Meet Ilana. ??
This is her story in her own words:
“At 215 pounds, and a size 20 — and I was just 13. Growing up, I was always the big kid…
I was never normal. I was never small. The pediatrician’s office constantly told my parents, “She’s obese. She’s over the 100th percentile, she’s not even on the chart!”
I was about four years old when my parents got divorced, and every picture of me since then was me holding food. I guess I was using it as a form of comfort, maybe a form of consistency when a lot of things in my life were inconsistent.
Even going to the amusement park, I’d immediately wonder: “What snacks are we packing? Ice cream cones!” “We’re going to the circus? Cotton candy!” “We’re going to a birthday party? Pizza!” This was my focus. As a kid, this is what I was thinking about.
And I just kept getting bigger…
I was also showing blood sugar issues that you would typically see in older men — cholesterol problems, and the potential for worse. My pediatrician finally looked my mom in the face and said, “You have to send her to weight-loss camp. She’s going this summer.”
So, at eight years old, I went to “Fat Camp.”
Can you imagine how that felt?
But the truth is, I loved it. I made lots of friends. I was surrounded by people who didn’t judge me. I lost 30 pounds. It was amazing.
Then I came back to school… and gained it all back.
This yo-yo-ing went on for years. Every summer, I’d lose 30 pounds. Every school year, I’d gain it all back — and more.
Thankfully, something was different that summer, something that gave me extra motivation. I was about to enter high school.
Suddenly, I really wanted not just to lose the weight, but to keep it off. So I asked myself, “What did I do every summer that made it easy for me to lose weight? And what did I do differently during the school year that made me gain the weight back?”
At weight-loss camp, even on a restricted diet, there were certain foods that I could eat as much of as I wanted, and I’d still lose weight.
I also knew that I liked to eat a lot of food. I was a VOLUME EATER, I needed to feel full and satisfied. So I decided to try that on my own. I focused on the foods I could eat lots of, that made me feel satisfied, but that didn’t cause me to gain weight. (#veggiesfirst) ???
And by the end of my freshman year, I was shocked.
For the first time — all on my own — I’d not only managed to maintain my summer weight loss, I’d actually dropped even more pounds during the school year!
I was so excited. I had discovered the formula that worked for me. It wasn’t a new diet — it was a new MINDSET. And once I embraced it, I kept on losing weight, all through high school and when I went to college.
Eventually, I got down to 145 pounds.
I was so happy at 145 pounds. I was a size 8 — the lowest size I’d been since I was literally eight years old. I was a single digit!
You know what might be the most amazing part?
I was able to maintain that weight, without denying myself or telling myself “no” all the time. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be. I always felt FULL and SATISFIED. I never deprived myself. And I never MISSED A MEAL…
I just relied on a few simple principles that allowed me to lose weight while still living my life.
Because that’s everyone’s ultimate goal, right?
To be happy. ???
That’s Ilana’s story and she is now a registered dietitian nutritionist that teaches the principles that worked for her and combined them into one convenient, healthy approach to eating. I have been following her program and training with her. I recently got certified in her program and Im certified as a Mindset Mentor.
THE BEST PART of this new Mindset Nutrition Program?
There’s no counting calories. No points. No cutting out whole food groups.
You don’t even need to exercise (but I promise, once you start feeling amazing, you’re going to want to move your body).
So if you’ve been thinking about doing SOMETHING DIFFERENT and know the root cause is changing your MINDSET & making food your ALLY {** and you’re sick of starting over again and again}, let’s chat!
#forrealWednesday #beforeandafter #weightlosstransformation#nutritionplan
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