How This Fast Food and Red Bull Lover Finally Found Healthy Habits That Stuck  

Before: 175

After: 135

The Lifestyle
Before I got pregnant, I was a big drinker and ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I also travel a lot for work so fast food was my go-to. On top of that, I never checked nutrition labels or drank water, and I averaged about 12 Red Bulls a day. (I know...)

When I got pregnant I was 158 pounds, but over the course of my pregnancy I gained about 50 pounds. After I gave birth, I lost some of the weight but plateaued at 175 pounds.

My doctor told me that I had to stop eating like crap because my health was in danger, so I started searching for diets online. I tried something called a two-week diet, drank shakes that are supposed to help you lose weight, and even tried a soup diet where you eat nothing but soup for 10 days. But the healthy habits never stuck. I became so hangry that I couldn’t do it any more.

I also started swimming, doing Zumba, and trying other types of exercise. But after a month, I gave up. I couldn't find a workout that I wanted to do all the time and enjoyed. I just got bored.

The Change
After coming across a photo of a friend who lost a lot of weight, I asked her what she'd been doing to get so fit. She said she was doing boot camp classes, so when I saw an ad for Fit Body Boot Camp online, I signed up.

The day after my first boot camp class, which consisted of circuit training with weights and body-weight moves, I was so sore that I actually stayed home from work that day.

I called one of the trainers and they said that if I came in the next day for another workout I would feel better. And I was so surprised that I actually did. During the second and third weeks of boot camp, I went in three times a week. Then I started going four days a week. I started feeling like my week wasn't complete without at least four workouts.

I think these classes were so addicting because they were in a group setting. I loved doing partner workouts and seeing all the different kinds of people who were working on their bodies, too. It made me think, "I can do this!"

(Grab a few friends and try out Women's Health's Ignite DVD to get your own sweat on and work toward your weight-loss goals.)

After talking with my trainer Kyle about nutrition and how to fuel my workouts, I started cooking all of my meals myself (instead of relying on takeout). I cut out processed foods, soda, juice, and began watching my portion sizes.

I also began eating breakfast each day and eating a meal or snack every three hours, tried not to eat after 7 p.m., and began making smoothies to calm my sweet cravings. I was surprised how satisfying they were. 

The first two weeks were hard for me. I was still too lazy to start making my meals ahead of time instead of just grabbing fast food. But once I got into the groove, it started to get easier. I began eating more veggies and swapping my favorite Italian bread for whole wheat.

After four months of eating healthy and working out consistently, I lost 27 pounds and 10 percent body fat.

The Reward
Since making these positive changes, I have so much more energy and feel calmer during the day. I'm also more patient because the workouts I do in the morning help me feel peaceful and give me more energy all day.

Edyta's Tips

Don't give up. The first couple of weeks are the worst, but I promise it gets better.

Get help from an expert. Based on my experience, exercising alone isn't enough to lose weight. Luckily, my trainer helped me learn how to eat better and fuel my workouts.

Try exercise classes. Going to a class where other people were working as hard as me was very motivating. 

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