‘I Lost 75 Pounds–and Found a New Career Because of It!’
I love to read stories that inspire me . . . to never give up in my goal of striving to be best I can, health and fitness-wise. It is so easy to take the copout route and not do anything about the way you look. Sometimes it takes an outside influence to get you going as in the case of this woman. It took a picture drawn by her daughter to inspire her to take action. Read her story.
44-year-old woman before and after losing 75 pounds
By Woman’s Day Staff
BEFORE: 200 lb
NOW: 125 lb
After a move to a new town in my late 20s, I packed on pounds as I turned to food for comfort. When my 5-year-old daughter drew a stick figure of me wearing a giant muumuu, I knew I needed a change. Photo by P2 Photography.
START: FIND WHAT WORKS
My quest to shape up hit many dead ends, and in 2002 I was at my heaviest weight, so I decided to give my local Curves a shot. The gym’s 30-minute circuit routine fit into my schedule and I loved the sense of camaraderie among the regulars. I signed up on the spot.
STEP 1: MOVE MORE
Seeing the scale slowly go down inspired me to add more activity into my life, and I started walking with a pedometer. If I hadn’t hit my daily goal of 10,000 steps by 7 p.m., I took my dogs out for a stroll until I reached that number.
STEP 2: START SMALL
I made tiny changes instead of totally overhauling my eating habits. Instead of a full salad for lunch, I added a side of greens to my usual burger. Eventually, I started craving more fresh food and less junk. I recorded weight-loss triumphs in a journal. It helped put setbacks in perspective and served as a reminder of how far I’d come.
STEP 3: BE CONSISTENT
My go-to breakfast was a small bowl of bran cereal with almond milk and a homemade protein shake. Sticking with the same meal took the guesswork out of how to start my day on a healthy note.
In 2006, after hitting my goal weight, I decided to open a Curves club. I love being able to help women improve their fitness and feel as strong and confident as I do.
My stick-with-it SECRET: Set up a help line
I owe much of my maintenance success to my support group: the women I work out with. We use our cell phones to check in, so if I’m craving sweets and am about to overdo it on dessert, I’ll call or text one of them. Their advice (“Sprinkle cinnamon on apple slices!”) quickly puts me back on track. It’s comforting to know that encouragement is always close at hand.
P.S. This article highlights the importance of having a support group and good workout partners who are committed to losing weight and improving their health.
P.P.S. Visit Exercises for Diabetics Today for easy workouts you can start now . . . and be ten pounds lighter in five weeks.
