Note: This post has been edited since publishing, and I apologize that I had to slap unsightly watermarks over most of the before and after photos. It was brought to my attention that my personal photos were being used by others on websites with fake stories and names promoting weight loss products I absolutely don’t use.
Oddly enough, considering I open up a certain portion of my life to millions of people on the internet on a regular basis, I’m actually a very private person. It’s an interesting dynamic when your job requires you to stretch those boundaries. Kate and I are both very hesitant to steer away from our comfort-zone of comfort-food because 1. There are some things we just prefer to keep private, and 2. We’ve found that the internet can be a cruel place, where good intentions are often skewed and hate loves to hide behind the anonymity of a screen name. But sometimes we do go out on a limb and get personal. And we’re always nervous about it. We worried when we wrote about our tender feelings of motherhood, and the heartbreaking experiences we’ve both had with our own Mothers. I know one of the hardest things Kate has done was share the horrific experience of coming moments away from losing a child in a near-drowning we both witnessed. And then just last week I published something I’ve been working up the courage to write about for over a year now.
We’re always a little nervous to put stuff “out there,” but the more we do the more we realize one very important thing: everyone has a story. Those 3 posts I just mentioned are 3 of the most highest-trafficked posts on our site. Every one of them was flooded with comments and personal emails and we never know how therapeutic/inspiring/relatable they are until they are in fact “out there.” When I started focusing on my own personal health and fitness a couple of years ago, I did it very quietly. I’m not the type of person to post workout announcements on Facebook or shout from the rooftops that I lost ten pounds. I did it for me. And I did it privately. Then just a couple of months ago I posted a photo on Instagram. It was just a little peek at an object lesson I was using to teach my kids about goal-setting and New Year’s Resolutions. It was this picture:
The response to that photo was overwhelming. I’d never had (or had since) a bigger response to a photo on Instagram. You asked for more of this story, so I tested the waters with my recent post on fitness. Again, I was amazed at the response and I loved hearing all of your stories. So many of you have emailed me, and left comments, and communicated via social media, and one thing is clear. My story is not unique! So many of you can relate! SO many of you communicated that you felt inspired and that alone was my goal. There is so much false inspiration in the media when it comes to health and fitness. You’ve probably all seen those before and after pictures taken by trainers on the very same day to demonstrate how easy it is to embellish those types of results. So here’s what I want to say: This is real life. I’m a real person. I’m probably a lot like you. I’m going to tell you my story in hopes that many of you can relate and if anything- can be inspired that if I can do this, so can you. Because one of the most satisfying feelings in the world is gaining control of something that has controlled you.
It all started in August of 2011. I went on a family vacation and when I got home and unloaded the photos from my camera I was very concerned. About my camera. Surely there was something wrong. Some sort of lens malfunction. I was shocked to see myself. Somehow it didn’t seem that bad when I looked in a mirror, but seeing photos, it really hit me. I had gotten way off track. (Every before photo in this post is from that trip. While going through my photos I found many recent photos that seemed to mirror the poses in older photos so I grouped those together and I’ll scatter them in this post.)
I’d like to say it was baby weight- I had a one year old at the time. But the truth is, I did a really good job getting a good chunk of that baby weight off in the first few months after having him. Something had happened in the months since and I let things go. I gained it all back and then some. The moment I got home from that trip, I vowed to change things, and I did. I joined a gym. I started eating better. Over the next few months I lost a little weight and was feeling much better but I had such a long way to go, and the thought was overwhelming. I was running like crazy every day, but not really seeing any big changes so it just all felt like a waste of time and that was frustrating. I was so sick of always being consumed with my weight. I didn’t want that to be something I stressed about day in and day out. I’m a very type A kind of person (just ask my husband or my business partner). I like to be in control of things. I’m a very driven person and I’ve found success in almost every area of my life- except this one. It drove me crazy that this owned me, and I wanted to change it but I had failed so many times that I didn’t have a lot of faith in myself.
About that same time I re-connected with an old friend on Facebook. I grew up with Paige, and vividly remembered her infectious smile. This is the Paige I remembered, but I hadn’t seen her in over 10 years.
The Paige I found on Facebook wasn’t the same person. In fact, I double checked the name. Was it really her? What the heck happened? Did she have surgery? Go on some sort of juice diet?
