29 May Losing the weight for good
Losing the weight for GOOD
It is never too late to change. Meet Joan – A lovable mother with a 23 year ‘addiction’ to Diet Mountain Dew. After years of ‘treating’ her body poorly with diet soda, ice cream, and restaurant food; she committed to making a lifestyle change at age 49. Here is her story.
From depressed and miserable to losing the weight for good
In Joan’s words: 12 weeks ago I was 225 lbs., depressed, stopped communicating with my family, and totally miserable. Over the last three years I have had to pack away nine bins of beautiful clothes that I no longer could fit into. My family is very athletic and we took pride in it. I used to run every day and even lifted for years.
Everything Changed for the worse
Around three years ago, maybe even longer, I started working at the busiest restaurant in Providence. I mainly work nights. I took the job so I could be home more with the family and try not to miss out on too much of the boys activities and so that I could volunteer at their elementary and middle schools. Well, I would bring home cheesecake and an entrée late at night, sit in front of the computer to unwind and eat half of whatever I brought home, then make an ice cream cone. This went on and on. I’d drank diet Mt. dew first thing when I woke up. I would have two cans before the kids were off for school. I would have another one or two in the afternoon. I have drank diet Mt. dew for 23 years. I drank 1% milk with my lunch and if I had ice cream in a bowl at night I would pour milk into it.
I no longer recognized myself – I was now big
My work pants were a 40 waist. Never in my wildest nightmare did I ever think I would be this big. I had to buy a size 22 bathing suit. Yes, we live in the ocean state and going to the beach is a favorite thing for us to do. For the first time last summer, I was embarrassed to walk to the water.
I loved the “quick fix weight loss ways” but they were not helping me lose the weight for good
I always tried any diet that was new, especially any diet pills. I was so 
desperate for the quick fix, I heard that a well-known anti-depressant helped one lose weight so I went to the Dr. and pretended I had most of the symptoms. Yes, I was depressed, but it was nothing a pill could help in my case. I stayed on it for a while, but I never lost weight. I was so desperate I called about lap band surgery but I had to be 100 lbs. over weight. I thought very seriously about trying to get to that point just so I could get the surgery.
I found Natalie Jill’s Facebook Page and everything changed.
I started immersing myself in event planning for the school, being the fundraiser and just blocked everything else out until I saw Natalie Jill’s face on my Facebook page. I subscribed to her and kept reading and re-reading the testimonials. It took me another 2 months to buy the 7 day jump start plan, but WOW it was the best thing I have ever done for myself.
I DECIDED to make a change
The first thing I had to do was quit drinking diet mt. dews when I started the 7 day jump start. In fact, I stopped all artificial sweeteners. The 3rd day into the jump start my bones started to ache and I was so exhausted. I ended up on the couch in the late afternoon. I slept for a few hours, but still had body aches.
“Tomorrow is a new day”
The next day I felt like a whole new person. I swear I had withdrawals from the diet Mt. dews. It was scary. In fact, it was so scary, I will never drink another one. I would skip breakfast, eat lunch around 1 pm and polish it off with an ice cream cone. I knew I would go into a sugar coma and be totally lethargic, but I did it anyway. I would take a nap before the kids got out of school and wake up miserable. I started resenting having to clean the house, make dinners, anything that took any exertion. I lost the labor of love…it broke my heart…I was so sad, but I couldn’t stop. I looked terrible.
I was 49 years old and re-learning how to eat
I really never ate properly. I never ate breakfast before a run, I always believed in the starving yourself or look for the quick fix. My back hurt constantly, my knees were hurting, I was a complete mess.
It was 12 weeks ago that I committed to the 7 Day Jump Start Plan.
12 weeks ago after I bought and read all the info for the 7 day jump start, I started walking my dog for 45 minutes every day. I looked into doing something at my gym that I have been paying $40.00 a month for and never going. I decided to take deep water aqua classes. It changed my mindset of dreading the thought of getting back into exercising. I always had to have a friend go with me or I wouldn’t go. In fact I go early to swim laps before class now, or if something comes up where I can’t make it to the classes, I get up with my husband and go swim laps for an hour very early or go in the afternoon.
I am a new person
I cannot really express the gratitude I have for Natalie Jill’s program. I am a total different person. Yes, there are hard days when I am craving something sweet. I was really worried about the traditional stop to the ice cream shop on the way back from the beach, but having made a variety of protein shakes with frozen fruit, it is the best alternative to ice cream, if not better. They taste like milk shakes. I have my whole family hooked.
I now buy a different green every week. This week is Swiss chard. I turned 50 a few weeks ago and am so proud of the determination and dedication to myself. I have the labor of love back. I am happy to say my relationship with my husband is just like it was 20 years ago. My kids see such a huge difference in me, not only physically, but my demeanor toward anything I do. I still volunteer my time to both elementary and middle schools but I take care of ME first. Honestly, I have not been this happy in so many years.
In Joan’s voice via Video HERE:
Wrap-up
Quite the journey that Joan has been on. When Joan FIRST started messaging me she was so down, so tired of things, she was not even confident enough to have her actual picture as her profile picture. EVERYTHING has now changed for Joan. Her journey and her complete turn around is what makes me LOVE what I do.
What I love most about Joan is her sense of accountability and her COMMITMENT to make a change that will last forever. She has taken control of her life through commitment to great nutrition when so many things were out of her control! Go Joan! Keep it up!
“Be Happy… Be Healthy…Be FIT!”
WHO IS NEXT? YOU can do this too!
