Hello Healthi family, Coach Ashley here!
We’re kicking off a new series, interviewing Healthi Members on their weight loss journeys. If you are looking for more inspiration, motivation, maybe some real-life experiences of people and their weight loss journeys, look no further!
Today, we are chatting with long time user, and Community Coach, Jeri!
Healthi: First, please introduce yourself! Tell us a little bit about you and the Healthi plan you chose.
Jeri: My name is Jerylan but everyone calls me Jeri. I like the Healthi Sugar Smart weight loss plan. I personally do better with plans where only fruits and vegetables are Zero BITES. I find that weighing and measuring is key for me for losing and maintaining. I was a classic repeat offender, going through periods of high motivation to uncontrolled binging.
Healthi: What motivated you to start your weight loss journey?
Jeri: What finally got me was a photo where I looked miserable and overweight. I knew I wanted to get off the constant merry go round of losing and gaining.
Healthi: Have you tried losing weight before? If so, what worked for you and what didn’t work?
Jeri: I have tried every fad diet along with prescription diet pills. Going from one plan to another. The amount of money I spent was criminal. I would be good for a while and then go right back up. I now know that deprivation does not work so most of the plans I tried that limited many food groups did not work long term.
Healthi: What are your favorite healthy foods, and how do you incorporate them into your diet?
Jeri: My favorite foods have changed over time. Where cookies, salty snacks, ice cream and bread products were the foods that got me in trouble, I replaced them with rice cakes, peanut butter and fruits. Every night I have a Yasso, Enlightened or 100 calorie Fudgesicle and that seems to satisfy my sweet tooth.
Healthi: How do you stay motivated to continue your weight loss journey?
Jeri: Motivation to keep me on track changed 8 years ago when I found out my A1c (blood glucose average) was in the pre-diabetic range and very close to being diabetic. I did not want to go on medication so that became my new goal as well as keeping the weight off. I can proudly say I was able to get my A1c down within a normal range.
Healthi: Have you incorporated exercise into your weight loss plan? If so, what types of exercise do you enjoy?
Jeri: I am not a gym person, I have tried. I had machines that became clothes hangers. Food alone was not going to keep my blood sugar in check so I started walking in the water. I made a whole bunch of friends and it is now a part of my life. On a recent trip to Italy I jumped off the side of a boat! I don’t think I would have done that years ago!
Healthi: What do you think are the biggest obstacles to losing weight, and how do you plan to overcome them?
Jeri: I would say the biggest obstacles are when I am not in control of my food, like at a dinner party, wedding or restaurant. The best I can do is watch the portions and I have asked many times for substitutions, which most restaurants will do!
Healthi: How do you plan to maintain your weight loss once you reach your goal?
Jeri: The only way I have been able to maintain the weight loss was by changing my mindset that this is a lifestyle and not a diet that I go off and on. I learned to incorporate healthy foods into my everyday life. Many people lose weight for a special event and then they go right back to what they did before. The changes can’t be temporary. It took me years to learn this.
Healthi: What’s your favorite healthy recipe to cook for a group of friends?
Jeri: When I have company, I always have some healthy options. I will roast vegetables, lighten up desserts, put out vegetables and dip and always put out fruit with the desserts. This way there are always some healthy options and no one notices that I am eating anything different.
Healthi: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned on your weight loss journey so far?
Jeri: That diets don’t work long term, they are short term fixes. You have to find ways to enjoy your food and not feel deprived, making it a lifestyle. Stress and disruption to our lives will happen and overeating doesn’t help. When my husband was in the hospital for 8 months with Leukemia, I realized that the only thing I had control over was my food. He wasn’t going to get better if I over-ate.
Healthi: What’s your go-to healthy meal when you’re short on time and need to eat something quick and nutritious?
Jeri: Cooking does not have to be difficult. I always have some pre-measured chicken I can throw in a frying pan with some light honey mustard dressing that’s ready in minutes. Microwave some vegetables or make a salad. I also love my air fryer. I don’t know how I lived without it. My whole family over time has also started eating healthier. For the many things I have learned to live without, I could not live without bread products. Luckily, there are plenty of choices. 647 bread, lite English muffins, Joseph’s pitas and Tumaros wraps allow me to get very creative. I have made french toast, calzones, and wraps. So I can have my bread and stay on plan.
Thanks for chatting Jeri, and for all the great tips and inspiration!
