Donna’s Success Story is one of perseverance and willpower. She had battled her weight and been highly successful. She has also learned lessons the hard way, with a regain. At the beginning of this year she took a good look at where she was and decided to make some changes in her diet and lifestyle and she is living proof that if you want to lose weight and are willing to put in the effort that weight loss success is possible.
I met Donna many years ago through my blog as we both worked to lose weight. We communicated for a while simply via the comments section but then eventually though email. It was a good day when I finally got to meet this amazing woman that I call my friend. We had a fabulous time riding our bikes together at an organized ride that first weekend , and we have managed to hook up a few times since then (definitely not often enough!). Donna has been at one time or another my confidant, my accountability partner, my bike buddy, my sounding board, a shoulder to cry on and most recently my inspiration....but most importantly she is my friend.
Here is a picture of Donna and I at that very first meeting. (As a reference point, I believe we both weighed right around 210-215 pounds)
What sparked you to begin to lose weight??
THIS time I started the year out having to pay almost $500 for one months supply for ONE of three injectibles I take for type 2 diabetes. Since I have a fairly high deductible with my insurance, the medications I was taking for my type 2 diabetes as well as for high blood pressure and cholesterol were costing me a small fortune! It took several months to meet my deductible and even now it costs about $200 a month, out of pocket, for my medications. Since I plan to retire at the end of the year, I started to try and think of ways to reduce some of my bills. One way was on the car insurance for my car since I no longer put many miles on my car. The next one was my medications. The insurance is taken care of and as of my June Endocrinologist appointment I was able to get off of one of my insulins, thus far.
What was your highest weight? Current weight? Highest weigh that I can remember was 305 pounds, Current weight as of this morning is 188.8 pounds.
How much weight have your lost?
Since January of this year I lost 38.4 pounds. I have fluctuated for about 8 years at right around 250 pounds give or take 5 pounds.
What was your starting clothing size? Your current size?
My starting size was 22/24 pants and 2-3XL tops. Just bought medium shorts yesterday, a pair of capris in large and a large top.
What plan did you follow to lose your weight? (ie weight watchers, slim fast, a plan of your own creation...) I really don't follow any special plan. I have known since my type 2 diabetes was diagnosed that carbohydrate and sugar intake needed to be watched. I started to log EVERY day in MyFitnessPal and watched to make sure I didn't go over my carbohydrate and sugar levels. I had been to diabetes classes twice, once with my husband and once when I was diagnosed so I knew what to eat and how to make sure you get the nutrients from all food groups. I am an Excel spreadsheet geek, so I tracked all of the nutrients that the free version of the app allows, as well as calories. I could see how I did each day against my weekly weight loss. So that was a LONG answer to your question, so really my own plan
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.Have you reached your weight loss goal? If so, how long have you been maintaining your weight?
Not yet! I spoke with both my Endocrinologist and Primary Care doctor and they both would like to strive to get my BMI at a "normal level". Searching that data on the internet shows me I should be at 170 pound's.
Do you consistently track your food intake (via online or paperform)
I track in myfitnesspal EVERY SINGLE DAY!
How often do you weigh yourself? How did you come to that choice for how often?
I weigh myself once a week, first thing in the morning. On very rare occasions I will weigh mid-week, but my Sunday number is what I log in MyFItnessPal and on my spreadsheet. I chose this because I know there are a lot of fluctuations each and every day and only wanted to have my sights on ONE weigh in a week. I am the type of person that gets disappointed if I weigh in the morning after I go over my calories and see a gain.
Do you exercise regularly? If so, what do you do?
Not really! This is my weakness right now. I am not sure if it is because I am lazy or what. I just can't seem to get motivated for any period of time to keep at it. I now work from home full time, so I can't say I "don't have time". since my 1-1/4 hour commute is gone! I have a good bicycle and a great place to walk. I also have clubhouse in the 55+ community where we live. The clubhouse has a recumbent bike, several treadmills, weights, etc which is open 24-7 with our pass key . Maybe admitting it to you for your blog will give me the incentive I need to get with it! I know that I need to exercise not to lose weigh as much but to get rid of my stomach and to try to tone up my legs and arms.
What products do you use/can't live without/recommend?
My FitBit I finally purchased one at the end of May and don't know how I lived without it! It helps me to get up and move since I work as a Project Manager and sit at least 8 hours a day. I also like that I can log my water consumption, that it monitors my sleep and I can see it all at one place. I also like that it pulls in all my data from MyFItnessPal.
Do you have any words of advice for someone that is just starting out on this journey of weight loss and health?
Take it ONE day at a time. Do what is best for you and don't compare yourself to anyone else. YOU have to be ready to lose weight, make the changes and even find ways to get exercise in. What works for someone else might not work for you! It is a work in progress and something you will need to commit to for the rest of your life. If you have NO medical issues now, try and fix this BEFORE you might possible need meds for conditions related to weigh loss such as type 2 diabetes, thyroid, blood pressure, cholesterol. etc.
Thank you Donna for sharing your inspiring weight loss progress and success with us! I know you have been a true inspiration to me and I’m sure your story will inspire others. You are proof positive that a healthy lifestyle CAN reverse the need for medications! Keep up the good work and I’m sure that you will reach your weight goals and that more medications will be eliminated/reduced!
If you want to read more success stories you can read about David and his flight to health!