How Patty Lost 69 lbs... And Keeps Slimming!
by JohnMc
There are two big reasons super slimmer Patty is down a sensational 69 pounds and moving steadily onward towards her ultimate weight loss goal.
Patty, who's also known by her username of ollieseh to her peers here at Diet.com, has never wavered in her commitment to hitting the gym for regular workouts. She's continually changing up her routine to push herself to new heights of intensity and to retain the variety that keeps fitness fun.
And, even more importantly, she's never silenced her blogging voice nor slipped out of view from her fellow Diet.com members for any length of time.
"I couldn't have done this without Diet.com," Patty notes. "Being accountable to myself and my friends here at Diet.com is the key."
"I am now at 211; by New Year I will be under 200 -- that's been one of my goals all along.
"I have tried to set realistic goals and to mix it up as I go."
The picture at right shows Patty posing in the living room of her home on Kitchener, Ontario. The image below left shows her at her starting weight of 280.
The transformation has been much more than physical.
Patty has learned may things along the way, including how to support others on a path to wellness and how to tweak her favorite recipes so they retain their taste but not the high fat or high-cal counts.
She tells Diet.com that she knew she was over the hump when she survived the recent Canadian Thanksgiving without giving in to the many food temptations. Instead, she deftly replaced her traditional treats with healthier versions.
"My family did not even know what I had done -- they enjoyed the foods along with me," she says.
When Patty isn't whipping up a new variation on an old standard like turkey and stuffing, she's keeping a food and exercise log on Diet.com.
"Since starting here at Diet.com, I have rarely gone over 1,500 calories a day -- not even through Canadian Thanksgiving in October - and I even had turkey, pumpkin pie, stuffing and sweet potatoes."
By tinkering with tradition, Patty actually lost weight over the holiday. She's more confident than ever that she'll keep right on losing for as long as she wants.
"I do fitness three times a week for 90 minutes at a time," she says. "Back in April when I started I was doing 10 minutes of cardio and 20 minutes with weights.
"Over time I have steadily built up my endurance. I hated the elliptical when I started, but now I do 30 minutes at the random setting.
"I still meet with my trainer periodically, but I have learned to change my own workout. In fact, I love the Diet.com workouts by fitness pro Stephen Cabral.
"My trainer saw me doing one of Stephen's routines that i found at the Diet.com site and she thought I was 'cheating' on her with a new trainer!
"They're awesome videos... I print out Stephen's blogs and repeat the exercises at my gym."
Patty wanted to include the image at right. It may not be a close up or a shot that shows off her trimmed down body, but to her it shows her sporting a healthier figure in her black overcoat.
It's little things like this unposed photo that keep Patty on course.
"A lot of little things add up to huge things," she says. "There are things I don’t have to think about anymore… like walking in a restaurant between tables and not worrying that i will bump someone.
"I feel great. I feel like my body will cooperate. I don’t avoid stairs. I am a way more confident person -- and I think I look that way to others too."
Another little change: Patty no longer has to have her steering wheel moved up or her car seat slid back to accommodate the 69 pounds that she's sent packing.
"I've had to have the settings of my work station re-set," she says. "Also, I am wearing heels that I couldn’t wear before because I felt too awkward and clumsy. I don't avoid going clothes shopping now!"
"I was a size 24 to start -- and had one pair of 26 pants -- but am now wearing a 16!"
"I do like going in a store and trying on things. My kids are really proud of me."
Patty's transformation has made a positive impact on her children Kristen and Michael. It's also making a difference to people she doesn't even know -- the frustrated men and women who frequent the Diet.com site and read her motivational posts.
Patty has words of advice for those just starting out on a diet.
"Do it healthy -- track your food and exercise right away. And be sure to take the Diet.com Personality Quiz.
"I found it extremely helpful. It gives you great tips to do along the way so you slowly get into changing your behaviors for a lifetime!"
Patty, 47, has made great strides on her way to a goal weight of 150. And she has no plans to walk away from the horse she rode in on!
"I don’t think I even looked at other sites," she notes. "What hit me about this site was the diet personality aspect. I needed to know what I needed to do and I found it here at Diet.com.
"It's a lifestyle change… not a diet. A diet means at some point I am gonna be done and on my own.
"I get a lot of motivation from the website. It helps me with my personal journey to realize people weigh more than me... some have lost more than me... some weigh less but are struggling.
"There is a really good mix on the Diet.com website to keep me motivated. And a lot of encouragement from the community."
Become a Premium Member of Diet.com today and we'll send you a free copy of Retrain Your Brain, Reshape Your Body by Dr. Georgia D. Andrianopoulos. This bestseller worth $17 will enable you to identify the parts of your brain that are causing you to gain weight, jump-start weight loss with 20 easy-to-use tricks and tools, and create your own brain-training program tailored to your patterns and personality type! |
