I have struggled with my weight since I was a teenager. I developed poor eating habits from age 13 while battling depression from problems at home that no one knew about. Food became my best friend…and my worst enemy. It was there when no one else was.
NAME : Krista
BEFORE WEIGHT : 288
AFTER WEIGHT : 168
POUNDS LOST : 120
HOW DID YOUR WEIGHT AFFECT ANY ASPECT(S) OF YOUR LIFE? My weight has always held me back in life. The heavier I became, the lower my self-esteem got. I avoided social interaction with family, friends, etc because of my anxiety. I was never comfortable in my own skin because of the voices in my head that told me I wasn’t good enough.
WHAT WAS THE “TURNING POINT” THAT GOT YOU STARTED ON YOUR WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY? I saw pictures of myself from Christmas of 2012 and was ashamed. My weight was already affecting my physical health. I had high blood pressure, horrible back/feet pain, etc. I was tired of hiding behind my weight and letting it stop me from doing what I wanted to do in life.
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED? I had a consultation at a local Curves and found out they had a weight loss program called Curves Complete which included one-on-one coaching. This was exactly what I needed…accountability. I also found a local Zumba class to attend a couple times a week for a fun, additional workout.
HOW LONG AFTER YOU STARTED DID YOU BEGIN TO SEE RESULTS OF YOUR WEIGHT LOSS EFFORTS? After about a month of following my weight loss plan and exercising, I started to notice my pants were too big. I didn’t really notice change in my body for 2-3 months, but I knew I was losing weight by the way my clothes fit.
WHAT WAS THE HARDEST PART? I had to overcome my social anxiety and exercising around others. I have also had to dig into why I gained weight in the first place, which has forced me to deal with suppressed memories from my childhood. My food addiction and emotional eating has been the hardest to overcome, as well as low self-worth. The mental and emotional journey has been far more difficult than the physical.
DID YOU EVER WANT TO GIVE UP? WHAT KEPT YOU GOING? There were many times I wanted to give up. Having to wear knee braces to exercise around other people was a hard thing to deal with. I feared I would be laughed at or judged, but I wasn’t. My support system that I found at my Zumba class and at Curves kept me going. The people who I feared would judge me became my biggest supporters and my best friends once I allowed myself to open up. My husband also encouraged me and dried many of my tears when I felt like I couldn’t go on.
DID YOU HIT ANY WEIGHT LOSS PLATEAUS? HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM? I have hit several weight loss plateaus. The way I have found to overcome them is to change something up in my diet or exercise routine. For example after I lost about 50 pounds I hit a plateau and decided to start running with a couch to 5K program. I have also found that the cleaner I eat, the better results I get. It’s not just about counting calories..those calories need to be fuel for your body also.
HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO LOSE MOST OF THE WEIGHT? I lost the bulk of my weight in 2013. Last year I went through a relapse and put back on 40 of the 120 I had lost. I have lost those 40 pounds I had gained this year and I am back on a healthier path to meet my goal weight.
DID YOU HAVE ANY NON-SCALE VICTORIES? There are so many non scale victories! Being able to shop for clothes at any store is awesome! Not being afraid to have my picture taken, being able to speak to people and know I have my voice matters, being able to bend over and tie my shoes, being able to run a half marathon!
WHAT DOES YOUR DAILY DIET LOOK LIKE COMPARED TO WHEN YOU WERE HEAVIER? It is so much different now! I eat more balanced meals and much cleaner. When I was heavy I ate out almost every meal of the day..fast food. I drank soda, and it wouldn’t be unusual for a bag of potato chips to be dinner for me. Now I eat mostly organic, whole foods and much less processed junk!
HOW DOES YOUR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY COMPARE TO WHEN YOU WERE HEAVIER? I am much more active now! When I was heavy I could barely stand on my feet for 20 minutes without having back pain and foot pain. Now I exercise nearly every day between running, going to Zumba 4 times a week, a boot camp class twice a week, and I am now a manager at a Curves gym! I have found a passion in life in fitness and am now able to help others get on a healthier track.
MY WEIGHT LOSS TIPS & TRICKS
- Find accountability. Sometimes the people who love us most can be enablers to our food addictions. You need to find a way to hold yourself accountable, whether it be a weight loss program, a fitness class, making your own weight loss page/blog to share.
- Log everything you eat/drink! It helps keep you on track with what you are doing. Even if you eat something that’s bad, logging it can help keep yourself in check. There are many free apps you can use on your phone or write it down in a journal if that helps!
- Find something you enjoy doing that’s active! What is best for one person may not be what’s right for you. If you enjoy swimming, do that! If you enjoy running, do that. Do more of what you love!
- Find like-minded people to spend your time with who are positive influences in your life. Whether it’s a spouse on a similar weight loss journey, a personal trainer, a friend, a fitness class, surrounding yourself with people who are motivating will help keep you motivated!
- Never give up. You didn’t put the weight on overnight so it’s not going to come off overnight. Realize this journey is for LIFE! There is no final destination. We all have room to improve, even those who seem they have it all together are striving for their own personal goals too! Love yourself where you are right now in your journey and understand that the journey is worth it! You are worth it. Every step you take to improve your quality of life is worth it. One bad day doesn’t ruin the rest of your journey. No one is perfect and that is okay! That’s part of the fun of it 🙂
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