Client Spotlight on Natalie – Conquering the Challenge of Losing Weight as a Teen
Before Natalie began working with me her mother had reached out and wanted me to help her. I told her that Natalie was going to be 16 years old and she would have to want to make the changes for the plan to be successful. It took a few months but right after Thanksgiving in 2020 Natalie reached an all-time high with her weight and decided she was ready.
Natalie sat down with me to discuss her eating habits and I discovered that she was skipping her breakfast and lunch and eating large portions at dinner and snacks at night. She was doing school work from home and working right after school and not exercising. Her eating habits were not good and as I explained to her eating real food throughout the day was going to be critical for her to lose the weight.
Natalie needed some quick motivation so she began my Two-Week Detox Plan at 155 pounds the Monday after Thanksgiving. She lost 9 lbs. in these first 2 weeks mainly because she followed the plan very closely which eliminated all the sweets and inflammatory foods. It was not easy for her to follow and she complained to me every step of the way but she stuck with it like a champ.
After her first initial loss she began her Lifestyle Plan and here is where it got tough for Natalie. She was constantly looking to go back to her old habits and wanting to reach for sweets. She struggled to eat enough during the day and continued to crave food late into the evenings. She didn’t give up however and continued to be accountable to her food log even when she went off plan.
A month into her plan she was down 10 lbs. and began adding in exercise on a regular basis. This meant going to the gym at night after dinner since she worked after school each day. This was a huge commitment but again Natalie stuck to her goal and continued to slowly see the pounds come off.
The weight loss was slow and often times I thought she was going to give up. After all she was just 16 years old and now could drive and spend time with her friends. She continued for several months to look for “sweets’ and snacks to fill the void of not eating enough during the day.
Then in March something switched as she got closer to a 15 lb. weight loss, she suddenly stopped asking me for sweet suggestions and reached for healthy snacks like fruit instead. Week after week she began to log more food during the day and healthy snacks in the evening. She continued her workouts and the weight came off to meet her goal by late May.
Natalie is now down 30 lbs. and looks amazing at her ideal weight of 125. I wrote about Natalie today because it takes some real strength for a teenager to stick to a program long enough to see the results and Natalie not just lost the weight but changed her relationship with food. She no longer looks for sweets and candy to fill her up but reaches for healthy real food instead when she is hungry. She continues with her exercise as part of her plan for overall health and fitness going forward.
When I asked Natalie to tell me about her journey this is what she said:
1. I was unhappy with my weight but when my Mom tried to help me, I was resistant to her ideas. I think having someone on the outside of the family who guided and coached me was the reason I was able to make the changes.
2. It wasn’t easy at first and after the Detox my weight loss slowed down for about a month but Mary would encourage me daily to keep at it and promised me the weight would come off.
3. I was able to text Mary questions even from the grocery store asking about products I wanted to try and even though most times I was on the wrong track looking for sweets, she would point me in a better direction and encourage me to avoid the sweets. The sweet cravings were truly my toughest obstacle.
4. As Mary promised, the weight began to fall off me until I no longer wanted the sweets and reached for fruit if I wanted something for a snack. I now crave the healthy foods and look forward to my exercise each day.
5. If I had to say one thing that helped me the most it was the coaching because I would have fallen off track or given up had I not had the daily accountability and motivational coaching to keep help me be patient.
Congratulations Natalie! You really surprised me as you continued to persevere even in times when the weight loss was slow. I’m so proud of you and I know you now have the tools you need to maintain your weight and health in years to come.
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.
