A chubby kid to a chubby teen and eventually a fat bride and mom, Jane A. Cartelli’s story is quite remarkable. When she had her second daughter in 1988, she was 330 lbs., which is exactly 150 Kgs. Today, she weighs around 85 Kgs. The real challenge for her is to keep the pounds off rather than continue losing weight.
The Journey
The first step, according to Jane, is being honest with yourself and admitting that there is a problem. Food addiction is a disease and what helped her the most on her journey was a group of people who all had the same problem. Her weight loss occurred in phases.
Phase 1
The Atkins Diet in 2003 helped her lose 27 Kgs in five months. A year later she had gained back 14 Kgs.
Phase 2
In early 2005, Jane joined a women’s gym and eliminated sugar, flour, and potatoes from her diet. She lost 24 Kgs.
Phase 3
In 2006, Jane started to monitor herself. She wrote down everything she ate, including the carbs, fiber, sugar, etc. She exercised at least three times a week and by the end of the year, she had lost a total of 60 Kgs, including what she had lost previously.
Phase 4
She joined a group for compulsive eaters. This, she believes was the most important step in her journey. It was a 12-step program in which she tried out things that had worked for other members as well. Jane continues to be a part of this group till date and has now lost a 100 Kgs starting from 2003. She has given up all milk fat (butter, cheese, cream, yogurt, non-skim milk) as well as sugar.
“I found myself wanting food and trying to think up excuses to make what I wanted to eat to be okay. I needed to really look at my food plan and be honest about what was causing this repeat insanity. I honestly already knew the answer. What I needed was the willingness.” – Jane.
– What can we learn from Jane’s story?
– It’s never too late to initiate a change.
– We should be open to what has worked for others.
– To lose weight and not to gain it back, there needs to be a commitment to a way of eating and living.
– Seeking the support of others on the same journey is essential.
So get on that treadmill, start recording what you eat and fight to keep those pounds off!
