This was me at 350 pounds in 2000
My Weightloss Journey Then And Now
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I hope that you will read and comment on my blogs as well as my Facebook page Surviving Victimization. Thank you... Teresa http://survivo...
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This is me at nearly 400 pounds This is me after weight loss... I still have weight to lose so I am not where I want to be, but ... -
So many people eat out of boredom and depression and that is two of the worse reasons to eat as then you become an emotional eater as I did....
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Copyright © Teresa Causey-Christian 2015 All Rights Reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced without Teresa Causey-Christian's...
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Update: A Year and Five Months Later The Battle Of The Bulge Continues.... Weight Gain/Loss (See My Page For The After Weight Loss P...
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Weight gain can have a an effect on you emotionally and physically. Many can be over weight and still be happy in how they look and yet ma...
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Stress And The Havoc It Can Bring To Your Body and General Health.... Weight Gain/Loss (See My Page For The After Weight Loss Photos) M...
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What Caused Me To Over Eat In The First Place And The Effects Of It As Well As What I Am Doing To Try To Change Things... My Story Of Lo...
Friday, December 17, 2010
Update: A Year and Five Months Later The Battle Of The Bulge Continues.... |
 | My Story Of Losing Nearly 170 Pounds To Date With Updates As They Occur |
Update: A Year and Five Months Later The Battle Of The Bulge Continues.... Posted 1/19/2010 1:00 AM EST on pal-item It's hard to believer but I just realized it's been one year and five months since I last posted on my blog. I recently joined a free women's site (http://www.bravehreatwomen.com/) and I started writing on http://www.twitter.com/ about the different issues some face and trying to encouorage others on such things as weight loss, abuse (physical, mental, verbal and sexual) as I have been through them all at one time or another in my life. I also came back here to look at my blogs when I realized how long it actually had been since I'd written anything here and thought why not do an update and try to continue writing here as well as other sites. Like many others I have had my share of ups and downs since I last posted here. I still struggle with my weight and it's a life long battle, but it's one that can be managed even when you fall back from time to time. I have lost weight and gained weight since my last post. I am further from my goal weight than I was then, but not so far it can't still be reached. I have gained a few pounds in the last year and five months, but I can't beat myself up over it. I can only go forward or stop and I choose to go forward. However I have also lost three pounds in the last week, so that is a start. Life is full of hurdles and this is just one of them for me and many others. I gained about nine pounds when my youngest and only child still at home moved out June 6, 2009, but I have no one to blame for my weight gain but myself. It wasn't my son's fault it was mine. It was the first time in over 30 years that I was living alone, no husband and no children in my home. It was a huge adjustment and now not only was I battling my weight but I had the added empty nest with all of my children and grandchildren now living in different states and so far away from me. So now I have to regroup and recoup to get back on track to where I should be. I'm not where I want to be but I am by no means where I was. Am I going to give up and crawl up into a corner? No way, I fight the battle daily sometimes I lose but many days I win. Not only am I fighting this battle but many others are as well, so I want to encourage each of you struggling with weight and other issues to continue to fight, it's one well worth fighting. Please feel free to also follow me on twitter and braveheartwomen if you would like. I do not get paid for any of my posts at this time nor am I a Dr., I am just a women who has been through and survived, less than some and more than others and I want to encourage you to continue to develop and grow and to be a survivor and not a victim to the issues and hardships in your life. I will post my pictures from June 5, 2009 and from Dec. 22, 2009. One willbe of me and some will be with my son, some with my daughter and some with my youngest grandson,. More to be posted later. Written By: Teresa Christian Comments and Repsonses Below:
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Where To Check For your BMI |
| | My Story Of Losing Nearly 170 Pounds To Date With Updates As They Occur |
Where To Check For your BMI Posted 8/9/2008 12:26 AM EDT on pal-item Our body mass index also known as BMI tells us if we are any of the following, underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese. The BMI also tells your body fat percentage for your weight and height. You can check your own BMI at the following site www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi the site is the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. It also has a link to the Obesity Education Initiative as well as other informative information. When I was about 350 pounds I was at 56.5 % body fat, I am now at 30.7 % body fat meaning I have lost 25.8 % of my body fat. So even though I am have lost 25.8 % of my body fat I am still considered obese that is until I am under a 30 % BMI, so I may not be where I want to be just yet, but I am not where I once was on the BMI and for that I am glad. I have gone from a size 3-4 XXX to a size 10-12. Leaving me about 40-50 pounds to go to my goal weight and BMI. Of course a few pounds of that is from the extra skin from the weight loss. According to NHLBI here is what the BMI's are: Underweight 18.5 Normal Weight 18.5 - 24.9 Overweight 25 - 29.9 Obesity BMI of 30 or greater I hope this information is helpful to all who read it not only in this blog but in all of my blogs and I welcome your feedback. God Bless All And Keep Up The Challenge !!!!!! By Teresa Christian |
| | My Story Of Losing Nearly 170 Pounds To Date With Updates As They Occur |
Originally Posted 7/28/2008 1:05 AM EDT on pal-item
Stress can causes many issues to arise, whether it be to your emotional health and well being or general health. It can cause one to want to overeat or to binge eat, crave sweets and high fat foods, become fatigued, have aches and pains you normally don't have, etc.
