Name:
Kari
Age:
45
Weight Lost:
85 lbs.
New Weight:
175 lbs.
Major Motivation:
"I can now do things that I only dreamed about before (running, duathlons, etc) and know that I can succeed at them."
First Step to a New Life
Before October 2010, I was living a fairly sedentary life. I weighed 260 pounds, but there wasn’t a particular event that spurred my weight gain, I had always been overweight as a child and the weight just continued to pile on as I got older. I looked up to Jillian Michaels as a role model, and went on her Ultimate Wellness Cruise in October 2010 with the sole purpose of meeting her – I had no expectations aside from that, but the cruise wound up changing my life.
On the trip, I was part of the yellow team that won a competition. The prize was a year membership to JillianMichaels.com. After returning from the cruise and logging onto the website, I was psyched to learn about all of the tools JillianMichaels.com had to offer, and put everything I had learned from Jillian on the trip into effect. For example, there was no soda on the cruise, so I got used to not having it and continued this change when I got back. I haven’t had soda since! The cruise helped me realize that I needed to start looking at eating better and working out more as a “lifestyle change” and not a quick-fix diet. I started working out more, and discovered I loved spinning. So I set a fitness goal for myself: I signed up for a duathlon (a 5K run followed by at 16-mile bike ride, followed by another 5K). I was extremely nervous for the event, and was so excited when I finished it – dead last – but I finished and felt great!
Committing to Change
I followed the meal and workout plans closely – and also tracked my progress on the weight tracker. I counted calories and logged all of my foods in the Food & Fitness Journal. Actually seeing the results of my hard work helped to keep me motivated. When I would go shopping, I would bring smaller sizes into the dressing rooms – and was always surprised when they ended up fitting me! Another great tool I used was the JillianMichaels.com member challenges. I joined a few running challenges to help keep me focused on my running and continually increasing my distance. I had been competing in 5/7K races, but wanted more of a challenge. In March 2012, I participated in my first half marathon. I finished in a little over 3 hours!
Living a New Life
I now am a certified spinning instructor and workout 5 to 6 times a week. I can walk upstairs without getting winded and I signed up for a marathon later this year. Right now this goal seems daunting, but I know I can do it – even if it takes me all day! Overall, I’ve lost 85 pounds and four pant sizes*. My life has dramatically changed since I stepped foot on the Jillian Michaels Cruise. I can now buy clothes off of the regularly-sized racks and I’ve discovered that I’m a more social person. I know that I can do anything that I put my mind to, and with hard work and determination, I will be successful at it!
*Weight loss varies by individual. You may not achieve similar results.
