well I wasn't fat before but maybe my progress can be motivation for some people.

When I got back from Greece, I was the fattest I had been in my life. I was 127.4 and a little in denial about gaining 7lbs in a month. That's a lot in so little time, considering we were doing lots of walking and hiking every single day. When I tell people my average breakfast, they are pretty disgusted.

Anyways after resting, I knew I had to do something about it and with diet and exercise everyday, I managed to lose 7lbs in 6 weeks. Not bad at all!

So I'm exactly where I started before my trip (where I had lost 4lbs for, so I in fact gained 3.4lbs from the very beginning of Summer) and planning to lose about 5 more pounds, slowly and steadily.

oh and even though I was still very much in the healthy BMI, my tummy bulge was really nasty. So I knew I had to make a change. And I'm really fit now, probably the fittest I've been in my life!

Jennifer,

Like Fred, I lost some weight over the past year through change in diet and exercise. I have lost 65 pounds total and cut my BMI from 39 to 22. Some sort of resistance training makes a huge difference for women. So, if you haven't added weights or bodyweight exercises to your workout regimen in some way, I encourage you to try and you will LOVE the results. I still have a little ways to go and would like to cut that down a few more percentage points, but I am miles ahead of where I was a year ago.

You can see my before and after (so far)....right here: http://www.traineo.com/14_3303_0.html

Hope this helps and good luck to you! There are a lot of people on this site who have used various methods to achieve amazing results, and you just need to find what works for you and stick to it.

nice job richie! whats an air base gym?
thanks,
jenn

thanks! its a gym on an Air Force base. i joined the Air Force, i'll be at basic training in about 2.5 months.

later

thanks jennie and great job. just noticed the post now-oops a little late.

thanks richie-i think you left already!

I've got a before and after (During) pic on my BLOG 42@42. I still want to lose more but I am on my way.

hi marty-thanks for sharing. i saw your blog but didnt see your story of how you lost your weight. what was your diet/exercise routine? did you have surgery? great job and thanks for sharing!!! also, dont answer if too personal but did you have loose skin issues? if so, what did you do/didnt do about it? thanks!!! what an inspiration!!!!

I am 42 years old. In October 2004 I weighed in at 351lbs. I started going to Weight Watchers and have lost over 130lbs. I have been at goal since June 2006. Since losing the weight I have taken up running. I never could run when I was younger and the running I did do, I had absolutely no stamina whatsoever.

Last year I ran in some shorter distance races and trained and ran 2 half-marathons.

My goal is to run a full marathon this coming year. I have started a BLOG to help motivate myself. Since I am 42 this year, I figured what better time to run a 42KM race.

As far as loose skin, so far I have a little. When I lose my last 20lbs, I may have more.

wow-congrats again!! have you done any weight training along the way? very lucky that you hardly have loose skin-what do you think helped that (obviously the running-but any other tricks?)

good luck with your goals!!

I think part of my success was losing it at a good moderate pace. This enabled the skin to sort of recover. I do have some issues, but compared to the way I was - no complaints. In fact I go swimming in public without a shirt. If it offends - oh well sorry.

thats a great attitude! keep it up! awesome

Great job Marty!

Jennifer, I am new to traineo.com, and I'm a fat to fit story... I always struggled with weight since I was a child. I was overweight as a teenager, and I hovered around the 180s (I'm 5'9 by the way). After I got married, I plumped to 245 lbs at 24 yrs old. Then, I got pregnant. The day I delivered my son, I weighed in at 305 lbs. That was January 2002. I suffered extreme post partum depression, with insomnia and suicidal thoughts for about a year. I was on antidepressant medication, which did not help a whole lot, and I was withdrawn to the point where I wouldn't eat for several days straight, I wouldn't shower, get dressed, etc. Anyway, the silver lining of that year of HELL was that I lost over 100 lbs. As I got better, I found myself looking a lot better too. My stomach had shrunk, and my eating habits improved, though I cannot take full credit for it as it was a side effect of my depression. I quit smoking and found a new me. As I fell in love with my child and with motherhood, I wanted to improve my health and be alive to see him into adulthood! By 2005, I weighed about 165, and that's where I'm at today. Unfortunately, I did not exercise at all through the weight loss, and while I lost some muscle tone, it's not something you really notice. My body held surprisingly well. In May 2007 I had an epiphany - I decided I was going to become active. I started running around my neighborhood in the morning. I eventually joined a gym, and I exercise 6 days a week. Four days a week, I do cardio and resistance, and 2 days a week just cardio. I have been eating more, which is probably why I haven't lost much weight. Weight loss is not my goal, though I want to maintain my weight. My BMI is 24, and my body fat percentage is 24% (measured with calipers). My goal is to bring the percentage below 20 in one year. I want to increase muscle mass and decrease fat mass, even if that results in a small weight gain (couple of pounds). My goal is to have 19% body fat by December 2008. I have seen major improvements in my arms (biceps and triceps are toned and strong), I lost the bat-wings, and my legs are firmer too. My resting heart rate in the morning is about 58-60 bpm. I had high cholesterol, and I don't anymore. I also no longer suffer from constant heartburn.

Is anyone else trying to reduce body fat % (not necessarily trying to lose weight)? If so, I would love to hear your fitness/diet routines

Thank you.

wow-congrats! thanks for sharing your story! what a success! i appreciate your honesty and how far you have come. you must have worked really hard to get where you are!! that is amazing!!! you must feel wonderful. keep up the great work!!! thanks again for sharing!!!