How Shannon Lost 100 lbs. With Diet.com
by JohnMc
"I am a single mother of a gorgeous 6-year-old, she is my inspiration for getting fit! I don't want her to grow up with a chubby mommy!"
With that from-the-heart motivational message that she posted on her Member Profile page, Diet.com super slimmer ShannonKristine kicked off her amazing journey -- a journey that now has her more than 100 pounds removed from her starting weight of 262 pounds!
"When I started this journey, I set the goal of 140 pounds and thought there was no way in *you know where* that I would get down to 140 but thought it was something fabulous to shoot for.... well after losing 100 pounds I have decided to officially lower my goal weight to 130!" Shannon tells Diet.com.
"I have played around with this idea for a while, and considered shooting for 130 but not officially lowering my goal *just in case* I didn't get there I wouldn't be too disappointed. WELL I know I can do this! I know we can all do this. In the end I realized that if I didn't lower my goal I am just selling myself short.
"So here it is... in PRINT... that my official goal is 130 pounds. I will meet this goal no later than Christmas Eve 2008. The weight loss is coming slower now, but it is surely still coming week after week, and so I know that I am capable of hitting this goal!"
The first time we featured Shannon, she was down a sterling 74 pounds. Once she rolled by the 100-pound mark, we knew we had to turn the spotlight her way again.
Let's start with the basics.
Shannon's Diet Profile
What motivated me to join Diet.com:
Wanting to not be fat for the last few years of my twenties! I was just browsing and I liked the community feel so I joined just in time for the January Fresh Start challenge. I have been more motivated since I have joined this site than ever before!
My Diet Personality
Eating: Swing Eater
Exercising: Fresh Starter
Coping: People Pleaser
To learn your habits and take action to improve them, click here.
What diet program I am currently following
Low calorie living and working out. No fad diets, no pills, just me and healthy living baby! Also a support system is a huge part of my current plan!
My starting weight: 262
My goal weight: 130
My current weight: 156.6
Weight loss since joining: 105.4
What other diets I have tried
I have tried a little bit of everything and obviously it hasn't gone well ;)
Diet topics you can ask me for advice on
Low calorie living and how to incorporate exercise into your busy life! It took me a while to figure this one out ;) Motivating others to increase your own success is also one of my new specialties!
My advice to other dieters
ALWAYS moving forward, NEVER looking back! You are able to achieve far more than you ever think possible! You can do this!!
Shannon accomplished her amazing trim-down using the tools and knowledge served up by the only diet program that has worked for her.
"Diet.com has all of the tools that are necessary for long-term successful weight loss," Shannon says. "I have access to a dietitian, a trainer, a doctor, as well as thousands of people to root me on.
"I have used the site to track my meals, find recipes, and hold myself accountable through blogging.
"The support from others is what really has kept me going. I have NEVER successfully stuck to a diet for as long as I have with my support team on this site."
Shannon knows she will accomplish all her goals with the help of Diet.com.
"At my heaviest, I weighed 262 pounds... and I was shocked because I had never felt like I weighed that much and I had never had a weight problem before!" says Shannon, a fun, feisty 5-foot-4 former athlete.
"But those days are gone and I really notice the changes now. I don’t get tired as easily. I can walk up and down stairs without huffing and puffing. I feel like I have a ton of energy now and I have built up my stamina."
Shannon has experienced quite a personal revival.
"I was really depressed for the past 5 years, but that's all changed and I'm not on medication anymore -- the doctor took me off it!" she notes.
"I am a completely different woman and I view things so differently. Thanks to Diet.com I like healthier foods now and I don’t feel a need to eat every hour."
As the pounds shrank, Shannon's self-esteem ballooned. She did so well with the Fresh Start Challenge, she was named the overall winner of the two-team, 500-member event.
"My life no longer revolved around fast food." she recalls. "I was losing inches, building muscle and feeling better overall."
Winning the challenge sure was fun... but not nearly as fun for Shannon as finding the energy to bond with her 6-year-old daughter.
"We can now do fun things like go to park, take walks, go to the beach and enjoy after-school programs," says Shannon, 28. "Before, I would get home from work, sit down and watch TV with my little girl. Now we go outside!"
So what was Shannon's "a-ha moment"... that pivotal happening that triggered a desire to regain control of her weight and life?
"I realized my whole twenties had been filled with being overweight and unhappy," she tells Diet.com. "After Christmas 2006 I decided I needed to take on what I needed to take on. That's when I came across Diet.com.
"The Fresh Start Challenge is the catalyst that elevated my Diet.com experience into the winner it is!
"If I weren’t on the Diet.com website I probably would have given up by now. I made friends on the site. They check in to make sure I am staying on track.
"Diet.com has given me a place to be open and honest with my current situation. I can’t think of another situation where I would be as open -- this site made me face the facts."
Shannon upgraded to a Premium membership shortly after she joined Diet.com. Having access to our registered dietitian and diet doctor has had a huge impact.
"Blogs, recipes and access to professional people working to give me advice… it's heaven for a dieter," she says. "Other sites have online message boards where people give advice without being qualified."
Are you ready to get serious about your weight like Shannon? Click here and we'll help you find the health and happiness you deserve! |
