dimanche 3 septembre 2017
Rebecca Dropped 50 Pounds and 5 Clothing Sizes in 7 Months With MyFitnessPal
Leading up to her 40th birthday, Rebecca saw some photos of herself that were a wake-up call - she had put on more weight than she realized and immediately knew a change had to be made.
Rebecca: Before
It's not easy to lose 50 pounds in your late 30s, but Rebecca wasn't afraid of hard work and commitment to her health. One of her major tools for success? The ultrapopular MyFitnessPal app. She credits it in part for her incredibly quick weight-loss success . . . in addition to her hard work, strength training, and clean eating, of course. Here's a little more about Rebecca's journey.
POPSUGAR: What made you decide to start your weight-loss journey?
Rebecca Walden: On Jan. 7, 2017, I saw a picture from my son's birthday party (held earlier that day) that took my breath away. I was the largest I'd ever been, literally bulging at the seams of even the most generously cut articles of clothing. I was also pushing 40 and scared that if I didn't take action, I'd soon find myself in chronic-condition territory.
I love to eat! And desserts are my kryptonite. It all came down to a lack of discipline and an expectation that I should see results right away. That's just not how our bodies work.
PS: How did you get started?
RW: Instead of a specific program, I got back to basics (calories eaten vs. calories exerted). I knew that portion control was my biggest issue, so that's where I started. Ultimately, I knew this was up to me - there is no product substitute for proper nutrition and exercise.
"There is no product substitute for proper nutrition and exercise."
When I first started, I didn't see meaningful weight loss until I'd gone three straight weeks of eating right-size portions of healthier food and exercising three times a week.
PS: What's your favorite way to work out?
RW: Strength training! The very idea was once intimidating, but when you see how it transforms your body, you just want to keep after it.
PS: What's your weekly exercise schedule?
RW: I've worked my way up from three times a week to five or six times a week, schedule permitting. When I know a busy week is ahead, I put in extra effort on the weekends, favoring two-a-days (usually kickboxing followed by barre). On a typical week, I rotate these two with a mix of strength training, Spin, Zumba, and a step/strength hybrid class. If I can't make it to the gym, I swim laps or jog through the neighborhood.
Rebecca: After
PS: How do you keep workouts exciting?
RW: Group fitness just has this contagious energy that solo cardio can't touch. After a particularly challenging set, there's always someone to give you a high five, make you laugh, and keep you focused. And once you start seeing your body change, all that camaraderie is just bonus. You want to be there, and it's already exciting because you are slaying your goals.
PS: How much weight have you lost?
RW: Fifty-three pounds in seven months.
PS: What was the first big difference, other than the number on the scale, that really made you feel proud and excited?
RW: I was able to zip into a dress that hadn't fit me in three years. And this time it looked better on me than when I first bought it!
PS: How do you track your weight loss?
RW: I use MyFitnessPal, without fail, every single day.
PS: What's a typical day of meals and snacks?
RW: Breakfast is high protein, usually a 1/8 slice of homemade crustless spinach quiche, sliced berries, coffee, and two tablespoons of half-and-half.
Lunch is also homemade/brown bag, often egg salad, jalapeño-pimento cheese, or chicken salad with red grapes. In Summer months, I love to make gazpacho, which travels well, too.
PS: Do you count calories? What's the range of calories you eat per day?
RW: Yes! It keeps me mindful. Once I understood the basic math of a pound (3,500 calories = 1 pound) and I had a firm grasp of how many calories I needed each day at my current weight to lose one pound per week, it became a matter of budgeting my calories each day.
"I'm four months away from my 40th birthday, and I've never felt better."
After a while, I decided that some foods (or drinks) weren't calorically worth it to me, and the progress really started to show.
Example: If I know I'm meeting girlfriends for drinks one night, I factor in those projected calories well before (how many glasses of wine do I want to enjoy, etc.). It might be a half-serving of Greek yogurt and chia seed for breakfast that day, and salmon salad for lunch, etc., to give me caloric room to enjoy my time with the girls.
When I started, I was eating just under 1,500 calories a day. As I've lost weight and kept my goals up to date in MyFitnessPal, that number has shifted down incrementally. I now aim for 1,210 calories daily, before exercise. And while I haven't always eaten back my exercise calories, if I'm hungry, I do it and don't fret over it.
Rebecca: Before and After
PS: What are the healthy staples that are always in your fridge?
RW: Fage two-percent Greek yogurt is the bomb. I dare you to sub it for sour cream in any recipe and tell me it isn't every bit as delicious. Breakstone's single-serve two-percent milk fat cottage cheese for refueling after strength training. All that protein for only 90 calories! Celery and organic apples are a staple too. Both are awesome with one tablespoon of peanut butter (provided it's a peanut butter not loaded with cane sugar and other garbage). Other staples include chicken, eggs, strawberries, blueberries, and frozen cauliflower (anything you can do with potatoes, you can do with cauliflower).
PS: How do you strategize for meals out?
RW: I study up on the menu prior. Even places where lean dishes are scarce (Olive Garden is our daughter's favorite), you can always make it work. Last time there I ate the salad without croutons, cheese, or dressing, plus a half portion of the Tilapia Piccata.
PS: What advice do you have for anyone starting out on a weight-loss journey?
RW: MyFitnessPal plays a vital role every day. It keeps me mindful of my food and activity choices and helps me remember my self-control should I feel it diminishing. Not once on this journey have I felt deprived. If anything, I feel knowledgeable, strong, and motivated to keep going!
The most helpful part of this journey has been to experiment with recipes so that I still feel satiated and like I've gotten my "comfort food" fix without overdoing it.
Read as much as you can and come up with a regimen you know you can honor. My mindset was to take everything I read as a guideline instead of hard-line truth. We all have different bodies and circumstances going on, and I'm on the path that makes the most sense for me. I'm four months away from my 40th birthday, and I've never felt better.
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