# Weight-loss thread



## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

I'm not sure where the old one ran off to so I thought I'd start a new one for all of us in the journey. Sometimes we need a little kick in the rear or support from our online friends to keep us on track. For those of you who have already lost your weight and are in maintain mode or your just trying to get healthy you can post here too. I'll start with my story. 

I'll start off by saying I've never been skinny save for one time. I was always the fat weird kid in school and with a mother who was an avid baker filled me with sweets for love. The singular time I was skinny was late in 2005. At age 11 I decided I was going to starve myself to death before the world ended. It was seriously dumb. It was only a few months but I got skinny because I literally ate nothing and drank very little water. 

By 2007 I was back up to 175lbs but by 2009 I was at 240lbs. Depression took over for a while and in 2011 I was up to 290lbs. The 300 number scared me enough that I maintained at that weight until late 2013. That's when I moved and got happy. I'm away from my mother and working on a farm which is my happy place. I don't work out(other than work related) and I'm not eating 100% like I should but I'm down to 240lbs now. I've lost most of that in the last 8 months. 

Next year I plan to be down to 200lbs or hell maybe I'll go lower if I try and get where I want to maintain. I have no desire to be thin just heathy and happy. I'm not the type of person that can work out in a gym. I get super bored and discouraged so I just work more at my job and work with my animals. Riding a cousins horse every day. Walking with my goats and training them to be draft animals. I just need to stop being a grazer in the kitchen when I get bored so I try to kick myself outside when I get that urge.

I'm not as active on here as I used to be because of this. Sitting on the computer all day got me here in the first place so I won't be updating this a bunch. Plus I don't own a weight scale. So update would go like "I feel thinner today". Lol


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## CritterCarnival (Sep 18, 2013)

Right there with you, I've gotten very unhealthy over the past number of years. I've been trying to sort through some long term nerve and pain issues which have made me wayyyy too sedentary. And I'm a voracious reader/learner, so my escape has been the internet...endless knowledge at your finger tips, just amazing. I loose all track of time when I find an intriguing subject to explore...:type: But I forget that I'm hurting, so...

I can't do the gym thing either, except for swimming, and can't afford a membership anyway. Having all the critters here at home has kind of backfired as motivation too. I go out and see everybody so many times through out the day when I take breaks from the computer, that it seems like I'm _always_ out there. But I'm not really out there _doing _anything but loving on the kids...nothing gets accomplished except goat spoilage!! :laugh:

So, I've been trying to plan out some things to do with the critters to get out and get moving more. I've got a nice little horse who was just barely started last year that has been a pasture puff / lawn mower ever since...I _will_ get her restarted and riding well this year!!

As soon as the weather warms up and I can wash the buck stink off of my wether (Splash loovvvesss his buddy :slapfloor he is going to learn to pull a wagon or cart. :cart:

And we are wanting to make it to a few shows with our Nubians this coming year, too. So we'll have to get some handling done and learn all about that part of having goats.

Lots to do, just lacking the butt kicking part, to get up and get going! I look forward to your progress as well as my own, thanks for starting this thread, every little bit of encouragement is appreciated to help me get out of my troll hole and get stuff done. :lol:


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## caprine crazy (Jun 12, 2012)

xymenah you just made me feel so relieved. I was beginning to think I was the only young person out there who weighed more than 200 pounds. It is pretty embarrassing when someone asks me what size shirt I wear. This spring/summer I want to try a different approach to dieting that I might actually enjoy, but I don't know what. I need to do something though. I'm 280 pounds and have been there for about a year because of the 300lbs factor you mentioned above. I will not a gym membership. I hated PE as a child and a gym reminds me too much of that. I know diet change is a big part of it. I read that instead of having 3 meals a day, it's better to have small snacks several times a day. I think I'm going to try this along with some sort of exercise. I need some fun ideas for exercising, so if any of you have any suggest away!


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

CritterCarnival - I'm with you on the reading. Thats something I love to do and the internet is like one giant book that never ends. I also love swimming too. If I could I'd live under water. Once I loose some more weight I want to get my scuba divers license. I've never done it because I could never get up the courage to wear a wetsuit. I know they had my size because I saw some guys walking out of a shop in Hawaii that were just a big as me in them but I just couldn't do it. It's a crying shame that my dad used to build water parks and I've been to Hawaii several times but after the age of 12 I've not gone swimming save for one Summer when I was 16. I've literally spent days in a pool. Had an air bed and even slept out there. 

Caprine Crazy - (bare with me I'm long winded today) You are so not alone. It's so embarrassing when your friends go shopping and you have to just stand around and watch because you can't fit anything in the store. Or worse yet they drop you off at the plus size section and it's all super ugly and you just feel like crawling in a hole but you look anyway because your closet is in need of something. My weight has stifled my life. I've never been to a party, never to prom, never dated, never anything. And as a 20yo that's not normal. Sure I went to Italy and had a grand time but imagine if I was confident in my body and had the confidence to get out there? Do you know how many clubs I walked past that I wanted to go into but I was fat so I didn't?

