Client Spotlight on Gigi – How Lifestyle Coaching Got the Weight Off
Gigi first came to me 3 years ago with a goal to lose weight and get healthy. She was 51 years old at the time and found herself overweight and with a lot of inflammation She had just recovered from a serious illness and decided that it was her time to take care of herself first so that she would be around to take care of others later.
She was 220 lbs. with a goal of reaching 160 lbs. She was trying to eat healthy and although she already had lost some weight, she found herself stuck and unsure of where she might need to make more changes. Her diet was full of healthy foods however she was skipping and skimping on meals during the day and eating most of her calories late at night. She might eat dinner as late as 10:00 and sometimes even snack later. She also was not balancing meals and always eating the best quality foods. These were all things we would work on in her coaching sessions.
For exercise she was swimming daily but not doing any resistance training. We added the resistance work three times a week in person with me. She was vigilant about her workouts and despite having some knee issues that we had to work around, she was able to build muscle and get stronger.
At the end of our first 3 months working together with weight training 3 times a week and nutrition coaching, Gigi was down another 20 pounds. She was swimming often, logging her food for accountability and weight training but this all came to an end when she left the country and went to Bulgaria (her birth country) for 3 months. During this time she did not exercise and went back to old eating habits.
For the next 2 years Gigi continued this pattern and found herself not able to follow the same lifestyle when she was away. Throughout this time I kept working with her on lifestyle changes and dietary changes that would help her to become metabolically healthy as I suspected that her inability to stick with a healthy meal plan was because she was insulin resistant.
In the Spring of 2024, Gigi broke through some of her resistance to make the changes I had been suggesting (especially the late night eating) and the weight began to come off. This time past Fall when she went to Bulgaria she stuck fast to her lifestyle diet plan and continued to lose weight instead of gain. Once she returned and got right back into training again she has not only met her weight goal of 160 but she has built a tremendous amount of life saving muscle mass. She is very strong and fit.
When I asked Gigi what finally made the difference for her in getting this weight off she told me:
I couldn’t do it alone. Although it took me time to really listen to all that Mary was teaching me, she taught me what I needed to do and once I let down my resistance the weight came off. The coaching and education was the critical difference as I was always motivated.
My stress level dropped over the past year which also made it easier for me to focus on just me.
Mary had been pushing me for a long time to walk and get my 10,000 steps but I always had an excuse. Once I set my mind to it, I am doing it consistently and I feel great.
The last time I traveled to Bulgaria I made a plan in advance on how I was going to handle eating out, daily meals and exercise. I was so proud of myself for getting through what is usually like a vacation not only maintaining but losing the rest of my weight. I feel confident now that I have finally made it a lifestyle and not a diet.
Congratulations Gigi! It took her 2 ½ years to get the weight off but when she finally did she did it because it was a lifestyle change and not just a diet. Gigi is committed now to being accountable to her food and exercise as well as the quality of what she eats and the meal timing (no more late night eating!). I am more than proud of her and happy to feature her this month as a client spotlight. Wishing Gigi the best of health always as she lets food be her medicine and continues on her health and wellness journey.
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.
