I Lost Weight: Sarah Brakke Started Tracking Her Food And Exercise And Lost Over 115 Pounds

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Name: Sarah Brakke
Age: 29
Height: 5'4"
Before Weight: 242 pounds

How I Gained It: I couldn't control my eating. I used it as an emotional crutch. I was relieving my stress through my enjoyment of food, regardless of the consequences and emotional pain it caused. In addition, I hated exercise. I did not want to put forth that much effort for something that was so difficult, and that did not yield immediate results to the naked eye. It was really changing these viewpoints and unhealthy patterns that would end up being my most difficult trial. I wanted to crawl into a hole and hide when I saw people looking at me. It was hard to move around. It became increasingly uncomfortable to sleep, and made it difficult to breathe.

Breaking Point: In the summer of 2008, my husband and I went to an amusement park. I discovered that there were weight limits to some of the older roller coasters. Not only weight limits, but the seats only accommodated people of a certain size. I was heartbroken, and utterly embarrassed and even more self-aware of my state than I'd probably ever been. Months later, seeing photos of myself in my brother's wedding was the last straw. I cringed. I knew how heavy I was, but never realized exactly how bad it had gotten over the years since I'd gone to college and gotten married.

How I Lost It: On August 1, 2009 I started doing "Slim in 6" workouts and tracking my calories and workouts on SparkPeople.com. By December 2009, I had lost about 40 to 42 pounds, and my athletic ability had improved. Then I began doing "ChaLEAN Extreme" workouts, which gave me more strength, toning, confidence and drive.

By August 2010, a year after I started my journey, I had hit an interim goal of 80 pounds lost. Around this same time, I'd stopped tracking calories as regularly, because the tracking I had done had started to teach me healthy portions, what I could eat based on the energy I was expending, so I didn't think I had to look as often.

I hit a plateau at this point, and had difficulty going below 160/159. It was time to start tracking my food again! When I started tracking again, and when I changed up my workouts and got ready for the challenges of another workout program, "TurboFire", in Fall 2010, I saw results. I hit my goal of losing 100 pounds in December that year. By April 2011, I hit 125 pounds, which was a total of 115 pounds lost.

Maintaining is as hard as losing, if not harder. But I've managed to maintain at 124 to 128 ever since. I've tracked calories and workouts on SparkPeople.com every day I've had Internet access for a year and a half. It helps me plan what I can eat for the day, like balancing a check book. I can also use it to keep me honest, as I can share it with my friends and family. I also use SparkReicpes.com almost daily to figure out what my husband and I will eat that day that is within my calorie range, and for the ingredients that I have on hand. If I want to make my own recipe, the recipe calculator helps me figure out how many calories are in each serving.

I do ChaLEAN Extreme and TurboFire workouts religiously, typically every morning before I do anything else. If a day comes that I can't work out because of a meeting that is too early, I switch my day off to accommodate, or work out later in the day. I don't miss a workout unless I'm injured. Even then, sometimes I do yoga and stretching instead. I'm so consistent that I actually wore out all of my DVDs and had to use a DVD replacement policy recently!

I have never felt so free and so full of life. Now, I love exercise and the way it makes me feel. I'm about halfway through my studies to become an American Council of Exercise certified personal trainer. That is how much this journey has transformed my life. I want to share this with everyone. Everybody deserves to feel this wonderful, and each of us has this drive inside to do better, to feel our best, to enjoy life!

Current Weight:125 pounds

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Comments

[Jenlamb1]

08:30 AM on 08/17/2012

Wow... Turbo Fire is my new favorite program (after Chalean Extreme) and you have really inspired me! Thank you so much. I have a long way to go... I need to lose at least 120 more pounds... but I know I can do it... And you have helped motivate me just a little bit more. Good luck on your ACE personal trainer certification.

[sunsetstrip]

10:10 PM on 07/16/2012

Congrats! You're a lovely young lady at either weight but your weight loss is so wonderful for your health! Good for you!

[jenkait]

10:08 PM on 07/16/2012

I love these stories, they're so inspiring! Sarah, thanks for sharing yours. I admire your courage and tenacity.

[Tom345678]

07:30 PM on 07/16/2012

Much better and at least doable now...

[hlnpayne]

07:17 PM on 07/16/2012

she looks great

[Gangbusters]

04:52 PM on 07/16/2012

i kinda like big woman i hit the highest peaks with them

[Whatdoyou thinkof this]

03:56 PM on 07/16/2012

Congratulations !!! That is an accomplishment that most only dream of achieving. You are an inspiration.

[leedie]

03:46 PM on 07/16/2012

Congrats to her ! Unfortunately not a fan of the short new doo.

[roudy]

03:29 PM on 07/17/2012

I think the new cut looks fantastic.

