I refuse to cut out pasta. I eat rice. I eat white bread. I count calories and try to make the most out of my daily meals. I HATE vegetables so I try and eat the ones I do like.

I stopped eating a full bag of chips on the weekend. I stopped eating a gallon of ice cream every two days. I stopped using butter on everything.

I eat chicken and turkey. Hey, I even eat bacon.

 

[Handbag Lady]

losing weight without surgery is obviously a better solution, if possible. There are a lot of complications that can arise from bariatric surgery. You have the same surgical technique (lap) for a lapband as a bypass, and the same risk of adhesions, strictures, malnutrition and other issues. You still have to learn to eat differently and exericse. may as well do that without the surgical risks .

Good luck to the op . It's baby steps, and once you get going you will do great!

bingo!

 

[mamacatnv]

Looking for inspiration from people who have already or are in the process of losing huge amounts of weight like over 200lbs. How did you do it ? I HATE fish/seafood and everything healthy (fat free dressing, mayo,) I just need ideas of meals and exercise routines etc. I am 40 yrs old about 330 and want to drop 200 or at least 150 I know it won't happen overnight but I refuse to do anything but a gradual life style change because I know anything else won't be a permanent change. I have started working out at a gym, this isn't the first time but I want it to be the last time that I give up. It is so hard just to walk 15 minutes on a treadmill @ 2.5 speed with 3.0 incline and while I do it I try to think positive thoughts but being realistic --- I do wonder how it is going to make any difference. How do people really finally just get to that point that they are able to succeed? I have failed so many times that I just don't want to fail again. I want to be able to find clothes to wear in a mall for goodness sake and just feel like a beautiful woman for once in my life.

I have lost 100#'s in the past 16 months. I actually did it in a little under a year, maintained well for about 4 months and now have decided to get off that last 20# to reach my original goal. I blew out my knee and if I wanted to be able to walk in 10 years I needed to do something, I was 43 years old when I started.

I think your goal of 200#'s is unrealistic. My goal when I started was to be "overweight" not obese. I'm now overweight, I feel great, my Dr. is doing the happy dance and most importantly I found a place where I can maintain and be happy! Sure, I'm not skinny by any means but I am healthy, happy and I can walk with ease!

Some things about your post that I want to comment on.

You say you "hate fish/seafood and everything healthy". Well, I hate to break it to you but unless you adjust your attitude towards food you are most likely to continue on the same cycle you are on. You need to be willing to experiment and to try different things, perhaps even try the same item cooked different ways.

Fat free anything is almost always not healthy. Fat is good for you, your body needs some, we just happen to give our bodies way to much.

If you are not interested in some sort of program then I would highly suggest you get yourself a nutritionist and really learn what is healthy and what isn't.

I would also suggest small meals every few hours.
I eat about 6 times a day and with the exception of a "dinner" that consists of 6-8 oz of a protein and a ton of veggies all my other meals are 100-150 calories each. I incorporate protein shakes and bars into my daily routine.

I weigh on a digital food scale everything I eat and I do mean everything, I then log it daily.
I drink 150-200oz of water a day. (Yes, I pee often but my body has gotten used to it and if I don't drink my water consistently throughout the day I find myself thirsty)

I rarely eat anything processed, I stay away from bread and anything white.
I eat tons of veggies, squashes as well as an occassional sweet potato or yam and assorted proteins as my main meals along with lowfat (notice not non-fat) dairy products. Veggie and egg beater scrambles have become something I love.

With rare exceptions I do not exceed 1200 calories in a day - I am 5'8", have a sedentary job and am not a fan of exercise, BUT I now do it regularly even though I don't like it. I figure I never will like exercise but I like food. In order to have some of the things I enjoy in moderation I have to "burn" it off.

I wish you well.

 

[BC]

Get Dr Oz's book "You on a Diet"! I swear it was life changing for me. I have fought weight all my life and 2010 was the year for me. I dropped 65 lbs in about 8 months and was in a state of mind like never before.

The book can be a slow read at first, but as you get into it, it gets better.
It talks about what actually happens with foods once they are swallowed and what your body can and can't use. If it can use it, then it will be burned off and if it can't, it will hang on your hips! I think the parts about inflammation in the body (caused by foods such as high fructose corn syrup and such) really did it for me. Inflammation can make one cell go haywire and that's where cancer begins. It just goes back to the old saying "you are what you eat". It may not influence you at all, but it was worth every penny to me.

