Sarah's weight loss through healthier eating habits and exercise

Sarah Aarssen

City & country: Amsterdam, Holland (originally from Benld, Illinois, USA)
Age: 31
Weight before diet: 301 lbs.
Weight now: 230 lbs.
Target weight: To weigh 200 pounds is my first "big goal." I realize this still isn’t considered a "healthy" weight so my secondary goal is being at a healthy BMI.

The insights in the book "The Ultimate Weight Solutions," by Dr. Phil resonated with Sarah, and adapting its principles helped her on her way to losing weight successfully. It isn't an instant fix and it isn't effortless, but it's something that has helped her improve her eating habits, and thus, her health. Add strength training to the equation and the journey becomes more enjoyable for Sarah. Read on for a lot of Sarah's weight loss tips, all taken from her own experience.

-What finally made you decide to start with a weight loss program?
I hit my "rock bottom" after seeing myself in a photo at a company BBQ. I knew I was overweight but WOW! I didn’t even recognize myself. I was to the point where I wasn’t even trying the fad diets anymore because I just knew I couldn’t stick to them and they wouldn’t work. I was so sad, disgusted, discouraged and just desperate.

-What type of weight loss program are you following?
I am following Dr. Phil’s advice in his book "The Ultimate Weight Solutions" which deals with not only the caloric intake part of weight loss but most importantly it addresses emotional eating.

-Why did you choose this weight loss program?
I had asked three different doctors on three different occasions at three different points in my life to help me lose weight. Each of them gave me the same formula; eat less + exercise more = losing weight. They sent me on my way with their food pyramid programs and a pat on the back. No follow-up appointments necessary.

Dr. Phil is the first doctor who made me ask myself the hard questions. Why was I overweight? What triggers me to gorge myself? How do I see myself and speak to myself internally? How do I sabotage myself? Why do I binge? Most importantly, how do I stop? My doctors had great intentions but really, did they honestly think they were giving me a key to being healthy? Did they think that I didn’t try that approach before? I had to read the book twice before deciding to commit but after that second time through and deciding "this is it," for once in my life I felt like I could really do it. I was in control of my weight. I knew that I could actually lose weight and be successful. Nobody had ever made me think about the reasons behind my actions. Dr. Phil was the first. The fact that he wasn’t asking me to count calories, cut out certain food groups, never eat ice cream again or do some of the other things all the "other diet plans" were suggesting was also a big plus point for me. I wanted something I could do for the rest of my life, not a quick fix, and this was it.

-How long have you been on your weight loss program?
June 2006

-What kinds of physical activities do you like doing to help you lose weight and stay fit?
I love strength training 3 times a week at my gym. Lifting weights makes me feel so empowered. I enjoy the occasional body pump class. I ride bikes with my husband for some cardio. I put on my Ipod and “free dance” in my living room when I’m all alone, curtains closed. I try to do cardio 3 times a week when I do my strength training but I will admit, cardio at the gym is my downfall. I plan to take some dance classes in the upcoming year. Making it fun is key for me.

-What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome or are still overcoming?
I am trying to change a lifetime’s worth of bad habits and this doesn’t happen overnight. I struggle on a daily basis with my food choices and knowing when I’m full. The struggle is getting easier as time goes on but I have to make a conscious effort. I have to have constant conversation in my head "am I hungry or eating because I’m bored?" or "what have I eaten so far today?" I tell myself before putting anything in my mouth "every calorie does count" because it’s easy to discount a nibble here and a small sample there when those calories can add up fast.

-How do you keep yourself motivated?
Motivation is tricky. I, personally, don’t wait to be motivated. If I put this off because I waiting for some big rush of excitement to grab me and thrust me forward then I’ll never be successful. Exercise and diet isn’t a choice for me anymore, it’s a must. It’s part of my daily life, just like showering or brushing my teeth. Of course looking better, feeling better, being healthier and living a long full life are great reasons behind losing weight but I’m not going to sit around waiting for motivation to kick me in high gear.