I clicked over to her blog, and was instantly drawn to her story because I could see from her photos that she didn’t just lose weight. She was an athlete. She was strong, she was toned, and she did it all the good ol’ fashioned way. That was inspiring. I read a post about her trainer and instantly recognized him. He trained at my gym. I saw him nearly every day. After reading about Paige’s experiences, and how instrumental her trainer was, I decided to talk to him one day. What I kind of assumed would be a quick chat, and maybe turn into a few sessions where he gave me some pointers, turned into something much, much bigger.
I spent over and hour talking to Jacob that first time and realized that my problems were deeper than just the simple fact that I liked to bake cookies (and eat them.) I needed to make some big changes. Some big life changes. I needed to get away from the idea of crash dieting and really learn how to manage my health for the long term. I have been on a million diets. I’ve done everything under the sun and I always end up right back where I started. Every. Time. I’ll find something that works for the short-term and once I lose a little bit of weight I get comfortable and let go again and then before I know it, I’m starting over. I wanted this time to be different. I didn’t want to quit. But it also seemed like a really big goal. We calculated numbers and got a realistic picture of what it would take and inside I wondered if I had it in me. Sensing my hesitation, Jacob said very matter-of-factly, “Extraordinary things are only extraordinary because not very many people do them. Just be one of the people that does it. Finish it.” When I left that meeting, I wrote down two words on a post-it note. My goal. He asked me what the one thing was that was most important to me; what did I really want to accomplish?
I wanted to finish it for once. Do it all the way. Not do it a little bit and get comfy. Go big or go home. That was the moment it clicked in my head. I was actually going to do this, no matter what it took. I wasn’t just going to lose a little weight; I was going to get fit. Get strong. Now I sit here writing this post, one month away from my 35th birthday. A thirty-something mother of 3 who cooks food for a living, and I can honestly say I’m in the best shape of my life. It wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t all that hard either. It took a lot of dedication, focus, and hard work. If you want to see big changes, you have to be willing to put in big effort.
I’m not saying I’m perfect. I still have work to do, and I’m constantly trying to push myself to get rid of the many, many things that jiggle (and shouldn’t). I’d still like to lose a few more pounds and push down my body fat percentage by a little bit, but I’m here. I’m doing it. I didn’t quit, I didn’t give up, and I’ve kept off the weight, and truly changed my lifestyle, which has made all the difference. I’m going to share a few of the most important things I’ve learned along the way, in hopes of inspiring someone else out there. If you’re reading thinking you wish you could do this too- YOU CAN! I may have had a trainer, but there was no top-secret diet, so never-before-seen workout program. Everything I did, you can do too. I promise.
Even if you’re a private person like me, if you’re going to take on a big goal, and make big changes, you need the support of the people around you. If no one else, your spouse or significant other. The people closest to you can be your biggest support, or your greatest challenge. I’ve seen enough weight-loss reality TV to know that when your spouse isn’t on board, it can be detrimental. It doesn’t mean they have to completely change their lives like you’re changing yours. At some point you have to be strong enough to make decisions for you, even if everyone around you is tempting you to do otherwise, but let them know what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. Let them know you need their support and encouragement. My husband is without a doubt the most supportive, encouraging, motivating person in my life. 
He arranges his schedule so I can make sure to get my exercising in. He passes up things he knows will tempt me when I’m trying to avoid them, and he tells me often how proud he is of my accomplishments. I couldn’t have done this without him cheering me on, and making sacrifices to help me succeed. The fun side-effect is that we’re now a much more active couple. We still love to go out to eat and watch movies on dates, but now we also go hiking together, work out together, ski, snowshoe, backpack together. We have so many active hobbies now and that has been awesome.
If you’re starting from zero, don’t try to drastically change everything all at once. I was notorious for this. Out of the blue, I’d make a huge goal, “I’m gonna lose 30 lbs by my vacation in 8 weeks!” “I’m going to workout for 2 hours every day!” “And eat no sugar! And only salad!” Sheesh. No wonder that never lasted more than about 7 days. When I first started training, my only responsibility was to exercise every day and eat about 1500 calories, keeping track of my food. That made it easy. I could manage that alone. After a few weeks, when those things were habit, we added more. Increasing the intensity of my workouts, focusing more on what I was eating, etc. If you want long-term success, I suggest starting with a few basic things that you know you can manage. It will help you develop good habits that you can actually stick with and make you feel successful.
