Weight Loss Stories – Janie Wallace Lost 65 Pounds in 30 Months

Name: Janie
Age: 46
Family Status: Married
Occupation: Academic Advisor
Location: Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Height: 5’6″
Waist: 31″
Starting Weight: 210 pounds
Current Weight: 145 pounds
Pounds or Inches Lost: I lost 65 pounds and went from size 20 to size 8!

Janie’s Weight Loss Story!

When did you become unhappy with your weight?
I gradually gained weight over a period of 20 years. At my highest point, I weighed 220 pounds.

What made you decide to lose weight?
I had a moment when I became ready for change. I was unhealthy and unhappy but had no success at losing and keeping the weight off. I had avoided looking at myself in the mirror except when I had to. I had the opportunity to act in a short film and the night it premiered in the film festival, I saw myself on the big screen and couldn’t believe what I had done to myself. That moment I became ready to make a lifestyle change. With the help of a health and fitness expert at a local community college, my husband and I started a new way of living including the way we eat, think about food and exercise.

What were the most important changes you made to lose weight?
I quit eating a daily diet of fast food, comfort food and junk food. We started eating healthy foods, cooking with olive oil, baking, grilling, or broiling, added more chicken, fish, and vegetables to our diets, too. We try to eat very little red meat and when we do, it’s very lean. I also changed the plate I ate on. I was eating on a Fiestaware platter each night. I switched to a salad plate, bought a food scale and with the help of measuring cups, started measuring out a single portion of food. That’s when I discovered I had been eating enough food for 2-3 people every day.

What was most challenging about losing weight?
I have been the most challenging thing. It became clear from the beginning the biggest obstacle to building and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the person in the mirror. Until I overcame my desire to eat bad food and make unhealthy decisions, change would not come. But the moment I became “ready for change”, I was committed to living a new life. This is a daily commitment, not a diet. Diets have beginnings and endings, I am not on a diet. I changed my diet and the way we live.

How long did it take you to start to see results?
I started seeing results within a couple of weeks.

How long did it take for you to reach your current weight?
It has been a slow journey to reach this point, and I’m not finished. It took 2.5 years to lose 65 pounds.

How long have you maintained your weight loss and how do you do it?
I have been at this weight for about three months now. It requires monitoring by weighing myself periodically and paying attention to the types of foods I eat. All calories are not created equal. So when I have a “cheat” day on the weekend, I let myself enjoy a smaller portion of a favorite food. But Monday through Friday it’s like I’m in training for this machine I am building.

What keeps you motivated to continue your weight loss success?
My support system has been incredible from day one. I have a wonderful group of people who have walked with me through this entire journey. My husband, my health and fitness mentor, dear friends, and family make up my team and they are constantly encouraging me.

How has your life changed now that you’ve lost weight?
I feel 25 years younger. Because my weight was so hard on my frame, I was having back pain to the point sometimes my students had to push my chair around the room to get me to meetings! It was so sad that I had done this to myself. But now I have tremendous energy, no back pain, my skin and even my hair have changed textures because of the types of food that I’m putting in my body. Dr. John Whyte says “food is medicine for the body” and I believe it is true.

Do you have any advice for others who are trying to lose weight?
First, if I can lose one pound, I believe you can, too. It may seem impossible to reach the goal you are setting for yourself, but it can be done a little at a time. But to reach any goal you may have whether it is to lose weight, get an education, learn a trade, or anything else one important thing must be in place: you must be ready for change and be dedicated to do whatever it takes to reach that goal. Without this in place, success will not happen. You can try to eat different, occasionally exercise, learn about nutrition, do all the right things. But unless you are committed to change, it won’t last.

How did ShapeFit help you reach your weight loss goals?
ShapeFit’s weight loss success stories are very inspirational.

Janie’s Weight Loss Tips!

Weight loss tip #1:
Become ready for change.

Weight loss tip #2:
Eat healthy foods.

Weight loss tip #3:
Eat healthy portion sizes.

Weight loss tip #4:
Build a support system.

Weight loss tip #5:
Stay committed.

Janie’s Weight Loss Eating Plan!

Breakfast:
1/2 cup of crockpot steel cut oatmeal with honey and walnuts. Water.

Lunch:
1 cup homemade vegetable soup or small salad with lots of fresh vegetables and 2-3 saltines with a small amount of fresh ground peanut butter. Water.

Dinner:
Grilled salmon or grilled chicken on a bed of spinach with steamed vegetables. Water.

Snacks or Mini Meals:
I enjoy apples and walnuts or peanut butter on crackers, oranges and any kind of fruit.

Nutritional Supplements:
I don’t take any supplements.

Janie’s Weight Loss Workouts!

Weight Training:
I use five pound weights 2-3 times a week for my upper body I also have a large inflatable ball I use for toning exercises.

Cardiovascular:
I LOVE to walk! It’s the easiest cardio exercise out there. Get outside or hit the treadmill and clear the mind while helping the heart!

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