| . |
Jan (GetTo140) : Success Story
 
Jan was uncomfortable with the fact that as her weight kept increasing, she needed to buy larger sizes. She could barely bend over to tie her shoes, carrying her laptop was painful, and walking up stairs hurt her legs and left her out of breath. She used to play sports regularly and wanted to get back into shape so she could play again.
Jan was also inspired by a story on Oprah about women in their 50's who were in great shape, without having plastic surgery. That show influenced her to change her habits—if they could do it, she could do it too.
Jan started by changing one thing at a time. She found that taking things slowly was much less overwhelming than trying to change everything at once.
She started by doing a Pilates video, which was difficult at first but got easier as time went on. Eventually she progressed to some more advanced exercise routines and started to focus on her eating habits. Her first dietary change was to stop snacking after dinner. Jan says that eating potato chips was her worst snacking habit, since she would eat a large-sized bag in one sitting, several times a week. The more she changed her eating habits, the less she craved potato chips and other junk foods. She also tracked all of her food and exercise, making sure she was very honest about what she logged.
Jan relied on the Message Boards to get answers to her questions and find support. When she was having a bad day—or wanted to celebrate a good one—she would post a message and someone would respond right away. Jan also found a buddy on the site, whom she says was very helpful as she started out. They communicated by email on a regular basis.
She also used the Nutrition Tracker, sometimes planning her meals ahead of time to make sure they'd fit into her calorie range for the day. This allowed her to make choices based on what she wanted to eat.
Jan recorded her measurements and weight on SparkPeople each week. Watching those numbers go down gave her more and more motivation to keep going.
Since starting the program, Jan has lost 42 pounds and over 25 inches. She has gone from a size 20/22 to a size 10.
Before losing the weight, Jan had high blood pressure, arthritis in her neck, and was very stiff every morning as she got out of bed. Since she lost weight, her blood pressure went down to normal and she no longer experiences arthritis pain or stiffness in the morning.
Jan has more energy and can concentrate better. She no longer has cravings for junk foods like potato chips, ice cream or chocolate, but she still enjoys these foods in moderation when they fit into her calorie range for the day.
|
|
| Weight Before: |
190 lbs. |
| Weight After: |
148 lbs. |
Are you interested in being featured for your success? Tell your story on your SparkPage and other members can vote for you to become a " SparkPeople Motivator!"
|
|
SparkPeople's 500-Calorie Thanksgiving Feast
