How Courtney Lost 44 Pounds

February 21, 2011   9 Comments

Snack Girl gets to meet many awesome people as part of her job. Courtney is the latest.

She forwarded me her website, Just One Pound....One Hundred Times, and I was really inspired.

I decided to interview her so that we could all benefit from her wisdom (she is SO young to be so wise).

Snack Girl: What would you say is the biggest factor in your weight loss success?

Courtney: One word. Accountability. But not in the way that most of us of accountability. I feel very accountable to myself. I don't want to let myself down, I finally realized that it was no skin off of anyone else's nose - just my own.

I was always overtired and becoming more and more uncomfortable in my own body. All of my clothes were tight and I started feeling like an old woman. One night, I just had an epiphany, that I was slowly killing myself.

I went to a Zumba class with a friend on July 23, 2010 and a woman prayed before the class that we would all love our bodies and start making healthier choices so that we would become strong. It started for me that night.

Now I'm a Zumba instructor and I teach classes each week where I get to motivate and encourage women to reach their goals. Even on the roughest days that keeps me motivated!

Snack Girl: When you didn't lose weight for a few weeks - how did you keep motivated?

Courtney: There have been a few times that I did not lose as much as I'd wanted to and I've even gained once. It's so disappointing. I attend Weight Watchers meetings where our leader really emphasizes tracking what we're eating,

I've become a faithful tracker. If I don't lose as much as I'd wished or if I do gain, I immediately look back over the last two weeks of my food journal and see what I've eaten, where I may have missed something or if I'd tracked all of my activity (exercise) properly.

Usually I can find some clues there. Otherwise, I just chalk it up to my crazy body and remember to not give up. It's really important to just get up, dust yourself off and keep on going in the right direction.

Snack Girl: What foods and habits were the most difficult for you to give up and change?

Courtney: I most definitely have my fair share of bad habits. There were a few that have been more easy to give up, like soda and sweets. My biggest struggles have been completely revamping my idea of portions and eating out so much.

I grew up in an amazing family, who just so happen to love through food. Let me tell you, we have LOTS of love. Just stop by my grandparents house on a random day, and you will most likely be offered a snack or even a meal!

My portion control (or lack there of) had gotten completely out of control. It was very difficult for me to remember to measure and weigh my food when I first started Weight Watchers. I had become so accustomed to just spooning out what I wanted and not giving a second thought to how much I was actually consuming.

Also, eating out had become an almost daily occurrence. There was not a day that went by that I did not eat at least one meal from a restaurant, be it fast food or otherwise.

Now, I easily drive past the fast food places knowing that I will feel better physically and emotionally if I avoid their "food".

Snack Girl: What advice would you give to your "40 pound heavier" self?

Courtney: I would tell her that she is beautiful. I would tell her that she is more capable of tackling this HUGE task than she realizes. I would also tell her that if she would just love herself and give herself equal time that she would accomplish goals she didn't even know she had!

Snack Girl: Why did you start your blog?

Courtney: I started my blog( Just One Pound....One Hundred Times) about a month after I started back at Weight Watchers. I felt a passion and excitement about fitness and weight loss like never before. It felt (and still feels) other worldly.

I knew that I had to capture all of this, and in what better format to share than in a blog. I wrote my first entry called "Going Uphill. A Very Good Place to Start" and emailed it to about 25 of my friends and family.

The responses that I got back were all the feedback that I needed to make it official. In WW, they remind us that we will get to our goal one pound at a time. It doesn't matter how long it takes, but we will make it.

My starting goal was to lose 100 pounds, which is why I named my site "One Times One Hundred". What started out as a simple blog and website to track my weight loss has really turned into a platform for me to encourage other people to reach any goals they have - not just weight or fitness related. To me, this is the ultimate!

Snack Girl: What is your favorite snack?

Courtney: I've thought long and hard about this answer. I first need you to understand that this is HUGE secret that I am divulging. It might actually save your life....ok, ok I'm sorry. Am I taking my snacking too seriously?

When I want to satisfy my sweet tooth at night time I will reach for my new favorite hot cocoa. To me, there is nothing better than a great cup of cocoa. I love the thick, sweet, warm deliciousness that is a great cup of cocoa, only buying hot chocolate out at a cafe or coffee house is not only costly to the wallet but to the waistline.

I found a brand of hot cocoa (Equal Exchange Brand) at a local market. It's 70 cals, 0 fat, 13g carbs, 2g protein and 1g fiber per 2 tablespoon serving (2 Points+). It's thick and creamy and very tasty.

To my cup of hot cocoa I add 2 large marshmallows that I cut in half, so that when I look down at my cup it looks like there are 4. The total points value of my chocolately treat is a whopping 4 Points+. It's simple but it's totally satisfying!

Thanks so much for sharing, Courtney!

Here are a few other inspirational stories if you want to get more ideas on weight loss and healthy eating:

How Annabel Lost 150 Pounds
Into the Lite: How Susan Lost 40 Pounds
How Ashley Lost 40 Pounds
How Shawn Stopped Drinking 10 Cans of Dr. Pepper per Day

And here is Courtney's Hot Cocoa: