Marie Carrier Feature # 2

Success Story Saturday Feature # 2

Name: Marie Carrier    

Age:30

Location: Sacramento CA

Before Weight: At my heaviest when pregnant 410

After Weight: 265 as of this morning :)

Did you have weight loss surgery? No

Do you have any children? 2 girls, age 3 and 4

Marie's Weight Loss Story: 

Were you overweight as a child? NO

What caused your weight gain? 

Meeting my husband and being so happy in the relationship.  We would always go out to dinner and enjoyed it.  Never really exercised and that's when the weight started to come on.  Gained the weight slowly over the years and then when I got pregnant I felt like I could really eat whatever I wanted and I just packed on another 85 pounds.

What were some of the biggest struggles that you faced while overweight?

I struggled with the fact that I was at 400 lbs and I thought there was no way that I could lose 150-200 lbs.  Its seemed like it would be impossible and I really struggled with changing by eating habits, because I loved food. 

Was your self esteem and relationships with others affected due to being over weight?

It was bad.  I never wanted to go out in public with my husband for fear I couldn't fit in a booth, or that people were looking at me thinking how disgusting of a pig I looked and why would my husband be with someone like that.  Keep in mind, my husband was not heavy at all!!!

Did you avoid going out or being in pictures with others?

I hated taking pictures.  I would avoid them at all cost because I didn't want to see myself on camera or in a picture, it would hurt too much.  I also didn't want people to see me in pictures either.

What was your breaking point. The moment where you said ENOUGH! And you decided to regain control of your life? 

I had several.  When I went to the store to try on clothes and I was now in a size 26!!! I couldn't believe that.  I could only go to 2 stores if that to buy clothes, and even when I did I still felt gross.  I just wanted to hide in the house and stay away from everyone.  I decided that I cant live like this anymore and I had to do something about it.  Especially after having my kids, I knew I wanted to be a good example.  I also thought about all the vacations I wanted to take with my kids, like going to Disneyland, but I knew at that weight I probably couldn't get on the rides, and that thought was frightening.

How did you begin? For example: Did you hire a personal trainer, maybe join a weight loss center, buy self help books, use the internet for information?

I did not go to a gym.  I bought a treadmill, elliptical, jump rope and weights.  Just starting working out from home.  I was a lot easier and realistic for me to do.  Especially when I had kids.

What tools did you use to help you during your journey? For example: Did you use any fitness trackers, phone apps, food log, diary, vision boards?

The biggest thing for me, and still is to this day is the food journaling.  I write down all food I put in my mouth so I can see exactly what im eating on a daily basis.  I also you my fitness pal to input my exercises and follow other friends on their progress.  I also loved watching the Biggest Loser, and that really inspired me and I took in good advice from the trainers on that show.

Lets talk about your Diet Plan. Did you count calories, follow a specific diet, hire a nutritionist?

yes, I count calories.  It may not work for everyone, but it really works for me.  I eat around 1700-2000 calories on a workout day and 1400-1650 calories on a non workout day.  I also eat every couple of hours and DO NOT eat past 6:30 pm

Did you take any diet pills, supplements, energy drinks, protein shakes, meal replacement shakes?

No pills or supplements for me.  Just good ole exercise and changing eating habits.

Were there any supplements listed above that you feel were a waste of money?

Anything you highly recommend people try?

NO

Please tell us about your exercise part of your journey.

I slowly started working out on the treadmill at a slow pace until my stamina was a little better then I  would bump up my incline to 5% then 7% then finally the max on my treadmill at 10% incline at 3.2 MPH and would do that for 30-40 minutes straight.  I only did cardio 3 days a week and weights 2 days a week. 

What was your plan of action?

My plan was to start off slow and see what started working for me.  That's when my thought process started to change on what I ate and how much of.  I also stopped drinking soda in January on 2011 and will never go back to that stuff again.  that wasn't too hard for me at all. Then I started to portion my food better and make healthier choices.

Did you join a gym, hire a personal trainer, or workout at home?

I worked out at home.

What kind of workouts did you do? Did you get ideas online, use fitness dvds?

Just the basic walking/jogging/incline on treadmill and then would alternate with the elliptical

Please list the struggles that you faced when you first started exercising.

When I first started I thought I was going to die.  I was out of breath, couldn't go that far and thought it was too hard to do

What helped you push through & refuse to give up?

What helped me push through was knowing how unhappy I was in this body and how I couldn't go another day not doing something about it.  I also thought how it wouldn't be fair to my children to have a mother who was so insecure and never wanted to be out in public.

How long did it take you to start seeing visual changes?

I was so heavy that I didn't start to see changes for about 4 months.

How long did it take you to reach your goal weight?

Its taken me a few years to lose the weight I have lost, but I still have another 40-50lbs that I still want to lose.  Im 5'11, so I know I will never weight 150lbs, but at 200-225 I look and felt my best.

How long have you maintained your weight loss and how do you do it?

Well im still in the process of losing weight.  I have had struggles and had gained back 25 lbs last year, because I fell off the wagon and it took me forever to get back on.  But I have since then realized I MUST continue to lose this weight so I have continued to lose weight again

How has your life changed now that you've lost the weight?

Its made a big difference.  I go out more, im more social and will sometimes take pics(Im not fully comfortable taking them though).  I took my kids to six flags and was able to ride the roller coasters and that was THE BEST FEELING EVER. I have more confidence which feels great.

Has your confidence improved?

Yes, but I am not fully there as I still need to get the rest of this weight off.  It seems like the closer to my goal I am, the slower and harder it is to get the rest of the weight off and sometimes I get so down on myself especially when I worked my butt off to only lose 1.6lbs,and that's for 2 weeks.  It can get so depressing.  I feel better and notice changes in my clothes, but sometimes that scale wont fricking budge!!!!!  I know that's not the important part and its just a number.

Do you have any loose skin from the weight loss?

I do, and I really hate it.

If you do, how does this make you feel?

Although I don't have as much fat to try and hide, I still have loose skin that I have to try and hide, which I cannot stand.  but I would rather have loose skin over all that fat suffocating my organs and stripping me of my happiness.  Once I get to my goal, I will probably consider some type of surgery to remove it.

Do you have any tips or words of advice for anyone who might be afraid of this issue?

Just be honest with yourself

Do you have any weight loss tips that you would like to share with everyone?

never give up and know that you can achieve anything you put your mind too.

Please list an example of what your typical meal plan looks like for the day. Don't

Bfast- 2 scramble eggs with 14 all natural almonds.

Lunch-6 inch wheat turkey sandwich from subway.  No cheese, or mayo.  Just veggies and a little bit of mustard with 14 soy crisps

Dinner-Baked chicken, steamed broccoli and 1/2 of brown rice

Snacks in the middle of meals- Apples, almonds, grapes, lowfat string cheese, greek yogurt, banana, carrots, etc. The only thing I drink is water.  I drink about 100 oz daily.

forget to include the serving size & your beverages.

Please list your workout routine for the week. .

Monday-35 Min on treadmill at 10% incline, 3.2 mph.  then some squats and leg lifts

Tuesday-30 min treadmill at 4.0 mph, also walk 20 mins at lunch time at work.

Wednesday-off

Thursday- 40 min treadmill at 3%incline, 4.0 mph. Also walk at work for 20 min. Do Arm weights for about 20 min at home.

Friday-off

Saturday-off

Sunday-40 mins on treadmill at 10% incline, 3.0 mph.  jump rope 500 times