Success Stories
Phyllis, Age 50
"I got my life back!" - Phyllis Bourdeaux | ||
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Highest weight: 350 lbs. Current weight: 150 lbs. Total weight lost: 200 lbs. |
Height: 5'2" Time it took to lose the weight: 2 years Has kept it off for: 2.5 years |
Phyllis 2 Years Ago |
Her Story
I repeatedly gained and lost weight over the years, and continued my bad eating habits. Over time, I reached a point where I gained so much weight that I started having mobility issues. Moving from place to place took a great deal of effort and became very difficult. As I got larger and larger, my world got smaller and smaller. I stopped traveling. I knew when I couldn't get on a plane to go to my nephew's wedding that I had reached my all-time low. I had to do something.
How I Did It
I lost 200 pounds over the course of two years by eating right and exercising. There was no magic solution. I followed recommended guidelines for eating lots of fruits and vegetables, so that I felt full on fewer calories. I was no longer hungry all the time. I stopped eating processed foods, and I threw out all the junk food from my house.
I also started exercising. This was very difficult at first. Eventually, I got up the nerve to join a formal exercise program. I met a wonderful woman there who had lost a lot of weight, and she took me under her wing and encouraged me. I gradually increased my endurance, exercising for 10 minutes,then 15 minutes, and eventually 45 minutes.
Biggest Challenge
Being mindful of the number of calories I'm consuming. I just turned 50, and I cannot eat as many calories as I used to without gaining weight.
Maintaining the Weight Loss
I work my good habits into every day life. I do a lot of traveling for work now, and the places I stay offer healthful food choices, often right next to the waffles and doughnuts. It is possible to stick to a healthy program while traveling. It's all about personal responsibility and personal choice — making the healthy choices, not the bad ones.
The Biggest Thrill
The ability to take 50-mile bike rides. Nothing makes me happier than being able to take long bike rides, when just a couple of years ago I couldn't exercise for more than 10 minutes.
Strategies That Work For Me
- Eating lots of fruits, vegetables and salads. It is amazing the quantity of food you can eat by choosing foods with fewer calories.
- Eating smaller portions of foods with higher calories. I know that a fist full of nuts is one serving, for example. So I will eat that and not the whole can.
- Getting regular exercise. Now that I'm 50, being active is even more important to helping me maintain my weight loss.
- Page last reviewed: May 15, 2015
- Page last updated: May 15, 2015
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