I have lost 125lbs in weight!
By GemmaR
@GemmaR (8517)
October 17, 2012 7:55am CST
As a lot of you might know, I have been trying to lose weight over the course of the past two years. I was around 280 pounds when I started in January 2011, and yesterday morning I weighed in at 155lbs. I have gone from being dangerously overweight to being a healthy weight for my height.
The only thing that I have done is to change the way that I have eaten and exercised. A lot of people don't like it when I tell them that, because of the fact that they want me to tell them of some kind of magic solution, but the truth is that such a solution simply does not exist.
I have started this discussion so that you can ask me any questions that you might have about weight loss, diet or exercise. In addition to this, I thought that we could also try to share some hints and tips among ourselves about things that have worked for us in the past.
I will try to answer questions as much as I can, and in detail if I can.
4 people like this
13 responses
@GardenGerty (160696)
• United States
17 Oct 12
You have done well. I am wondering what was your ultimate motivation. I have lost a good chunk of weight in the past and really enjoyed the feeling, but do not feel motivated now. I am in excellent health except for being overweight. I love good food, even veggies, I just love it too much. I am incorporating more activity into my everyday life as that is easier than exercise right now. I keep going up and down the same ten pounds when I need to lose about sixty or seventy. Just to prevent diabetes and arthritis.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
18 Oct 12
hi gardengerty for me my doctor was w o ndering why even when I really tried I lost little weight so he had a thyroid test done on me and yes I was too low on thyroid so since I have been on it i have gone from 210 to 191 and thats an improvement but I want to go to 155 also as I looked good then and felt great
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160696)
• United States
18 Oct 12
I have not been to a doctor or had a blood work up in ages. I cannot afford it, and no insurance. When I have asked about my thyroid in the past my doctor has said it was within normal range on all the measurements they take.
@else22 (4317)
• India
17 Oct 12
Honestly speaking,this discussion of yours is not for me and I should not have responded to it.This is because I need to put on some weight.In fact,I am slim,perhaps too slim.My family members,especially my parents have tried their best to make me have some layers of fat on my body,but in vain.I weigh only 50 kgs which is much less for a young guy.But fortunately I am fit and healthy and have no problems whatsoever.
I congratulate you to achieve your goal.I wish you to have an excellent health.All my best wishes.
1 person likes this
@GemmaR (8517)
•
17 Oct 12
Even though you need to gain weight, a lot of the information that I have been given in order to lose weight is the same that you would be able to use in order to gain it. It is all about working out how many calories you need in order to maintain in order to add weight, and if you eat more than this amount then you will definitely be able to gain weight. Any kind of weight issue is annoying, whether it's that you're carrying too much weight or not enough, and you will certainly be able to do it as long as you use the numbers to help you.
1 person likes this
@GemmaR (8517)
•
18 Oct 12
Thank you. You're right, losing weight does take a lot of patience. At times, I didn't think that it was going to be something that I could do because it just seemed that it would be far too hard for me. But I always knew that I was going to have to see the journey to the end because my life literally depended on it. I am very glad that I continued, even though it was a lot of hard work, and there is no doubt in my mind that I would certainly be recommending it to anybody who though that they might want to lose weight.
@jenny1015 (13366)
• Philippines
18 Oct 12
Congratulations! Not everybody could really have the discipline to maintain in achieving a healthier body. I, too need to lose some extra pounds, but have been too lazy to exercise. But I try to cut down eating food that may contribute to additional pounds.
1 person likes this
@GemmaR (8517)
•
20 Oct 12
I am not sure that everybody who needs to lose weight is lazy as such, because it is hard work and I think that people do need to be able to find an extraordinary amount of motivation to be able to lose the weight that they are aiming to. I know that it took me years to be able to get to the point where I was able to lose any weight at all, but once I got into it I knew that I was going to see it through to the end and lose enough weight so that I would be able to be the size that I have wanted to be for the whole of my adult life.
