Hit my 60 pounds lost mark!!!!! Still more to go, but feeling PHENOMENAL!!!!

My Health Journey

Disclaimer: This is MY journey -- and it has worked for me. Take from it what works for you.

I've had a LOT of people today as me how I did this....This is long, but fairly comprehensive.

My Health Journey – At this point in time, the journey is 2.5 years in the making, with many inches lost along with 56 pounds. I still would like to lose about another 25 pounds. I approached this journey in stages, making changes as I went. The ultimate catalyst for me was seeing pictures that Steve and I had taken at a resort in the Poconos in August 2013. I almost didn’t buy the photos, but decided to get them – not knowing at that moment that one of them would become my “inspiration” photo. At a size 22 (almost a 24) and 243 pounds (at only 5’4”), my health was starting to decline. I found it harder and harder to get around and couldn’t keep up with kids or adults on field trips or anywhere where there was a lot of walking. Just before school started, I made the decision that I was ready to start this journey.

1. I hired a personal trainer, Megan Rodgriguez, one of the gym teachers at our school. I didn’t know her well, but felt that I would be able to put my trust in her to lead me in the right direction. We started with 2 sessions per week. Usually, the first part of each session was to review my diet/meals over those past few days. Training sessions included a combination of cardio, range of motion and strength exercises. Those first sessions were NOT easy, but I did each and every thing she asked of me.

2. Diet tweaks – gave up all regular and diet soda (although I still have diet soda when I go out to eat), started eating red meat only twice per week, stopped eating almost all fast food, included 8 oz of milk per day with my breakfast oatmeal, replaced soda with water (flavored with crystal light) – about 72 oz per day,

3. After about 6 months, I made the decision to join The Edge Fitness Club. I then started going to the gym to do cardio on days that I didn’t work out with Megan. Generally, that was about 5-6 days per week.

4. Things continued in this way through the end of 2014. At that I point, I had lost 25 pounds – just under ½ pound per week. My favorite gift that Chanukah was a Garmin Vivofit from my trainer. What a great tool to add to my arsenal. I easily bought into the idea of 10,000 steps per day. I replaced it in May 2015 with my Mother’s Day present (from Steve and the kids) of a Fitbit Charge HR.

5. In January 2015, I made another major decision – and that was to sign up for the Edge’s Biggest Loser Challenge. I was assigned a trainer as part of the contest. My new trainer, Stephen Coreano, has worked with me to make even more changes and since that time I’ve lost 31 pounds down to a size 16.

6. Dietary tweaks – made the decision to eat out only once or twice per month instead of once or twice per week, with the support of my husband we went pretty much low carb (no pasta, rice, potatoes) for about 8 months, bought a food scale to weigh all my foods, increased my protein intake, started taking a protein powder to help hit my daily protein goal, stayed strictly to 1500 calories per day,

7. Signed up with My Fitness Pal – and online/web app that I use to track all of my food intake. I have now logged foods for about 420 days – even on vacations and business trips. It’s important to remember that abs are NOT made in the gym – they are made in the kitchen. Weight-loss is a fairly easy formula (Take in less calories than you burn) – but it is NOT always easy to do. Exercise allows for more “room” for calories that day.

8. Started attending an Edge Strong “Burn” class each Saturday morning (think aerobics on triple steroids!). When I can I also take the “HIT” (High Intensity) class or the “Exclusive” (trainer’s choice).



9. Worked with Stephen to start “lifting heavy”. I have found a strength that I never even thought to have – and the more I can do, the more I can do. I’m constantly amazed that what used to be difficult, has now become my warm up. Now I can leg press 240 pounds, swing 30 pound kettlebells, and deadlift up to about 150 pounds. It is the heavy lifting that has “trimmed” me out, even while I haven’t lost any real significant weight in the last month.
I’m happy to help anyone that still has questions. I also have a FB page called “Weight Loss Babes” on which I post incentive posters, recipe ideas, articles from My Fitness Pal or other sources that might be of interest. It’s a closed site, so if you’re interested send me a FB message.