Overeating was what I did when I was stressed or sad. However overeating then left me feeling guilty afterwards, which then left me eating more and before I even knew it I was about 350 pounds and not happy with how I looked. I ate comfort foods, high fat, high calories, about anything I could eat that I liked and I ate it in larger quanities and if not in large quanities then just more often. Either way it was adding weight. The extra weighted left my back and knees hurting, the heavier I got the more I hurt. It eventually starting wearing out the cartilage in my knees which is part of what caused the pain.
Does stress have to cause us to overeat? No, we have to take control and that isn't always easy, but it can be done. Will we sometimes fall back on the emotional eating? Well, that is certainly possible, I have done it myself. However try not to beat yourself up over it, accept it and move on. If you don't have anyone around to encourage you then I say encourage yourself. Be your own best friend if you don't have one. I have a wonderful mom who encouages me when I am feeling stressed or down, even so there are times I have had to encourage myself at times especially in the middle of the night when I am more likey to want to overeat or be sad and I don't want to call and wake anyone one.
If stress is causing you to doubt yourself stop and be kind to yourself, don't degrade or belittle your yourself either. I am not saying to be arrorgant, but to be confident in who you are.
Give yourself a break, take time for yourself to reduce the stress in your life. Find something you love to do and spend time enjoying it. As for myself I have been doing more to do just that such as helping a local Christian Rock band called Revelation 9, I find it not only fun but also relaxing. I also enjoy crafts, designing wedding veils, bouquets, ring and heirloom pillows which I donate to family and friends. I also enjoy photography and writing poetry. so as you can see you can redirect your stress to many differnet areas as I try to do.
Think positive even in stressful times, it's not always easy I know, but do your best.
Overeating was what I did when I was stressed or sad. However overeating then left me feeling guilty afterwards, which then left me eating more and before I even knew it I was about 350 pounds and not happy with how I looked. I ate comfort foods, high fat, high calories, about anything I could eat that I liked and I ate it in larger quanities and if not in large quanities then just more often. Either way it was adding weight. The extra weighted left my back and knees hurting, the heavier I got the more I hurt. It eventually starting wearing out the cartilage in my knees which is part of what caused the pain.
Does stress have to cause us to overeat? No, we have to take control and that isn't always easy, but it can be done. Will we sometimes fall back on the emotional eating? Well, that is certainly possible, I have done it myself. However try not to beat yourself up over it, accept it and move on. If you don't have anyone around to encourage you then I say encourage yourself. Be your own best friend if you don't have one. I have a wonderful mom who encouages me when I am feeling stressed or down, even so there are times I have had to encourage myself at times especially in the middle of the night when I am more likey to want to overeat or be sad and I don't want to call and wake anyone one.
If stress is causing you to doubt yourself stop and be kind to yourself, don't degrade or belittle your yourself either. I am not saying to be arrorgant, but to be confident in who you are.
Give yourself a break, take time for yourself to reduce the stress in your life. Find something you love to do and spend time enjoying it. As for myself I have been doing more to do just that such as helping a local Christian Rock band called Revelation 9, I find it not only fun but also relaxing. I also enjoy crafts, designing wedding veils, bouquets, ring and heirloom pillows which I donate to family and friends. I also enjoy photography and writing poetry. so as you can see you can redirect your stress to many differnet areas as I try to do.
Think positive even in stressful times, it's not always easy I know, but do your best.
