How I Lost 150 Pounds Weight Loss Success Story

From eDiets - The online diet, fitness, and healthy living resource

Kristin B. is half the woman she used to be... literally.

Although she's the picture of perfect health today (check out those biceps!) that wasn’t always the case. There was a time, right before she discovered the Zone Diet, that Kristins physical and mental well-being were in a state of crisis. The excess weight she was carrying had become a matter of life or death.

At her top weight, Kristin felt like she was falling apart. She was plagued by arm and chest pains. Her weight was too much for her small frame. She was so weak that she actually fell down while trying to hike. Even walking down stairs became a scary exercise. Many times she feared her knees would give out.

Kristin wanted to start an exercise program but she thought it might trigger a heart attack. She consulted with her physician and received grim news. Her cholesterol was high and her heart was making odd sounds. The doctor recommended Kristin see a cardiologist before beginning exercise.

“I was in prime heart attack mode,” she tells eDiets. If I kept up what I was doing, I was either going to have a heart attack, a stroke... or both. I was very unhealthy. It really scared me that they told me this stuff and I was only 35. I heard abut women dropping dead in their late 30s and I thought, that could be me.

A sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits had combined to pack on the pounds from the time Kristin graduated high school. She would start off the morning with a cup of a coffee and a bagel and cream cheese. Cookies and doughnuts were other popular choices. When her sugar levels began to go haywire about 9:30 a.m., she would munch M&Ms. Lunch was soup and a sandwich. For her afternoon snack, shed enjoy more M&Ms.

Dinner was a huge meal comprised of too much meat, carb-loaded rice or noodle dishes, veggies and some kind of dessert. Looking back, Kristin realizes that big portions and starch overload were the contributing factors to her weight gain. That all changed once she got into the Zone.

Not only did Kristin’s mom tell her about the Zone, but she also sent her overweight daughter copies of the best-selling books A Week in the Zone (ReganBooks) and Entering the Zone (ReganBooks). Mom also anteed up the down payment for a gym membership.

Mom's gifts proved the most important tools in Kristin’s amazing weight loss journey.

“I made a time when I was going to start," Kristin tells eDiets. "I read through the book and decided how to go about it. I cleaned out my kitchen of anything not Zone friendly.

"I started the Zone Diet and I instantly started losing weight. It started dropping off within three days. Two weeks later I joined an all women’s gym so I didn’t feel self conscious.”

Eating in the Zone gave Kristin the energy she needed to exercise. Im too tired was never an excuse for begging out of a workout. She never felt deprived or hungry eating on the plan. She didnt feel irritable the way she usually did when cutting her calories. And she really liked the food.

One thing that worked in Kristin’s favor was her habit of planning ahead. Instead of waiting until the last minute to look for food, she had everything organized and timed. This prevented her from making unhealthy choices. Her menus are balanced and healthy to keep her from suffering a blood sugar spike or drop.

For breakfast, she whips up a fruit smoothie. At 9:30, she eats half an apple, one ounce of light cheese and three almonds. Lunch is a Healthy Choice or Lean Cuisine entree with the appropriate amount of protein. She tops the frozen meal with a handful of frozen broccoli. At 2:30, she has half a Zone bar. At 4:30, she has the other half of an apple, an ounce of light cheese and three more almonds. Dinner is a lean meat or fish, grilled, steamed or sautéed in olive oil. She has vegetables and a huge salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing. For dessert, she has fruit, applesauce, half a peach or some berries.

“It’s a natural way to eat I think," she says. "It’s a common sense approach to eating. It’s not really a diet to me -- it’s more a lifestyle change. I was raised on a family farm. We raised a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. We raised all our own meat. I was accustomed to that way of eating. When I got away from that support and that way of eating, I started packing on weight.

“I think I was raised in the Zone and didn’t even know it.”

Kristin never imagined she’d enjoy losing weight so much. Kristin didn’t hit her first plateau until she was down 100 pounds. She didn't panic. She did make a few adjustments to her portion sizes and the rest of the weight melted away.

A factor in Kristin’s steady weight loss was her workout regimen. While she was losing the first 100 pounds, she exercised on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She did about 15 minutes of stretching, 45 minutes of weight training and 25 minutes on the stationary bike. On Sundays, she would do hand weights at home, take the dog for a walk and stretch.

In the beginning, she could barely make it a mile. She now has no problem going 5 miles. Since dropping the weight, her exercise program has also changed. She works out every other day. She now uses the elliptical trainer and added some band work.

“It just makes me feel great," she says. "If I don’t exercise, my body starts feeling bound up and creaky. When I exercise, it gives me that release and makes me feel good. It helps me release stress.”

A big source of inspiration came from Dr. Phil McGraw. Kristin was inspired when she heard the author/talk show host say that nobody would lose the weight for her... she had to want to do it herself! Dr. Phil's no-nonsense, tough-talking approach made her come to grips with the fact that nobody owed her anything.

Kristin is proud of how far she's come. Equipped with the right tools, Kristin made the Zone work for her.

“I did this with no pills and no surgery," she boasts.

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