 

[cydswipe]

Good for you for putting your goal out there!

Exercise... it is never going to be "easy" If it's easy, you're not challenging yourself. I am not good at it, at all. I know I look like a fool trying to keep up during total body conditioning... but guess what I noticed as I stood huffing and puffing? Everyone else looked like fools TOO!

Something I'd like to point out... you DO NOT have to do cardio full blown all out the entire time of working out. Don't think you have to go out and sprint for 20 minutes straight for it to count. Walk brisk 30 seconds, walk regular 30 seconds... walk brisk, walk regular...

It may take 10 days or so, but you'll be able to walk brisk for 1 min and then regular for 1 min.... eventually walk 1 min, recover for 30 seconds. You are going to gradually build up and be motivated as you see yourself improve. I am inspired by how my jeans don't leave marks around my belly anymore, then my goodnesss, my pant legs are getting baggy....

Something else to consider, you need to throw in some weight training. You will start burning fat faster as your muscles grow. Once again, start SLOW. Maybe 3 sets of 15 reps on arm curls, triceps, and chest presses. It isn't a race. Think of form... how your muscles feel on the way DOWN, as much as you do going up. Midway thru the 2nd set, you will feel you "can't do it" but YOU CAN. The 3rd set will be hard, but that's the set that REALLY MATTERS.
I suggest looking on you tube for simple exercises to start with. I know it's hard to think of what to do/ how to do it... Once that particular weight isn't a challenge, it's time to up the weight... make sense? See, it's never going to be easy?!??!?!?!?

You can do this! YOU NEED TO DO THIS! Drink water, water, water! I find that when I'm working hard exercising, I drink more water and then I start to crave the healthy foods. Look on the package of M and M's. One serving equals A LOT OF WALKING... do you really want to eat that? Also, did you know a Blizzard from Dairy Queen (a small) has 800 calories? You can still have DQ, just stick to a plain bowl of ice cream..... On a side note, this is stupid, but I find myself taking better care of my teeth (flossing daily sometimes twice) because I felt good about myself for exercising.

Trust me, you can do this. Get moving, ANYTHING.... go, go, go, go, go... start small, make tiny goals and keep at it! Keep us posted!!!!!!

 

[JESW]

I have no personal experience with this, but have you ever looked into hypnosis? Again, I don't know if it works, but this is an ad for a local woman....

http://www.freeatlasthypnosis.com/

Maybe there is someone local who has training in this area??

Jill

 

[lovemygoofy]

Looking for inspiration from people who have already or are in the process of losing huge amounts of weight like over 200lbs. How did you do it ? I HATE fish/seafood and everything healthy (fat free dressing, mayo,) I just need ideas of meals and exercise routines etc. I am 40 yrs old about 330 and want to drop 200 or at least 150 I know it won't happen overnight but I refuse to do anything but a gradual life style change because I know anything else won't be a permanent change. I have started working out at a gym, this isn't the first time but I want it to be the last time that I give up. It is so hard just to walk 15 minutes on a treadmill @ 2.5 speed with 3.0 incline and while I do it I try to think positive thoughts but being realistic --- I do wonder how it is going to make any difference. How do people really finally just get to that point that they are able to succeed? I have failed so many times that I just don't want to fail again. I want to be able to find clothes to wear in a mall for goodness sake and just feel like a beautiful woman for once in my life.

I hate to break it to you but food is part of the change. You don't have to make drastic changes overnight but you have to make changes.

Think about it this way: do you want to be healthy or are you wanting to be skinny? I can say that because I'm still loosing the weight and I will NEVER be skinny but I sure as hell will be healthy and heck yeah I have some great muscle.

I applaud that you want to do this in increments because that is the only way. I've be doing what I call the "turtle change of life" as I'm going at it slow and steady. First to go was soda, ALL soda diet or not, but I gave that up during Lent one year and really didn't miss it. Year to date I have lost 50lbs and maintained which was the most important thing AND this included having a broken ankle for 8 months.

I get bored with excercise so I change mine up weekly or monthly. The month of February will be jump rope and wii boxing for cardio and stretch bands for muscle strength. I make myself do something every single day even if it is laps around the block. I do not enjoy sweating and I feel ridiculous huffing and puffing but I know it's important so I keep at it.