When I had my first meeting with my trainer, I expected long list of certain foods I was to eat and not eat. Surely there was some top-secret miracle trainer diet that I would finally get to see. Nope. My only responsibility: log my food. When it comes to nutrition people make it so much harder than it needs to be. The math is simple. Every day you burn a certain amount of calories, an you intake a certain number of calories. If you eat about the same amount that you burn, you maintain your wait. If you eat more than you burn, you gain weight. If you eat less than you burn, you lose weight. 3500 calories = 1 pound. If you want to lose 1 pound each week, you need to have a deficit of 3500 calories, or 500 calories per day. Keep track of what you eat, religiously. I use MyFitnessPal. It makes it ridiculously easy to know where you stand. You might feel frustrated that you don’t have a lot of time to exercise, or you don’t have a gym membership, or you simply don’t have the energy to work out as you’d like to. The one thing you have 100% complete control over, is what you put into your body. You control what you eat. You can manage that.
End the mindless eating. If you’re going to snack, don’t stick your hand in the bag of crackers and munch away. Look at the serving size, count them out, and write it down. Invest in a Food Scale. Be aware of portion sizes and know exactly what you’re putting into your body. It takes effort sometimes to calculate the calories in a recipe and figure out the serving size, but take the time if you’re serious about weight loss. You can still enjoy good, indulgent foods, if you can learn to do it in moderation. My birthday last year was during a time where I was trying hard to lose weight. Instead of a big cake and ice cream binge, I made mini Somoa Cheesecakes. With all the good stuff: real butter, full-fat cream cheese, whipped cream, and creamy ganache. They were perfectly delicious, fit into my daily calorie needs, and I invited over some friends so I wouldn’t have leftovers; it was perfect.
Avoid Extremes. I would say that any diet that completely eliminates any food group is one to stay away from. Trust me: you don’t need to go crazy. You don’t need to go on a no-sugar no-carb low calorie blitz or any other weird thing that promises you’ll lose 10 pounds that week. Sure you might lose weight, but at what cost? (Including your sanity). Focus on things that are long-lasting. That’s why I finally, after all of these years, I feel like I have my nutrition in check. Is it perfect? No way. I do stupid things and eat way too much all the time. Just last Friday night I went out to an awesome restaurant and demolished a 16oz ribeye. 16 ounces. Do you know how big that is?? (It tasted like heaven. Amazing cow heaven.) But I correct it. I do better the next day. I find that if I make good choices 80% of the time, and live actively, then that allows plenty of wiggle room to still eat things I love (like dessert.) I’m going to dive further into nutrition on my post tomorrow on The Scoop (okay, not tomorrow because we’re having a technical issue with The Scoop- but soon!), so if you’re interested in this topic, check that out.
I talked about this in my Fitness post, so I won’t repeat too much. Dieting and cardio will only get you so far. You will absolutely lose weight that way, but chances are good that you’ll end up in that state people lovingly refer to as “Skinny Fat”. If you want to be fit, strong, and lean, you need to build muscle. You’ll lose weight and inches faster, and burn more calories while you’re doing nothing! The minute I started weight training, the weight melted off.
This was a big turning point for me, and I’d say it was key to why I had been unsuccessful with my weight loss and fitness so many times before, and why this time was different. My trainer taught me to work out differently. He taught me to be comfortable in the weight room. To lift heavy. As I did, I saw my body transform. I saw definition in places I had never seen without flab (like that arm and shoulder below).
When I first saw this picture (below, upper) from that infamous trip a few years ago, my first thought was, “Sheesh. I guess I don’t ever look at my back. Does it seriously look like that??”
And then I had the exact same reaction when I saw the photos below it, snapped just a few days ago. “I guess I don’t ever look at my back. Does it seriously look like that?? Are those muscles?”
