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Women’s health
My name is Kari (@ aspire.rise.achieve) and I am 32 years old. I live in Nova Scotia, Canada, and work as a support worker for people with intellectual and physical disabilities. I struggled with my weight my whole life until I decided to start eating nutrient dense foods, staying calorie deficit, and working out with Les Mills BodyCombat and BodyPump classes.
Before I started my weight loss journey, I had been overweight all of my childhood and teenage years. I remember being teased from the age of 6 which was a struggle. I knew I looked different and wasn’t happy with my weight, but I didn’t know how to make a change.
Once I was old enough to walk to the nearby store to buy an after-school snack, unhealthy choices became more prevalent and accessible. That’s when my weight problem got worse. I always felt that my weight was preventing me from trying new things or meeting new people. I absolutely dreaded the gym classes. I couldn’t find clothes my size anywhere except in large specialty stores that only had adult clothing – not what a teenager would want to wear to school.
I was at my heaviest around 16 and couldn’t believe I had seen 300 pounds on the scale. I knew it was a big deal, but I felt stuck. I just thought that was what my life was going to be like. I didn’t think I could change because I had never known anything else.
I also started to have health problems. I had blood tests which showed signs of pre-diabetes, elevated LDL (bad) and low HDL (good) cholesterol, as well as hormonal imbalance. I wanted to do something for my weight, so I would try to eat more nutritious foods, but I never stayed consistent.
I continued my bad habits until I hit rock bottom at the end of my first year in college, when I was almost 20.
At this point my knees were still aching and making squeaking noises as I walked up the stairs. I had no energy and was miserable most of the time.
I had made many unsuccessful attempts to lose weight without success, but I knew this time was different. I was going to make a lasting change and lose weight. I researched and learned the basics of good nutrition, calorie / energy balance, and exercise.
On May 18, 2008, I started to apply the things I was learning to my lifestyle.
I finally chose a way of eating that I knew would be realistic and sustainable.
As a student, I could also do this without costing me a lot of money. I didn’t want a quick fix or fad diet to gain weight. So I focused on maintaining a calorie deficit, learning to read nutrition labels and becoming aware of my consumption. I’ve focused on consuming nutrient-dense foods as much as possible, but still allowed for flexibility since vacations and food-focused events and gatherings will always be a part of life.
This is what I eat in a day now.
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Breakfast: Two scrambled eggs, a slice of sprouted grain toast with butter, diced avocado, tomato and coffee with unsweetened almond milk and stevia.
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Lunch: Lean turkey or beef patty on a whole grain bun with ketchup and unsweetened mustard. Raw vegetables or salad on the side.
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Snacks: A protein smoothie or one to two plain rice cakes with natural peanut butter.
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Having dinner: Homemade sesame and ginger chicken breast or tofu, 1/2 cup rice and broccoli, garnished with green onion and sesame seeds.
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Dessert: A few squares of 80% dark chocolate mixed with raw almonds.
I didn’t start any formal exercise other than using a jump rope in my room at first. I was embarrassed to go to the gym at the start of my trip.
After I started my sophomore year of college, I learned that students have free memberships to the on-campus fitness center. I had never worked in a gym in my life, but I was very intrigued and I joined. I started going there every morning, Monday through Friday at 6 a.m., before my full day of school and evening work. After I graduated I joined another gym and have been there for 12 years.
I was in love with bodybuilding and running for a long time, but in 2012 I discovered my passion for fitness: Les Mills BodyCombat.
It’s a group fitness class inspired by mixed martial arts. After I had my first baby in 2015, the group fitness instructor contacted me and encouraged me to consider instructor training. I taught classes in my gym for about a year. To this day, I continue to do Les Mills BodyCombat and BodyPump workouts virtually, as well as running and lifting weights four days a week.
These three changes made the biggest difference in my weight loss results.
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I remained realistic. I approach weight loss with sustainability in mind and find healthy foods that I enjoy. I try to make nutritious choices most of the time, then sometimes I eat less nutritious foods that meet my body’s calorie needs. This method helps me not to feel restricted or miss special occasions, events, etc. It is even more important now as a very busy working mother of two young children.
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I changed my way of seeing fitness. I have learned that training improves my state of mind and my overall sense of well-being, which makes the weight loss and maintenance journey more enjoyable and positive. I love to challenge myself and see what my body can do now that it couldn’t before I lost weight.
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I found the responsibility. I found an online weight loss community and forum. People were there to be accountable and to support each other. Later, I switched to the MyFitnessPal community. I have now found a whole inspiring health and fitness community to explore on Instagram. Having people with similar goals and support is a very useful tool for staying inspired and motivated.
Overall I lost 100 pounds and kept it off for 12 years. Now I’m about 75 pounds lighter.
As I get married and have two babies, I remain proud to see how my lifestyle has permanently changed. After I had my first baby, I lost weight after giving birth in the first year. However, my second child had serious health issues, and after giving birth in 2018, I’m gaining weight from this pregnancy.
I advocate sustainable weight loss methods because if it hadn’t been for my emphasis on nutrition education and my body, I might not have been able to keep it through so much. major changes in life. Now that things are settled, I’m finally taking care of myself. I hope my story will help others believe in them too.
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