Last week during a very uneventful evening, I took a stroll through some older Facebook pictures of friends and came across pictures from a wedding I was in two years ago. The wedding, the bride, and the day were beautiful, but I was astounded by what I had looked like. I knew I was heavier then, but hadn’t really put it into perspective until now.
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| Left: 204lbs, size 14, unhealthy and unhappy Right: Size 4, healthy, and happy |
A little background on me. I am 32 years old and have struggled with my weight my whole life. I was never athletic or naturally thin or even health conscience. I always ate a little too much and stayed inside reading a little too much.
I can remember as early as kindergarten being teased for my weight. I can vividly recall times of being called too fat, gross, and my favorite catcall of ‘whale’ as I stepped up to the diving board at a swimming pool.
And since hearing those taunts in kindergarten, I have hated the way I looked. Wanting to destroy pictures I was in, unable to look at myself in the mirror, or being filled with shame when I needed to ask my mom to buy a bigger jean size were everyday struggles.
By the time I reached high school I was 6 feet tall and over 220 pounds. I can’t remember the exact number; I’m sure I’ve blocked it out by now. With impending college life and prom just around the corner, I knew I needed a change. The only problem was that I was uneducated on nutrition. For the next 8 years, I tried every diet and diet food out. I lost 40 lbs, gained 15 back. I lost 55 pounds, gained 25 back. It was a vicious cycle and ended up with me being back at 204 pounds on the eve of 2012. I was in bed, sick, and depressed. I knew there had to be a better way so I began to research proper nutrition and not just believe what every girl is taught – eat less, get skinny, be happy.
HOW I DID IT
My New Year’s Resolution was truly an awesome kickoff for me. I resolved to not try crash diets – I wanted to change my life and my way of eating and thinking about food. I felt excited and motivated – I researched the best possible way of eating that would fit into my life (I was finally not researching get thin quick diets, but real, sustainable eating). I started off slow with a low carb, keto diet and working out – I lost 65 pounds and have kept it off for over 6 years now. Thanks to consistent macros and exercise, I am not starving or binging or having my weight yo-yo.
MY WORKOUTS
The core of my workouts revolves around my Holy Trinity of weightlifting (3-4x a week) just a little cardio (I like running & spin class), & yoga. The balance of these 3 really helps to keep me toned, strong, flexible & healthy.
MY DIET
Through a ton of trial & error, I have found that macros that work best for me and try to follow them as closely as possible. I like to keep a high fiber, low carb keto diet. I eat a ton of fibrous veggies and some grains (most of the carbs I eat will be half fiber. This means if I eat something that has 10 grams of carbs, it needs to have 5 grams of fiber.). I have definitely found that my sweet spot in dieting contains a good amount of fiber (about 25 grams per day) to keep my weight steady and to keep me full and satisfied. This also helps to keep me from wanting to cheat. I, of course, have treat meals, but I don’t find myself hating my normal meals and counting down to treat meals.
I owe a lot of success to consistency and learning more about overall nutrition and how everyone is different. I have been studying nutrition for over 5 years and have become a certified nutritionist to help others achieve their optimal health, wellness, and weight loss goals. (If you are interested in working with me, you can visit this link to learn more here!)
I stick to eating healthy 80% of the time and find new ways to challenge myself physically. I am happy and healthy and only regret just how long it took to get me to this point.
Related:
—Low Carb Keto Brownies
—Ditch the Carbs: Why You Need to Try the Keto Diet NOW!
Do you have a transformation story you would like featured? Email me at lauren.rabadi@gmail.com with your progress pictures and story!!