How Jaki Lost 120 Pounds

February 17, 2012   16 Comments

I chose the photo above (it is not of Jaki) because I think it represents how Jaki got her weight problem under control. She got centered and started feeling good about herself.

Here is her before and after photo:

and here she is now riding her bike:

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

Jaki: Learning to listen to my body and keeping a journal.

Snack Girl: How long did it take you to lose the 120 pounds?

Jaki: It took me a little over a year to lose the weight.

Snack Girl: Just over one year for 120 pounds seems really fast. Did you have an "aha" moment that shifted things for you?

Jaki: I know a little over a year sounds fast for this much weight loss and not everyone is going to lose as quickly as I did. That is why I blog more about this being a lifelong journey and and not one I am done with now or one that will ever be finished. (see Jaki's blog: Slim Down U)

I still have so many things I want to learn and my goal is to concentrate on getting more physically fit, toning up, maintaining the loss and encouraging other people to start making healthier choices.

My "aha" moment was when I realized how much my negative self talk was holding me back. When I first started positive self-talk it was very difficult tell myself I believed in me because I had been telling myself for years I was failure because of all of the diets I quit and all of the weight I always gained back.

I have learned so much about myself during this journey and actually started liking myself and believing in myself again and believe I deserve to live a healthy and happy life and to achieve my goals. In the beginning I really didn't believe that.

Snack Girl: What were your sources of inspiration for positive self-talk and eating healthy foods? Were their special books, people, or websites that helped you?

Jaki: So many people are following the new fad diets and I actually tried to keep away from those sites because I was trying not to have a "diet mindset" but instead was focusing on getting healthy without any of my old "diet rules".

My plan was taking a bit from everything I followed in the past and tweak it to make a plan so that I could create a new healthy lifestyle that I would stick with for life I got out all of my old journals and read through those so many times.

I looked for times I was losing weight and succeeding and things that worked for me and would be new habits I could stick with forever. My goal was and still is learning healthy new habits and focusing on getting healthy.

As I got closer to my goal I knew I wanted to continue learning more so that I could keep the weight off this time and also empower others to do the same, so took continuing education courses at Cooper Institute for Dietary Guidance, Weight Management and Intuitive Eating Courses.

I wanted learn more about nutrition and portion sizes and being aware of what and why I was eating. I also spend a lot of time reading and and hanging out at sites like Snack Girl because I have always and always been a snack type and also looking for fun and easy snack ideas.

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

Jaki: I realized that the scale was just one tool among many that I was using to track my progress. My goal was all over healthy living, not just another diet. I was constantly telling myself I believed in me and deserved to lose weight, be healthy and happy. I was also motivated by knowing I was making healthy changes not only on the outside, but on the inside too.

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

Jaki: The hardest change for me was complimenting myself and changing my thinking. After years of beating myself up and telling myself I was a failure because of my weight it felt uncomfortable and difficult to be kind to me.

I've been overweight and dieting since grade-school. I have tried and failed at more diets than we have room to even mention here. In the beginning I was just adding in things and trying to be more aware of my body and when I was hungry and full. As I continued working on adding in positive self-talk, activity and healthier foods I noticed I was wanting more of the good foods and was wanting to make healthy choices and take better care of myself.

Snack Girl: What advice would you give to your "120 pound heavier" self?

Jaki: To not ever give up. There will be bumps in the road. Learn from them, then move on. Always be moving forward and looking toward the future. Be kind to you.

Snack Girl: What is your favorite snack?

Jaki: Apples or bananas with peanut butter

Thanks for sharing your journey and inspiring us!! I love apples and bananas with peanut butter too.

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