Attn. MarcyC

[Keepingthefaith21]

Hi MarcyC!

I just started to write in the Weekly Workout Thread. I’m trying my best to make permanent lifestyle changes to help lose weight and feel better about myself overall (not to mention be able to buy cute clothes again and suits that flatter my figure instead of hide it).

I was hoping you could share some of your weight loss journey. I was told that you have been very successful and that you have the photos to prove it! Do you mind sharing? I’d like to hear what food changes you made in addition to any workout regiments you have adopted….basically whatever you are willing to share I would love to hear!

Thank you!

 

[marcy]

I guess I''ll start with my pictures.

This is the old me, the day I had lost 100 pounds then the day I''d lost 150 pounds.

 

[marcy]

This is me in my old clothes.

 

[Skippy123]

You are such an inspiration Marcy!!!! That picture always blows me away; I bet you are so proud of your accomplishment. whooo hoooo Marcy you look fantastic!!!!!!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Amazing Marcy, you are wonder woman!! You look GREAT and about 15 years younger

Your hubby and family must be so proud of you!

DD

 

[marcy]

Hi Keepingthefaith. Thanks for seeking me out for advice. I sure wish I had a magic answer that would work for you as well as it has for me but you''ll have to find what works the best for you. I will gladly share my story with you. I will be here to help you in any way I can.

I''ve actually been on a few other diets in my life which failed miserably or where I gained it all back plus some. Those were either aided through chemistry (legally prescribed by a doctor) or starvation eating "rabbit" food that you can''t live on for life.

I know there are many popular diets and dietary beliefs out there. Such as low carb, high protein, low fat, etc. I get a health and nutrition letter from Harvard that shows study after study reveals no matter what the diet is as long as you eat less and or exercise more you will loose weight. One type of diet doesn''t work any better or worse than any other diet as long as you stick to the basic premise of reducing intake and increasing exercise. It also shows you can loost weight without exercise, but you just won''t loose it as quickly. Also it found a fat calorie or a sugar calorie is the same as a healthy calorie so armed with that belief I eat every day, normal food. I believe that is what helps me stay on track and not feel deprived. If I truly want something, I eat it. I just have to use portion control and work it in to my calories. I soon found that saving 600 or 800 calories for some empty treat wasn''t worth the hunger so I choose more wisely now.

I picked a daily calorie range of 1200. This was based on prior diet attempts knowing that was a good calorie range for a healthy diet. I bought a diet scale and 2 diet books. I found a few websites that have calorie tools. I weighed everything I ate. I do try very hard to stick at 1200 calories for the day and on the days I succeed I get a treat at night that is "extra" calories. WW I know allows you extra points per day or for the week. I view my nightly treat as my reward and I get it most of the time.

For breakfast I eat cereal and fruit. At midmorning I eat a 100 cal snack pack (there are many out there and are wonderful). For lunch I eat - if you can believe this - mostly fast food. But I stick with 300 to 400 calories at lunch. I''ll eat a 6" wheat ham or roast beef sandwich with baked lays, or 2 hard shell beef tacos, or a junior hamburger with 10 french fries. If I get a regular sized hamburger I throw out most of the bun. My husband and I work at the same place and he hates sandwiches so we just buy our lunch instead of packing it. At midafternoon I have another 100 cal snack. For supper I eat lean meat, rice or potatoes, raw veggies, or maybe pasta. If I get really hungry I keep a jar of dry roasted almonds and eat about 6 of them. It''s only 30 calories and good protein.

If we go out to a restaurant I try to find their nutritional info online so I can choose wisely. I usually cut anything I get in 1/2 and eat only one half. If it''s something I can eat for lunch or supper later in the week I''ll take it home. If it''s not wise to eat all of it I don''t take it home.

