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Ola (SlimSuccess) : Success Story
 
Several years ago, Ola lost 101 pounds, going from 300 to 199 by using diet pills. She regained 59 of those pounds after she stopped using the pills, and knew she needed a better approach that would lead to permanent weight loss. Her knees were hurting, she couldn't walk far without getting winded, and could not bend over to tie her shoes. Her life was becoming very limited, her business was suffering because she felt her appearance was keeping her from getting sales, and she was becoming more and more depressed.
Ola decided she needed to make some big changes, not only to lose those 59 pounds again (and more), but also to heal physically, mentally, and spiritually. She choose SparkPeople because she felt it would help educate her about losing weight the healthy, permanent way. In her words, "losing weight is the by-product of living a healthy lifestyle. This site is an education in lifestyle change."
Two problems Ola knew she had to overcome were her sweet tooth and emotional eating. She was eating two or more candy bars most days and her high-sugar breakfasts were causing problems with her appetite, mood and energy levels. She decided to make food tracking and learning about emotional eating her Fast Break goals. This helped her realize how many empty calories she was getting from refined sugar, and how her sugar cravings were related to her feelings. When she realized it wasn't the sugar she really wanted, she began finding other ways to deal with her emotions.
Once Ola felt like she had more control over her eating and started losing weight, she began exercising. This included walking on the treadmill, mall walking, Walk Away the Pounds videos three times per week, and regular strength training. As she moved through the Diet Stages, she soon discovered that regular blogging and participating on SparkTeams kept her motivation and confidence high, and provided outlets for dealing with her feelings in a positive way.
Ola says that making her way though the Diet Stages, one step and one change at a time, helped her understand what it takes to lose weight permanently and build a healthy lifestyle. Reading articles helped her work through several plateaus, and reduce her sodium intake. "I no longer eat bags of candy bars. I now think about what kind of fruit I want when I want to snack," Ola says. Participating in challenges with other members has helped with setting effective and reachable goals, and kept her going when she might otherwise have gotten frustrated.
Ola has not only reached her goal of getting back to 199 again, but has left that number in the dust. She's down to 182, and has set her sights on getting to her ideal weight of 150. She is able to walk 4 miles and more without huffing and puffing or joint pain, she no longer feels held back in business by her weight, and she's got many tools for making healthy food choices, including the first vegetable garden she's ever planted.
Ola's advice for newcomers: Take things step by step, starting with your Fast Break goals and moving through each stage from there. "Building up on everything is the key," she says, "and one day of falling back is not going to make you fail."
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| Weight Before: |
259 lbs. |
| Weight After: |
182 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!"
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SparkPeople's 500-Calorie Thanksgiving Feast
