-77 lb
Before
After
Why did you want to lose weight?
I was never fat, but I did put on quite a bit of weight at the end of my pregnancy. Not eating regularly and eating too little after the birth of my son didn't make things better.
When I got on the scale and it showed 207 lb, I jumped off as fast as I could before it could go up any more. It was simply too much weight. I don't know why it had to be more than 200 lb, but that's the way it was.
"Look for something that you love to do. Leave your inner couch potato at home, wave to it and say: see you later!"
There were also a few other times, for example, I was in the dressing room with, not kidding, 20 pairs of pants and NONE of them would fit over my thighs. I remember vividly just sitting there and starting to cry.
When I would sit on the couch watching a movie with my husband and he put his arm around me, I remember thinking the whole time that he could feel the fat on my stomach and wouldn't find me attractive anymore. I couldn't let him get close to me and I openly spoke to him about it.
What did you want to accomplish on your journey?
I wanted to finally feel good about myself again. I wanted to look in the mirror and be able to say "THAT is me!"
How did you reach your goals?
My "advantage" was that we had already grappled with nutrition for several years and I also had knowledge thanks to my pharmaceutical studies. With that background, I knew exactly what I needed to do.
Sandra’s Tips
Set small, realistic goals
Believe in yourself
Have fun with it and don't torture yourself
When I finally had that "aha" moment, I calculated my calorie needs and started with calorie deficits. With that, I knew my daily calories and macros (protein, carbs and fat) and could stick to them.
I consciously stayed within a small deficit so that I could reduce my calories even more after 4 to 5 weeks. I also made sure to consume enough protein and fat. I didn't prohibit carbs either because I would be unbearable without them. I would recommend that everyone take the time to read about good nutrition to avoid any yo-yo effects and to understand why it's not necessary to starve yourself.
How did YAZIO help you?
I've been using YAZIO since day 1 to track what I've eaten and can completely rely on the information for each product. With YAZIO, I didn't have to do everything by hand and calculate everything myself. I simply had an overview of my daily calories and macros that I could stick to.
The recipe database also offers a super delicious selection of meals that I love to look through. For these reasons, I would recommend YAZIO to everyone I know.
Did you have setbacks?
After my pregnancy, I started doing at-home workouts because I wasn't ready to be away from my son just yet. After 3 months, I started making excuses like "Noah is about to wake up.", "You still need to do the laundry.", "You can workout in the evening.", etc. I'm sure a lot of people know what I mean.
When I realized this, I sat down with my husband and we talked about how we could make it work for me and how I could make time to go back to the gym. He was behind me 100% and I'm so thankful to him for that. I signed up for the gym the next month and was able to completely concentrate on myself and, more importantly, I wasn't making excuses any more.
I also had 3 to 4 months where I didn't lose any weight. That was so frustrating for me, even though I had already made so much progress and had already exceeded my 44 lb weight-loss goal by almost 10 lb. During this time, it helped me to know that, especially for women, our weight can often fluctuate (hormones, water retention, etc.). From the start, I took down my measurements and that helped me to see that I was continuing to make progress, even if the scale said otherwise.
What advice do you have for other users?
Keep going! Believe in yourself and set small, realistic goals each week.
For me, I don't have to force myself to workout. I have fun at the gym and I think that's really important. Look for something that you love to do. Leave your inner couch potato at home, wave to it and say "see you later!".
What are your future goals?
I'm currently back in the toning phase (calorie deficit). I would like to reduce my body fat a bit more and tone my legs. Prior to that, my 2017 focus was to build buscle and maintain my weight, which I did successfully.
I feel completely comfortable in my own skin, but of course, I have a few small goals that I'd like to accomplisch over the next few years.
Why do you want to tell your story?
I want to help other people find courage. That's the reason that I chose to share my journey on Instagram from the beginning.
I never thought that I would accomplish so much. I was sure that I would have hanging skin on my stomach since my stomach was at 45" during my pregnancy. My skin has stayed a bit softer, but it's not hanging. Anything is possible!