I can’t emphasize this enough. The real key to my success when it comes to fitness is that I stopped exercising like a girl. Don’t be scared of the weight room. Get in there and lift. If you can do 12-15 reps and not struggle by the last one, you can probably try something heavier. Keep going until it’s really hard at the end. Stay at that weight until you conquer it and then slowly increase. Cardio is still important, and your diet is important. It’s finding the balance of all 3 of those things that will give you the magic combination.
I have such a love-hate relationship with my scale. My trainer, on more than one occasion, has instructed me to hide it on the top shelf of my closet for a few weeks. DO weigh yourself. That’s important. One of the reasons I got so far off track a few years ago was because I literally refused to weight myself. I had absolutely no clue how much I weighed because I didn’t want to know! Weighing yourself regularly will help you keep things in check. That being said, DON’T be a slave to the scale. It’s not the only indication of what’s going on.
(That’s a Special K Scale, I admit I kind of like those cheesy commercials.)
Just because the numbers aren’t moving, doesn’t mean that that you aren’t making progress. One of the many reasons a trainer has been helpful to me is that I don’t just stand on a scale. Every 3 weeks we do measurements, where we measure with a tape measure pinch the fat, etc. Those numbers don’t lie! Combined with the number on the scale, you can see exactly what’s happening, like last December, when I was depressed I only lost 1 pound all month, but after measurements I could see that I gained 3 pounds of solid muscle. That explained why my weight didn’t change much, but my clothes fit better and I felt so great. Try weighing yourself once a week, on the same day and stick to that. And don’t freak out if you worked really hard and the scale doesn’t show it. Over time, if you’re doing the right things, it will reflect that.
Without a doubt, the key to my success being long-lasting this time, is that I figured out a way to simply live a balanced life. People are constantly asking how I stay fit when I’m obviously cooking lots of treats and indulging in good food often. The key is balance and moderation.
When you live actively, there’s room in life for good food. I love food. I always have and always will. I don’t live life on a constant diet anymore. I eat normal food, I just eat reasonable amounts of it. And I live actively. My entire family is more active now. We love exploring the world around us, and getting in exercise while having fun together.
I have so much more energy for my kids now, and I enjoy opportunities to have fun while also being healthy.
I’ve taken up so many new hobbies with my stronger body. My husband I love to ski, hike, play sports, backpack, and snow shoe. The best exercise is the kind disguised as a hobby!
Don’t quit. Don’t make excuses. No if’s, and’s or but’s about it.
See what I did there? And yes, I did just post a close up of my butt on the internet. There’s a first for everything. Seriously though. If you make a goal, follow through, but don’t let a bad day (or two, or three, or 10) make you quit. If you feel lost right now, find yourself. Out of control? Get in control. My entire journey has been 2 steps forward, one step back; the point is that you continue to move in the right direction. I think that’s normal. It’s impossible to be perfect, so don’t expect it of yourself. If you get off track, get back on track. You’re stronger than you think and you CAN do it! Getting fit and learning to better live a healthy lifestyle has changed my life for the better, and not just in a physical sense. Yes it’s nice to feel comfortable in my own skin, but it’s also very mentally and emotionally empowering to master something that’s been haunting you. If you want to change, do it. Be extraordinary. Finish it.
If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below- I’ll do my best to keep on top of them and answer them all. I also love hearing YOUR stories! If you have any tips and advice of your own, please leave a comment and share. There’s lots of people out there looking for inspiration!
Questions & Reviews
How long do you spend in the gym each day? 30 minutes, 1 hour? 3 hours ? I am in my 60’s and am just 3-5 lbs over what I was when I was 35- however I have developed a tummy ” bulge” in the past 5 yrs. I have been to 2 trainers who said it’s just a fact of life like flabby arms that comes from age and nothing will help. I’m curious to hear what your trainer says–and does he have experience with us older ones?
WOW!
I’m sure a bunch of people have already said this, but I felt like this was written just for me when I read this! It described me perfectly, always so consumed with my weight that I can’t let myself enjoy life like I should. We have 3 kids and haven’t had family pictures done since my second was 9 months old. She will be 5 in a couple of months. I keep putting it off because I hate the way I look in pictures. I have tried pretty much every diet out there and have been able to lose weight, but it just comes right back on when I stop doing it. This was just the wake up call I needed to stop trying to do a “quick-fix” and get control of my LIFE! Thank You!!
