Go Susie Go! Weight Loss Superstar 60+ pounds gone!!!!

One thing about me is that I LOVE information. I read tons of articles, books, magazines, websites, I join lots of groups, and I love learning everything I can about weight loss and eating, nutrition, etc… It’s what motivated me to get certified as a Nutrition and Wellness consultant last year. One of my main sources of information is on Linked-In. I think I belong to about 20 groups on there, one of which is where I met the beautiful Susie! She posted a link with an invitation to a webinar she was conducting talking about work and life balance, creating happiness in your life, as well as how not to diet! Once I saw she was a weight loss success story, I wanted to learn more about what she did to get there.

I signed up for her webinar and she was so inspirational and a lot of the things she talked about, it was like she was speaking my language. She like a lot of Mom’s gained weight after having kids, was feeling down and out, but had the courage to change and not only change, but start a whole new career and became an author too! Her website is here.

She graciously took time out of her day to answer my questions! Thanks Susie for answering my questions to inspire my readers!!

1. What was your AHA moment when you knew you had to change?

I was already miserable in my body and was filled with negative self-talk. We were on vacation and some older woman said, “I think it’s so cute when pregnant women wear bikinis nowadays”. I thought I would DIE. I knew I owed it to my kids, my husband and most importantly myself to be happy in my own skin.

2. What was your first step to getting your weight/body in check?

I actually bought a membership at a local gym. They had a great nursery and there were alot of other moms there trying to get their bodies back too. Misery loves company – ha!

3. Did you ever feel like giving up? How did you keep motivated?

Of course! The first 10lbs came off quite easily and then I hit a plateau and my body just didn’t budge. Walking on the treadmill just wasn’t enough. That’s when I started creating my own fitness training technique, 60 Second Circuits. THAT got me motivated because it was something I knew I would be able to share with others.

4. What kind of diet did you follow, did you just do your own thing, (like count calories or watch portions) or follow a weight loss plan such as Weight Watchers, South Beach, etc…

I tried every diet out there as well as the detoxes, shakes, pills, supplements … you name it, I failed at it. I started to get really cuckoo about food in general. I would see success with diets and as soon as I ‘got there’ the weight would creep back on. That’s when I decided to just raise my standards. I wanted to show my body love and respect. I refocused my relationship with food. It went from “diet food/junk food” to “is this good enough for my incredibly awesome body?”

5. How long did it take you to lose the 60 pounds?

I yo-yo-ed for almost a year until I lost the weight for good and then some. I look better now than I did before I had kids. It’s all about treating yourself well and constantly changing your routine to keep your body guessing. After working personally with over 700 women in my fitness training business, rapid change comes from total-body workouts and clean eating working together.

6. What is a typical food day for you now? What do you like to eat?

I LOVE great food. I’m very choosy about the quality of my meals – I never settle for sub-par.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Period. You set your metabolism in the first hour you’re awake SO I always eat a BIG breakfast.
A spinach, egg, feta in a whole-grain wrap to start… then a grapefruit about an hour later.

Lunch: Cajun Black Bean burger with avocado slices and a little salad

snack: apple slices with natural peanut butter

Dinner: Grilled Salmon with sauteed Swiss Chard and spicy rice – that’s what we had last night … my husband is an amazing cook – I know how lucky I am!

I don’t spend more than 10 minutes cooking a meal – I do believe in eating food as close to their natural state as possible. If any ingredients sound like they were cooked up in a laboratory, they probably were!
That’s pretty typical – it looks extravagant from here! I don’t believe in just eating though, I believe in creating a dining experience.

7. Did you exercise right away, or did you wait until you lost weight first?

Yes, I’m that person that buys ‘magic bullets’ off of television! I had an ab roller, thigh-master, Total-gym 2000 and more. Like most people, I would use it for a little while, get frustrated and quit. Exercise is key to losing weight and keeping it off… many people get discouraged with the scale. Muscle weighs more than fat! People can get freaked out when they start exercising to see the scale creep up after they’ve only been cutting calories. That’s why I tell everyone to just use a tape measure – you will always lose inches before pounds.

8. What tips can you give my readers that you learned on your journey back to health?

Treat yourself as you would treat your best friend – with kindness, respect and love. Negative self-talk can hold you far away from success.
Work to create a sustainable lifestyle plan – it won’t do you any good to lose 10lbs on a 10-day detox if you’re going to right back to the way you were living to begin with!

Get enough sleep every night. Lack of sleep kicks up the cortisol levels which holds weight on the body. Getting 8 hours consistently helps your body maintain weight naturally.

I love how Susie changed the way she viewed food. One thing she said during her webinar was that when you are eating food, make it special. Don’t eat in your car, or at your desk at work, make it enjoyable. And when she says “Raise your standards” for food, that has helped me avoid all the food at work. Why do I want to eat leftovers from a luncheon, or some stale donuts on the counter, I deserve better than that!

Thanks again Susie!

What do you guys think of her transformation??