-Do you have any weight loss tips for our readers?
* Throw out all your unhealthy snacks. If it's not there you can't eat it. Most important in this step is don't forget to replace them with healthy alternatives. I went all out throwing out every scrap of junk food when I began but then absent mindedly I didn’t replace it with anything. It led me to dig into my husbands snack drawer which wasn’t exactly healthy. You’re going to get hungry. It’s a part of life. Be prepared for when it happens.

* Little things do make a difference. If you can't make a complete overhaul at first then take baby steps. If you currently drink soda all day long and can only handle slowly adding some water in your diet then do it that way. Drink one glass in the morning for one week and be proud that you did it. Then up your goals. Gradual works well and helps keep that overwhelming feeling at bay.

* Push yourself and be honest with yourself. If you're strolling through the park and in your head you tell yourself "I went for a brisk walk today" then you're only fooling yourself. Push yourself because nobody else is going to push you.

* Don't discount the benefits of strength training. You don't have to lift 100 pound weights a million times to benefit from weight training. Even a few exercises using your own body as weight is a great start. The more muscle you have (and women it’s very hard for our bodies to “bulk up” so don’t use that as an excuse) the more calories you will burn in a resting position. I’d much rather burn 100 calories while napping because I have more muscle than burning 25 calories while napping because I don’t strength train. It’s a fair trade off. Even if you can’t see it yet because of the fat, rest assured it’s there and it’s working for you. You don’t have to have a gym membership either. No excuses!

* Exercise is like diet... you're going to have a million people telling you that their way is the right way and the only way... find a way that WORKS for you and stick to it.

* Don't obsess over the numbers as they are just a small part of weight loss. You're doing something beautiful for your body no matter what the scale tells you week to week.

* Be patient, weight loss is a marathon not a sprint.

* Honestly, it doesn't take me any more time to prepare a healthy meal than it does to bake a frozen dinner or cook a less healthy meal. You do have to consciously make an effort to do this though, that's something you have to do on your own, nobody can do it for you. It takes no time to slice up some fresh veggies and lightly sauté them or throw them on the grill with some fish or chicken. Or even faster, eat them raw! Most of my meals are prepared and done within 20 minutes to 1/2 hour and are healthy so I can't use the excuse "it's so much faster to eat unhealthy" because really, it's not.

* Make a grocery list/meal plan for the next 3 or 4 days and make one shopping trip for the ingredients. Stick to your plan, no excuses. This small amount of time you spend to plan some healthy meals will save you time in the end as you won't have to think "what should I make for dinner tonight". You'll already know.

* After your meal brush your teeth. Nobody likes to eat when you have a clean healthy fresh mouth so it will help stave off the late night snacking.

* Start a blog, get a readership. My blog has kept me totally accountable for my actions. It's also been a great outlet and support system.

* Remember that nothing is done or undone in one snack, one meal, one day, one week or even one month. If you have a bad food day you didn't ruin anything. You just have to pick yourself up and start again right that very moment. Don’t put it off until Monday. It's all very "lather, rinse, repeat."

-Do you think it will be easy to fall back into your old lifestyle pattern? How do you prevent this from happening?
Since I made a lifestyle change instead of "dieting" I don’t think it would be easy to fall back into my old ways. I prevent it many ways. Quitting is just not am option for me. It’s just not. When I see myself slipping a bit I re-read parts of the book that deal with the specific area I’m struggling with. Overall I’ve read the book 4 times and it’s dog-eared, highlighted and scribbled in the margins. Occasionally I’ll re-evaluate my goals or set new ones to keep things fun and fresh. I’ve thrown out or given to charity all of my old clothes as they “outgrew” me. It’s all a mental thing but knowing that I don’t have clothes to fit me should I gain weight really works for me.

-Do you have a favorite Web site or blog that helps or inspires you to lose weight?
I have blogged about my weight loss from the very beginning at www.sarahsweightlossjourneyblog.blogspot.com. There I have listed some of my other favorite and inspirational weight loss blogs. Blogging has been instrumental in my success and I highly recommend keeping your own blog of sorts. The outpouring of support from my readers, complete strangers, always astounds me. It’s like having your own cheerleading squad.