Her New Year's resolution last year was to lose weight and improve her health, and has she ever!
Eleven months ago, Carolyn found it painful to walk 10 feet because of her arthritic joints. The only exercise she could tolerate was underwater. Today, she is a gym rat, spending hours each week on the treadmill and elliptical trainer -- and loving it.
Carolyn has dropped approximately a pound a week (42 pounds to date) since the first of last year. She looks and feels great and has lowered her cholesterol level 50 points -- into the healthy range -- without medication. Not only that, her blood triglyceride level is less than half of what it was several months ago. No wonder her doctor has told her she's never looked healthier!
Her Success Strategies
The secret to her success is twofold. First, she plans out small meals, all of which include both "smart" carbs and lean protein. She works long days as a sales associate, and the preplanned mini-meals help keep her away from the temptations in the vending machine and break room.
Her second commitment is to regular exercise, "I can't imagine not finding the time to exercise now," says the slim Carolyn. Not only does she love the way she feels after exercising, she has found that her joints hurt if she skips a day or two of physical activity.
That's not to say that her weight loss journey has always been easy. "I still love sweets and when I am under lots of stress, I want to soothe myself with something sweet," she says. Yet each battle gets a little easier. Even when she indulges her sweet tooth, it doesn't turn into a binge, and she quickly returns to eating healthier foods.
The Importance of Support
Vegetables were not always a part of her diet, but thanks to the support of fellow WLC members, staff, and our "Recipe Doctor" Elaine Magee, Carolyn has joined the veggies-lovers club.
"Having such a great source of support from the members and staff has made all the difference," Carolyn says. She also appreciates the fact that the Weight Loss Clinic plan "allows me to incorporate the foods I like into a meal plan. ...WLC is not a diet plan; it is a guide to a lifetime of being healthy."
She is hoping to lose another 10 to 20 pounds, but she confesses, "I will be happy right where I am now if I don't lose any more, because I feel so much better these days."
