T-Cake's Story & Photo Progression

[T-Cake]

T-Cake's Story & Photo Progression

So here goes! The story ME, my fitness life (and lack thereof), accompanied by photos, of course.

Unlike every other story you seem to read in fitness magazines, mine will not begin with, "I was always athletic growing up" or "I started gymnastics when I was 3 years old." No -- my story starts like this instead: "I was always a fat kid."

Not just chubby... fat. Obese. Morbidly obese as time went on. I never knew what thin was like or felt like. Shoot, I didn't know what HEALTHY really felt like.

By age 19, at the end of my first year in college, I weighed in at 260.25 lbs. Here are some photos of me when I was 18 and 19 years old.







At that time, I called my father from college, crying that I was lonely, never had friends/girlfriends to hang out with, and had never even kissed a boy, let alone been asked out or date one. It was a very difficult time of my life. My father bluntly said, "The reason you are unhappy is because of your weight. When are you going to see that?"

I was so infuriated and hurt, I had my butt in a WeightWatchers (WWers) meeting the next morning, April 1, 1999, and I never looked back.

A few years down the road with WWers, I accomplished the following:
* Lost 40 lbs the first summer I was home from college; maintained weight all through sophomore year.
* Lost 30 lbs the next summer I was home from college; maintained weight all through junior year, the following summer, and senior year as well. No big change.
* Got to senior year and I had lost approximately 80#. I was hovering around 180-190# depending on the date. I had my first boyfriend and put some weight back on.

Here are photos from those years. You can see the ups and downs in my face and body:




After being mentally abused (relationships, portions of home life, friendships) and feeling worthless most of the time, I ended up at age 25 living in a basement level apartment alone, and teaching inner city high school kids. My job was incredibly difficult and I would spend my free time struggling to follow WWers, crying that my weight wasn't budging (it had been 2 years since it had), or going out to eat with my mom/family. No friends (just an ex that was in and out of the picture), no social life really (my best friends had all married or were engaged now or close to it). I was really all alone.

Feb. 1, 2007

Tweak (here on the boards) was a friend of mine who knew of this company called Anafit (AF) and its owner, Ulter. She said she would talk to him and see if he could help with diet and training. He had helped her a bit, and she said it might be the trick for me. I was ready for ANYTHING because I knew I was at rock bottom and needed to find a way out of that body weight.

Ulter taught me about the AFMethod/Diet over the phone and in email. He encouraged me to start a log online and use Fitday.com to log my foods daily. He required that I do 60 minutes of cardio, 6 days a week, eat 1650-1750 calories per day (at 190#, 5'5) and on day 7 each week I would NOT workout and I would get a cheat day instead (2500 calories capped).

I followed the rules diligently; I worked my ass off with cardio.
1 month later, cg met me at my gym in MI and taught me how to lift weights for the first time. I LOVED IT.

Here is me before I met Ulter and about 1 month after I started training:




Here are my photo split screens from when I started training with Ulter and cg's help until I was about to leave MI for FL.





When I moved to FL I was much slimmer, but had learned that I had excess skin all over place. Here I am when I got to FL. You can see the skin near my abdomen/glutes/hips.






In June 2007, I elected to have surgery called a Lower Body Lift. This surgery removed 4 lbs of skin from my lower body, removing all the daily reminders of what used to be there. There was no way possible for this skin to ever retreat -- in the near-20 years I was morbidly obese, I had stretched my skin and held it there beyond its limits.

This was a very difficult decision for me because I had worked so hard to lose the weight FAIR AND SQUARE and I did not want anyone to think I was cheating to get to a healthy physique. I had my surgical consultation one year in advance just to make sure it was the only way out. It was -- and even in that one year, as I dropped more weight, the only thing I saw was this skin sagging more and more, wrinkled, like I was 40 years olderand had 8 children or something. Just horrible -- and to have it gone now is an indescribeable feeling.

Here is me after my surgery in June 2007. I origincally retained 25# of water. I went into surgery at 165# and came out of surgery at 189#. Through diet, I dropped to the weight listed below.



Yes, it hurt. I came home after 3 days in the hospital, with 4 drains hanging from my midsection.

Here is me after I had recovered and was allowed to train again.



Now begins the fun part.

