Secrets to success from real women who pledged to trim down in 2011 (and did)!
Rebecca Regnier
Blog: Does This Blog Make Us Look Fat?
Pounds Lost in 2011: 12 (20 overall)
How She Did It: "I've been watching my calories and eating good carbs. I've been journaling, and I limited my snacks to fruit."
Why It Worked This Time: “The secret to my success is Twitter. It provided the accountability, support, information, and camaraderie I needed. Twitter has been my diet support team. I even wrote a book about it called Your Twitter Diet
. It shows how to turn Twitter into your customized 24-hour a day support group. Research shows that support is key to lifestyle changes!"
Paula Vu
Pounds Lost in 2011: 26
How She Did It: "I lost the weight by eating healthier and being a little bit more active. I did a 1500-calorie diet for about 3 months. It was hard in the beginning, but I was able to do it. I also biked with friends and participated in two bike marathons. I did 30-50 minutes of cardio at least twice a week. That's really all I can do with my tight schedule."
Why It Worked This Time: "My determination and support from others, especially my husband Alain. I not only wanted to look healthier, but also feel healthier."
Erika Kendall
Blog: A Black Girl’s Guide to Weight Loss
Pounds Lost in 2011: 22 (165 overall)
How She Did It: "In 2011, I committed to being active and sticking to a plant-based diet with little grains."
Why It Worked This Time: "My dirty little secret is that I gave up processed foods. I feel so much more in control now and more empowered and capable of saying 'no' to food that doesn't do my body right. Having that behind me gave me the ability to commit to working out regularly, and boom! Weight loss!"
Beth Klein
Blog: Beth’s Journey
Pounds Lost in 2011: 18 (88 overall)
How She Did It: "I followed Weight Watchers and started eating more whole foods and less processed stuff. I also upped my water intake and increased activity with running, biking, yoga, and strength training. The best thing that I did for myself was to set small, attainable goals. To start increasing the fruits and veggies, I focused on adding one serving a day for the first few weeks, then I gradually increased it over time until I got to over five a day.
Why It Worked This Time: "I focused on long-term changes with Weight Watchers, rather than quick fixes. I tried Atkins, heavily restricting calories, taking diet pills, and other unhealthy means of losing weight in the past, but the second I slipped I would completely revert to my old habits. The trouble was none of those things were realistic to do forever, so I always looked at dieting and losing weight as a temporary thing."
Roni Noone
Blog: Roni’s Weigh
Pounds Lost in 2011: 25
How She Did It: "I ate lighter, watched portions, and food journaled on my blog. I lost 25 pounds after the birth of my second son."
Why It Worked This Time: "There really is no secret. For me, it comes down to eating less, accountability, and food journaling."
Viridiana Oregel
Pounds Lost in 2011: 30
How She Did It: "In January 2011 I decided it was time to make a change in my life. I remember writing in my calendar, 'Go to the gym and get a personal trainer.' Since it was written down, it was hard to ignore. I changed my eating habits. The one thing I said I wouldn't consume until I reached my goal weight was a donut. I train three times a week with my trainer and run three times a week to train for half marathons. I really don't enjoy running, but after I finish my runs, I feel so accomplished and strong mentally and physically. This keeps me going."
Why It Worked This Time: "The secret to my success this time is that I chose to make this change for me and no one else. I have lost weight before for special occasions, but the weight came back because my eating habits were bad and I would stop exercising.
A major secret to my success is my trainer, Victor Luu. He makes training fun, interesting, and very challenging. I love that he doesn't let me quit and he won't let me get through a workout without smiling. Also, I get complimented from several people at work on a daily basis. When they tell me that I motivate them and inspire them, how can I not continue? They inspire me to continue, even though they think I inspire them!"
Emily Sandford
Blog: Skinny Emmie
Pounds Lost in 2011: 20 (113 overall)
How She Did It: "2011 was full of trying new things, including my first half marathon, Bikram yoga, swimming, kettlebells, and weight training. The most important had nothing to do with exercise; it had to do with stress management and focusing on my sleep."
Why It Worked This Time: "The secret for 2011 was listening to my body. I always thought that training hard was the only way you could achieve weight loss success. I ended up with a year-altering injury that forced me to re-examine what my body needed in terms of workouts, food as fuel, and most importantly, sleep. I had to learn to slow down and let my body heal, and in turn, I'm now ready to continue rocking in 2012!"
