The long anticipated "after" picture

[VelmaD]

I was digging through some old clothes out in my storage space while getting rid of stuff for my impending move. Anyway, I found a pair of blue jeans from when I was at my biggest. So I took the obligatory picture of what they look like on me now. This is what the difference between size 22 and size 8 looks like. :)

[Book Lover]

1. Good fro you!

And I am insipred :-)

[StopTheMorans]

2. wow, that's great!

good for you Velma! :)

[commander bunnypants]

3. conmgrads

CB

[billie_]

4. WOW!

you look great, congratulations!
and good luck with your move :)

billie

[Schema Thing]

5. Wow, congrats!

That took alot of effort. Be proud of yourself!

[bettyellen]

6. Wow, you look great!! .. you must feel great too! Congrats! eom

[Phentex]

7. Great!

:)

[AlCzervik]

8. Congratulations!!!!

How great for you.

[XNASA]

9. If you were a guy......you'd be in vogue.

Just let those old jeans drop down to mid-thigh and wear some basketball shorts underneath.

It's the schnizzle, so I'm told.

Congrats, Velma. What's your secret?

[VelmaD]

18. You asked first...

but in reply to everyone who has asked...no big secret. Just eating less and exercising more. I didn't go on a "diet". I made a lot of little changes to my lifestyle one at a time so I never got overwhelmed - things like replacing mayo with mustard, cutting out all the sugary soft drinks, not eating fast food, eating more veggies, finding low cal snacks. And when I fall off the wagon and have a day where I eat bad...I get right back on the next day. My big thing is having pretty much 100 percent control of the amount of calories going into my body every day and making sure I exercise enough that I burn more than I consume.

The biggest thing was the mindset I had going in. I looked at it as a long term project. It took me years to gain all that weight and I knew it would take a long time to take it all off. That way I didn't get disappointed when it didn't happen overnight.

[Cyndee_Lou_Who]

28. Congrats.... you and I are totally on the same wavelength

Since May, I am down about 37 lbs (a lot for someone 5'1"!!) and from a 16 to an 8. You look fabulous!! I did it in exactly the same manner as you. http://fitday.com helped me track my caloric intake at first. After a few weeks of anal journalizing, I got the point and was able to monitor without the journal. You said it exactly as I was just telling a co-worker this AM. And, I keep buying the same brand/cut of jeans... one size smaller at a time to mark my progress, but only when it's truly necessary (not when I'd be able to stuff into them). I just bought my first single size jeans today at lunch (8)!! WAY TO GO!! :party:

[VelmaD]

29. Congratulations!

:party:

That first time in a single digit size is a day you'll never forget. :)

[Cyndee_Lou_Who]

30. I am sure you'll atest that an even better day is the first person who

notices... really notices. You know, the co-worker you see a few times a week who suddenly goes "WOW, you've lost weight!!" and you beam "YES!!! I HAVE!!". That was monumental! One huge reason I realized I needed to was my health. It was tough carrying all that extra weigth around. Couldn't do the things I wanted to do... like dance like a fool!

Now I am dancing on tabletops! Our heart and joints are thanking us!

:hug:

[VelmaD]

31. What I love is when...

people at work from other departments come up and ask me "how did you do it?" :) Even more fun is answering, "so how much weight have you lost?" and being able to say "130 pounds". The look on people's faces over that amount is just priceless. :)

[Cyndee_Lou_Who]

33. WOW!! 130?!?! You should have seem MY face! That's remarkable!

I think a big wake up for me was using that fitday website to really SEE the actual number of calories that I had to eat to MAINTAIN the weight that I was at... blew me away.

I have really done it with minimal exercise. Just really watching portions, and keeping my cravings for sugary-sweet-fattening-oozing goodness at bay. BUT, not depriving myself either. There's one week per month that I give in more than others.... But I learned that if I wanted the creamy frosting-filled donut, just have HALF (not 2). And we go out to lunch here a lot, so I will order a full lunch and eat half... bring the other half home and eat that for dinner. And I learned to just STOP or seriously control the the snacks and sugar after dinner. Again, way to go!

[VelmaD]

35. I exercise like a mad woman...

I was very athletic as a youngster and it has felt really good to get back in fighting shape. But portion control has been a big part of it too. I had to do both because I have the world's slowest metabolism. :)

I have to watch a sweet tooth too. What saved my life are Blue Bunny low cal fudgesicles. :) 35 calories apiece and quite yummy.

[2bfree]

10. Wow!

I am really impressed and slightly jealous! How did you do it? You look great, you should be very proud of yourself. :)

[sundog]

11. lookin good ya sexy thang

;-)

[frictionlessO]

12. awesome! Im working on it and dropped about 50 lbs in the last 3 months

one of these days Ill have a pic like this. You look great!
What did you do for diet?? I am so totally impressed and inspired!

[Beware the Beast Man]

13. Wow. It's a lot easier to get in your pants now!

:evilgrin:

[VelmaD]

15. *snort*

Ok, you get big smooches for the funniest reply ever. *smooch*

[Beware the Beast Man]

17. Thanks, and congratulations!

[underpants]

14. Yaaaaaaaaaay!

Good for you

[SarahB]

16. Awesome!

I too went from an 18 to an 8. I gave away my big pants once I hit 12 though. I hated having them around! :D
It feels great, but I still have to be vigilant at all times.

[VelmaD]

19. I gave most of mine away...

in fact after taking clothes home this weekend for my mom and sister-in-law I don't have anything in my closet that doesn't fit anymore. I found the size 22s buried in the bottom of a box of clothes that had been in my storage building for over a year. I guess my sub-conscious knew I'd want to take this pic some day. :)

[LDS Jock]

20. did you eat at Subway every day?

just kidding.. congrats!

[elehhhhna]

21. WOW! Just WOW!

[indigobusiness]

22. Almost room for me to get in there with ya...

hehee...

Good work!

[IowaGuy]

23. Wow...thats fantastic...

real inspirational; I've lost about 50 lbs in the last 6 months but have hit a bit of a wall here...need to drop at least another 30, and they are coming off kind of tuff...seein' your success is gonna help me keep goin'

Thanks...

[VelmaD]

26. I'm empathetic...

I'm about 10 pounds from my final goal and lord knows the last 15 or 20 pounds have been so slow to come off. Keep at it. And any time you need some motivation feel free to pm me. :)

[short bus president]

24. Jeebus crispy dammit, deevee!

Save those pants! I bet if we both squeezed into 'em at the same time it could be fun. ;-)

[VelmaD]

27. Yeah, but...

somehow I doubt my mom would be willing to take pics of that. ;)

[miss_kitty]

25. OMG

I never saw the before, and I don't need to. YOU LOOK GREAT!

Congrats on a hard battle well fought.

[Gemini Cat]

32. Congratulations!

You look fantastic!

[Richardo]

34. Rowr!! Congrats, Velma!

:thumbsup:

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

36. Whoa! That is great, way to go!!!!