Real Stories: Nadia

Nadia, for those of you that have never had the privilege of meeting her, is one spunky, funny, spontaneous, and life-loving gal.  She is from Missouri, but has followed the road of life all the way out to North Carolina.  When she still lived in Columbia, she fell in love with Jazzercise, and eventually became an instructor at Columbia Jazzercise Center.  She was so well-loved but customers and instructors alike, and we sure do miss her!  

Nadia, can you share your story?

I have a little bit of a different story than you usually hear. I am actually smaller NOW than I have been ever in my adult life. I was always the “fat kid” growing up. I was teased. I was picked last for every game/sport in school. I was very self-conscious about my body/weight. I grew up learning very bad eating habits. I will mention plate cleaning later, but it was a big part of my upbringing. We had dessert after every meal, and even if I were full (which I never really paid attention to) I would have to clean my plate if I wanted to eat dessert – and of COURSE I wanted dessert. I also wasn't a very active adolescent. I was involved in theater/music/band and NOT sports. This caused more and more weight gain. 

Nadia in 2005, second from left

Do you remember a moment that made you change the way you felt about your eating & lifestyle?

My AH-HA moment was my dad passing away.  He (along with lots of other people in his family) had diabetes-related issues and I just decided I was not going to follow in his footsteps. He was a really successful athlete in his younger days and always told me he wanted me to be more active. He would be so proud to see me now!

Nadia, Right, with sister

What size were you then, as compared to now?  

I wore a size 20 on bottom and a size 18 on top at biggest – I weighed 240lbs.  I now wear about a size 12, medium shirts and large pants.  I weigh about 170ish, I am still going. I don’t know how far I am trying to go – I think I will know when I get there. It’s not about a number for me or a size….It’s more about how I feel and look to myself.  

What was one of the biggest things you've learned about your eating/habits that has made the biggest difference? 

1. My stomach isn’t that big. My eyes are always bigger. It takes a small amount of food for me to feel full.  
2. That, and it's important for me to eat something every few hours.  

We all have plateaus in our weight loss.  How did you stay motivated?  What did you do to bust through your plateau?

Motivation for me is the fact that I am motivating others. We are human…we all have down slides and up swings. It’s important to surround yourself with people who will lift you up and help you when you need it in the right ways. It’s better to have a “hey, let’s go for a walk and talk about it” friend than a “hey, let’s get a tub of ice cream and drown our sorrows” friend. 

You are a busy professional. When life is hard and stressful, how do you stay on track?

Planning is the key to success for me. For example: on Tuesdays, I sometimes teach 9am Jazzercise, “shower” and change at our center, go straight to work, go straight to choir, and don’t get home till 10am. On days like this I have to pack food for the entire day that morning before I leave. If I have a plan, I am good. I am less likely to get derailed if there are free bagels in the teacher’s lounge or whatever.  Life is HARD and sometimes I DO just want a damn milkshake….and I do not deprive myself of that. Now…it can’t be sometimes EVERYDAY, but every once in a while. J

What is your favorite "on the go" food that helps you not eat badly when busy?

Bananas, apples, FROZEN GRAPES, little plastic containers of carrots, applesauce – I eat in my car daily

What's your trick(s) when eating out so you don't go overboard?

Buffets are the devil for me. Portion control and listening to my body are the things I struggle with most on this journey to health. It has been programmed into my brain to “clean my plate” SOOO much it is hard for me to resist that. This is part of the reason why teaching kids to listen to their body is so important to me. When eating out and trying to be healthy, I try to go with a lean meat and two REAL vegetables (potatoes, corn, mac & cheese are not REAL vegetables). Telling them to hold the bread/chips is also sometimes a really (hard to do but) good strategy we use.

Nadia (right) at her last class at CJC.  Smaller than she started, but not as small as she is now!

On average, how much do you try to exercise in a week? 

I try to go to Jazzercise 6 days a week. Even if I’m not teaching, I go take class. I prefer to do Yoga once a week, but have been slacking lately. I dance and run races with preschoolers every day at work too. :-)

When you drink alcohol, how do you keep it in check?  Do you limit your alcohol intake?  

This is a hard one for me because my PREFERRED drinks are mixed drinks which are FULL OF SUGAR.  I enjoy vodka/rum with juice. Juice is evil. J I have started trying to drink the hard ciders that are cheaper and look like beer. To be honest, I’m not sure how they are nutrition-wise, but I don’t drink them enough to matter that much. Also – if you are a sipper and not a drinker, just sipping on something like whisky is going to be less calories than adding something to it. If you are a beer drinker, there are some light options – I know Travis [boyfriend] likes Mich Ultra which has like 60-something calories. The key to drinking is dancing while drinking so you are burning calories too. J That, and NOT getting sucked into the late night drive through temptation on the way home!!!!!

What is your favorite breakfast?  Lunch?  Dinner?

If it’s a quick bfast before a morning workout I do a bar with some protein and a banana

Regular Bfast: I like to do an egg on a light English muffin with a laughing cow cheese sometimes with spinach or tomato (depending on what’s in the fridge) with some fruit

Lunch: (I take my lunch and eat with my kids) chick peas with red pepper flakes, a medley of veggies w/ hummus or guacamole, fresh fruit, a light baby bel cheese, and some low in fat turkey lunchmeat, sometimes I have a ricecake or pop chips

Dinner: There’s a delicious crock pot lasagna recipe that I got from Weight Watchers that I like to alter and veggie-fy . It is really easy and yummy. I am trying to use my crock pot once a week.

Nadia & friend, now.  Look at all those veggies!

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

“When you feel like quitting, remember why you started.”

You are so encouraging, Nadia!  Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I just want to encourage anyone out there to keep trying. It’s a long, hard, road to fitness and health.  Just think about who YOU might be inspiring in your life. You never know when someone is looking up to you or when YOU might be helping someone make better choices. 

Nadia (left) enjoying the outdoors with a friend