Weight Loss Stories – Megan Guffey Lost 42 Pounds in 7 Months

Name: Megan
Age: 23
Family Status: In a long-term relationship
Occupation: Small business assistant manager
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
Height: 5’2″
Starting Weight: 155 pounds
Current Weight: 113 pounds
Current Waist Size: 31″

Megan’s Weight Loss Interview!

How much did you lose?
In a 7 month time frame I successfully lost 42 pounds and 5 pant sizes!

When did you become unhappy with your weight?
After graduating high school I steadily began packing on the pounds. I have weighed over 130 pounds since middle school and was always a bit self-conscious but I never really felt like I had a problem until the scale surpassed the 150 pound mark.

What made you decide to lose weight?
I had been feeling self-conscious and inadequate for sometime but the real turning point was when someone decided to “guess my weight” and speculated over 160 pounds. I felt so awful and embarrassed that I knew something had to change. That and my best friend’s 21st birthday pool party was coming up and I was NOT prepared to rock a bikini in front of total strangers.

What were the most important changes you made to lose weight?
Portion control and a commitment to myself are what I credit my weight loss too. I no longer require an evening snack every single night and I log everything I eat. There is something extremely satisfying about physically seeing everything you put in your belly each day and having it laid out in front of you in a diet journal.

What was the most challenging thing you had to deal with during your weight loss journey?
My biggest challenge was finding the energy to workout 5 or 6 times a week while still maintaining a full-time job, personal relationships and obligations. I also had a hard time dealing with comments such as “you’re too skinny” or “you looked better a few pounds heavier”. The fact of the matter is, I am healthier and happier than I ever was before and that’s the only opinion that truly matters.

How long did it take you to start to see results?
It probably took a solid 2.5 to 3 months before I really felt that a visible and lasting change had been made. I knew that I was making physical achievements but I couldn’t really see the difference in myself until I had lost about 15 pounds after 3 months or so.

How long did it take for you to reach your current weight?
It took 7 months for me to lose 42 pounds.

How long have you maintained your weight loss and what are the most important factors for keeping it off?
I reached my goal of losing 30 pounds after 6 months but have continued my fitness journey by working on muscle definition for the last 2 months. In that time I have lost an additional 12 pounds and have been a steady 113-115 pounds since.

What keeps you motivated to continue your weight loss success?
My before pictures definitely keep me going day-to-day but when times get really tough, I can always count on my mother to give me the encouraging words and a swift kick in the pants which is what I need to get back on track.

How has your life changed now that you have lost weight?
Clothes shopping is so much more pleasant. I can walk into a store, pick something up off the rack and buy it without wondering if it is going to fit right or not. I no longer mind those candid photographs that my boyfriend is so fond of and don’t feel the need to secretly delete every single one when he’s not looking. I used to feel so sad and bogged down by the negative voices in my head reminding me how uncomfortable and unhappy with myself I was and now I just want to show everyone that literally anyone can achieve their dream body!

Do you have any advice for others who are trying to lose weight?
Do not get discouraged and do not give up! There were weeks where I had gained weight, weeks I lost weight, and weeks that absolutely nothing happened. The trick is to just keep at it knowing that even if the scale doesn’t show it, your body is adapting and becoming a much more effectively functioning and healthy piece of machinery.

Megan’s Weight Loss Tips!

Weight Loss Tip #1:
Workout in the morning whenever possible. It is so easy to spend the day justifying why you won’t workout but if you knock it out first thing, it’s over with and out of the way.

Weight Loss Tip #2:
Portion control is key. I still eat pizza and burgers and Chinese take-out but instead of getting the largest portion size available and devouring it in one sitting, I opt for smaller portion sizes and before I ever dig in, I set aside half for lunch the following day.

Weight Loss Tip #3:
Never miss more than two days of working out in a row. Once you break your routine, it is so difficult to get back into it and there is nothing more frustrating than feeling like you have to start all over. It is always better to get a weak workout in than none at all.

Weight Loss Tip #4:
Learn to workout at home. Throughout my entire weight loss journey, I only stepped foot into an actual gym once and that was to cancel my membership. Fitness is 100% attainable at home and at minimal cost. It is so much easier to “just do it” when you have the tools right at your fingertips. You can get your sweat on in your pajamas, barefaced and unshaven and spend no money doing it. How much better does it get?

Weight Loss Tip #5:
Have fun with it! I get bored with a routine really fast so I will occasionally challenge myself with certain goals. One month I may focus entirely on increasing my mile speed and another I may want to work on building my glutes. Achieving these “mini goals” helps you to stay motivated and keeps you from getting bored with a monotonous routine.

Megan’s Weight Loss Eating Plan!

What do you normally eat for breakfast?
I can’t live without some strong black coffee in the morning and I usually follow it with a generous serving of fruit or peanut butter toast. My mornings tend to be very hectic and I have to make a pointed effort to eat an appropriate meal early in the day to keep me going.

What do you normally eat for lunch?
My lunch is almost always leftovers from dinner the night before. This was a major change from ordering pizza, sandwiches and wings almost every day.

What do you normally eat for dinner?
Dinner is my most difficult challenge. I tend to be a very picky eater and not much of a chef so I struggle to find dishes that are healthy and easy to make. The recipes I currently have get old quickly. I’ve learned to create a weekly menu that I stick to no matter how tired or famished I claim to be and only order out once a week.

What do you normally eat for snacks?
I don’t think I could live without chocolate so I will occasionally treat myself to a candy bar or some ice cream. I strongly believe that if you completely ban foods you love from your diet, you’re just setting yourself up for failure. Instead, make it a point to munch on healthy snacks like nuts and fruit 90% of the time and treat yourself to your favorite goodies periodically in between.

What type of nutritional supplements do you take?
None at all!

Megan’s Weight Loss Workouts!

What do you do for weight training (exercises, workouts)?
I have a hard time getting motivated to do any weight training but I find it much more palatable in the form of circuit training. Since I support the idea of free in-home fitness, most of the things I do are bodyweight based or relatively light weight with dumbbells from the local shopping center. I love squats and lunges but have also learned to appreciate push-ups, tricep dips and planks!

What do you do for cardio training (exercises, workouts)?
I absolutely love to run but when I first started out, I was lucky to plod out a consecutive quarter mile. Now I can go on a 5 mile run and it’s hardly a problem. I did notice that after a while my body started to adapt to long runs and I began to plateau in my weight loss efforts. To counteract this, I incorporated sprinting sessions into my cardio routine. Sprinting is a full body effort from your heart and lungs to your abs, arms and legs and it’s great for breaking up boring workout sessions!

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