SparkPeople, Zumba, and self-honesty: Integral parts of Kimberly's weight loss journey

City & country: Massachusetts, USA
Age: 28
Weight before diet: 185 lbs.
Weight now: 174 lbs.
Target weight: 130 lbs.

Kimberley's determination to lose weight in the early weeks of her lifestyle change remains unhampered despite the challenges that she faces on a daily basis. One of the tips she gives below deals with just that: to take things one at a time, day by day. She also talks about what she likes about SparkPeople, doing Zumba classes, and accepting the truth about her body image.

-What finally made you decide to start with a weight loss program?
Having to shop in the plus-size stores really depressed me. And my daughter got a camera for her birthday. She's been taking pictures of anything that would stay still long enough, and when she showed me a picture she took of me I didn't even recognize myself! It was my lowest point, looking at a picture, wondering who the fat girl was, and realizing it was me.

-What type of weight loss program are you following?
I started out by doing Slim-Fast. That jump-started my weight loss, but I got bored after a couple of months. Recently I joined SparkPeople.com, which helps me plan meals and snacks so I get the right number of calories, and the right ratio of fat to protein to carbohydrates, and helps me keep track of my exercise--all for free!

-Why did you choose this weight loss program? 
SparkPeople is free, and has a great community of fellow weight strugglers. Plus it was important that I follow a program that wouldn't tell me what NOT to eat--that just makes me want those things that much more. I'm rebellious like that. :)

This program doesn't forbid any kind of food, but it does help me see how good choices and bad choices fit into an overall lifestyle. So, for example, I can eat an ounce of chocolate, but I'm going to have to eat the egg substitute for breakfast instead of the (much yummier) real eggs. And maybe leave out the cheese. It helps me put all the pieces together.

-How long have you been on your weight loss program?
I've been a member of SparkPeople for about a month, but only started actively tracking everything a couple of weeks ago. I'm a procrastinator. ;)

-What kinds of physical activities do you like doing to help you lose weight and stay fit?
I LOVE taking Zumba classes at my Y. Zumba is a super-fun, high-energy kind of aerobic dancing, incorporating latin dance, hip-hop, reggaeton, belly dancing...it's tons of fun and I always leave class feeling like I just had the best time, and the best workout. When the weather gets nice I like to walk and jog outside, go hiking, rollerblade, ride my bike, and play at the playground with my three girls.

-What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome or are still overcoming?
My biggest hurdle is getting back on track after a slip-up. When I get off my eating plan, which usually happens if I didn't plan my meals out ahead of time or if I need to go grocery shopping, I have the hardest time getting back to my new healthy habits! I have to learn that when I find myself in that place, I can stop right away--put the fork down!!--and not get into a week-long rut. It happens with exercise too. If my kids are sick I use that as an excuse to not go to the Y, since I can't bring them into the childwatch room. And even though I could easily find exercise to do at home with them, it's much easier to say, "Oh well, can't go to the Y, can't exercise!" And then I get into THAT rut.

Another tough obstacle I have trouble with is realizing just how much I need to lose weight. I seem to have some kind of body dysmorphia, so I look in the mirror and think I look OK--even cute!--and then I'll see a picture of myself or catch my reflection in a window or see myself with a thinner friend and I don't realize it's me. It's freaky. And it's so bad because I think, "Oh, I can have this triple caramel iced cappuchino" or "It's not a big deal if I eat the third brownie," because I forget that I'm fat. Isn't that crazy? I forget I'm fat! I feel like I have to remind myself every day. "I can't eat whatever I want. I have to exercise. Complacency is not an option. I'm fat!!!"

-How do you keep yourself motivated?
I look at that picture of myself that my daughter took. I try to really see myself--not the mental image I have of myself, but the real, fat girl I see in the mirror. I'm constantly reminding myself that's me.

-Do you have any weight loss tips for our readers?
Take it one day at a time. Don't think about how far you have to go. And don't let yourself get caught up in the game of "Oops, blew it, I'll start again tomorrow/Monday morning/whenever.”

Start up again right away. That's why I call my blog "If Not Now." If I don't do this now, right now, when AM I?!

-Do you think it will be easy to fall back into your old lifestyle pattern? How do you prevent this from happening?
I fall back into my old ways all the time. You just have to get back on that horse.

-Do you have a favorite Web site or blog that helps or inspires you to lose weight?
My blog, kimmyslittlespot.blogspot.com, really helps me stay on track because my life--my weight-loss adventure--is out there for absolutely anyone with an internet connection to find. When I mess up I know I'm going to log on and tell people I messed up. And Sparkpeople.com helped me realize what exactly my choices were doing--how the rest of my day would be affected, diet-wise. If I indulge in a piece of cheesecake that takes up my daily calorie allotment, what the heck am I going to eat for the rest of the day? Lettuce leaves? Is it worth that, plus all the working out I'd have to do to burn it off?