PE was also the bane of my existence in school too. I normally hid behind the bleachers or something or skipped altogether because I couldn't stand the embarrassment. My wight gain has also was exasperated from a mental disorder(Aspergers) I have so I avoid social gatherings to begin with but as I gained it got worse. My disorder is something I cannot fix so I just have to deal with it. So in addition to weight loss I'm trying to face my fears and awkwardness with strangers. I have to just "fake it till I make it" with that though. 

The best advice I can give food wise is to not go fat free. So many people go in that direction and wonder why they are gaining. If your interested google Keto Diet it's an interesting read even if it's not about weight loss. And no I do not recommend going to the extreme. But the facts are plain, sugar and carbs are the enemy. Try to eat things raw like veggies and fruits. If your hungry for something sweet grab fruit. If your just plain hungry grab some veggies and some protein. Stay away from dried fruit as they are often soaked in sugar and even if they aren't the loss of moisture makes them smaller and we eat more because it's less. Once I'm out of the house I'd love to go onto a modified Paleo diet(with dairy) but living with my dad it's just too hard to eat that way. He's a bread/chip/noodle with every meal type and those are my weaknesses. I'm not a huge fan of dieting it's a change of lifestyle that needed to truly loose weight and get healthy. 

As for exercise I highly recommend goat walking lol. You don't have to walk alone and it makes it feel less like exercising. Your just taking the goat for a walk working out. I walk and lift things all day long at my job. Things like shoveling poop, carrying 40lb boxes to and from places ect. And I think you said in another thread you volunteer at a vets office? Walking the dogs, cleaning all that's work. I'm not sure if you like horses but you could volunteer to clean stables. They might even pay you. Dancing helps too. I'd never dance in front of anyone but I can rock out in my room when I'm alone. Put those earbuds in and got to town. Sure you feel silly but who cares your burning calories and having fun. Also as I said in my original post getting happy is a big part of loosing weight. This move and being able to be my own person had made me happy so it's helped me loose weight. Right now I'm backsliding a bit in my happiness but I'm working on fixing that.


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## caprine crazy (Jun 12, 2012)

You don't know how many times I've went shopping with friends and all I could do was stand there and watch everyone else try on because I couldn't wear anything in the store. Thank you. And yes, I do volunteer at a vets office, but sadly that will be coming to an end because we will be closing after the holidays.  I really need to find myself a real job anyway. One I'm actually going to get paid for. I'm going to see about working at Pet Smart or TSC. At TSC there's a lot of lifting to do, so that will help some if I could get a job there. Thanks for the advice. I will take this into consideration.


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

I'm in between "normal" and plus sizes. I hate shopping because of that... Its like I can kind of wear the normal size but it looks weird here or this doesn't fit right so I end up looking like a sausage. I need to lose weight as well but again, this whole kick in the butt thing hasn't quite happened. Maybe I need to do it myself? 

Last spring I did a low carb/clean diet and lost some weight but due to living at home and not having control over grocery shopping I haven't kept up with it. I second cleaning horse stalls... I did that from August until last week- let me tell you, I toned up some in my legs but I wasn't changing my diet so no real weight loss. 

I do agree with eating snacks through out the day. Unfortunately I know how to eat and exercise right, I just won't do it. Who's going to kick me?


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

What a great thread to come across after I just did my sit up which is part of my plan to loose weight lol
I've always been skinny, honestly probably to skinny. Even with all my unhealthy eating and downing my Mountain Dew lol. I wore 00 pants and after my first kid was a 1, second kid 3 and some how don't ask me how I'm now a 6. I'm still as active as I've ever been, maybe even more but I guess something to do with turning 30 lol I actually had my physical the day before I turned 30 and my present was being told to loose 15lbs. That was depressing.
So this is my master plan of loosing weight. Since most of my fat is in my stomach I've been doing sit ups which sucks because I have a hernia mesh patch and when I over do it it hurts  I changed out my Mountain Dew for tea, took about a week to get over feeling sluggish. And my biggest problem is because I'm always busy I usually snack on potato chips so I changed those In for crackers. You guys are right lots of small meals is better but to also stop once you first start feeling full. That's something I seriously need to work on. I also usually eat dinner before bed, especially during the summer when it gets dark so late, so lately dinner has been at 5 that way I still have time to burn it off. 
So that's my whole master plan of loosing weight lol I'm going to town on Tuesday and will buy batteries for my scale so In a few days I'll see if any of this is even working 


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

I had a job that for the last 10 yrs. I basically sat at a computer. July 25, 2014, I got liberated! I had worked for 
that company for 20 yrs. Gave them most of my 30's, all my 40's and almost half my 50's! I had enough! The owner's daughter
just graduated from college with a masters in teaching. That somehow qualified her to run the construction company! The first 
thing she did was start getting rid of the old timers that made a decent rate. I didn't give her the satisfaction, I have hated that 
co. for the last 15 yrs., so walking away was the best thing I could have done! I am happier than I have ever been, relaxed, and so much less stressed! 