As for exercise I''ve only recently been doing what one would call exercise. When I started I was so unhealthy there was no way I could exercise. I had dangerously high blood pressure, a rapid heartbeat, sleep apnea and chest pains. I was very afraid of dying or worse being laid up in a hospital forever. One day I''d just had enough and told myself this is stupid. I can change. I must change and I started a diet right then. It wasn''t until about 4 months in I started doing very easy stretches and trying to walk more. Before I started I could not walk or stand much past 30 minutes. Soon I was able to walk more and more. After loosing about 80 pounds I started going for small walks or walking the mall. I continued to increase the time I could walk and also doing stretches. I am up to walking in the treadmill 3 times a week for 26 minutes each time. I do the stretches on the other days.

My best advice is to set small goals so they seem reachable. I started at 320 pounds so my first goal was to reach 300 pounds. I weigh every single day. Yes, no progress or weight gain is tough to take but seeing progress is so exciting and keeps me motivated. Once clothes get too big for you - get rid of them. I do not want the luxury of fat clothes around. I have made the counting calories my daily routine. It''s not hard or a pain, but just something I do. I go out of my way to walk places just to burn calories. You need to find what you like to do both diet wise and exercise wise because you want it to be something you can stick with most of the time for the rest of your life. Do I succeed everyday? No, but I do not beat myself up or worry about it because I know tomorrow I will go right back on plan.

Let me know if I can help or answer any questions.

 

[marcy]

Thanks Skippy and DD. I appreciate it. My husband and family are very excited and proud.

 

[marcy]

Date: 4/8/2008 1:10:08 PM
Author:Keepingthefaith21

Hi MarcyC!

I just started to write in the Weekly Workout Thread. I’m trying my best to make permanent lifestyle changes to help lose weight and feel better about myself overall (not to mention be able to buy cute clothes again and suits that flatter my figure instead of hide it).

I was hoping you could share some of your weight loss journey. I was told that you have been very successful and that you have the photos to prove it! Do you mind sharing? I’d like to hear what food changes you made in addition to any workout regiments you have adopted….basically whatever you are willing to share I would love to hear!

Thank you!

KTF, I missed answering this for you. You are right that you need to make this a permanent lifestyle change. It is so important you find what you can do forever. I can't believe the difference this has made in my life. I feel better, I am now anxious to see myself in a mirror instead of avoiding looking at my reflection. It's great to be able to buys clothes anywhere and any style that appeals to me. Just the sence of accomplisment will do a great deal to boost your self esteem and confidence. You have it in you to do this and succeed and I'm here to cheer you on. Good luck.

 

[PrettyBlues]

Marcy I just wanted to say well done and you look fantastic

I have less to lose, but it's all about the basics of energy in/energy out regardless, isn't it? Thanks for the inspiration.

 

[marcy]

Thank you Pretty Blues. It is all about the numbers. Good luck reaching your goal. I have 9 more pounds to go then I''ll figure out from there if I want to loose more. I will probably want to loose another 10 to 15 pounds.

KTF, I forgot to tell you what I have for my treats at night. I totally love chocolate so I will have things like a piece of chocolate (I love Dove and Lindt), or a Lindt truffle or one of the miniature candy bars. Also, Dreyer''s has a slow churned ice cream that is anywhere between 100 to 150 calories per 60 gms so I eat that quite a bit. It is quite tasty and how can I say I''m suffering on a diet if I can eat a dish of ice cream most every night?

 

[jas]

Marcy -- I want to say that although I''ve seen your story in parts on WWT, it''s so amazing to read through the whole thing here...with pictures. What a strong, wonderful woman you are!

Thanks for sharing! See you soon enough in WWT!

Jackie

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 4/9/2008 7:55:28 AM
Author: jas
Marcy -- I want to say that although I''ve seen your story in parts on WWT, it''s so amazing to read through the whole thing here...with pictures. What a strong, wonderful woman you are!

Thanks for sharing! See you soon enough in WWT!

Jackie

I quite agree J, Marcy is so incredible and I know many of us are so proud of her!!!!

PS - look forward to seeing you back in the WWT after little one arrives!

 

[jas]

Date: 4/9/2008 8:11:51 AM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 4/9/2008 7:55:28 AM
Author: jas
Marcy -- I want to say that although I''ve seen your story in parts on WWT, it''s so amazing to read through the whole thing here...with pictures. What a strong, wonderful woman you are!

