Getting in shape isn’t always easy, particularly when you’re close to hitting your 30s. In fact, for most of us, it’s a lifelong struggle to either lose weight and keep it off. But when Amanda Wood, who goes by Mandie, decided to shed some pounds, she didn’t go at it alone. She needed advice, so she consulted a nutritionist to guide her towards a healthier version of her already beautiful self. But first she explained to her nutritionist why she wanted to lose weight and that’s when Mandie learned to do three things, and it turns out that these changed her life for the better.At the time, she had been struggling because she felt that her plus-size status was making her feel invisible to others. This is a concept that most people simply can’t relate to.
Not only has she slimmed down, but her smile is even brighter, and she seems to have a lot more energy than she did in 2015. In fact, that’s one of the things that Mandie used to have issues with. She claimed all that extra weight left her feeling drained and with little energy.
She had a tough time admitting to anyone how much she actually weighed, but she knew she wanted to slim down. She went to her family doctor, who referred her to a nutritionist to see how they could help Mandie out.
By sticking to a low-calorie diet and eating portioned meals, Mandie was well on her way towards losing weight. It took her two years, but by the time she was 37, she had managed to get rid of 150 pounds. Now that’s such an impressive number!
Aside from sticking to a daily calorie intake, she also had to count her macronutrients, which make up the calorie value of the food she ate. Macro numbers include protein, fat, and carbohydrates. She waited until she lost 70 pounds before exercising because she had more energy at that point.
She got 50 percent of her calories from protein, 25 percent of them from fat, and 35 percent of them from carbs. This allowed her to start losing weight. But she had to have eggs or overnight oats for breakfast, and her only morning snack included a protein shake.
For lunch, she had a chicken Caesar salad with low-fat Greek yogurt as a dressing. She also had turkey meatballs with spaghetti squash, or chili for variety. She had the calorie thing packed, she just had to hire a personal trainer to gain confidence when she worked out, and to stop comparing herself with others.
Her afternoon snack included yogurt with fruit, a pepperoni stick, an apple, or crackers with cheese, and by dinner time, veggies with lean meat like seafood or chicken were the norm, and as you can see, it paid off. She hopes her journey will help others realize that dieting requires consistency and patience.
