Changing habits is hard work, especially if you’re aiming for weight loss. The process can be slow; think months.  Even years. Sometimes you slide, sometimes your weight fluctuates. Don’t expect dramatic weight loss, expect to be patient with the process, as it’s a learning process.

For those of you with insanely busy lives, I encourage you read through the interview answers of this client who is currently engaged in habit based weight loss. As a mother of two daughters, a wife, and busy working professional with a heavy travel schedule and plenty of indulgent work lunches and dinners, this client achieved forty pounds of weight loss. With this amount of weight loss, she enjoyed a better tennis game, a reduction in knee pain,  and improved cholesterol levels.

Sumi: You’ve had what from the outside appears to be a very easy, steady loss on the weight loss journey (40 lbs and counting). Foodwise, what have you done differently?

Client: I think I already had a relatively healthy diet, at least when I ate at home, but instituting portion control and balance on the plate (i.e., a little bit of protein and starch and lots of veggies) made a big difference there. It has also helped me to have regular and routine meals.  Breakfast is Greek yogurt with fruit – every morning. That keeps me from the temptation to swing by the donut shop “just this once” on the way to work. I don’t skip lunch and I don’t wait until I am ravenous to eat it. In addition, it is easier to exercise portion control at lunch when I know there is a snack (generally an apple and some almonds) to get me through to supper. I have also reduced my consumption of processed food and refined sugars and starches. No more Lean Cuisine, which is good because they never taste that good and they are not at all filling.

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If you remember your teenage years, or are a parent of one, you know the last thing a teenager wants to do is listen to old people. Because usually, we know nothing. And if you were anything like me, sometimes you just did the opposite of what a person of authority said. 🙂

Teen Athlete Training is Very Rewarding!

So, when my I met my teenage client for her weight loss program I was hoping she’d be open minded to making the changes she’d need to shed some weight, and improve her tennis game.  Lucky for me, working on her training and meal planning was a breeze. Week after week she continued to post steady weight loss, improve her strength, endurance, and agility.  She made the entire process truly effortless, by listening, taking her training seriously, cooking and preparing her own meals, and incorporating the changes into her lifestlye.

So, how did this teenage tennis player lose 25 lbs and 3 inches from her waist over the course of her summer break and get back to school with a new figure, game, and healthy habits?

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I know that Latin culture (like my own) tends to favor fuller figures on women. While there’s nothing wrong with that, coupled with a cuisine that’s heavy on fatty meats, fried foods, and plenty of rice, beans, starches, and double fried starches (tostones!), it’s not surprising that obesity rates among U.S. Hispanics is as high as ever.

It’s even more impressive that my latina online client below (MM) was able to achieve her desired weight loss goal, while still cooking with plenty of her native flavors. Not to mention, she’s a full-time working mom.

At the start of her 6 month journey, she was 145 lbs, now she’s at 116. How did she do it?

Sumi:
What made you decide it was time to lose the belly fat?
MM:  First it was the fact that I was wearing a size 8, which I had never done, and the pants were starting to feel a little tight.  Almost at the same time, my husband took a picture of me and my daughter and I was so shocked about how I looked!  I almost did not recognize me!  I talked about this with my great friend and goddess of fitness Sumi and she mentioned starting the program and I knew I had to do something or my weight was going to continue to go up.  I was definitely ready to commit to the program.

Sumi:
What was the first thing you changed about the way you ate?
MM:  The first thing we did was stop eating sweets and pastries altogether.  No more chocolate, donuts, ice cream, caramel macchiattos, cookies, etc. We also stopped going to fast food places.

Sumi:
As a Hispanic woman, was it easy to incorporate the flavors of your native cooking?
MM:  Yes it was.  Puerto Rican food is mostly about the seasonings and that didn’t change.  I kept making my food the same I had always done it, but now I weigh and measure everything (plus I buy lean meats or if they are fatty, I make sure I cut out any of the fatty parts).  We love eating white rice and beans with every meal.  I started cutting back and only had it once a day and I would measure my rice (only 1/2 a cup for me and 1 cup for my husnband).  I made it up with vegetables and salads.  We sometimes had cravings for some of the more unhealthy and fried items in our cuisine, but we would use our “cheat meals” once a week if we really had to have a bacalaito or an alcapurria.

Sumi:
I understand your husband lost a few lbs on the way too, how important was it to have his support?
MM: It made a HUGE difference.  I don’t think I would have lasted as long if he wasn’t committed as well.  We supported each other and helped each other out whenever the other one was feeling like we didn’t want to continue.  As soon as he saw how serious I was about this and that while we had to sacrifice some of our vices (fast foods, sweets, juice, chips), our “native cooking” was not being affected he was on board.  He was also feeling that he had gained a lot of weight and being a Physical Education teacher he knew he needed to get back to a healthy weight and lifestyle.  It made it easier when planning meals and grocery shopping.  I liked knowing that I was making healthier choices for all three of us.  He has lost 46 lbs and is still very committed.

Sumi:
How did you incorporate exercise in your busy schedule? And meal prep?
MM: Finding time for exercise was hard, but I did stuff at home (using your website and videos as guides) and I would use weekends to get a chance to spend time at the gym, when during the week I couldn’t make it.  Meal preps became easier when I started planning my meals ahead of time and preparing multiple things in one day.  For example: On Sunday  I might make 4 different meats (1 on the slow cooker, 1 in the oven, and 2  in the stove) and the rice and beans for the week.  Then again maybe on Thursday I might leave something on the slow cooker before going to work to have for dinner.  This has been very helpful because I don’t have to worry about rushing home to cook, which eliminates stopping at a fast food place to grab dinner when I’m running late, and it gave me extra time to exercise. 

Sumi:
Do you have any tips for working moms? And what about for Hispanic women?
MM: Prep ahead of time.  You never know when you have to stay late at work or you will get stuck in traffic or your child gets sick and knowing that dinner is already done and you only have to heat it up makes it easier to stay on track.  It also frees up your time and you can exercise.  I didn’t think that being Hispanic made a difference because I still got to eat what I liked, I just was careful about my servings.  Cheat meals also saved my life because whenever I felt like I needed to cheat or was tempted I would say to myself “I’ll have that alcapurria on Saturday.  Or I’ll grab a juicy burger next week”.  Our goal was to make it through the week and then we would reward ourselves.  Now, it is part of our life style and I don’t crave the sweets and fatty stuff as much.  But when I do, I still reward myself but with moderation.  I love donuts.  I can’t buy just one, but if someone brings a box to work, I’ll have one.  I have learned that every once in a while I can have what I like as long as I don’t over do it.  But the best part is, now I crave the healthy food, the veggies and the salad, and the fruit.  We had a crazy week when we moved and fast food was all we ate (although even then I would do it in moderation and tried to make better choices) and I found myself wishing I was eating a baked chicken with veggies and a salad.

I think the most important thing is YOU have to want to change (because it is a life style change) and you need support from family and friends.  If the people around you are not in it with you it is an uphill battle.