Saturday Success Story

Today's Success Story is from a woman very dear to my heart--my lovely Aunt Lori Dunlop from Murphy, Texas! Ages ago, when I was a wee tot being annoying and awkward, my Aunt Lori involved me in her life, and I was always affected by her life and healthy habits. Now, she maintains a healthy weight by sticking to rules that work for her, and most importantly, listening to her body.

Was there a point where you realized, “I’m really going to do it this time”? How motivating was that?

Yes. I looked at a picture and said "Wow, that's me, and I'm not happy with that look!" My hubby and I had noticed a man that [we knew in church] had lost a lot, I mean, a lot of weight. We stopped him after church and asked if he was ill. He said no, that he had just changed his eating habits and that got me thinking that if he had done this just by watching what he was eating, we could do it! This was very motivating since the man I married was right there with me - overweight!

How did you begin? What is different now?

Changing our eating habits along with Weight Watchers and their method of keeping track of what you are eating. Now, I know what is good for me and what is not - I make a conscious choice to cheat when I do and know I will have to make up for it later or suffer the consequences.

What are you excited about?

People still comment on the weight we lost!


Is there anything—especially early on when it gets tough—is there anything that motivated you?
Just thinking about the man that motivated us at church, and the fact that when you put your mind to it and you start losing - you want to continue on that path.

What kept you going when you thought about just throwing in the towel?

Never thought about throwing in the towel - once we got going we stayed on the roll and kept losing.

How did you integrate new choices into your lifestyle?

I still think about how much I am served at a restaurant and try to eat less, have a drink (low cal) in my hands at a party so that I eat less, carry a purse and a drink so I don't have a hand to carry a plate of food at a party, just stay aware of my choices, always!

Let’s talk about food. What would you say were your biggest problem areas as far as eating? Tell us a little bit about that. And eating-wise, what changes did you make early on?

I love sweets! I love to cook and was not cooking all the healthy things necessary to stay at a healthy weight, and I definitely eat what I cook. I taught my kids to cook; we cook and bake and that is sometimes a downfall! We always have yummy food around to eat. The unhealthy cooking and eating was the issue. It took habit-changing to change the weight.

What did you find easy to stick with?

Choosing foods that made me chew a lot so I felt like I was eating more. My chewer would get tired so I would be satisfied.

Would you take us through a typical weekday now, and tell us how that goes, as far as exercise and eating?

I try to eat a small breakfast ( yogurt and fruit or oatmeal) but do try to make myself eat a little - that way I am not famished later in the day. I eat a sensible lunch (salad and a bit of meat and try to hold off on the carbs) but try not to eat too much, because I do like to eat what I make for my family for dinner-- we try to eat dinner together (meat, vege, little carb.) I really try to have only one sweet thing a week although it doesn't always work out that way.

I know I have to work harder to get where I want to stay!

What part of your body do you absolutely love, and why?

My skinny legs because I can still fit into my skinny jeans. :)

What were your particular difficulties, and how did you overcome them?

Sweets -but once you get it out of your system, and don't crave them so much, it is easier. It takes me about two weeks of ignoring my body telling me that I need something sweet to not crave the sweets anymore.

What is the one habit you swear by?

Portion control - "You are what you eat."

What else would you like to tell me?

I would love to lose five pounds, to fit into some of those smaller clothes I still have, but have decided that I am very cozy where I am. I just keep telling myself to try to lose that five pounds so that I don't creep up any further on the scale. It is working for me!

Statistics

Starting Weight: Was about to 165 pounds
Lowest Weight: I was down to 119 pounds - scary! Current Weight: I am happy at 135 pounds now but keep trying for the 130 pound range. I lost the weight very slowly and have kept it off for about 7 years now! Height: I am 5 foot 8 inches.