How to Eliminate Inflammation and Lose Weight
Jessica contacted me in early July about struggling with some belly fat despite exercising 5 days a week and trying to watch her diet. She was finding it hard to obtain her pre-pregnancy body weight and with her son about to turn three she was motivated to make some changes.* She was already eating 6 small meals most days to keep her metabolism going but as she told me, “she was always hungry”. She was exercising but it was mostly steady state type of cardio, yoga or Pilates. Jessica also had a lot of muscle and joint issues that doctors have been unable to diagnoses.
Looking at her diet I quickly realized that although she choose “healthy” foods, she was often snacking on trail mix with dried fruit or other high glycemic foods. At meals there was always bread and other quick acting carbohydrates. My first analysis was that she was definitely spiking insulin all day long which fueled her constant hunger. The first thing I had her do was sign up for Lose It so she could “see” where her food was coming from and she could send me the logs to help her along the way making her changes. Next we did a consult on the phone and I was able to develop a personal Lifestyle Diet Plan for her to follow.
Finding time to exercise with a little one at home was her first priority that she had already done so now I needed to make sure she was getting the most bang for her buck. Exercise needs to be about quality over quantity. Her workouts were not intense enough to really help her burn some extra calories and reap the benefits of high intensity exercise. Incorporating some high intensity interval training (HIIT) would allow her to burn more calories in the session and reap the benefits of the after effects such as increasing human growth hormone that will change the body significantly. I introduced her to the concept of using Tabata and Peak 8 training in her workouts.
On July 10th, Jessica began logging her food and switching up her exercise routine. She weighed in at 130 lbs and as she told me“felt flabby”. Jessica was doing a diet plan with me long distance so I was unable to obtain body fat measurements. As she logged her food I was able to help her to cut back on her grains, sugars and other carbohydrate foods that were not allowing her to lose weight. She tried new recipes every week and prepared her foods in advanced. Even at social functions she watched and made the best choices, allowing herself a cheat meal each week. In the gym she picked up the intensity of the workouts and incorporated Tabata’s into her cardio routine.
After 2 months of logging and exercise Jessica weighed in at 121 lbs which was not only a healthy weight for her but was even a bit lower than her original goal. Today she continues to follow her healthy lifestyle plan and is now training for her first 5 K. Jessica is working full time and has a two year old and she “makes” time to prepare foods in advance and to get to the gym because it is a priority for her to stay fit and well for herself and her family.
When I asked Jessica what she feels helped her be successful this time she told me:
1. I never really looked at my actual food nutritional content until I used Lose It. It was shocking to “see” the calories I took in from carbohydrates and sugar. The process of logging helped me to not only be accountable to a calorie level but Mary was able to help me make changes along the way to decrease the sugar and increase the nutrient value of my foods.
2. Mary’s recipes are invaluable to my family. My husband and son eat almost every recipe I make and we enjoy the simplicity of most recipes she provides.Increasing the intensity of my workouts helped me not only lose weight but see definition that I have never seen before!
3. Having had some chronic pain issues in my joints I would have to say that for the most part they have improved with the diet and exercise however my next step is to really work to eliminate all gluten and dairy to see if that helps more.
Congratulations Jessica! Even though Jessica didn’t have huge amounts of weight to lose, she had enough to cause future health problems if she let it go. I wish her all the health and happiness as she continues her healthy lifestyle forever!
Are you looking to transform your health? Mary works with clients all over the country developing personalized nutrition and exercise plans for weight loss and health. If you’re ready to get started on your journey to health and wellness contact her today!
Visit BodyDesigns Two Week Detox Plan or BodyDesignsbyMary for more information.
