Jill, Hudson, New York
Jill decided she didn't want to blame being overweight on her age anymore, and she finally did something about it! With Jillian's help, she lost 60 pounds in about seven months!*
I was a string bean as a child — tall and thin — but then puberty hit. I gained weight and found it was hard to keep it off, and while I would exercise and be active for periods, the weight would come back on whenever I stopped. As I got older, I developed a sweet tooth and got into the habit of eating to alleviate stress.
During my late thirties, my weight fluctuated. Twice I lost a significant amount of weight, but before long I gained back even more than I had lost. After my most recent weight gain, I was getting older and starting medications (for acid reflux and high cholesterol) that I knew could be eliminated if I were healthy. Plus, I had even developed sleep apnea. I was just about to say, “Hey, just accept the fact that you’re overweight. You’re getting older; just accept it.” But at the same time, another part of me said, “NO, I can’t do that.” I decided I’d try losing weight once more, and this time it had to be a keeper.
I watched The Biggest Loser for the first time during season 5. I was getting ready to start a weight-loss program when I really got into the show. I liked Jillian’s approach — taking into account the whole person and addressing physical, mental, and emotional aspects of weight loss. I checked out her Web site, signed up for the newsletter, and decided to give the program a try. In the past I’d tried other programs and joined gyms but always gained back the weight because my busy schedule kept me from sticking with it. (I work long hours running a drug program with 450 patients and 20 staff members, and I also have my own psychotherapy practice.) But Jillian’s program was different. I liked the idea of exercising at home with hand weights, and after taking the diet evaluation and finding out I’m a balanced oxidizer, I was able to learn some basic principles of healthy eating so that even if I couldn’t follow my food plan precisely, I could still eat well. The program fit my lifestyle.
I started off using the exercises from the online program. I had a TreadClimber machine that for years I used as a hat rack, so I cleaned it off and started using it, too. Then I got some of Jillian’s DVDs and did them along with my TreadClimber. Since then, I’ve lost 60 pounds. I read Jillian’s e-mail newsletter every day, keep up with her Web site, and keep a food journal, and now I exercise for 40 to 70 minutes six days a week.
Jillian taught me that working out with weights is necessary to really change your body, and she’s right. I’ve been at this weight before, but I’ve never been at this size; I’m at least a size smaller than the last time I weighed 148 pounds. This program has really changed my body, and not just by weight loss. I have realized that I’m a stress eater, and now I exercise to take care of stress instead. For the first time, I’ve reached my weight-loss goal and have kept doing the work to maintain it.
Even though I’m 61, I feel as if I’m 30. My most recent sleep apnea and cholesterol evaluations showed huge improvements, and my acid reflux has disappeared. This time it’s a lifestyle change, not just a diet. I want to live a long, healthy life, and I can see how my health has changed since I’ve been working out and losing weight. That’s the motivation that makes this time different, that makes my changes permanent. I have more energy and a renewed love of life, and I look forward to a healthy, active lifestyle for many years to come.
Activities now: Five days a week I alternate through Jillian’s DVDs and mix in the TreadClimber, and once a week I do 50 minutes of cardio. I’m also generally more active: I run with my dogs, kayak (I fit into my kayak much better!), go on long bike rides — basically, I’m doing the things I love to do once again.
Best compliment: Not only do people tell me I look great, but also I've become the weight-loss guru among my family and friends. I get questions about how I did it, how I stick with exercising, and how I maintain the weight loss, so I’ve given people tips, advice, and resources to do the work to take care of themselves.
Advice for others: Don’t just diet — make a lifestyle change. Two of my close friends developed different types of cancer, and while they’re now healthy and cancer-free, their doctors told them that to maintain their health, women need to exercise 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Take that as motivation to make changes permanent.
*Weight loss varies by individual. You may not achieve similar results.