Oh, and PS. Where did you get that darling blue and red striped skirt?? So cute!!
You can do it Allie. I can totally relate to avoiding family pictures and that’s something I really regret. No matter what you look like, do it for your family and your kids!
And the skirt if from Old Navy- I seriously have about 5 of them because they’re my favorite! So comfy. They come in tons of prints and solids. You can see some here.
Thanks! 🙂 One more question, when you first started how often did you work with your trainer?
When I first started, I trained twice a week. Mondays and Fridays; strategically before and after the weekend 😉
Thank you for your inspiration. I was needing to get excited about exercising and eating right again and reading this has done that for me. Thank you for being honest and open about your experience. It is hard but the impact is strong when open and honest feelings are expressed. Thank you for being YOU!
I was just coming on to get a recipe really quick (sweet potato chili!! Yum!) This is what I needed to hear. I almost cried reading this. I’m a Sarah, a size 12/14, a mom of 3 little boys blonde boys. I WANT to change. It’s so hard! You are such an inspiration. I need to have my hubby read this. It’s time to start! You look AWESOME!
Are you my twin?? Lol. Enjoy that chili and then get after it!
This post hit home for me. I am continually trying to work at it. Last August I felt I needed to make a change but it has been super hard. Money is very tight for us so I can’t afford a gym and sometimes finding enough food to feed my family every two weeks is a struggle, especially super healthy stuff. We’ve done basic stuff and I’ve been able to find success in that. I’ve only lost 10 lbs but I’ve lost over 20 inches off my body which is a start. My family gave me some items for Christmas and my bday that I wanted so I could work out at home. But with winter illnesses and my 2 yr old breaking his leg it has been a roller coaster. I just try to remind myself each day to at least try to eat healthy and mind my portions so even if I can’t exercise the way I want I won’t be doing so much damage. It is hard but seeing your post gives me hope! Thank you for sharing your story!
This is just the boost I needed! I started lifting almost 2 years ago. Lately I haven’t seen many changes and was getting discouraged. Your post has inspired me to step it up and “Finish It!” Thank you for sharing your story.
I do have a question about logging food. It’s easy for me to log my food when I can scan in the barcode but typically I cook from scratch which makes logging my food a little more complex and time consuming. Any tips?
You simply have to have the patience to take the time to do it. That, and use a lot of the same things so it’s easier to know the numbers!
So awesome Sara! I was wondering if you know a good place to find strength training work out schedules. Like for, legs, back, arms, etc. I can’t afford a trainer but would love to have a good resource for weight training. Thanks!
Wendi
You might try Bodybuilding.com, they have a section where you can customize a plan. There’s also good stuff on the Nike Training Club App.
Thank you for this post. I just took my half empty jar of Nutella (that I was eating with a spoon), poured dish soap on it, and threw it out. This starts today.
Now THAT’S willpower. Pretty sure I could never trash Nutella. Haha. JK, good for you, girl!
Hence the dish soap! No going back after that!
I’m so stinking tired! Just writing this posts makes me cry with fatigue but I need to start somewhere. I’m going to the dr this week for blood work up in hopes that there’s an answer to my extreme fatigue. I’m 50 plus and have been in bad shape my entire life. I like the start small idea. Just start and continue! Not go big all at once. I’m at the end of my rope and barely hanging on. This gives me hope. You are inspirational. Thanks!
Very interesting “real wt loss”.The true info beats the mostly ads info every time.
Thank you for sharing. PC
Forgot to say….check out the friends blog listed on the 1st page. Paige went from over weight to slim & her story is also very interesting.I appreciate the time taken for sharing these true,inspiring life altering ways of living healthy. PatCe
For what it’s worth, I talked to you in the bathroom at the TOFW in Harrisburg in 2012 and I thought you looked fantastic then. But, I COMPLETELY understand wanting to be healthy and strong! What a fantastic example!
Dang!! This is amazing. You look incredible and your story is so inspirational! I fall in to the skinny fat, and after reading this I have my alarm set to go to the early morning body pump class. I’ve been telling myself forever to get back into weight training and this is helping. You will help so many people through this. What a blessing. I’m keeping this page open on my phone to loo may often, in a non-creepy way :-), to help keep me motivated. Your arms/shoulders and back!!! Dang girl! I can’t wait to have definition like that. Here goes! Thank you!
