Time
for some more inspiring stories of weight loss and health embracing! I always enjoy hearing how others are able to
do it. Whether starting with a big
number to lose or facing debilitating conditions – everyone is different. And
everyone’s weight loss approaches seem to be different as well. Sure – there are the basics:
-
Calories
in and calories out
-
Eat
more vegetables and whole grains
-
Steer
clear of saturated and trans fat as well as artificial ingredients and processed
foods.
-
Exercise
most days for at least 30 minutes
Some
people find success by eating smaller meals, more often. Others enjoy a tough workout and then find
their appetite naturally diminished while others find themselves starving after
a run. Some can enjoy beer or wine and
decadent foods, while others have to eliminate them except for a very
occasional treat.
So
here are some more weight loss success stories and tips!
Two
women I have connected with on the Daily Challenge keep me smiling every day with
their posts. Kim shares lots of
information about health and the body and mind.
I look forward to her insight every morning! And she speaks from a position of
experience. Kim has lost 43 pounds and
33 inches (4 sizes!). She initially set
a weight loss goal but exceeded her goal by losing more weight than she
originally intended. Kim’s journey
included 4 friends who made accountability calls each week. Knowing that others were in it with her
helped keep her focused. She and her
friends shared a coach who helped answer questions and guide them. Kim’s words of wisdom about obstacles are too
good to not pass on: “With obstacles, if
you set your mind to it, you can work your way around it. There are always ways
to get over, under or around obstacles. It just takes effort. As to set backs,
you can't let them hold you back. You only took a step backwards, you didn't
turn around 180 degrees to go the other direction. You have to get back up and
take another step forward. It's all in the way you think.”
Another
Daily Challenge friend is Khris. We
originally connected because she is a mom to boys (now men) and is also a
vegetarian. She always has something
positive to share and I love hearing about her day. Khris has lots of achievements to share but decided
to focus on her recent weight loss.
Khris lost 10 pounds after deciding to get in better shape and get
healthier. Laughing, she explains, “Oh,
yeah - I REALLY wanted to get rid of my flabby arms! That's where it all
started!” Khris found success through
researching (reading books, watching videos, looking into exercises) and
drinking water. She had a hard time with
drinking water – never liked it – so she found Hint water and enjoyed that
until she was able to tolerate regular water.
The one change Khris would make would be to start focusing on her
health younger.
My
Mom works at a company that really focuses on health. She actually creates and presents some of
their health programs (and has helped me with my Biggest Loser Programs). Some of her co-workers agreed to share their
stories.
Denise
joined a Biggest Loser group session in January of 2010 with a goal to lose 30
pounds and participate in a 5K. She
created a plan for herself and says “In order to accomplish my goals I made a
promise to myself that I would go to every work out and commit to working out
at least 5 times per week outside of the group. I did my first mile and my time
was 29 minutes! I kept that time in mind and set goals for weekly runs to shave
time off. In ten weeks I got my mile to 11.07.”
Some tools she used to help her along the way were a food log and
calorie counting as well as a vision board to keep her goal in mind. As for setbacks, she faced a major one: “I injured my back in July and it has been a
major setback. I had to have surgery in November and have been unable to work
out for months. I worked so hard to change and start living healthy and this
injury threw me back into bad habits. It is easy to give in. I have started to
refocus. I created a new vision board and set goals to get back to the shape I
was in before my injury. I have signed up to do a half-marathon in April!!!” Denise found that she did have to adjust her
goal and she lost an incredible 42 pounds and 23.75 inches after 10 weeks.
Cindy’s
highest weight was 285 pounds and she never imagined herself competing in a
race. She just completed her fourth 5K
on her birthday in December. She felt
that this was the best gift she could give to herself and has repeatedly
reminded herself along the way that everyday is a Clean Slate. (Side note:
Tabula rasa is one of the only
things I retained from 4 years of Latin).
Cindy says, “Start fresh. Take a
deep breath and move on. I learned to
believe in myself. I can do this. I want to be healthy.” She has lost 50 pounds since the beginning of
her journey and knows that she has more to go – but I think we can all agree
she has a great start and the right mindset to get there.
Tomorrow
I hope to be hangover free and to bring you some stories of fitness goals as
well as those who have reached some pretty big life goals.
Happy
New Year!
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