A
Picture Is Worth A Story Weight Loss Success Story
From
eDiets - The online diet, fitness, and healthy living resource They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but just one
word came to mind when Tina Hardison gazed upon the unflattering family photo
shown below. That word was FAT! The 33-year-old administrative assistant
was shocked by the image that had captured the real Tina... complete with all
the weight she had gained over the years. A depressing moment for sure, however
the photo incident did inspire our featured eDieter to get her life back on
track for good.
Active by nature, Tina had always been slim
and trim. It wasnt until the birth of her second child nine years ago
that the pounds began to creep on... and stay on. Three knee surgeries didn't
help. The more her activity level dwindled, the higher her weight went. Tina
admits she became complacent, even comfortable with her state of
well-being.
Weight woes were practically the furthest
thing from her mind. There were too many other things to worry about. Tina and
her husband had accepted job transfers that would jet their family halfway
across the world to Mannheim, Germany.
Tina stood 57" and weighed 210
pounds. It was the heaviest she had ever been in her life. The stress of the
move only added to her weight problem.
My weight
ballooned when I got over here, Tina tells
eDiets
from her home in Germany. Theres a lot of stress being in a foreign county and
not knowing anybody. The company didnt help us at all. They brought us over
here and basically said youre on your own.
Even though she ignored her extra pounds,
there was no denying the physical effects. Tina, also known as eDieter
SWEETPEA1999, recalls feeling tired all the time. Her size 16 clothes were
getting tight -- she often had to lie down on her bed to squeeze into pants.
She didnt feel very good about herself.
But Tina didnt realize just how much
weight she had gained until she saw the photo that would change her life. What
the mother-of-two had failed to see in the mirror, she saw in that snapshot.
When I got that picture, I was like,
who is that person? she recalls.
Tina holds the
picture near and dear to her heart and keeps it close at hand. After all, its
the face that launched her into a healthy new lifestyle. Less than one year
after joining
eDiets,
Tina is 63 pounds lighter and wears a size 10. At 147 pounds, shes no longer
plagued by chronic exhaustion or poor self-image.
Tina joined
eDiets
in November but admits everything didn't come together for her until this past
January. She says one day it all just clicked.
I didnt start when I signed up.
I actually started in January. Once I got into it, I really liked the program.
It was what I needed. It told me, you need to do this, this and
this.
After reviewing the
eDiets
menus, Tina knew she had plenty of work ahead of her. She had a soft spot for
hearty home cooking. Meat and potatoes topped her list of fattening favorites.
Once she began preparing
eDiets
original recipes, it didnt take Tina long to figure out where she had
gone wrong all along.
I was astonished when I started
weighing stuff and finding out what I was really eating. I had been sitting
down to four or five helpings, thinking it was just one. It really shocked
me.
Despite the fact she lived in Germany where
some of the recommended foods arent easily obtained, Tina made
eDiets
work for her. She tailored the meal plan to include local foods.
The first week she lost four to five
pounds. From that point on, it was a slow yet steady loss as the pounds lost
piled up over time. But it wasnt always easy, especially when it came to
getting physical. Tina had been athletic up until problems with her knee
limited her activity. She would exercise occasionally, but nothing on a regular
basis until joining
eDiets.
Tina, a civilian who works on a U.S. Army
base, varies her exercise regimen, going to the gym one day and sweating to
workout videos the next. Some nights she jogs with her dogs. Other nights she
concentrates on toning exercises.
I started with Richard Simmons and
Denise Austin -- those video workouts about killed me. Now, I am up to
kickboxing and jogging. My knee hardly gives me any problems whatsoever.
Even with a busy
schedule, Tina manages to find time for exercise. It could be going to the gym
at lunch or walking around the base while her children (Chad, 15, and Caroline,
9) attended soccer practice. Tina says her family, particularly husband John,
played a big role in keeping her motivated. Not only would John reward her with
presents as she met her mini-goals, but he also provided constant
encouragement.
We would be sitting on the couch
after dinner and he would say, Im going to read. You can have the
TV for your exercise videos. He is a really big motivator, Tina
says.
Tina also tapped into the support from
like-minded folks on the European and Survival Challenge support boards. On
days she felt down, shed pop into one of the popular
eDiets
chat rooms and talk to people who were going through the same thing. Tina says
the online support made weight loss challenges bearable.
From the lower number on the scale to her
shrinking clothing size, Tina has had plenty of reasons to stay motivated. She
has more energy and that comes in handy when she goes shopping for new,
smaller-size clothing.
It all works hand in hand," she says.
"eDiets
is great because it lays it out for you. It teaches you how to live. Look at
me! But it must be in your mind. In order to do it, you have to want it.
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