The story of your weight GAIN is a lot like mine. I had my daughter in May 2010. After I had my baby I weighed 175. I worked my butt off to lose the weight. I ran like crazy. I eventually got down to 166 all because of running – but that was a year’s worth – maybe even more. I got tired and discouraged and decided, ‘well, this is it. It won’t get any better than this.’ Later I saw my fatness in pictures and I couldn’t believe it – just as you did – but instead of being more positive like you, I became even more discouraged – so much more that I gave into the weight. I decided, ‘whatever, if I’m never going to lose this weight, then I guess I’ll just enjoy the food I love. I was 185 December 2013 when my sister came to visit. She looked like your pictures and I wanted to cry – I did cry. I asked her what she did and she said, ‘I hate to run, I love weights.’ She referred me to a trainer on bodybuilding.com and I’ve been in and out of the gym, off and on the running trail, feeling hope, then losing it. Today I’m 190. I’m VERY discouraged. This post has given me another push to not give up, so THANK YOU! I’m going to the gym tomorrow and asking for my free trainer. It was offered, so why not take advantage, right? I’ve held back because of the shame and embarassment, but I need that coaching.
Sorry to repost. I meant to comment on your more recent post.
Thank you so much for sharing your story. I can’t tell you how motivating it is to see real people accomplish what I have been trying to do my whole life. My biggest challenge that I’ve had with personal trainers is them giving me a strict diet plan to follow. The diet plan usually involves eating every few hours so that you can avoid putting your body in starvation mode and eating foods I don’t generally eat. It seriously stresses me out. I can, and do calorie count and exercise, but I’m just not losing weight. It sounds like you calorie count, but you don’t stick to a strict diet. How did you determine how many calories you could eat and still lose weight. I feel like I’m starving all the time and I’m grumpy, which isn’t fair to my poor family! Any advice?!
Ok I can not believe how similar your story is to mine (and tons of other women out there too I’m sure!) This was such a great post. I was literally crying because it is so true and right now I share all of your old habits. This has truly inspired me. I just need to push hard like you did to get your amazing end results! Way to go. You look amazing and good job sticking with it. I can’t believe you are able to look that great and deal with a food blog every day. Bravo!
I can’t thank you enough for your inspiration. Every time I feel like quitting I’m reminded of your story. Please keep the inspiration that you are. It’s nice to hear that “I can!”
Do you do any protein shakes or special foods are or post work out?
Love this post! Thank you for the motivation!
I think you are incredible and I’m so happy for you. I could relate to just about everything I read in your story.(except the finishing part) 🙂 It’s been a hard thing to come to terms with. I don’t feel good about myself because I don’t look good–I’m out of shape.(I tell my husband all the time there’s 40 pounds of me he’s not sealed to.) Yet, I don’t like that my self esteem is connected to how I look. Aren’t I preaching to my kids all the time that it isn’t how people look–it’s what’s inside that counts?? Yet, what is on my outside right now is definitely defining how I feel about my inside. It’s tricky. However, I heard quote the other day that pretty much summed it up for me. “I workout to feel better and be healthier. The fact that I look better is just a side benefit.” (or something similar to that) So, I’m going to do the things you said to do. I’m going to believe in myself. I’m going to change my life. And I’m going to have my amazing “after picture”. I’m going to FINISH IT!!!!!
Thanks for sharing your story! I look eerily similar to your before pictures now. I’m currently pregnant now with my 4th kid in just as many years, so I have a lot of baby weight compounded on top of each other! I just need the motivation to do something about it this summer once the baby gets here. I also need to fool myself into eating vegetables…and liking them.
O my goodness! I just posted on my blog about my weight loss journey yesterday! I still have a long way to go but I will FINISH IT! I LOVED this post! Such a beautiful lady with a beautiful story! Thank you so very much for sharing! You have given me a new motivation! 🙂
Thank you so much for posting this! I’ve really needed a kick in the rear to get motivated, and this helped so much. I have a membership at the gym, but my husband travels a lot and I work full-time, and I have a six-year-old, so it is hard for me to get to the gym every day and I’ve been using that as an excuse. I pinned your at-home workout and plan to use that on the days I can’t go.
