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Vanessa (Greensparkle) : Success Story
 
Vanessa's annual medical check-up near the end of 2005 revealed that her total cholesterol was high and her healthy cholesterol (HDL) was too low, despite what she thought were healthy eating habits. When she looked at her Christmas photos, she was shocked to see how big she was. She had never really thought of her herself as overweight, but now realized that she had been gaining weight year by year and it was beginning to affect her health and how she felt about herself. She didn't want to feel like she had to keep her long winter coat on during her college classes because she was embarrassed by how big she looked.
Vanessa knew her biggest problem with food was her tendency to overeat. She loved food, and often ate when she wasn't really hungry, but just for the pleasure of it. She had also allowed herself to become pretty sedentary. Vanessa set two goals for herself: to get her weight back down to 135 by the following Christmas, and to establish a regular exercise routine. She felt that these two goals would help her get a handle on her biggest problems.
Vanessa found the program at SparkPeople to be a perfect fit for her. She didn't want to give up her favorite foods, but needed some way to control her portion sizes and total calorie intake, and also make sure her food choices were meeting her nutritional needs. She used the meal planner to track her calories and nutrition, and found information in the Resource Center to help lower her cholesterol levels with healthier food choices and appropriate portion sizes. She also focused on drinking water in place of sweetened beverages.
With the help of her boyfriend, Vanessa became an avid runner. She never thought she could become a runner, but by building up gradually, she soon found that not only could she do it, but she enjoyed and looked forward to it. It also helped her manage stress and boost her energy levels. She used SparkPeople's exercise tracker to track her progress and her calorie expenditure.
In addition to the meal and exercise trackers, Vanessa found the articles in the Resource Center very helpful for both information and motivation. When she got stuck temporarily on a weight plateau, she found that joining a couple of SparkTeams helped her find people like herself and provided the support and motivation she needed to keep going. She also really likes the weight loss progress chart: "When I was feeling down or unmotivated, I would look at my own progress. It was great to see how far I've come," she says.
Vanessa successfully completed her first 5k run last fall. She plans to enter several more this year. She got herself a new, smaller winter coat, and with her improved self-confidence, no longer needs to wear it inside to her college classes. She reports that her energy levels are much higher than they used to be, and that she watches less TV and spends more time outdoors.
Vanessa's advice is to not worry too much about the scale and to focus on the changes you're making. "The hardest part," she says, "is sticking to any program. If you're a college student like me, this whole experience can be fun and easy, even with a busy college life. It doesn't take that much to start making changes. Go for a walk, chose a healthier food alternative, or get friends to join you. Any of those can start you down a healthier path."
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| Weight Before: |
182 lbs. |
| Weight After: |
130 lbs. |
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Senior Health and Fitness
