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Before:
290 lbs.
Date: 2002 |
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After:
165 lbs.
Date: 2005 |
Vital Stats
Name: MaryAnn Mayer
Email: tatman53@famvid.com
Pounds Lost: 125 lbs.
Inches Lost: 65"
About Me
I have battled with my weight all of my life, even as a child. Being fit has never come easily for me if at all and I can honestly say at 32 years of age I am now in the best shape of my life.
It wasn't until I was 29 and weighed 290 lbs that I decided enough was enough. At size 26 wide, my activities were limited either because I couldn't do it or had no energy to.
My Reasons
My breaking point was when I was clothes shopping after I had my son and the only things they had in my size were pretty much wearable tents.
Not the young cute clothes I had hoped for. I broke down in the middle of the store and cried uncontrollably.
My husband, bless his heart, tried to be soothing by reminding me I just had a baby. But I decided right then and there it was time for a change and the only one that could do it was me.
I started my dieting by cutting out carbs. I wasn't really following a diet plan. I had heard of the
Atkins diet but I also saw
that the people on it usually gained back much of their weight plus some shortly after they went on it. I just cut mine in half.
In two months I had dropped 30 lbs. That fueled my determination even more. I continued with the diet by also cutting a lot of my fat intake, until I had reached 198 lbs. Here I came to my first plateau and had to step things up a bit. So I added exercise.
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What's A Plateau?
A level of attainment or achievement in weight loss or bodybuilding where one gets "stuck in a rut", barring further progress or noticable results. As obvious as it may seem, if you continue to do the same thing, you will continue to get the same results. Click here for tips on breaking through plateaus.
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I started out with doing aerobics tapes and eventually worked my way up to jogging 2 miles a day. I felt great but I had slowed down in losing my weight. At the time I didn't realize the concept behind muscle being heavier than fat and I wasn't taping myself so I didn't realize I was still losing inches.
I didn't know what to do and was getting frustrated. My husband suggested that I join the gym that had just opened up in town. I had always balked at joining a gym. I had this impression that everyone who goes to the gym is in perfect shape and I didn't want to stand out.
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Choosing A Gym - A Fun Quiz To Help You Out!
Do you really know what you want in a gym? Would you rather workout at home or in the social atmosphere that befits a large chain gym?
[ Click here to learn more. ] |
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The day I walked into New World Fitness changed my life forever. The owner, Jack O'Baker, was so nice and very helpful. He made me feel comfortable at once and we started his assessment of me. We figured out my body fat, explained about muscle vs. fat, talked about my diet and asked me what my goal was.
At the time I wanted to lose more weight and tone. At the end of our interview I was ready to go. He had explained things to me that I hadn't known about, such as how much to eat, how often and the good calories vs. bad calories. He set me up with a 4-day routine to tone my body and 20-30 minutes of cardio after the workouts.
My Results
Just going to the gym was exhilarating, and I was getting to where I would go 5 or 6 days a week instead of just 4. Then I started watching the bodybuilders and powerlifters and was intrigued by how they were molding their bodies to what they wanted.
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| What Is Your Goal? |
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By the end of my first 6 weeks I wanted more. So when it came time to evaluate my progress, I told Jack I was interested in body building. We changed my workouts and my diet. To date I have lost 125 lbs and over 65 inches total in three years. My next goal is to be ready for an amateur bodybuilding contest by next year.
My suggestion to others is not to give up and don't set your goals so high you can't reach them. I always kept my goals low and easy to reach so when I reached them, I was more motivated to reach the next one.
Keep a diary of what you eat and the calories you intake. This will help you see where your weak points are or when they are. (Mine was late night snacking.) But don't beat yourself up for indulging just jump back into your diet the next day.
I always treated myself one day a week. The best motivator I think is to have someone take picture of you when you first start your diet then every two months after. Sometimes you really don't see the changes in yourself until you start comparing your pictures.
Whenever I was getting discouraged I would look at the pictures and it would always help keep me motivated. The most important thing is not to give up. I think the hardest part of losing the weight was changing my lifestyle and eating habits. It wasn't easy at all and there are no magic pills but it is worth every sacrificed piece of cake.
My Diet
| My Diet |
| Meal 1 |
Meal 2 |
Meal 3 |
1 c oatmeal
4 hard boiled egg whites |
Chicken breast
Carrots
1 c brown rice |
1 c oatmeal
Protein shake |
| Meal 4 |
Meal 5 |
Meal 6 |
Protein shake
with a banana |
2 pieces of fish
1 c asparagus
1 c brown rice |
1 c nonfat yogurt
mixed with 1 scoop of
protein powder |
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I alternate my protein between chicken, fish, turkey tenderloin, and pork tenderloin and I drink at least a gallon of water a day. The asparagus works as a natural diuretic so I don't retain as much water and I limit my carbs after 6:00 p.m.
Click Image To Enlarge.
The Skinny On MaryAnn!
My Training
Click Image To Enlarge.
Flutter Kicks.
I do all exercises at low weight, 3 sets of 15 reps, for three weeks then high weight, 3 sets, reps until failure, for two weeks.
My Supplements
Thank you for letting me share my story. I hope it can inspire someone to reach their goals!
