Anyone who ACHIEVED a great body:

[lrb04]

Rozy, what an inspiration you are. I was really skinny as a kid until teenage years but then I started to gain some weight. I started jogging after 8th grade because I was so embarrassed from not being able to run a relay race but walking at the finish. I was skinny then. So I taught myself to jog a little bit more everday. I pretty much jogged until late 20's. Always feeling a little over weight (10lbs.). As a kid I could eat anything but that changed. I started to do workout tapes and I stopped jogging because of injuries. All my 30's and early 40's I weighted 145. I think the most I weighted was 150. I lost 20 # over last year and half. It was a slow weight loss. I now have to be careful what I eat so I don't gain it back. I like to eat. I only do exercise DVDs and LOVE to workout because it makes me feel good. So I think diet is as important to exercise depending on your genetics and other factors. My body is far from perfect but that mostly genetics that exercise isn't going to help me. I keep trying and I think that is the most anyone can do!

[Sara1000]

What great stories!! I love you VF!! What would I be without you??

I am so inspired now!

[Jacqi A]

Yes, great stories on this thread! thanks.

[Demeris]

Originally Posted by jplain

I've read this before, but personally, it was not my experience. I lost 60 pounds (50 pounds if counting from my highest non-pregnant weight) without any exercise and maintained it for 5 years without any exercise. I do wonder what it was that made me successful without exercise, when for others it seems to be a requirement.

I lost five dress sizes five years ago (when i was 49). I've kept it off, AND I exercise almost every day, BUT it is DIET that keeps my weight off. NOT exercise.

In fact, it would be easier for me to keep the weight off through diet alone than with diet and exercise.

[Usia]

Originally Posted by Sara1000

What great stories!! I love you VF!! What would I be without you??

I am so inspired now!

Me too! There is hope for me, and I'm going to give it a try. I have the same 25 lbs to lose as I did on Jan 1. I didn't lose anything, but I also haven't gained anything since then. I am inspired by these posts and will give it another try. It starts now.

[sammycakes]

I'm 9 months pregnant with #5 now (I'm 42) but I had gotten pretty slim and trim before that happened...I still don't think I had entered the "great body" stage, but I probably wasn't too far from whatever my own genetic version of that would be. I think I weighed 133 when I got pregnant, down from a high of about 165.

The first thing I did was start exercising...I had always been a walker, but not enough that it counterbalanced years of generally eating too much - not binging or even stuffing myself, but on a regular basis eating too many calories for my activity level. I lost fat when I was pregnant last time (that's when I started exercising, about 4 years ago) and came out of the pregnancy about 10 lbs lighter than when I started...about 145...that was 3 months after weighing in at 172 at delivery.

It then took me the next two years to learn how to eat less without having a diet/deprivation mentality, plus I found I really liked exercise and moved towards low advanced level pretty quickly. So, the short story is I learned to exercise consistently but eventually not obsessively (especially strength training with *fairly* heavy weights...maybe up to 30lb dumbbells on back and leg work, and a 55 lb barbell for things like KCM Olympic lifting). I also learned how many calories I could eat and still maintain or lose, and I strove to do that without labeling foods good or bad... I used fitday at first to get an idea of portions and calories, and actually strove for a very small deficit (maybe losing 1.5 lbs per MONTH) over time to lose the weight while still being able to eat real food and be less likely to regain.

After this baby I am looking forward to seeing if I really can get to whatever my "best body" would be, and I will do it the same way...build muscle and lose fat slowly but steadily.

[caligurl]

Originally Posted by Rozy

I have to exercise to keep from gaining the weight back (good thing I love exercising huh?) or I wouldn't be able to eat ANYTHING lol. I can look at dessert and gain weight!

sooooo true!

regardless of age.... i believe that DIET is the key factor in maintaining weight/weight loss!

[2ndgen]

Me, too! I loved reading your posts in this thread Rozy. You really are an inspiration.

Originally Posted by Rozy

I have to exercise to keep from gaining the weight back (good thing I love exercising huh?) or I wouldn't be able to eat ANYTHING lol. I can look at dessert and gain weight!

[Lucky Star]

Originally Posted by Demeris

I lost five dress sizes five years ago (when i was 49). I've kept it off, AND I exercise almost every day, BUT it is DIET that keeps my weight off. NOT exercise.

In fact, it would be easier for me to keep the weight off through diet alone than with diet and exercise.

That's interesting! So you think exercise might be more of a hindrance to weight maintenance in your case. Why do you think so?

[caligurl]

Originally Posted by Lucky Star

That's interesting! So you think exercise might be more of a hindrance to weight maintenance in your case. Why do you think so?

not demeris.... but i think she's referring to a lot of people get ravenous appetites when lifting heavy or doiong intense cardio.... or during programs like p90x, insanity, etc....