As for the food thing can you really say you don't like healthy food or you just don't like how it's been prepared before? It doesn't just have to be raw or barely steamed to be enjoyed. It's about give and take and finding why you eat a certain way. Are you an emotional eater or just a craver or someone that just wants quick, simple meals that comes from a drive through? How much water do you drink? Do you eat breakfast?

Breakfast for me is one of the biggest changes I made. I was not a big breakfast eater as I'm out the door most days by 0630. I know make myself have breakfast and then a mid-morning snack.

Have you looked at any cookbooks lately? There are many many good cookbooks that are lighter versions. I saw a great one the other day that was taste of home the light version. Real meals for your family but on the lighter side.

You have to have a positive attitude about the changes going you are making. Get addicted to the numbers going down or even staying the same. Don't get discouraged if they don't go down that much. I find that numbers and inches lost don't always coorespond because of body style.

My last quick piece of advice is to not seclude yourself. Don't make your family one kind of meal and yourself another. You want to be a part of the family and meal and you can all eat the same thing. If you start secluding yourself at meal times you are going to have a negative attitude about food and meals and this change of life. Just think that you are making your family healthier as well.

 

[DisneyScraps]

I can't speak for the OP, but I know why I won't do surgery.

You have to change your eating habits FULL STOP right away and you have no control. I couldn't stand that. I WANT to be able to have a piece of cake on my birthday or to celebrate a friend's wedding. I don't want to be that person who has to have their host change the menu just for her.

I just want to be normal.

I refuse to follow a full-on excercise routine. This would also kill me and make me go off, you have no idea.

I am doing: smaller portions. More water. Walking instead of driving. Walking laps at the mall. Less red meat (notice I didn't say NO red meat?). I have a portion device for pasta. I refuse to cut out pasta. I eat rice. I eat white bread. I count calories and try to make the most out of my daily meals. I HATE vegetables so I try and eat the ones I do like.

I stopped eating a full bag of chips on the weekend. I stopped eating a gallon of ice cream every two days. I stopped using butter on everything.

I eat chicken and turkey. Hey, I even eat bacon.

I had gastric bypass almost 4 years ago. I am anything but normal but my eating habits are. No one would ever guess it if they didn't know it. I have cake when I want it, I eat pasta, red meat. My portions are much smaller. They are close to what is suggested as a normal portion. Pasta in the size of my fist, meat the size a deck of playing cards etc.

I lost 135 pounds and it changed my life. I am a size 4. I run now and I enjoy it.

Agreed, there ARE surgical risks but there are a lot of serious risks of being 200 pounds overweight. I would think the daily risk of a heart attack would equal the possible surgical risks of surgery.

Lisa

 

[Barbossa]

Low carb diets really work. They're not a silver bullet, they still require determination and self-control to stick to them. Meat, eggs, cheese, fish, vegetables etc. I've tried it, not only did I feel great but I consistantly lost 2-3 pounds per week.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I have tried lots of diets over the years. I've finally come to the realization that any plan that requires me to only eat or to completely cut out certain foods will not work for me. I like to choose my own food and I don't want anything to be off limits. That will only make me want it more. I want to eat my bread, pasta and potatoes, darn it!

Taking that into account, I've determined that Weight Watchers is really the only way I can do it. I lost 60 pounds after my 2nd son was born 12 years ago, but I allowed it to creep back on (and then some). I simply didn't want it to stay off badly enough. Now that I'm older, I realize that I just can't keep eating the way I used to. It's not healthy and it doesn't make me happy (the food or the weight gain that comes with it).

I started over on August 1 using materials from an older WW plan that I have at home. It works for me so I don't feel the need to pay for meetings or pay to get the new information online. So far, I've lost 48 lbs! I want to lose another 42 for a total of 90. It hasn't been difficult this time. Yes, there are times I feel like pigging out, but I don't. I even lost 6 pounds in December, and that included my birthday. I know I can eat anything I want, as long as I stay within my daily points. I had one Christmas cookie on Christmas Eve and one cupcake on a day when I had 5 points leftover. Knowing that it's not off-limits is enough to keep me from wanting any food and then overeating it.

I am determined to keep the weight off for good this time. I think I've reached a certain level of maturity that was necessary for me to be honest with myself and the fact that I really needed to make some changes. Good luck to the OP and everyone else who is trying to lose!