Follow Allie's Journey

Down 11lbs in 3 weeks!!

Allie Bryant hard work, and dedication to the 12 week challenge is paying off!  Her results are astounding! In just 3 weeks she has lost 11 pounds.  We are so proud of her and can't wait to share her weekly update.  This is what HARD WORK looks like!

                                         Week 3 Update

This week was crazy tempting as my work was transitioning to a new building and they kept bringing us food every day! Gourmet frosted doughnuts, Café Rio, Pie,Pizza, assorted candy and chips, and unlimited soda! SURROUNDING ME! Everything I Just named is a group of food I would have eaten in a heartbeat before I started this journey to change my life!

So, trucking into work every day with my healthy wraps, Greek yogurt, string cheese, carrots, and watermelon, my co-workers offered me their condolences, asking if they could have my portion of the junk food (YES PLEASE, GET THIS OUT OF MY SIGHT!!!), but SOME jumped on board with me saying that I had inspired them with how dedicated I have been to this process, and that made the world of difference in keeping me motivated!

My biggest success this week was, by far, resisting the CONSTANT TEMPTATION!  However, I have been snitching chocolate, maxing out my 200 calories on whites/junk pretty much every week, aside from week one, SO, I have made a goal for
myself for week 4 and beyond, to ELIMINATE ALL CANDY! I AM seeing results, BUT I could be seeing better ones. 80% diet people! I am quitting chocolate cold turkey! It’s literally an addiction for me, and honestly, I understand and empathize
with people who struggle with quitting smoking, caffeine, etc so much more going through this!

I also got an iPhone this week (thanks husband), and downloaded My Fitness Pal, and found that I’m eating too many calories for my goal! SO, I am altering my 5 pt plan slightly, to lower my calories from 1500 to 1200 a day! Hopefully this makes a difference as well.

All of that said, I am down 11 pounds this week, day 20! A third of the way there!!! I was so happy to participate in the boot camp yesterday TWICE with my fellow “fat” sistas ;) and we’re all so excited and motivated to do this together. It was truly inspiring meeting these girls who have also shared their story, and are in the
same boat as I am AT THE SAME TIME (Nicole, Chelsea, and Janelle). You girls are amazing and I’m so happy we’re doing this together! I am absolutely DEAD today and feel like I worked every muscle in my body, discovering ones I didn’t know I had, and I LOVE IT!!! Bring on week 4!

Allie’s snacking tip for the week:

*EAT as soon as you can after your workout, NOT a full fledged binge, just something packed with protein, low in fat. I usually have a Greek yogurt, and a string cheese, or banana, dipping it in the yogurt, and it’s delicious and healthy, AND it has prevented me from feeling like my stomach is going to eat itself from hunger after working out!

*Remember that diet accounts for 80% of weight loss! So while we may be surrounded by temptation, ask yourself if it is worth all the physical activity, sweat, and work you are putting in to be THROWN AWAY because ‘Dang that looks good!’.  Think, ‘Dang that looks good, but Dang, I will look and feel AMAZING, by eating something healthier!’

Allie Bryant 

       Current weight: 195  
Goal weight: 165

What will she look like in 12 weeks following our challenge?

Alli Bryant is officially our first assignment.  She is committed to our 12 week challenge, and is going to follow our plan exactly how we advise.  She will be sharing on the Facebook page her thoughts, struggles, and results.  We will post her after pictures and she will become the first testimonial (besides ourselves) of our 12 week program.  Follow her story, and watch her transformation.  We are not only going to help her lose weight, we are going to guide her to her new way of life.  We are so excited to share her journey with you, so lets embrace her and give her the motivation she will need. LETS GO ALLI! YOU'VE GOT THIS! Here is her story.

Alli's Story

Growing up, I was always a little chubby, never huge, just slightly bigger than the other kids, and at age nine, my parents confronted me about getting my first bra, which was mortifying as a 3^rd grader, and this is when my struggle began!
   

 I was a fat 7^th grader in a new school, and remember a time when a classmate actually oinked at me like I was a pig in the middle of class, and I never felt more disgusted and embarrassed with myself.  

