Jennifer – Age 37 – Lost 64 Pounds
I have struggled with my weight for over 27 years. I will preface the following by saying that I have done Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, NutriSystems and have read every popular diet book I could get my hands on. I have lost weight and I have eventually gained back all and more. After having two children and thinking I would never be able to fit in my wedding dress again, I approached Jumpstart with a different attitude. There was no special date or event that I was focused on losing weight for. This time I was committed to real lifestyle changes that I could maintain for life.
The best part about Jumpstart for me was how easy it was to follow and how fast the weight came off. When I first got my head around the very low number of calories I would be eating in the acute weight loss phase, I remember one of the Jumpstart educators telling me to focus on the quality of calories, not the quantity of calories. The medication suppressed my appetite enough so that I was able to train my body to get in the habit of eating the right portions, day in and day out, week after week, month after month. I never had ravenous hunger waiting to tempt me into making poor decisions, so I was able to make good decisions on a regular basis until they became habit. I realized my food portions had been way too large.
I focused on all the things I could eat, not the things I should not eat. I was very mindful of how great the food I chose to eat was and how much better I felt as a result. Since I did not have to rely on any pre-packaged diet food, I really felt empowered that I could travel anywhere in the world and make the best food choices. My eating habits moved away from processed “diet” food choices to real food that is much healthier and tends to be organic.I loved coming in to get weighed every week and talk to the Jumpstart people. That was a major motivator for sure. Being at my current weight has made exercise so much more enjoyable. Cardio is the key for me being successful in maintaining my weight. Doing an hour of cardio (either running or biking) has become something that I look forward to and need every day. Doing Pilates twice a week for an hour has helped to tone and strengthen my muscles.
I have never been happier or more confident in my ability to achieve whatever I set my mind to. This has been an amazingly positive journey for me. I am so glad to be able to set a good example for my daughters. Thank you!