Also, I know this has been mentioned before, but I would love to see more specifics about your actual workout. (And if my rear end looked like that in a pair of jeans, I would totally put a photo of it on my blog!!) Thanks again for the inspiration!!
You look great, healthy and fit. Way to go and what a journey! What a great husband too, great job having your back! So about that samoa cheesecake recipe….
You should be VERY proud of yourself & know that you sharing your story is a great inspiration to anyone wanting to lose weight. I joined Weight Watchers & Curves a couple years ago & have lost 100 lbs. I still have more to lose but its stories like yours that have kept me motivated. You have lost your weight the right way by changing your lifestyle. It takes good eating habits and exercise to be successful. You look great! If your anything like me what it has done for you mentally feels as good as what it has done physically. Congratulations!!!!
Sara, you look amazing! Congratulations! I think it’s absolutely fabulous that you posted this and there was nothing extreme about your exercise and nutrition plan. As a mom and dietitian I have told many people about these concepts but I never truly took them to heart until I found myself weighing more than I ever had and was very unhappy with my body. I too decided to change after seeing myself in a photo. It completely amazed me that everything I learned in school about weight loss and everything I would teach people (believe me I felt very hypocritical) works and as you see it working it becomes the motivation to keep going. Thank you again for sharing!
Thank you for your brave and inspiring post. I feel like I’m right on the brink of diving into to making some great life changes. I just bad my 3rd baby 3 months ago and prior to getting pregnant I was in great shape. I had some really good habits which helps me to recognize that I can get back there. Here’s my question though as I start to get back in it…how do you decide on a reasonable weight loss goal? I’d love to be 125 lbs. but is that realistic or will I be setting a goal for myself that I can’t ever reach? To follow your bravery…I’m about 5’5 and currently weigh 148 lbs. before getting pregnant I was always lingering around 130 lbs. any advice on how to set attainable goals?
I’m not Sara and I’m not any sort of an expert, but this is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. Weight fluctuates, and is determined by a variety of factors – so pegging a particular number may not be the best way to go, especially since muscle weighs more than fat! Instead of focusing on pounds, try focusing on inches – e.g., you want to lose 4 inches from your waist or 2 inches from your thighs or whatever. A trainer (or your doctor) would probably be helpful in setting realistic numbers there. And you can also aim for a particular clothing size (in a particular brand, since we all know how they vary widely!) – if you wear a size 10 at the Gap now, maybe aim for a 6. Good luck!
You know I have struggled with my weight for years but this past summer I decided enough was enough and then I injured my shoulder and knee. Out of the initial 23 lbs I lost I had gained back 10 lbs… until once again I said enough! I am 49 years old, I do NOT want to turn 50 looking and feeling like this. So I started small by making healthier choices in my food consumption, joining a few friends at church to workout, and to try and walk more. I also finally called the doctor about my shoulder, the prognosis… tendonitis in the rotator cuff. So I start physical therapy tomorrow. The next step, find a trainer because I need the accountability. I need someone to actually meet at the gym at a specific time. Thank you for sharing your story! You truly are an inspiration!!
I had weight issues for years and tried so many things. Different things work for different people and I was lucky enough to find one that worked for me. I lost 18 pounds in one month without much exercise and it’s been a life changer. I’m a little embarrased to post my before and after photos here but if anyone actually cares to hear what I’ve been doing then I’d be happy to help in any way. Just shoot me an email at [email protected] and I’ll show you my before and after photos, and tell you about how things are going for me with the stuff I’ve tried. I wish someone would have helped me out when I was struggling to find a solution so if I can help you then it would make my day.
I love everything about this post. I used to believe forever that cardio was the only way to lose weight. My husband was always telling me to lift more weights but I thought I just didn’t have time to do both. I recently started to do more weights and way heavier with way less cardio and my body shape is changing! Thanks for reaffirming what I’m doing is the right way to go. You look amazing!
I needed this today. I am completely out of control, aware of it, and feeling pathetically unable to change it. But at the core of myself, I know I can do it. In the day to day, I just get distracted. This post is motivating me to remove some of the “extra” commitments from my life so that I can recommit to my health. Thank you.
And congratulations!