I was always athletic growing up and never noticed being chubby or overweight. When I was in high school I definitely started becoming overweight despite being very active in multiple sports. When I went to college I wasn’t as active so my weight got even more out of control.
NAME : Meghan
BEFORE WEIGHT : 200
AFTER WEIGHT : 145
POUNDS LOST : 55
HOW DID YOUR WEIGHT AFFECT ANY ASPECT(S) OF YOUR LIFE? I noticed a lack of confidence in myself and I also noticed how much I judged other woman negatively mainly because I was unhappy about myself.
WHAT WAS THE “TURNING POINT” THAT GOT YOU STARTED ON YOUR WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY? In my junior year of college I studied abroad in Italy. It was one of the most amazing experiences except for the fact that I was on a strict wine, bread and cheese diet for 4 months. Upon my return I
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED? After graduating college I decided that I had let myself go long enough so I joined a gym and went to personal training. The workouts coupled with more knowledge about nutrition led me to shed roughly
HOW LONG AFTER YOU STARTED DID YOU BEGIN TO SEE RESULTS OF YOUR WEIGHT LOSS EFFORTS? I lost the initial chunk of weight in the first 3 months but I think it’s important to understand it’s a lifestyle change and not dieting. My personal trainer always would say he hated the word diet because of the first three letters. I didn’t put the weight on overnight so I don’t expect to see changes overnight.
WHAT WAS THE HARDEST PART? I have definitely had to challenge myself to start to enjoy working out, at first I dreaded going to the gym, now I dread not going to the gym.
DID YOU HIT ANY WEIGHT LOSS PLATEAUS? HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM? After losing a significant amount of weight in a short period of time I definitely struggled with the dreaded plateau. To overcome that, I switched up my meal plan and started following @driansmith super shred diet.
HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO LOSE MOST OF THE WEIGHT? It took me about 3 months to lose the first 30-40 lbs and in the last year I’ve focused on toning and less on losing more weight.
DID YOU HAVE ANY NON-SCALE VICTORIES? I focus more on non-scale victories now. I try to keep going through exercises that I really dislike instead of taking breaks while doing them, like burpees….
WHAT DOES YOUR DAILY DIET LOOK LIKE COMPARED TO WHEN YOU WERE HEAVIER? In terms of eating compared to when I was heavier I have a better handle on what works for me and that’s a combo of meal timing and portion control. I do not cut out entire food groups!!
HOW DOES YOUR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY COMPARE TO WHEN YOU WERE HEAVIER? A lot more physically active now than when I was heavier, I walk 2 miles every day when before I would have called cans for very short distances. Even when not at the gym, I try to stay active by organizing friend or family outings to workout classes, walk the trails, the stairs, etc.
MY WEIGHT LOSS TIPS & TRICKS
- Write down your workouts in your planner so you have a plan.
- Don’t exclude entire food groups.
- Make a bomb playlist for your workouts!
- Take progress pics so you can see your progress rather than using a scale.
- Sweat!
