Weight Loss Success: Meghan Sheen Started Exercising Daily And Lost 115 Pounds

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Name: Meghan Sheen
Age: 27
Height: 5'6"
Before Weight: 250+ pounds

How I Gained It: I've been a "bigger" girl since puberty. I guess it does weird things to some people. For me, my hair changed color from straight and blond to wavy and brown, and instead of growing boobs like everyone else, I got fat. Even though I hated how I looked, I was fairly unmotivated to change my lifestyle. I stayed the same way through college. I was a good student and did extracurricular activities, but I never exercised. I blame laziness. I'm not afraid to admit that anymore. I was a really lazy kid, and I ate like crap.

At my job as an Emergency Medical Technician, I sit for 12 hours a day, four days a week, in an ambulance. There is a lot of fast food, soda, Starbucks, donuts, eating on the run and not getting a full eight hours of sleep. Sometimes we go days without sleeping, and the hours of sitting are broken up only by moments of intense stress. I developed what we in the field commonly refer to as "ambulance ass." Despite the escalation of calories, I still never worked out. Laziness is a factor here yet again.

Then, while working in August 2009, I was taken out of commission by a knee injury that required surgery and a long recovery. I rapidly gained weight being immobilized -- again, eating crap, and now not moving at all. I sat on my couch all day, every day for nine months. Before I knew it I was up to 250 pounds. I refused to look at a scale for a long time, so that number may actually be much higher, but 250 is the highest weight I recorded. It hurt to look at myself. I avoided pictures like the plague. I stopped going out in public. I distanced myself from friends. I stopped riding my horses, which until then had been my only outlet for stress. I hid in my house. I was very unhappy.

Breaking Point: I was cleared to work and exercise in July 2010, after I had surgery in January and did rehabilitation for a few months. The doctor recommended I lose weight so I could avoid re-injuring my knee. I knew I was fat, but I didn't think I was that bad. I went back to work and to my dismay, my uniforms no longer fit. I couldn't zip up my boots all the way and my belt was too small. I had to borrow a larger jacket. I actually broke a belt trying to get it to fit. I realized at that point I maybe needed to make a change, but I again chose laziness and didn't do anything about it. Then a friend of mine showed me a picture she had taken of me over the summer, with my new horse. I was appalled. That picture made me face the facts. Not only was I unhealthy, I was beyond morbidly obese -- I looked like I weighed a quarter of what the horse with me in the photo weighed. I couldn't hide it anymore. The time to do something about it was now. I was almost 26 years old, and I knew that I wouldn't make it to 36 if I kept going down the path I was going down. All these dreams I wanted to accomplish would be impossible without making a change.

How I Lost It: I started exercising daily, riding my bike home from work, hiking, riding my horses more often and watching what I ate. I saw less of the people who weren't supportive of my weight loss, or who were negative influences. I started hanging out with more positive people. I joined sparkpeople.com, a great weight loss support forum, and became active in its community. I joined a gym that I have friends and coworkers at so I would be more inclined to go. I tried to get out and do things more often. The more I did, the more I wanted to do, and the more weight that came off. The more success I had, the more I wanted to get out and do things. I wanted to eat right. Finally, I was not afraid of the scale anymore. I wanted to work out, ride the horses, go hiking and camping, get out and see the world!

I cut my calories ruthlessly. No soda, sweets, fast food, butter or mayonaise. I eat mainly fruits, veggies and protein. My favorite healthy foods are oatmeal, grilled chicken and spinach salads with low-cal dressing. I pack carrots sticks, celery and apple slices for snacks. You can look like you're eating healthy, but if you pour a heap of sugar into your oatmeal or ranch dressing all over your salad or fry your chicken, it's counter-productive. I had no idea at first how many calories I wasted on dips, sauces and dressings!

My best advice to people just starting out is to have a lot of very supportive people around you. Try to ignore the negative influences, or people that doubt your success. Eat less, and move more. It will work. It's not always fast, but it will happen, I promise you. Stick to your guns and show the world what you can do. With a lot of work, dedication, blood, sweat and tears, you can be the person in the "after" picture too!

I'm not going to sugar-coat it: Losing 115 pounds was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. It broke me down, both physically and emotionally, but I built myself back up. No one said it'd be easy, they just said it would be worth it. My life, in all senses, began again at 27. I started everything over. And I wouldn't trade a minute. My new motto is: It's never too late to be what you might have been!

After Weight: 135 pounds. My goal is to be 120 pounds -- I am nearly there.

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Comments

[murkystarlight]

09:51 AM on 08/13/2012

Words to live by, by Meghan Sheen - "It's never too late to be what you might have been."

[Meghan Ann Sheen]

08:39 PM on 05/16/2012

I also wrote my own story. The weight is correctly matched to each photo. Huffpo
didn't alter my submission at all, nor am I "selling " any product or even
endorsing any program. I walked it off. It took me about a year to take it off,
and I have KEPT it off for a year as of may 2012. I have been consulting with a
physician the whole way and he told me, because of my frame 120-125 should be my
optimal range. For those who are naysayers, I documented everything on my spark
people page- even photos of the scale and comparison photos. Look me up. The
user name is PunkRockCowgirl. All I wanted to accomplish with this article was
the fact that ANYONE can do it.

[reelchick]

10:49 AM on 05/17/2012

You look amazing (and happy and healthy!) Your story is one of many that will keep me on track with my goals. Cheers to a better life.

[Katy Schultz]

01:51 PM on 05/17/2012

Your story is really inspiring. Thank you for sharing. You're completely right-dips, dressings and sauces literally add thousands of calories and fats. Thanks again.

