Wow, you did awesome, Papajack!!

I'm 1/5 of the way to a 100 lb loss. I can't wait to come back and post in this thread! Thanks to those of you who have gone before and shared your stories! Love them!!

Great job Carina! Your picture is so sweet. I love babies. I assume this is a recent picture? You're about my height and fairly close to the same goal as me. This way of eating is working great for me. Glad to see you are doing so well.

Donna

Not to get graphic, but sex is a 100000 times better. The majority of the reason why is because you feel good about your body and you aren't ashamed or shriek away from sexy lingerie for your man or woman.

That to me that was the biggest booster.

Also, wearing cute clothes again. I could never find cute plus size clothing. The majority of plus size clothing reminded me of female ushers for a church..they def were not stylish. And the clothes that were stylish that were plus had cost at least two times more than the "regular sizes"

Trust me.....when you hit size 18 you will be jumping up and down. Then when you get to 12, you will be like "OMG, almost there" then when you hit size 8, you will be acting like that old man from the six flags commercial!

Only 75lbs lighter right now, but i can tell you it is nothing short of life changing. You can just go to a normal store, eat out with nobody looking at you and judging, wear cute clothes that you swore were too young for you, yes to the lingerie and then there are the benefits to being able to get up and down easily off the floor, run after your kids and in my case run mile after mile and still be smiling when you finish. It has changed my relationship with my husband, my friends, my kids and MYSELF.

being able to throw on a tunic top and leggin's and actually look sexy.

going into a clothing store, seeing the plus size section and reminding myself that I don't have to shop in that area anymore.

the smiles i receive from women & men; before it was like i was invisible people never noticed me or just chose to ignore me. now they acknowledge me.

being able to workout an hour on the elliptical, the spin bike, and the treadmill. being able to complete jillian michaels level 2 workouts, being able to swim 30 to 40 laps, being able to...etc.

like being a different person

fat eric is like a bad dream, having to rest going up stairs, being barely able to put socks on and being massively out of breath once i finally had, my HR was 135 just walking about, now its 48 walking about

its like winning the lottery every day

if i could just get the last 30lbs off and hit sub 25min 5ks !!

someone who i hadn't seen for a couple of months said to me yesterday i looked like an athlete, whale to athlete, i like it

Haha thanks for the funny visual. I'm sure I will be doing nothing short of that kind of dance!

Oh and not to sound like a creeper, but do you have any recent pics of your loss?

I was 100lbs lighter only a few years ago.I feel like the real me is still in there somewhere.

I miss:
- Being able to do everything without getting out of breath
- Not looking and feeling fat.
- Being able to walk through small stores without taking up the whole isle.
- Everything taking less effort..even using a tampon is harder.
- I miss just knowing I could go out and get a guy if I wanted to. I'm the type that likes being single but at least I had the option back then to change it. Since I gained this much weight..the only men to show any type of interest are pigs. Or simply guys who like "bigger women"..well I don't feel attractive and I don't like what I turned into so I don't want someone who is attracted to something that isn't even me.
- Even showering is easier when you're not fat. Less reaching and crevices.

you are not kidding about those darn stairs i feel so out of shape when i climb those stairs

While I am not quite at the 100 lb loss mark, I can say that I feel younger than I did 5 years ago. I remember that the grocery store across the street was an olympic feat to take on when I was at my heaviest. Sometimes, I would get out of breath just eating.

I recall having to wake up just to roll over, refusing to go into a restaurant, and telling myself I just hated crowds, preferring to eat in the car, or my own home, when the truth was I was ashamed, felt like a spectacle, and dreaded the looks, not fitting in the designated dining spot. I knew then, how my child must have felt having friends come over, and meeting his Mom, how he acted so great and cool, but must have been so embarrased, but unable to show it, or say anything to me, lest he hurt my feelings. I know what it feels like to drive on your tippy toes because the distance between your gut and the steering wheel is so immense that it's all you can do to fit behind the wheel. I know what it's like to barely be able to tend to my own bathroom needs (sorry), and convincing myself it's bad shoulders, or hips, or whatever.

I know how naked and abased it felt to have my gut hang out of my long untucked shirts, and that awful feeling when talking to someone and their eyes can't help but dart down, and you both know it, but pretend like nothing happened. For me, though I have so far to go, it is like burying my old, dying self, the girl who gave up, and pretended she didn't care.

Now, I don't have to pretend I don't care, not because I look great ( much to lose still) but having lost as much as I have, I know I can, and that the ability to get up out of the chair without using my arms as a personal hoisting machine, or walking 5k and being confident enough to start he walk, knowing i can get back under my own power, has been worth every bit of work it has taken. I feel human again. I feel possible. I feel hopeful. I can do this.

I so agree with you and this paragraph! I'm almost half way there and still have a lot to lose. I've lost all my extra weight I regained when I first went from 262 down to 200 10 years ago. But I feel so much better than I did in so many ways. I know what to do, it's just a matter of sticking with it and remaining strong. WE....CAN....DO THIS!

awe so sweet how old is your baby mine is 10 weeks almost

Hi....brand new here. I've lost about 35 pounds and feel so much better. I don't have a routine for exercise yet. When I walk I walk about 1.5 miles. But I have this nagging thing in me that I should be exercising every day. I need help in the motivation area. Can I find it here?

Thanks for the thread, good inspiration from those who have successfully lost 100+ before us. Thanks everyone for sharing.