Success! *updated pics*

[LEM1955]

Thank you for posting those before pictures, most of all. Too many people either don't have pictures from before or they are not as "revealing" as yours. The amazing transformation you two have achieved in only 6 months has so much meaning to so many people because we can all see in detail what you did.

I'm curious about whether you've had some of the psychological issues crop up that others (who have lost lots) have talked about. Do old acquaintances not recognize you? How does that make you feel? Are you worried about regaining the weight? How often do you weigh yourselves? Is it hard to stick to the guidelines now? Or have you easily incorporated them into your lives?

And finally, what do you love most about what you've become?

Thanks for setting such a great example.

[sa7r6a]

Thanks for all the great comments. It WAS hard to post our before pics. It was embarrassing enough to BE that size, let alone to share bathing suit pics for all to see. It's still painful for me to go back and look at those before pics. My only thought was how much we LOVE this diet and the people on this board and wanted to offer our support and encouragement to show that it really CAN be done.

As for the psychological issues, I've had to deal with a lot of them. It's funny that the fat seems to make you feel invisible and like you're an imposition to everyone around you. Once the extra weight is gone, it's just YOU and you have to deal with all the issues you've been hiding. (Not to mention, people really DO treat you differently when you're thin. Men are more outwardly....let's say courteous, and women are not nearly as kind upon first glance.) I really don't understand the difference since I still FEEL like me. In my head, I'm not as thin as I look when I see myself in pictures. I've had the weight off for several months, and am truly in a size 2-4, but I THINK of myself as a size 6 now. (Which is better than I thought of myself a few months ago.)
Almost no one recognizes my husband anymore. Not only do old acquaintances and family members walk RIGHT past him to talk to me, but people he WORKS with, neighbors, etc. have done the same thing to him. Anyone who has gone maybe more than a month without contact with him rarely recognize him anymore. It embarrasses me and throws me off, but he LOVES it. He hated how he looked then and felt he had no control over it, so now he feels completely in control and LOVES his new look. He's got great self-esteem.

As for regaining the weight? I don't think either of us ever will. Before I started this diet, my dream was to be a size 10 the rest of my life. A size 10 seemed unattainable. My husband would have LOVED to see a size 38 waist. Now that I can wear a size 2-4 and he's wearing a size 30-inch waist, I could care LESS if we put on a few pounds over the years. We now know where we want to be and know that we are completely in control if we go past a certain weight or size. We still weigh ourselves more than we probably should-- let's say 3-5 times a week-- but we're getting there.

My husband pretty much follows phase 3 faithfully. I do not. I eat what I want when I want. I just keep in my head what I've learned from the sbd about what's healthy and what's not. So I TRY to eat more of what's healthy and not as much of what's not. So I don't STAY one particular weight, but I oscillate 3-5 pounds. I imagine everyone does. (I'm still pretty much 5 pounds less than the posted after picture.)

Our one year mark is coming up, so I'll probably try to post new after pics in a month or so. The longer the weight has been kept off gives me more confidence that it won't return-- although I doubt I'd care about 10 extra pounds on either one of us. (As horrible as it is to go back and look at our before pics, it's strange to me that my husband looks like a completely different person to me now. And I loved him JUST as much then as I do now. I never complained about his weight-- nor he mine-- I just worried that he'd follow in his family history and have his first heart attack before the age of 40. I was SURE he was headed there, and now I feel confident he'll beat the odds and overcome his inherited family traits of early heart disease, etc. I love him even more for having the discipline to make our kids and me a priority and decided to LIVE for us instead of just treading water and waiting to die.)

I mentioned earlier that I quit exercising in favor of this diet. I'm forever trying to re-incorporate exercise into my daily routine, but with a now 2 year old and a 4 year old, it's hard to me to find a routine that allows me to complete my daily HOUSE chores. I'm always missing my tv programs, etc. I recently mentioned this to my dental hygenist and she recommended Joyce Vedral's book Definition. Since my mother HAS osteoporosis and I imagine that's headed my way, as heart disease was my husband, I ordered it used from Amazon for a dollar or something. So far I've followed it (for all of 3 days), but I have to say it's completely do-able and takes only a fraction of your day to complete. 15-minutes a day/6 days a week OR 30 minutes a day/3 days a week.
It's light weight lifting, so you'd need a set of 1-2-3 pound weights. (I use water bottles in place of the one pound weights or nothing at all.) I'm hoping NOT to lose more weight, but to firm up what I've got.

Lastly, what do I love most about what I've become?
Maybe I'm a glass half empty kind of gal, because this is a hard one for me. My husband would probably quickly answer EVERYTHING! For me, though, maybe I don't feel like as much of an imposition on everyone around me. I can sit in almost any seat comfortably with room to spare. I can play more with my kids without getting tired out as quickly. I can look at pictures of myself now and think, wow, I really look like that??
Pictures are great. They show reality. When I look in the mirror, I can still see every flaw. I recently made my husband take belly and leg shots of my with our digital camera (that way I could immediately erase any that horrified me). My stomach doesn't look NEARLY as bad as I had thought, and although my thighs aren't what I'd pick out for myself in a magazine...hey, I've had 2 kids! So, I give myself a break and think life is pretty sweet. Who would have ever thought the impossible is that quickly achieved? Wish we've had known so we could have done it years ago.

[Twiceblessedmom]

Hello again! Just wanted to let you know, I had saved this spot in my favorites the other month and I keep coming back here, sometimes several times a week, to look at your pics and remind myself, this can be done...I'm doing it, I CAN stick to this and 'finish'! 30 pounds down as of this week, another 15-20 to go...

Anyways, thanks again for having the courage to post 'em, they really do help in ways you may not even realize for some.

[chubbles]

I just started the second week of Phase 1 and this is THE most encouraging thing I've come across on this site....not just your pics, but your complete and utter honesty. Thank you for telling us that you cheated in Phase 1, you hate to exercise and you still have trouble loving your body. I don't feel so alone out here! I applaud you and your husband!

[kellycon3]

I too frequently visit this thread for motivationa dn encouragement. Thank you so much for your candor and courage. Bravo!!!

[okroer]

I too look at your photos for encouragement and to help me remember what I want for myself. Your words are also so encouraging. When the scale doesn't tell me what I would like and I feel like I can't make it, your pictures let me know that I can.

Your post should be required reading for all the newbies here and then at least once a week thereafter we should get a pop-up of your pictures.

Congratulations to both of you and thank you, thank you, thank you
for sharing with the rest of us.

[justforme]

I wanted to know How long it took you to lose that weight?. Did you excercise daily?. if you did waht type of excercise did you do?.

[MamaTyson74]

WOW!!!! This has inspired me so much!! I know I can do this!!

[lighter]

wow! this is awesome!

[missygirlp1111@yahoo.com]

Ok I usually don't cry when I look at pic's but these brought me to instant tears.

What an awsome job!

[mrs.fortunato]

You guys are the inspirational couple i have ever seen you guys look incredible the best of luck to you both

[USE2BHOT]

WOW
Coo-doe's (sp?) to you both

[MarDar]

Wow! You guys look great. I've been on the diet for about a week and a half. I'm trying really hard to get my husband to join me. I'll show him these pictures.

[Zee]

I am so impressed by these pictures that my eyes are wet... I am speechless. What great inspiration you two are!!!

[MrsD]

OMG. I am speechless. Wow, just WOW! Congrats!