[Dominique]

Originally Posted by Thinker

Down 0.8 for today's weigh-in

It's a turtle's pace, but at least the turtle is heading in the right direction!

slow and steady wins the race!

It's not my intention to take anything away from Thinker, I wanted to stop in and support it is the right direction.

I'm a recovered *fat* person who had emotional eating issues. As many of you know, you replace one addiction with another. Now I am an endorphine junkie, A much better choice (except now I don't feel pain, but thats for a different thread)

I lost 103 pounds after my heart almost quit on me. The Dr. told me either make radical changes~immediately~ or you are going to die. That was the morning after, I promised myself if I lived to see another morning, I was going to get my act together, I was not prepared to die. I lived to see the morning and then he delivered that message to me. He was right, but I already knew that.

It all began with walking. Everyday. At first, a brisk walk around the block, was brutal. (I am a woman of my word) walk again. Soon that walk around the block was a walk around the neighborhood, then I incorporated some steps into the daily walk. Before I knew it, I was jumping out of bed and looking forward to my walk. In the mean time, I began to teach myself the DASH diet, (it's a heart healhy/balanced eating plan...low sodium) this was going to be my new way of life...not some fad diet. Salt/sodium would cause swelling and fluid retention around my heart, essentially squeezing it, and that will kill me) the walks became easier, I walked faster, further and longer. So far I haven't said anything that sounds awful...have I?

The first thing I noticed, my rings were spinning on my fingers, less fluid retention. I was feeling much better, had energy (more like positive energy) and my clothes were not fitting. I didn't have a scale (yet). In what seemed like no time, the walks were effortless, so I would walk some, jog some (me jogging??) walk some more....and the more I did that, the longer I was able to jog, then further and further....weight loss at the end of the first year 35 pounds. Slow and steady.

Eventually, I got into a gym and continued exercising of some sort. Long story short. My body picked it's new weight of 135 pounds (minus 103) over a three year period. I'd also like to tell you, when I got down to a size 12....I thought, Oh, I like this size...but I kept eating properly and doing what the american heart association suggests 10,000 steps a day and 45 minutes of exercise a day and slowly the weight kept coming off.

In the mean time, I became hooked on exercise (endorphines) and Physically I am in the best shape of my life. I also eat extremely healthy now, I no longer make excuses for the way I eat. (I mean to non dieting friends and family, no thank you and that is it!) I am not suggesting you become an endorphine junkie to achieve your weight loss goal. I'm only supporting, slow and steady weight loss will win. Do the right things as often as possible and it will happen. / yb





ETA....it's been ten years.....its been a new life.....seriously! so glad I changed my cookie binge ways