Here are my before photos when I started circuit training. I write all my training circuits and diet as well. My mission is to prove that lean body mass can be put on while losing body fat at the same time.





About 2 months later, I took photos again:





Here are my most recent split screens. The more recent photos are on the LEFT from January. The ones on the RIGHT are from December.




I will keep this updated with new photos as my training continues. I feel like I have finally hit my stride with weight loss, though I will have to have a 2nd surgery to repair my laterally stretched skin. I still have a great deal of that skin that couldn't be removed in the first surgery b/c it requires a vertical incision and complication rates skyrocket. It makes me sad to know I can't have skin-tight abs and back... but hey... that's what morbid obesity really does to you. I'm doing what I can.

My diet has now evolved to 40/30/30 6 days a week, calories 1500-1650 per day. Saturday is cheat day.

I eat following the AFMethod and I clean it up during the work-week by avoiding most dairy, bread, and noodles as best I can.

I train 6 days a week, first thing in the morning (before work) on an empty stomach:
Sunday: 60 minutes Spinning class
Monday: Heavy day for lifting
Tuesday: 60 minutes cardio of choice
Wednesday: OFF
Thursday: Circuit training day for lifting
Friday: 60 minutes cardio of choice
Saturday: Circuit training day for lifting

So far, that is the story of me. This April 1, I will "celebrate" my 9-year anniversary of the very day I decided to become healthy and lose weight.

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would be a moderator on a fitness board, studying to become a CSCS, helping people with training plans and diet programs -- never ever did I think I was one of "them" -- the ATHLETES. It boggles my mind, to say the least. I am honored.

Thanks for reading

	ASS Nelson Montana

[RichGenetics]

Freaking amazing. You should be so proud of what you've accomplished.

I give you all the glory and this is a great achievment. AWESOME!

[T-Cake]

Thank YOU for reading all that! Thank you for the kudos.

[Mrs Croft]

I just love to read your story..it is SUCH an inspiration girl

ok the romantic in me was hoping you would say when you and Ulter actually got together ..since you mentioned how you first met via e-mail ect with the diet/training

[BRINO]

Nice job T

[Tweak]

Your underwear is always effin' adorable, btw. lol

[Big Sky Guy]

Dammit T-Cake...I always get choked up reading your story!


In a good way of course

[T-Cake]

Originally Posted by Mrs Croft

I just love to read your story..it is SUCH an inspiration girl

ok the romantic in me was hoping you would say when you and Ulter actually got together ..since you mentioned how you first met via e-mail ect with the diet/training

Aww, sorry! Well my parents had a place in FL (my dad and stepmom) and I came to see them for Easter that year (about 3 months after Ulter started helping me) so we met then. And the rest is history... I moved here later that summer after I found a job, etc.

Originally Posted by BRINO

Nice job T

Thank you! Been a longggggg-ass haul. Still goin'.

Originally Posted by Tweak

Your underwear is always effin' adorable, btw. lol

Gee, thanks :blush: Dork! I don't wear hot panties like you do... some things I'm just not cute in.

Originally Posted by Big Sky Guy

Dammit T-Cake...I always get choked up reading your story!

In a good way of course

Thank you I get choked up myself remembering those moments, but I'm in a much much happier, very different place now.

	ASS Nelson Montana

[bluetwistedsteel]

if you just showed the first and last pics iI wouldn't believe you. Great progression, even your smile changed! Amazing how great successes can do that.

[TrenAman]

amazing.. just whats hard work and dedication can do, much props to you TC

[MR. BMJ]

This story never gets old. That is a HUGE transformation in just the last year alone!!! I think you are gonna really see a lot more 'molding' over the course of this next year too.

BMJ

[WonderWoman]

Look at you tearing it up. WOW, what progression you have made and geez that smile is just simply gorgeous. You can see that the smile is even happier in the last few months.

GREAT WORK. Its incredible what one can do with determination on their side. NEVER ever give up and always keep your head up. You are truly a beautiful gal and are getting better and better, hottie.


That right there is DEDICATION.

[Florencia]

Darling I WAS about to ask for pictures!
Beat me to it!
Keep up the good work!

[Scarlett]

Yay, I'm glad this thread is back up.. I've referred tons of women from other spots of the internet who are in similar situations to check out your story.