[Meghan Ann Sheen]

08:38 PM on 05/16/2012

As for the horse, I bought her in July, 2010. She was unbroke and bred.
The saddle was on because I was doing groundwork to get her used to the saddle
etc. She foaled in January 11' and I only rode her AFTER she weaned her foal in
August 2011. I never rode any of my horses if I was over 200 pounds. Horses can
safely handle 1/3 of their body weight- since my two rideable horses weigh about 1100
lbs they could easily have handled me at 135 and heavier. I reiterate I did NOT ride when i
was this heavy. As for the "poor horse" she was pregnant and not broke to ride
at all so two more reasons i never climbed up in the saddle. Also none of my
pictures are Photoshopped. None of the images are distorted. Those are the originals I emailed in with my story.

[Meghan Ann Sheen]

08:36 PM on 05/16/2012

Just to clarify, my before picture was taken in June of 2010. The after picture
was in may, 2011. I was growing out my bangs, my hair is very long and grows
fast. They're pulled up behind my sunglasses. At that point, they were about to
my ears. They're still not fully grown out and it's been two years since I
started growing them out. The brown/wavy hair is my natural. I had highlights
put in and straightened it. There was 11 months between photos. I used no
products, no pills, no magic in a bottle. I just got off my ass and started
moving.

[kymber23]

09:30 PM on 05/16/2012

CONGRATULATIONS! Love the honesty and the pure and smart way you lost the weight. You're young and beautiful and should enjoy life to the fullest physically and emotionally!
Great job. You look amazing!!!

[Meghan Ann Sheen]

04:51 AM on 05/17/2012

Thank you. It's nice to see a friendly comment on here. :)

[roudy]

02:58 PM on 05/23/2012

You're fanned. You motivate me further to continue my weight lose and exercise.

[IMissAmerica]

06:57 PM on 05/16/2012

w00 h00!!! Congratulations Meghan!! Keep up the great work and stay away from those Jelly Bellys, those things are fat bombs that'll kill ya!

[BreezyBear]

05:32 PM on 05/16/2012

Bravo Meghan! Congrats and good luck in your future endeavors!

[Cheyenne Rocha Frana]

04:53 PM on 05/16/2012

I'm so proud of you, you're definitely an inspiration in showing people that IT'S NEVER TOO LATE!

[SamSpade7]

02:23 PM on 05/16/2012

you go girl!

[Meghan Ann Sheen]

11:41 PM on 05/16/2012

My face is not bony, and I have size 34 D breasts. I lost weight to look, be and feel healthy. I'm by no means a skeleton. I was built with curves.

[Rebecca Mouser]

11:59 AM on 05/17/2012

You are so rude. If you have nothing nice to say then you should not be allowed to post. These men and women put their lives out for all to see and it takes more than walking to get over the hurt that is on the inside and comments like this do not help ones seslf esteem. Get off your high horse and say something positive for once.

[pennywhite]

01:39 PM on 05/16/2012

You look lovely, Meghan. But please don't forget that your loveliness is not a number on the scale. I lost almost a hundred pounds in my early twenties (almost 30 years ago) but that was not the end of the journey - it was only the beginning. You may experience some grief now that your "dream" has come true. Slenderness is great - but it's not the holy grail. It can't comfort and fill us in the unique way that food does. And more importantly, food can't comfort and fill us in the unique (but risky) way that people do. I have found that to keep from regaining my weight, I had to change much more than my eating and exercise habits. I had to reduce the level of stress in my life and increase the amount of support I receive. I had to be willing to "inconvenience" people with my needs and unpleasant feelings. I had to ask for help and support and rest. If you don't allow yourself to do these things, the cookies and doughnuts may overwhelm and defeat you. And you have worked too hard to allow that to happen. Don't settle for the trivial goal of achieving 120 pounds. Demand more than that from life. Demand to take up real space and identify your real needs. Then give yourself permission to fill those needs, even when it means asking other people for help.

[kpflip]

01:32 PM on 05/16/2012

Meghan, your story is truly inspiring. I am in a similar position having had 12 surgeries since 2004 and the weight kept piling on. I am twice your age, however, and I know it will be more difficult. Your story has motivated me to begin today!

Now you have lost the weight, be careful if you decide to become pregnant. Eat healthy when the cravings drive you crazy. I ate Breyer's chocolate ice cream during my first pregnancy and gained 60 lbs. I lost the weight but it was a battle. Then, with each of my other three children, I put on extra weight and did not take it off. Another excuse but now I need to get moving. My goal is 80 lbs. Thank you so much!!!

[Raven1970]

12:34 PM on 05/16/2012

Very refeshing, love the honesty and inspiration.

[baxtron]

12:08 PM on 05/16/2012

5'6"? you're trying for 120lbs? you look good now.

[kpflip]

01:34 PM on 05/16/2012

My daughter is 5'6" and looks great at 130 lbs. It is a healthy weight. Model thin is not always attractive.

[Meghan Ann Sheen]

11:42 PM on 05/16/2012

I'm not planning on getting model thin, this was just the number my physician said would be about normal range- between 120-125. I have a lot of muscle though, and that weighs more than fat.

[keylock]

12:00 PM on 05/16/2012

Well deserved congratulations, for losing the weight but also for facing up to the reality of obesity: people get fat by eating too much and exercising too little. It's not rocket science.

[liesahealy]

10:58 AM on 05/16/2012

Yay, Meghan! You look gorgeous! Thanks for inspiring me today! :-)