Anyway, I am farming full time, making the goats pull their weight by producing milk for a local (sort of) creamery. And, I have lost
40# since July! No sitting and snacking! My barn is 60 ft. long and boy, I am up and down it 20 or more times a day! I would like
to get rid of another 30#, that will put me where I should be for my height- 5'2". I felt horrible at my heaviest. I will never be a skinny mini- 
4 kids ruined that for me! I just want to be healthier and feel good!


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## farmchick897 (Jul 2, 2013)

I have 20 pounds left to lose and it's SO hard. In April of this year I took up running, always hated running but I started with two important things. A training friend and a program that starts you off on a run:walk interval. So running never seemed that bad because you just look at each interval. We signed up for our first 1/2 marathon last October and that gave us a goal we had to work towards. I thought for sure running would take the pounds off, and it took off 14 lbs, but the rest just lingers. I know each extra pound I carry hurts my knees and makes me more prone to injuries and I am suffering from heel pain and my knee does ache after long runs. I did finish my 1/2 marathon but my body was so exhausted and I decided I had to be more fit and better trained for the next race. So, now on top of running 3x per week, I do an hour long boot camp class 2x per week, I started a strength training program with a trainer 3x per week and I really want to lose this 20 lbs. I signed up for 2 races coming up, one in Feb and one in April. The one in April is an ultra trail marathon- 50k. I thought if that didn't motivate me to lose the weight I'm not sure what will.  


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

I am right there with you all! I was always heavy and can remember hearing "you'd be so pretty if you'd just lose weight". Grrr.... As I got pregnant, my weight would go way up. I could lose back down to my pre-pg weight right after delivery but my body would take me back up to my highest pg weight within a few months. When I delivered my daughter at the age of 40....I weighed 325 pounds! I did everything I could to lose the weight and it just wouldn't budge. I finally gave in and had Gastric Bypass Surgery when my daughter was 2 years old. 

I had the surgery while in Germany. I lost a lot of weight! Was down to 185 at one point and felt fantastic! We lived on Post at the time and I would walk to the Grocery Store, walk to the gym (military facilities have super fantastic gyms!!) and everywhere else I could. We went on bike trips, etc. Then we moved off Post and the weather turned gray and dreary for a full year. I have SAD and no sunshine kills me. I also deal with depression on a daily basis. I gained most of the weight back. 

What a lot of people don't understand is that mental and physical handicaps (even if they don't seem that major to anyone else) is a huge issue in weight. I have Fibromyalgia, SAD, migraines and depression. Because of the fibro there are days when getting out of bed is my major accomplishment. It also affects my balance....a LOT. At my weight (280 pounds) and age (52) falling is not a good option as getting back up can be hard. 

As for clothes....try being 5'10" and plus sized and find clothes that even remotely fit! I buy mens shirts cause that's the only way sleeves are long enough. I finally found some jeans that actually fit and are long enough but I have to pay dearly for them! 

I agree 100% on the no fat free. Go to the store and look at something that isn't fat free and then look at the same product fat free....they usually add a LOT of sugar to make it taste good if they take the fat out.


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## farmchick897 (Jul 2, 2013)

Kccjer- I would recommend you read this book. 








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## ariella42 (May 22, 2014)

I had issues with food during undergrad and got unhealthily skinny. Unfortunately, when I started eating normally again, my metabolism was way out of whack. Law school didn't help (I think I gained 10 pounds just studying for the bar). Right now, I'm about 20-30 pounds above where I'd like to be, which on a small frame like mine is a good bit. I had to buy new suits when I started this job, but they're slowly starting to get tight too. I know a lot of my problem is inactivity. Plus, we've started eating too many convenience meals (frozen pizzas, pot pies, etc.). In the past, I've done Weight Watchers with good results. I really recommend it to anyone who likes having a plan. It's very flexible and encourages eating healthy eating both in terms of portion sizes and ingredients, but nothing is off-limits. 

I'm considering trying it again, but my main goal now is to get a gym membership. I usually work through lunch, so I just eat at my desk, but I think if I joined the gym across the street it would give me a chance to get out of the office and get a bit of a workout in.