Thanks for sharing! See you soon enough in WWT!

Jackie

I quite agree J, Marcy is so incredible and I know many of us are so proud of her!!!!

PS - look forward to seeing you back in the WWT after little one arrives!

Thanks Lorelei -- I think all of you are just awesome.

Not to threadjack, but there will be TWO little ones! Just more of a motivation to get back on the batliptical!

 

[marcy]

Lorelei and Jas - thank you so much for your lovely compliments. It means a lot to me coming from some of my favorite WWT''rs.

Woo hoo to you Jas. Twins? I am so excited. Congratulations. I miss you on the WWT thread.

 

[jas]

Date: 4/9/2008 8:58:42 AM
Author: marcyc
Lorelei and Jas - thank you so much for your lovely compliments. It means a lot to me coming from some of my favorite WWT''rs.

Woo hoo to you Jas. Twins? I am so excited. Congratulations. I miss you on the WWT thread.

I miss you guys, too. I feel so out of it...it''s such a great community on there. I can''t read it now because I''m such a slug...no energy still and it''s been 4 months. Alas, it''s all for a good reason.

Yup, twins. Whoda thunk it.

Anyway, back to YOU!

 

[Lorelei]

Marcy, you are so welcome!!!!

Jas, I didn''t know you were expecting doubles, how exciting!!!

 

[marcy]

Here''s my fast food calorie list. I get my burgers, etc plain. If I add lettuce or a tomato I don''t count calories for raw veggies. A lot of the sandwiches I will throw out 1/2 of the bun. If we get fries I eat 10 or 12 of them and count them as 150 calories (depends on the size of the fries). These are based on what fast foods we have locally.

Ham and Swiss Melt Sandwich 275
Arbys Roast Beef Junior 273
Potato Cakes— 125 ea

Taco Johns Taco 180
Taco Bell Taco 170
Wendys Single 370
Wendys Jr Plain 260 (bun 160)
BK Burger Plain 270 (bun 150)
Sonic Jr Burger 320
McDonalds Burger 250
Culvers Burger Plain 330
Arby’s 320
Arby’s Jr 273
Chick Filet Grilled 380
McDonalds Grilled Ck 360 (bun 240)
BK Grilled Ck 400 (bun 250)
Culvers Grill Ck 365 (bun 220)
Sonic Grill Ck 330
Ck Fil A 8 pk nuggets 260
Culvers mashed pot 132
Sm McD fries 250
Culvers chick soup 112
Ck Fil Large Ck Soup 250
Ck Fil Sm Ck Soup 140
Quiznos Ck Soup 112
Subway Chicken Wheat 330
Subway roast beef 290

 

[Keepingthefaith21]

Thank yo SO much for sharing your story!! I am beside myself with admiration for what you have accomplished! The fact that you did it completely on your own by changing your lifestyle is so fantastic. You look so fantastic and incredibly happy!

Thank you again for sharing - you are truly an inspiration!!

 

[Lorelei]

That is a great list Marcy, and so useful for helping folk make a wise choice if they want to eat out.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Marcy - I don''t think I''d seen the pics of you with your old clothes. How amazing are those?!?!!

You are such an inspiration and an amazing story of success, and I think its wonderful that you are so generous about sharing your story and information about how you''ve come so far

 

[marcy]

AmberGretchen and Keepingthefaith, thank you for such kind words. I really appreciate it.

Lorelei, I always try to be prepared for what I can and can''t eat in a restaurant. I even has a list in my glove box.

 

[iheartscience]

WOW! I''m always curious at "paging" posts, so I usually look when people get paged, and I am SO impressed with your weight loss, MarcyC! WOW! I hope you bought or plan to buy yourself some bling for losing all that weight! You are clearly very focused and dedicated to your health, and it''s extremely impressive! Congratulations on your weight loss, and maybe even more importantly, the inevitable improvements in your health!