Comments (2) | See Comments and Responses Below:
 | MarkJBrim wrote: "Life" is stress. By blaming every health concern there is on stress, one will be stressed about being stressed, or stressed trying to not be stressed....You get the picture. Frankly, people need to recognize stress and learn to live with it in a healthy manner...a hobby, jogging, etc. A time for you to simply get away from everything. As far as eliminating and/or cutting down on stress....impossible! 7/30/2008 1:21 PM EDT on pal-item |
 | tchristi41 wrote: Dear Mark, I want to thank you for taking the time to read and comment about my blog, however I want it to be clear that I was not trying to blame stress on every health issue. I do however believe as do many DR's from what I have read that stress can/does cause health and eating issues such as what I mentioned in my blog concerning stress. I don't find that life is stress, but that the things, places, situations and sometimes people among other things in our life can cause stress. Life can be wonderful and/or stressful, but it doesn't have to be stressful 100% of the time I also wrote: That we have to take control and it isn't always easy as well as to find something you love to do and spend time enjoying it. I do beleive it is possible to cut down on the stress in ones life, it isn't easy in some situations, but it is possible in many. At least in my opinion. I am writing on my blogs from persoanl experience as well as from what I have learned from what others say about stress and other issues related to what I write about. Thanks you again for your post. 7/30/2008 10:50 PM EDT on pal-item |
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Losing Inches But Not Pounds Leaves You Wondering What's Wrong. Maybe This will Help...
My Story Of Losing Nearly 170 Pounds To Date With Updates As They Occur |
Original Posted 6/18/2008 11:10 PM EDT on pal-item
There may be many times you get on the scale and think I can't beleive this !! I did all I set out to this week to lose weight but I haven't dropped a pound and maybe even you gained some weight. So what might be happening? If you are an active person and are exercising you may be dropping inches and gaining muslce by toning. So don't fret on those days as you are still getting to your goal of a smaller size. There will also be times when you don't lose inches or pounds, that is most likely because you may need to mix up your routine as when your body becomes accustomed to the same routine the metabolisim slows and you hit a stand still. So know that too is part of the weight loss life. lol Losing weight isn't always easy when we hit those stand stills, but we have to look at the big picture of our progress from day one to present each time we feel discouraged and know that we are on the road to a healthier life.
Keep thinking positive and know that if you need support I am here to help you as best as I can. Having a support line is important and having an exercise buddy makes the workouts seem less hard to do. I know that not having a workout buddy myself that I find it harder to to exercise enough. Can you do it without a buddy of course and we should if we don't have one, however a buddy can give you encouragement and you can give it back in return.
To all who struggle with your weight remember to believe in yourself even when you may feel no one else believes in you!! Be your own encourager when no one is around, tell yourself that you are doing a great job and that you will get to your desired weight.
By teresa Christian
Keep thinking positive and know that if you need support I am here to help you as best as I can. Having a support line is important and having an exercise buddy makes the workouts seem less hard to do. I know that not having a workout buddy myself that I find it harder to to exercise enough. Can you do it without a buddy of course and we should if we don't have one, however a buddy can give you encouragement and you can give it back in return.
To all who struggle with your weight remember to believe in yourself even when you may feel no one else believes in you!! Be your own encourager when no one is around, tell yourself that you are doing a great job and that you will get to your desired weight.
By teresa Christian
| | My Story Of Losing Nearly 170 Pounds To Date With Updates As They Occur |
Orginally Posted 6/18/2008 4:50 AM EDT on http://www.pal-item.com/
Many people over eat for many different reasons; mine started from being an emotional eater. I ate when I was sad, when I was lonely and even when I was happy. I remember even as a young child being teased about one thing or another from my last name at the time to the thickness of my glasses due my bad eye sight and then as a teen because of my weight. I allowed what others said to and about me to control my eating habits and my self-esteem. Even when I was thinner (before being at my heaviest) I felt fat because I been told I was for so long that I couldn't see I wasn't and then when I was larger I stopped looking in the mirror. I had emotional blinders on. In my thirties I became what I call a closet eater. I would go to the fast food restaraunts and sometimes order double the amount of food that I should and then hide behind the buildings thinking that if no one saw me eating that they wouldn't know how much or what I was eating. Not realizing that even though they didn't see me eating as I did that they saw the after effects of the food I ate in that my size was growing more each day. I became depressed and the Dr had me on several differnet medicatons and that caused even more weight gain. I am no longer on all of those medicines. We have to be careful of our emotions and medications. If you are on medication I urge you to speak with your Dr about if it can cause weight gain and if it can see if he/she can give you an alternative medicine without the side effects of weight gain, however do not stop your medications without your Dr's approval. I used whatever reason I could to eat, as eating I felt was my comfort, my friend, my companion although it wasn't. I didn't want to eat so much on one hand yet I found it easier to eat too much than to make myself stop. Food can be like an addiction if you don't control it then it will control you as it did me for many years. Low self esteem also plays a part in your eating habits as well as sometimes in your judgement on what is good for you in your life in everything from food to relationships and many things in between.
Being over weight can cause many health problems from trouble sleeping, to back aches, losing cartilage in your knees and knee pain. Excess weight can also cause heart trouble and the health risks go on.