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## Naunnie (Jul 4, 2014)

From the bottom of my heart....thank you all for posting on this thread. I will share when I get home. Love ya.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

farmchick897 said:


> Kccjer- I would recommend you read this book.
> View attachment 83869
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Goat Forum


I'm going to decline this option due to the fact that it is very possible to overdose on D supplements. Overdosing doesn't always help....and can be quite harmful. I do take a supplement, but will not be taking super high doses. Here's an article that can explain it: http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/am-i-getting-too-much-vitamin-d/

But thanks for thinking of me! I know that if I get out in the sunshine it helps me feel much better and when I was tanning I felt way better too...


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

What great support we can all give each other here!

High School stunk being in the group of not-skinny gals. I still love my high school friends but don't wish to go back there. In college I achieved 140 lbs (I'm 5'6") but once I met my husband the weight came back along and I've crept up to 185 now. My parents were both sticks when they were young but that was never me. Now both my husband's and my parents are very overweight and we are anxious to avoid the same issues (joint issues, GI issues, etc.) as we age (nearly 30 now). I also absolutely REFUSE to become parents/be pregnant without being under 150 lbs! The weight gain of pregnancy & after scares the heck out of me!

I'm very conscientious of eating a healthy and "clean" diet. Trying to focus on more whole veggies & fruits with a protein serving at every meal. Putting more veggies on my plate than anything else. I do not buy "low-fat" or "margarine" or other foods that contain a lot of chemicals and weird stuff. I also love to eat local and that helps with being healthy. My struggle is to break my addiction to sugar and carbs. I play volleyball 2-3 times a week and enjoy the occasional fitness class but I can't stand the gym! People are surprised I struggle with my weight living on a farm, but I have a full-time mostly desk job and a lot of farm work involves driving a tractor with a cold beer in the cup-holder!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Well I got my batteries for my scale today and just weighed myself  I've GAINED 5 pounds!!! I read the other night about birth control and weight gain and read actual peoples stories on it and seems that it effects late 20's and older, so I'm thinking that might be part of the problem but I would rather be over weight then hating everyone and everyone wanting to kill me a week out of the month lol so back to the drawing board to see what else I can change  because now I'm at 15lbs to loose in 10 months 


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Medications can play such a huge roll in it! I gained 10 lbs when I began using NuvaRing for birth control. Recently gain another 10 lbs when my asthma medication was changed (steroids) and also take daily allergy meds. Feels like fighting a losing battle!!

A friend of mine was struggling to lose weight and also trying to remove chemical/hormones/drugs from her life. She switched from a birth control pills to a Copper IUD and loves it! Only a good option if you don't plan to have children for like 5 years, and she really had to talk her dr into it but she is happy!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Oh no, no more kids for me lol, husband is gonna make a dr app this winter but my problem is I am so mean and unhappy during my oh so special time. I go out of my way not to be but doesn't work, I know it's probably hard to imagine if you don't have pms that badly but it's bad for me so I simply don't have periods any more. Dr even tried putting me on Zoloft and that was really bad on weight gain and I simply just didn't care about anything so I went off them. I really wish I could get all my female parts removed lol it's not fair, dogs get fixed and they don't get periods lol
But I do know I need to eat better, which I'm gonna work on, and drink more water, gosh I HATE drinking water lol I love flavor and water just doesn't have it. Maybe I'll start running in the mornings  hate running too!! 


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## caprine crazy (Jun 12, 2012)

SalteyLove said:


> Medications can play such a huge roll in it! I gained 10 lbs when I began using NuvaRing for birth control. Recently gain another 10 lbs when my asthma medication was changed (steroids) and also take daily allergy meds. Feels like fighting a losing battle!!
> 
> A friend of mine was struggling to lose weight and also trying to remove chemical/hormones/drugs from her life. She switched from a birth control pills to a Copper IUD and loves it! Only a good option if you don't plan to have children for like 5 years, and she really had to talk her dr into it but she is happy!


This is good to know! I've been on birth control for about 2 or 3 years now. I never thought about that effecting my weight. Of course, it doesn't help that I prefer to eat more and exercise less. I also have severe (or at least I consider them severe. Try sneezing non-stop for about 2 minutes.) seasonal allergies. I take Allegra year-round for it. Even though it's winter I still sneeze a lot and I know it's allergies and not a cold. I can feel the difference between allergies and colds. Sounds weird, but true. I had never taken medication into account before. Hmmm.....


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Oh Kayla! I feel you on the allergies! Aren't those darn sneezing sessions HORRIBLE! I get really bad headaches that are allergy and fibro related. Makes everyone who lives with me miserable too! hehe

Meds play a really big role in weight gain/loss. The worst part is that they start adding more meds to counter the side effects of the ones you are already taking. And then you just get in a vicious cycle. I quit taking ALL my meds for that reason....I'm back on them now cause I have really severe anemia and my thyroid is all out of whack.


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## farmchick897 (Jul 2, 2013)

Anyone doing the 100 day challenge? 
Website is 100dayschallenge.org


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