@GemmaR (8517)
•
18 Oct 12
Thank you. I really do appreciate the amount of support that I have received from everybody who I have told about my journey. I think that one of the most fantastic things about this whole journey is the number of people who have taken the time to talk to me about it and tell me all about how well they feel as though I have done. I don't think that I would have been able to do it without these people, so they really should know and be told just how much they have helped and encouraged me throughout this time.
@wfhchristiner (352)
• Canada
17 Oct 12
May I know your diet plan? Do you follow a specific diet? I am trying to get my son to loose weight. He doesn't like to exercise, and he eats a lot. Portion is a bit difficult for him to cut. Although I keep trying to remind him, and make his portion smaller. Since he is lazy to exercise, he can only loose weight by dieting, which is a bit difficult because of portion wise. So I have to be careful in what I cook. Fortunately he eats any kind of food, what ever I cook, so it is up to me to control what he eats. Please share your tips for food if you have any. Also do you take any supplement? For example: vit B, fish oil, CLA, green tea, etc which are regular supplements suggested to help loosing weight, and burning more fat.
1 person likes this
@GemmaR (8517)
•
18 Oct 12
I just decided that I needed to think about the calories that I was eating, because I was having far too much before. I worked out that I use 1,800 calories per day on every day activities, so I knew that if I ate 1,400 per day then I would almost certainly lose weight, and even more quickly if I exercised as well as changing the diet. I try to make my choices healthy, such as eating more things like fruit and vegetables, and I am very happy doing that. I feel a lot healthier than I did, and it is a change that I would certainly recommend to anyone.
@adforme (2114)
•
18 Oct 12
I think it is wonderful that you lost weight through diet and exercise. For the most part, this the most natural and healthy way to go. I would also say that it requires discipline. Something that we all can use from time to time. I do not have a weight problem, but I have some questions to pose due to curiosity. Did you have a trainer and/or dietician. Sometimes we need a little help from the experts to ensure success. Did you have that?
@GemmaR (8517)
•
20 Oct 12
I didn't have a trainer or a dietician. The only thing that I did was to research on the internet to see if anybody had posted any healthy recipes or workouts as I thought that it would be good to talk to people who had already been able to lose weight in the past. I think that people might be able to get into shape quicker if they were told exactly what to eat and how much exercise to do, but I don't think that I have done at all badly doing it on my own so I am certainly going to carry on doing it like this in the future.
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
17 Oct 12
I'm so happy for you!! 
I've struggled with my weight for years and years. I lost a lot of weight when I was 18 and maintained it for 15 years then I had children and still could have managed it except for stress. Now I need to lose weight and, at 58, it's very difficult for me. My back problems keep me from exercising much although I do watch what I eat.
Cutting down on wheat products has helped but it takes so long to lose even a pound that I get discouraged. I'll lose 1-3 pounds and then gain it right back even though I don't change my eating habits. There's nothing wrong with my thyroid or anything, I just think my body wants to be fat!
I'm glad you lost that weight, I'll bet you feel and look wonderful! 
Did you do anything special or did you just eat sensibly and exercise?
I've struggled with my weight for years and years. I lost a lot of weight when I was 18 and maintained it for 15 years then I had children and still could have managed it except for stress. Now I need to lose weight and, at 58, it's very difficult for me. My back problems keep me from exercising much although I do watch what I eat.
Cutting down on wheat products has helped but it takes so long to lose even a pound that I get discouraged. I'll lose 1-3 pounds and then gain it right back even though I don't change my eating habits. There's nothing wrong with my thyroid or anything, I just think my body wants to be fat!
I'm glad you lost that weight, I'll bet you feel and look wonderful! Did you do anything special or did you just eat sensibly and exercise?1 person likes this
@GemmaR (8517)
•
18 Oct 12
I think that having children is a major reason that people put weight on. Obviously you put weight on whilst you're carrying them, and the life gets stressful when they're born and that means that you're not likely to be thinking about your own weight and health because you would be spending more time with your child instead. I didn't do anything special at all; literally the only thing that I have been doing is eating sensibly and doing a lot of exercise. It does take a fair amount of work, but it is something that I am very pleased of as I had to work hard for it.
@adnileb (5276)
• Philippines
18 Oct 12
I am not proud to say, I am overweight. 
