Real Stories: Tiffany

Tiffany is a great gal, long time Jazzerciser, that has been smaller and smaller every time I've seen her!  I asked her if she'd share with us her story of what motivated her to lose weight and be more healthy.   Like I mentioned before, I think hearing from REAL people that have been where you are is so helpful.  Her words are motivating to me, and hopefully to you too!


I started having a weight problem when I was about 16.  My Dad would give us gas money and I would fill the car half up and use the other half on junk food.  I have a huge sweet tooth…the vending machine was my BFF in High School! My Mom was always onto my sisters and me about our weight because the “skinny” gene does not run in our family and diabetes and cancer does. I guess that just made me mad, so I would eat and eat.  I realized at the age of 18 that I had to get this under control!   I lost 17 pounds with Weight Watchers just before entering college before the Freshman 15 hit. I ended up working for Weight Watchers for 5 years while in college. I quit right after I got married, and had a desk job and sat, and would eat and eat…gained all the weight I had lost and more.  I gained 70 pounds with my first pregnancy, lost half of it, gained more with my second pregnancy, then lost it again.  A few years later I gained a lot of weight back after I got a divorce. I would walk 3 miles a day, but didn't really watch what I ate.  I was a single mom trying to survive! 

In 2008 I married an amazing man that has helped me so much with loving who I am.  I am a stay at home mom, and while I was trying to survive my husband's deployments for the military I kept myself busy taking care of my kids and volunteering for several organizations.  Two months after my husband came home, August 4th, 2013, I decided it was time to take care of myself.  I cut my volunteering down to 1 organization and jumped in with everything I had. I choose a weight loss coach that I knew (Woodall Weight Loss Solutions) in guiding me on the path to eating right, and Jazzercise as my exercise program. With the help of my husband and children I have lost 48 pounds! I have 2 pounds before I hit my goal of 50 pounds! When I started on August 4^th I weighed 196.8, and about a size 12.  I now weigh 148.8 I wear a size 5. (I tried on shorts for the first time and it was a glorious moment…I cried in the dressing room LOL).  I weigh less now than before I had children.

Left: Tiffany, last summer Right: Tiffany, today, 48 lbs thinner!

Wow, that's quite a change.  What is one of the biggest things you've learned about your eating habits through this process?

I have learned that I cannot eat junk and sweets every day!  I love desserts and appetizers! I have a “cheat” meal (dinner & dessert) on Saturday.  This has been my saving grace. I wanted to lose this weight so bad that I had to mentally prepare myself to change a lot of things.

What's does a typical day look like for you?  

I eat about 4 portion-controlled meals per day.  I use my old weight watcher books as a guide for my portions.  I eat a lot of vegetables, I limit my fruit and eliminate most sugars.  I try really hard to listen to my body and continually change it up so I don't get bored and I don't let my body get used to one thing.  I love pineapple & cottage cheese for breakfast, and for lunch I love salads and anything fresh.  I hand write everything down. I know that there is many apps out there, but I like the old fashion way (lol). I do use an app called ”Track Weight” to track my weight.

What is your favorite "on the go" food that helps you prevent poor choices?

I love raw nuts  (I like to mix the nuts, you can get nuts without salt added in the Rockbridge Hy-Vee self-serve section).  I also love protein drinks! My fav protein drinks are the Premier Protein 100 Calorie Snack Size Shakes from Sam's club…already mixed and I can grab them on the go.

What do you do at restaurants to stay on track?

Unless it is my cheat meal, I have everything planned ahead of time.  Take my own salad dressing, spray butter, cinnamon, and Skinnygirl Organic Stevia. I ask for no rolls (the servers look at you like you are nuts). I order 6oz steak, or a 6oz piece of chicken. I order a sweet potato dry, and even my salad dressing dry.   My husband and kids think it is hilarious, but I take it all in a cute cooler bag and nobody even says anything! 

When life is hard & stressful, how do you stay focused?  

I plan my weeks out on Sunday. I plan when I am going to drink my water each day to what my family is going to eat for dinner each evening.   Speaking of water, I drink 5-20oz bottles of water, YES 100 OZ of water a day (I bought a 20oz Tervis cup @ Hallmark and I just refill it). The best time to drink my water is when I am driving:

• #1: Take the kids to school...drink a glass,
• #2: Driving to jazzercise...drink a glass,
• #3: I keep a bottle in my car for after Jazzercise to drink when I am driving home
• #4: Drink a glass when I am getting ready
• #5: I drink a glass when I am sitting in the pickup line at school, and by the time I get the kids home I have all my water in for the day! 

I was adding flavor drops to my water and then realized that stuff as a lot of sodium in it, and was causing my hands to swell at night. The kids loved to help me plan how I was going to get my water in for the whole day. I would pick them up from school and they would ask what number I was on for the day. LOL! It took me a few weeks to figure out what worked best for me.

  

On average, how much are you exercising each week?

I started off attending Jazzercise 6-7 days a week.  When I hit the 40 pound mark, I was doing 5 regular Jazzercise classes to two Strength 45 classes.  I was having trouble fitting the Strength 45 into my schedule, so I went back to 5-6 day a week of regular Jazzercise, and it is working. 

You have kids.  How do you balance the meals? Do you cook two different meals, or do you cook the same for everyone?  Do you have junk food snacks in the house?  Anything to share in terms of balancing mom-life/kids and weight loss?

I did cook two separate meals when I started on this last weight loss journey. Now I just watch the portions, and eat what my family does. 

I have children, so yes, we have a small section in the pantry of junk food. I think everyone can have a little treat every so often….for my kids, its after school.  I have my "treat" (1/3 cup of raw nuts and my protein drink) while I'm sitting in the car waiting for them to get out of school.  By the time we get home from school I don’t want any sweets.  I plan ahead!

Do you have any mantras or mottos that you repeat to yourself when you are feeling down, discouraged, or unmotivated?

"You can do this and you are going to love it when you are finished!"

"You might not like it so much now but you will in the end…I promise!"

I kept reminding myself that, "In my house you don’t break a promise!"

I did a lot of praying and asking God for strength. I really wanted this! 

Tiffany Before, 20 pounds, 30 pounds, 40 pounds thinner!

Thanks so much, Tiffany.  The change is so amazing!  Is there anything else you'd like to share?

You just have to listen to your body…I am always changing it up week after week…I try not to let my body get used to one thing.  I like to call it a lifestyle change and not a diet!

Keep your goals small.  Don't look at the whole picture at once.  I had to lose 40-50 pounds, but I told myself, "I am going to lose 5 by {this date}",  "20 pounds by Hawaii", etc., and I shoot for that…I allow myself new pants and shirts at certain big goals.  I make it a game…its fun! When I hit 40 I finally bought new pants…finally! 

What an inspiration you are, Tiffany!  Thanks so much for taking the time to share with us!