[Addiegirl]

03:41 PM on 07/16/2012

Sarah, what an inspiration you are! I've heard about dieting plateaus and was especially interested in how you broke through yours. Thanks for sharing--you're beautiful inside and out!

[sealtheborder11]

03:23 PM on 07/16/2012

GOOD FOR HER! No crash diets.......no diet pills.......no sugery........JUST calories in VS calories burned....AND excercise! This is a perfect example for those who say diet and exercise dont work........THEY DO WORK!!!!!

[bmitche]

02:15 PM on 07/16/2012

WOW, WOW, WOW You look beautiful Sarah.

[jktejas]

01:12 PM on 07/16/2012

I've stayed lean and pretty much the same size all my life, but have become cynical when asked how I do it. (low fat foods and 1 to 2 hours exercise 5 days a week) Unless the conversation takes place between easy going friends, confidants or people with like approaches, I find that just saying what I do gets internalized into some sort of criticism by the person who asked. Since I have lost patience with anyone presuming that I'm the one criticising, my response is now "There is really nothing I can tell you that you don't already know. I do what works for me. You have to decide what is or is not working for you.....and also decide what you are or are not willing to do about it."

[Englishmum]

01:45 PM on 07/16/2012

Good for you. Same for me and I'm now 76 years old. I walk 3 mph every day on my treadmill for a minimum of 45 minutee up to 60 mins, As well as that, I go to exercise class for an hour 3 mornings a week. When I was in my 40s through my 50s I taught Hatha Yoga, belly dance and Jazzercise. I park my car quite a distance from the stores to give me extra exercise. I weigh 126 lbs, and just as you said: eat right and moderately, and get moving! It really doesn't matter how you do it. Do something you enjoy that gets you off your feet.! There is no miracle cure.

[Addiegirl]

03:38 PM on 07/16/2012

I'm surprised so many people have asked you about this subject that you've become "cynical." (Personally, I find it rather curious that anyone would be bold--or interested enough--to inquire about how someone maintains her size or figure. Unless an individual has gone from "before" to "after," who would care about that person's weight anyway?) I wonder why people (and apparently quite a few) end up viewing your response as "some sort of criticism" if all you say to them is something like, "I eat low fat foods and exercise one to two hours five days a week." There has to be more to it than that. Perhaps it's the non-verbal language they pick up on--a look, an "air," an attitude--that causes people to feel you've cast a critical eye upon them. A sweet spirit is rarely mistaken for a superior or judgmental one.

[jktejas]

04:36 PM on 07/16/2012

Perhaps it's because I'm in my 70s. And, again, all I say is "I eat low fat foods and exercise 1-2 hours 5 days a week. Your suggestion that I'm haughty about it is way off base. I find all too frequently that a simple and quiet response about what I do is often met vehemently by why they can't, won't or couldn't do the same......particularly if they are in my age group. I never even come close to suggesting that anyone should do what I do nor assume a critical attitude if they don't. What another person decides to do or not to do is of no consequnce to me.....urging someone to do something that really don't want to do or giving advice to anyone who is not of a like mind is an invitation to an argument....and in this respect I've become too cynical to argue the point.

[jgamble28]

12:35 PM on 07/16/2012

She did a fantastic job of getting all that weight off. She looks terrific. keep up the good work.

[Stepboy]

12:23 PM on 07/16/2012

Like the saying Love is never having to say Sorry. Being FAT dosnt mean you are UGLY. What a pretty Lady before and after. If it were not for health reasons being fat I would say leave it alone.
I hate when people say gee what beauiful children they have, and they are so ugly. Fat dont make you ugly. It is a diease , an addiction. I rather hang with a over wieght person than a drug addict,gambler or Alcoholic. I never heard of a person with a food addiction kill or rob someone for a chicken leg. Now they might push you out the way for it LOL but they are generaly nice people.

[Whatdoyou thinkof this]

04:00 PM on 07/16/2012

Fat is not a disease or an addiction. yes, there are people that have genetic tendencies towards obesity and some have thyroid conditions that lead towards obesity, but that is few and far between. the majority of fat people eat too much and move too little. That's about it.

And before you start criticizing my bluntless, I was one of the obese people and have lost 58 pounds. i've got 50 to go.

Overweight is not healthy, it's not attractive and it's not a good role model to pass down to our children.

[Hyacinth420]

04:16 PM on 07/16/2012

Yes, you are blunt, and a bit of a know-it-all!! There are MANY reasons for people being overweight, including thyroid problems, orthopaedic problems that decrease the ability to move, due to pain, heredity issues, medications, age, and the list goes on!! Maybe you shouldn't be quite so smug about this issue. Congrats for your weight loss, but you're not there yet! Let us know how long you can KEEP it off!!

[Englishmum]

12:21 PM on 07/16/2012

Oops! Sorry about earlier comment. I was looking at something else.