After years of being over weight I am finally able to start getting a handle on it. Do I lapse from time to time, yes, but not as I once did, because I don't diet anymore for I find if I say I am going on a diet I tend to eat more. I tried many diets and they worked as long as I stayed on them, but once I stopped them I not only gained back what I had lost but many times gained even more. It's like my brain is telling my stomach and my mind that I am hungry even when I am not, so I just eat less of the more fattening foods and more of the high protien foods. I don't deprive myself of my favorite foods even if they happen to be higher in fat, I just don't eat them as much or as often.
Some of the best foods as far as meat goes to eat to lose weight I have found are boneless chicken baked (wrapped in alumin foil to hold in the mositure & spices)or fried with spices in olive oil, lean hamburger such as the 93/7 as it has 9 grams of fat per 4 ounces as oppposed to the regular hamburger at between 28-30 grams of fat per 4 ounces. Also turkey burger is great, you can cook it like a hamburger, or you can make a meatloaf out of it as well as there are many other recipes for it. Turkey burger has about 9 grams of fat per 4 ounce serving as well. It is also said that adding spices to your meals and drinks such as to coffee and hot cocoa can help to speed up the metabolisim to burn fat faster. I also make my own jucie drinks at times. Mix berries, bannanas, watermelon, V8 Diet Splash all together in a blender, you may also add low fat or no fat ice cream or sherbert to the drink to make a juicy thick shake. It gives you fruits and veggies and antitoxins all in one drink when mixed as such with the V8 Splash. Also peppers asre said to raise your metabolisim rate. I am not saying it will be easy, but it will be so worth it. The health benefits alone are amazing. The main side effect I have had from such a large weight loss is the excess skin I have that can't seem to be exercised off and can't afford to have removed, but even so I wouldn't want that to stop me or anyone form losing the needed weight to be healthy and to fell good about myself. So for now until a way is provided for me to have the needed surgery to remove the extra skin I camouflage it with my clothing. As I cannot afford such sugery I am trusting that God will provide a way.
I hope you will check out my before and after photos to see my progress and I would love to hear from others going through the same thing and to have you share your photos as well.
Until next time... May you lose the desired weight and live a happy and healthy life and may God bless you...
Being over weight can cause many health problems from trouble sleeping, to back aches, losing cartilage in your knees and knee pain. Excess weight can also cause heart trouble and the health risks go on.
After years of being over weight I am finally able to start getting a handle on it. Do I lapse from time to time, yes, but not as I once did, because I don't diet anymore for I find if I say I am going on a diet I tend to eat more. I tried many diets and they worked as long as I stayed on them, but once I stopped them I not only gained back what I had lost but many times gained even more. It's like my brain is telling my stomach and my mind that I am hungry even when I am not, so I just eat less of the more fattening foods and more of the high protien foods. I don't deprive myself of my favorite foods even if they happen to be higher in fat, I just don't eat them as much or as often.
Some of the best foods as far as meat goes to eat to lose weight I have found are boneless chicken baked (wrapped in alumin foil to hold in the mositure & spices)or fried with spices in olive oil, lean hamburger such as the 93/7 as it has 9 grams of fat per 4 ounces as oppposed to the regular hamburger at between 28-30 grams of fat per 4 ounces. Also turkey burger is great, you can cook it like a hamburger, or you can make a meatloaf out of it as well as there are many other recipes for it. Turkey burger has about 9 grams of fat per 4 ounce serving as well. It is also said that adding spices to your meals and drinks such as to coffee and hot cocoa can help to speed up the metabolisim to burn fat faster. I also make my own jucie drinks at times. Mix berries, bannanas, watermelon, V8 Diet Splash all together in a blender, you may also add low fat or no fat ice cream or sherbert to the drink to make a juicy thick shake. It gives you fruits and veggies and antitoxins all in one drink when mixed as such with the V8 Splash. Also peppers asre said to raise your metabolisim rate. I am not saying it will be easy, but it will be so worth it. The health benefits alone are amazing. The main side effect I have had from such a large weight loss is the excess skin I have that can't seem to be exercised off and can't afford to have removed, but even so I wouldn't want that to stop me or anyone form losing the needed weight to be healthy and to fell good about myself. So for now until a way is provided for me to have the needed surgery to remove the extra skin I camouflage it with my clothing. As I cannot afford such sugery I am trusting that God will provide a way.
I hope you will check out my before and after photos to see my progress and I would love to hear from others going through the same thing and to have you share your photos as well.
Until next time... May you lose the desired weight and live a happy and healthy life and may God bless you...
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