I have many buddies on here, so a lot of them know my story. But I feel like I must share it. There is hope out there people, really there is!!! I started my weight loss journey at 305 lbs. I had a 6 month old baby, was depressed, tired, and sick of being a size 26/28. It was hard to move, hard to walk, hard to get up and feed the baby. I was so tired and miserable. I decided something had to change. I didn't know how, God knows I had tried so many other times, but I wanted this to be different. I found a great group of support with Overeaters Anonymous. I lost about 70 lbs with the help of this group in about 1 1/2 years, then I got pregnant with my 2nd child. I threw my weight loss to the wind and ate like crazy. Out of control, and pregnant! I gained 35 lbs, then could not get my act together so I gained about 10 more lbs. I was around 250 lbs again, I was soooo mad but knew I had to do something about it, again. I considered bariatric surgery, even went for a consult, but i was a high risk candidate because of a previous surgery I had for reflux disease. So then I had a choice to make:

1. Just accept that I am fat, eat all I want and act like I don't care

OR

2. Get off my fat ass and do something about it.

Obviously I did #2. I joined a weight loss place (where it doesn't matter, because they didn't teach me anything I didn't know already) and I lost about 45 lbs with them, reaching around 200 lbs. Then I hit a plateau, and finally with help of counting my calories daily, lots of exercise, and plenty of water, I have gotten down to 185. I would like to get to around 155 or so, and maybe be in a single digit size!! Who knows, only time will tell.

But I never thought in my wildest WILDEST dreams that I would be able to do this. I guess I gave up so many times I had no idea why this would work. The whole key to this is I worked with a counselor for the last 2 years on the reasons WHY I ate like I ate. I worked on all my issues with food, which started back in childhood. Iwas 100 lbs overweight in grade school, I remember weighing 170 lbs in 6th grade. I was such a sad child. I also had an addiction to food, I still do, but after working on the food issues, I don't have such a desire for food like I did.

This is a whole process, a journey. Its not just 1 thing that needs to work. Its all the components. Your food, your mind, moving more, eating less, positive attitude, a good support team. Its a lot of hard work, but its so worth it. So if you have told yourself that you can't do it, you CAN do it. Be forgiving of yourself, love yourself. Don't give up when you make a mistake. I've made tons of them , but I didn't stop reaching for my goal. There were so many times where the voice of "fat Tina" would say "Tina you ate that chocolate, see you are a failure, you need to realize you can't do this, come on forget it and eat some more". Now if that voice comes into my head, I tell it to go away. Fat Tina doesn't exist anymore. I'm a new me, a reinvented me.

Anything is possible people, believe in yourself and you can do it!

WOW! I didn't know your story; thanks for sharing. That was very inspirational! Keep up the great work!!!

I couldn't ask for much more inspiration than your story! Thank you, so much, for sharing! I stand in awe of your accomplishment! CONGRATULATIONS!

awesome girl!!!!!!your an inspiration.....i have as much weight to lose as you did.....

simply amazing!!!

Congrats to you! That is great. Keep up the good work.

Wow that is insirational, I wish I can see before an After pictures.....

congratulation! its a continuous battle! what an inspiration! thanks for sharing tina!

Your story is amazing! It's really inspirational for the rest of us, thank you so much for sharing!

Your an inspiration!