 

[marcy]

Hi Thing2of2. Thank you for the lovely compliment. I can''t believe how much better I feel. I know I''ve added years to my life. I can do so many things now and I am certainly a lot happier. I did get myself a diamond bracelet when I lost 100 pounds. I plan on getting something when I get to my next big milestone of weighing 1/2 of what I used to weigh. I''ve got 9 more pounds to go and then I''m sure I''ll have some new sparkly to treasure for that achievement. It''s funny, people really treat me differently now. I told my husband I thought it was just because I look like a normal person now. He said, no it''s because people are amazed and impressed by what you''ve done and that you''ve done it all by yourself. He told me he constantly gets comments and questions about it. What really amazes me is that I didn''t find it that hard or difficult to do. I just made up my mind and that was it.

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 4/9/2008 10:41:23 PM
Author: marcyc
Hi Thing2of2. Thank you for the lovely compliment. I can''t believe how much better I feel. I know I''ve added years to my life. I can do so many things now and I am certainly a lot happier. I did get myself a diamond bracelet when I lost 100 pounds. I plan on getting something when I get to my next big milestone of weighing 1/2 of what I used to weigh. I''ve got 9 more pounds to go and then I''m sure I''ll have some new sparkly to treasure for that achievement. It''s funny, people really treat me differently now. I told my husband I thought it was just because I look like a normal person now. He said, no it''s because people are amazed and impressed by what you''ve done and that you''ve done it all by yourself. He told me he constantly gets comments and questions about it. What really amazes me is that I didn''t find it that hard or difficult to do. I just made up my mind and that was it.

I think that''s really the key-making up your mind to do something and just doing it! And it''s so hard to just do something sometimes. I am lucky to not have any weight problems, but in other areas of my life it''s pretty difficult for me to stick with certain things. I''m seriously going to keep you in mind as inspiration, though. And I can''t wait to see whatever sparkly you end up with in 9 more pounds!

 

[marcy]

Thank you thing2of2. We all have our own challenges in life and sometimes it takes our determination to make the best out of things. I''d be proud to help inspire you or anyone to overcome their bumps in the road. Take care.

 

[Mara]

i wanted to post earlier but my browser wasn''t cooperating!!

the one thing i wanted to add to marcy''s extensive post about how she got to where she is now (so fab by the way marcy as you know!)...is that if someone is working out a lot which marcy really did not do...they MAY need more than the 1200 cals that she is consuming.

for example--she was not doing a whole lot of physical exertion so eating 1200 cals was probably enough for her. but for someone who is working out like 4-5 days a week even if it''s just 30 min of cardio, you may need more than 1200 cals for your body to ''feed'' it the right things.

so i know that marcy''s post didn''t say specifically what to do, just what worked for her, which is fab...i just wanted to throw out there for those who might be reading that if you are working out or really physically exerting yourself at all, you may not be okay with 1200 cals. if you want to know how much you should be eating to still lose weight with what you are doing workout wise, i found sparkpeople.com a great resource for ''estimating'' a range of cals for me. i worked out 4-5 days a week and it told me to eat about 1400-1700 cals per day (that is a range, you don''t have to eat 1400 all days or 1700, it just means if you eat 1400 4 days and then have a 1500, 1600 and 1700 you are still fine)...i stayed more in the 1400-1500 for weekdays and went to the high end of range for wkds (and sometimes over) and i lost the weight i wanted to (15-20 lbs).

anyway just my two cents based on my own experience!!

 

[marcy]

Thanks for adding that info, Mara. I know now that I can do some exercise it has really helped tone my body and helped me loose inches.

 

[Kaleigh]

MarcyC,
Can I just say wow!!!? Love how you did it, and am sure you will continue to be an inspiration to many on PS. CLAPS GIRL!!!

Lisa

 

[marcy]

Thank you Lisa. It means a lot to me.

 

[Skippy123]

Mini threadjack (I wanted to answer your question here instead of the wwt), but I did not thread the machine correctly; I am a dork, I know. hahaa Thanks for your help!