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Angie : Success Story
 
Angie had arthritis in her knees as a result of her extra weight. In addition, her cholesterol was on the rise and she wanted to get it under control before medication was necessary. Angie turned 50 this year and decided it was time to make a change.
After joining SparkPeople, Angie started by keeping a food journal for several months. She kept track of everything she ate and drank to make sure she stayed within her recommended calorie and nutrient ranges. She felt that journaling and tracking were good ways to help her stay accountable and honest about her food intake.
Angie had a few bad habits to overcome, one of which was late-night snacking. She discovered that she ate a lot due to boredom, so she set up her stationary bike in front of the TV to pedal while she watched. She also started snacking on healthier foods such as grapes instead of salty foods. The worst habit Angie faced was not eating meals throughout the day. Before SparkPeople she would only eat dinner and the lack of calories made weight loss very difficult. So she ate eat three meals a day with snacks in between when possible. Finally, Angie learned portion control. Many foods she eats come in half-cup serving sizes, so she keeps small half-cup containers at home and work for easy measuring.
Angie found the articles in the Resource Centers along with the SparkDiet stages to be the best tools for her. In the beginning, she would get discouraged on rough days. "Then all of a sudden I would get a motivational article telling me that everyone is going to take a step backwards and tomorrow is a new day. They always seemed to come at the right time," says Angie. She would print out the articles and read through them during the tough times, like when she wanted a snack she knew she didn't need.
Angie experienced a few weight loss plateaus during her journey but followed the advice of the SparkPeople program and changed up her diet and exercise routines. After a few weeks, she'd start losing again and says she has learned not to stress about it anymore, that weight loss plateaus are to be expected at one point or another.
Angie has lost a total of 36 inches and 60 pounds. Her body fat has decreased over 7% and she has gone from a size 24 to a size 16. In addition, she has seen her cholesterol go down and the arthritis in her knees has decreased.
The best advice Angie says she can give to someone else is not to look for instant results. Angie does not view her experience as a diet. She has changed her old eating habits into healthy behaviors that she'll live with for the rest of her life. She has learned to enjoy the foods she loves in moderation, instead of on a regular basis. She has tried foods (like honeydew melon) that she never thought she'd try and learned that healthy foods can taste good too.
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| Weight Before: |
258 lbs. |
| Weight After: |
198 lbs. |
Are you interested in being featured for your success? Tell your story on your SparkPage and other members can vote for you to become a " SparkPeople Motivator!"
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Exercise Keeps Your Mind Sharp
