diet and exercise

Today’s featured weight loss success story: Proud mom of 3 Karynthia lost 67 pounds this year.  She did it with the support of her boys and by creating a weight loss plan that works for her.  She shared with us in depth about what it took to lose the weight:

“Hi my name is Karynthia Irvin. I’m a 32 year old mom of 3. On March 18, 2013, I weighed in at 281lbs. I decided that yet again I would try and diet. I had tried this diet thing so many times before. Like a relationship, it was on again off again. But this time it was finally it!! This time it would be a lifestyle change instead of a diet. So, it began. I started simple, nothing major, just took away sodas and flavored drinks. Which was pretty easy since I wasn’t big on sodas. Then I had to slowly and gradually bring my sweet tooth food down completely. Yes, I had a melt down at one point. So, I decided not to deprive myself of things I loved to eat. In the past I tried cutting back cold turkey. Not such a good idea. It forced me to eat more because I was trying to satisfy my cravings for what I really wanted. Now I have limited my intake using portion control. I substitute my sweet tooth snacks with fruits, 100 calorie packs, and various light health snacks. Junk food? As a mother of 3 yes, I guess I can say that my pantry is junk food heaven. However, I have learned that if I don’t buy it I won’t eat it. Of course my boys weren’t trying to understand my method. So, I decided that my urges and temptations would settle.

Meal planning? Boy, was that a journey. What I learned was that it didn’t have to be as complicated as everyone made it seem. Dieting is very costly. And with a family, it’s hard to cook separate meals, even so to be tempted with food. So, I still cook my usual foods, just give and take on ingredients and cooking methods and substituting certain foods that I normally would not eat. And of coarse eating way smaller portions than normal. See, this keeps me from falling back or I guess for a lack of better words keep me from relapsing. I can finally say it works for me, so why stop doing what works.

Exercise/workout? Yes, yes, most certainly one of my biggest challenges yet. I remember when working out was a “feel like” sort of thing. If I felt like doing it then I did. And if I didn’t feel like it, well lets just say I was on the bandwagon of “not” feeling like it often. I think my biggest challenge was not enough motivation and encouragement. Sometimes you get people on board with you and when they give up, your speed falls right behind them. So, I guess when I realized that others were not as serious as I was, I had to take another approach. Now I have to workout alone and push myself to go the exta mile. I had to finally say that I can do it, even if it was alone. Through it all I must say I maintained pretty well. I workout mostly 4-5 days/wk, sometimes twice a day. I started out low intensity. Never really going overboard. Just some walking here and there. Then picked up some Zumba and workout DVDs. While on youtube searching for workouts, I came across one of Keaira Lashae’s dance workout, which I must say the bulk of my workouts consisted of team lashae!! Hey, it was good enough for me. I started to add various routines in my own daily workouts. I also started implimenting jogging into my walking time. Yes, jogging!! After many years of dieting and exercise I can never say that I even came close to a sprint. Not even power walking. So for me to jog, was a very big accomplishment to me. Also, I’m adding additional workouts and routines to make it more challenging and push me just a little bit harder.

Motivation and encouragement? Well, as I stated before, there was little motivation from others. I must say if anyone motivated me, it was most definitely my 3 boys. No one encouraged and motivated me as much as them. Even watching me and getting involved made me turn it up a notch. I have my own personal cheer team. They kept me on my toes and never fell short of reminding me that it was time to workout, or if something was healthy or unhealthy. I didn’t need a personal trainer nor a nutritionist. I had 3 of the best in the business. For every new level of accomplishments, they would say, “Yay! Good job mommy!”. When I thought I couldn’t do it they assured me, “Mommy, you can do it!”. That pushed me a little bit harder. I know that without them, this journey would have been quite unsuccessful. I have learned to push pass my boundaries and go pass my comfort zones. I am so blessed to have come such a long way. I have now transformed my life and I’m on a journey to a healthier better me. Now, weighing over 60lbs lighter I can say I may not be perfect, but this new lifestyle is perfect for me. And yes, I put in the work. No diet pills/fads, no surgeries, and no fly by night weight loss quickies. I am still a work in progress and I will continue this journey one step at time. I pray that my journey is a blessing to someone and that it encourages others to keep pushing. May your journey be successful and remember prayer is key to from start to finish. I may not be where I want to be, but I am definitely not where I use to be. From 281 pounds to 214 pounds!!”