By my freshman year, I was wearing a double F bra, doubling up on them, and hiding under huge sweatshirts to mask my insecurities. I started to eat more to mask that self-conscious feeling I had every day, and the weight just packed on. I was lucky enough to have amazing friends all throughout school, aside from the occasional ‘oinking’ bully. Even though my friends were awesome, it always bugged me that I didn’t look cute like they did. 

I definitely didn’t look like the type of person my ‘cool’ friends would hang with.  It eventually got so bad that I actually starting purging after school behind closed doors, and abusing laxatives in a desperate attempt to look like my friends.  

Around that same time, I came down with Mono, and lost my appetite completely. I was so happy not to have the urge to eat, even if it meant I was sick. I lost so much weight so fast, but had no energy or desire to do anything. Upon recovering from Mono, the weight started to pile back on, faster this time, and I ended up heavier than before I started this crazy starvation, and purging spree.  

My metabolism was so put off by everything I had done to my body. 

During this time, I remember a specific situation that haunted me for years. I went to the mall, and couldn’t find any stylish belts that fit me, so I went into Lane Bryant, which at the time, I didn’t realize was a plus size store, and one of the associates approached me about a model search for plus sized women. I was mortified! I’m sure she thought she was paying me a huge compliment, but I wanted to cry on the spot.  

I went home and sobbed in my room for hours, looked at myself in the mirror, and all I saw was this fat ugly mess of a girl.  

I didn’t even realize I was that big, like I saw myself differently in the mirror than other people saw me, until this girl made the plus size model comment.
At eighteen, I had a breast reduction. The surgeon literally cut my breast size in half, bringing me to a 38c. I was so happy with my new boobs, but now my body was all kinds of off looking.  

Since I lost so much up top, my stomach suddenly stuck out much further than my breasts and people were asking me if I was pregnant! AT EIGHTEEN. 

I know this isn’t uncommon these days, but it was so humiliating! I knew I had to make a change!
I started jogging, and got a gym membership at a local rec center. At first, I thought I was going to die after running for like ONE minute. My lungs felt like they were on fire, and I thought I was having an asthma attack!   

I was so embarrassed to be in the gym and kept thinking to myself “everyone is looking at me, wondering when the fat girl is going to give up. Don’t look stupid, don’t look stupid”. 

  After a few weeks, I noticed a physical difference, because my pants were fitting looser! Before, I would flip if I accidentally put them in the dryer, in fear they would shrink and not fit! 

It was a HUGE moment for me the first time I dried my pants, put them on, and buttoned them, successfully, NO MUFFIN TOP!  I went from a size 15 to a size 10 in about four months, and looked hot! The boys noticed, and my socia

l life took off! I was suddenly getting attention from people who never knew I existed before, and was getting asked out more often than I had time for, and it was the most confidence boosting experience of all time!
I kept the weight off for several years, and eventually met the man I would marry. 

After we got married, as many married people will tell you, I just let myself go. 

Who do I have to impress now?!  My husband is stuck with me, forever, signed and sealed! I still exercised often, but all the exercise in the world couldn’t keep up with the amount of dining out we did.  The first year, I maintained a healthy weight, then year two, started packing on the pounds.  I started to diet, and the weight just wasn’t coming off. I went to my doctor, and was put on a medication to help speed up my metabolism, because my thyroid wasn’t as active as it should be. Ever since then, it has been a struggle.
The following year, I became pregnant with my first child, and my doctor told me to try and gain as little weight as possible, because my baby could be at risk. I was so big that my unborn child was at risk! 

How did I get here? 

I gained about 38 pounds, but was 200 when I got pregnant, and after delivery, only lost 12! Getting down to my pre-pregnancy weight was fairly easy, but only because it wasn’t healthy to begin with!
My son is 16 months now, and I have NO excuses! I am running, and exercising, but my diet needs to change drastically and I need to buckle down, and now is the time!!! Wish me luck! I can’t wait to go on this journey with all of you!