Way back 2006, when I had my medical exam, the doctor asked me get my TSH level. And it was out of range. TSH, thyroid stimulating hormone, increases when your thyroid production is slow. And when your TSH is high, your metabolism will become slow. That's my disease and it's called hypothyroidism.
Last 2006, the doctor says it's a non-toxic goiter. Upon drinking all the meds he gave me, I ignored it. Then, year 2010, I was becoming heavier. So, I cut down meals and ate only healthy foods and veggies. But still, I am gaining weight. So, I remembered my situation last 2006 and got a lab test. My TSH went really high. They say there's no cure. When you're hypothyroid, you're really overweight. So depressing. I went on a diet for a month but then the foods I eat are interacting to other parts of my body making me sick. So now, I just live normally and having the supplement for thyroid hormone. I can't seem to think of any other diet for me. I also enrolled in a 3-month membership at the gym, ate healthy foods and drinks. Nothing happened. Even 100grams wasn't lessened on my weight. Do you think there's really a chance? I am 67kgs now and my normal weight should be 59 kls. I really need some help.
@GemmaR (8517)
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20 Oct 12
You don't have to be proud that you're overweight, but you should be proud that you're willing to do something about it. One of the things that you should do is to make sure that you're not eating too many calories. Even healthy foods can make you gain weight if you eat too much of them, for example even a banana has over 100 calories in it. You should try to do a little more exercise as well and you should find that you're able to lose weight. It is all about finding what works for you, and once you have done this then you should be okay.
@Manasha (2755)
• Pondicherry, India
19 Oct 12
Reducing weight is an excellent option for all obese people in this world.However, it needs strong determination and agenda to cope with
@GemmaR (8517)
•
20 Oct 12
There are far too many people in the world who are overweight at the moment, and it can become quite a problem because of the fact that it isn't healthy and it will lead to a lot of problems later in their life. This is the reason that I knew that I had to lose weight, and this was what made me so motivated to make that big change in my life. It does take a lot of motivation, but once you've made up your mind that you want to lose weight, and found out how to do it, you will no doubt want to carry on until you are able to reach your goal.
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
17 Oct 12
Thats o great. And you are so much more healthy now than before. we are so proud of you.
@GemmaR (8517)
•
17 Oct 12
When I first started losing the weight, I didn't realise just how much healthier I was going to feel just by losing those couple of pounds. One of the things that I noticed was that I didn't get out of breath any more by walking to the bus stop as I might have done when I was very overweight. I didn't even realise just how unfit I was until I was no longer that way, and sometimes it gets a little bit scary when I take the time to think about just bad things must have got for me. But I am much better now, and I can honestly say that I have never been happier.
1 person likes this
@lymsnb (223)
• China
18 Oct 12
hello dear Gemmar .i am a college student , i am 20 years old ,iam from fourty- two to fourty-eight kg , and i love to eat snacks , what should i do ?
@GemmaR (8517)
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20 Oct 12
In my opinion, it doesn't sound as though you're very heavy at all. Unless you're very small then I doubt you're overweight at all. The only thing that you should be wary of is the fact that the snacks will not be healthy for you whether you are overweight or not so this is something that you should really try to sort out. If you replace some of the snacks that you like with slightly healthier ones then this means that you would probably become healthier, even if you don't actually have to lose any weight if you're already a healthy size.
@rheyz03 (1)
• Philippines
28 Oct 12
what kind of diet should i do? and what kind of foods should i eat?
almost a month i did'nt eat to often and sometimes i did'nt eat too much, but how come that i did'nt lose weight. pls help and give me strategy so that i can control myself for being big. thank you
@GemmaR (8517)
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28 Oct 12
The only thing that you have to do is to make sure that you're eating less than you might have done in the past. If you're still not losing weight, then the chances are you haven't cut back enough and you need to think about the things that you could cut out. There are a lot of people who underestimate the amount that they're eating, and when they think hard about it they realise that they're not counting everything. So if this is the case with you, then it could certainly at least help to determine why you haven't managed to lose weight so far.
