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Meet Christy Caby (CHRISTY2BTHIN) a SparkPeople.com member who has lost 95 pounds in two years! Find out her secrets of success here. What is your age? 26 How long have you been a SparkPeople member? How did you find SparkPeople? I've been a SparkPeople member for over a year now. I was turned onto it by another successful member. She is a dear friend of mine who started her weight-loss journey around the same time I did, as we were pregnant together. She told me about SparkPeople after we'd both started losing weight, and I decided to check it out. And I kept coming back! What is your favorite feature on SparkPeople? I love the Nutrition Tracker and how it breaks down the different nutrients. It really showed me that I wasn’t getting enough protein in my daily diet, so I started to find ways to incorporate more protein and cut back on carbs. Before SparkPeople, I wasn’t aware of how those nutrient breakdowns factored into my diet as a whole. How much weight have you lost? I have lost 95 pounds. How long did it take to lose the weight? 2 years and counting. What was your light bulb moment that made you decide to lose weight? I had complications during my pregnancy that I probably would not have had if I hadn’t been so overweight. I got to 300+ pounds while pregnant with my son. The day that I had him, I started counting calories and watching portions. I ordered fruits, veggies and other healthy items while in the hospital. I didn’t want to encourage unhealthy eating for my son, and I knew that I had to get fit if I was going to keep up with him and give him the life that he deserved. I got on the scale the first time a few weeks after I had him and used that as my starting weight. My husband got on board with me a few months ago, and he has now lost over 60 pounds. It is amazing to see the changes that we have made--and continue to make--to be healthier for our son, who is now 2! What was your biggest obstacle while trying to lose weight? MYSELF!! I have been a habitual binge eater for as long as I can remember. I use food to cope with pretty much any emotion. I can’t seem to just be satisfied with a taste; I have to eat mass quantities to feel comforted by it. It is a hard thing to overcome, and I still work on it one day at a time. At least now, I acknowledge it and am aware. I can say that even through all of my many stumbles along the way, the difference this time is that I am mindful of what I am doing. I still get on the scale, I still take my body measurements, I still contact my accountability buddies. I don’t just completely throw in the towel, but I accept that the stumbles will occur. What does your weekly exercise schedule look like? I do an hour of cardio five days per week, and strength training a couple of days per week. I work out at home, so my strength training is dumbbells or resistance bands in the living room, and I do workout DVDs for cardio. I get all of my workouts in during the morning before I get ready for work. I find that working out while my husband and son are still asleep is the best way for me to make sure I get it in. It means that I have to get up at 4:30 every morning, but it's not so bad now that I'm used to it. I get my workout done, and I feel better and more alert throughout the day! What is your favorite way to exercise? Besides working out at home (which I prefer), I would pick tennis or hiking. I like that I can enjoy these activities with my family, and I always feel great afterwards, like I challenged my body. Do you have any personal fitness goals coming up? I have never been much of a runner, but I am doing the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day with my family. My goal is to jog the whole thing, as opposed to walking. I did the same race last year and walked/jogged. I inspired members of my family to make this a yearly tradition, and they are going to do it with me starting this year! What does a typical day of food look like for you? How does this compare to the way you ate before your transformation? I either have a protein shake or a piece of fruit after my morning workout, followed by a 200-calorie warm breakfast when I get to work. I usually bring in dinner leftovers for lunch. (My husband is the cook and has been cooking healthier, portion-controlled meals. He makes enough for a reasonable dinner serving for us both, plus one lunch serving for me!) I have a light snack in the afternoon (yogurt, cheese, milk, protein bar, etc.) and then a home-cooked meal when I get home. Before, I would have had something sugary for breakfast, something deep-fried and fattening for lunch (I LOVE French fries), and we were bad about getting fast food every night for dinner. We have cut the fast food down to once per week as a little treat, and the portions have drastically changed from what they used to be. We can share an order of fries now instead of two super-sized orders! What is your favorite healthy food? Plain Greek yogurt! One of my friends taught me a cool trick: You add a packet of your favorite Crystal Light drink mix flavor (I love the cherry limeade) to an individual plain Greek yogurt serving and stir it in. It gives the yogurt an AMAZING flavor and tastes so refreshing. I also love how you can use Greek yogurt to make healthier dips, salad dressings, toppings for a sandwich or wrap, as a replacement for sour cream on a baked potato… it has really cut the fat and junk out of some of my favorite things! What is your favorite treat food? Any kind of fried potato! I usually let myself have fries, tator tots or hash browns once a week so that I don’t feel deprived! Who is your biggest inspiration? My husband! I love that he has gotten on board with me, and the progress that that he continues to make is amazing, even if he isn’t as strict as me. I love that we can do this together for the betterment of our family and our son’s future. Do you have a personal mantra/saying/quote that you live by that you’d like to share? ''6, not 26.'' My goal is to get to a size 6 (I am in an 8 now), and I used to be a size 26 at one point… so when I am tempted to eat more than I should, or lose control in a social setting, I try to chant this to myself to remind me of the goals that I am working toward! Let's hear it for Christy! How has she inspired you to make changes in your own life? *Weight loss results will vary from person to person. No individual result should be seen as a typical result of following the SparkPeople program. |
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