Success Story: Kim Feth
Find out how signing up for a triathlon helped her lose 40 pounds.
Name: Kim Feth
Age: 43
Former RealAge: 48
Current RealAge: 42.2
Start weight: 207 (busting out of size 18 pants)
Current weight: 165 (size 14 pants are now baggy)
What was really killing me: My eating habits and the weight I was gaining as a result. After I had my son and became a stay-at-home mom, I slowly started putting on weight. Then, my mother passed away in the summer of '09, and I kept gaining in a state of grief.
(How can you tell whether your reaction to loss or grief is normal?)
My wake-up call: On my 42nd birthday, I took the RealAge Test, and it became clear that I could literally eat myself into an early grave if I didn't make some changes. Around the same time, my friend decided that she was going to lose 40 pounds in honor of her birthday. She ended up losing 80 pounds, and I thought, "If she can do it, I can do it."
(Find out how hearing other people's success stories can help motivate you to make healthy changes.)
What I changed:
- I realized that if I really wanted to get healthier, I needed to set a specific goal to work toward, besides just losing weight. So I signed up to do an all-female sprint-distance triathlon called "Dash for Divas."
(Read why it helps to think about your goal in bits and pieces.) - I started by walking with Leslie Sansone's free online walking video, 1 mile for 15 minutes.
- I stopped grazing all day long and focused on eating satisfying, healthy meals.
- I gave up Diet Pepsi, which was REALLY hard.
(Read more about the pros and cons of diet soda.) - I practically eliminated refined sugar from my diet.
(Are the new natural sweeteners healthier than sugar?) - I started using a calorie calculator to figure out how long it would take to burn off certain bad foods.
(How many calories should you be eating?)
How my life has changed: I have so much more energy. My son started playing sports this past winter, and I love being that parent who runs up and down the sidelines!
How RealAge helped me: By providing weight, waist, and walking trackers. I also love that the RealAge Test is free. (Get your FREE Grow Younger Plan today.)
What keeps me motivated and on track: Logging my progress almost daily. I find that if I stop, I don't exercise as much. Also, envisioning cupcakes on my rear end or pizza wrapped around my thighs when I'm trying to bike or swim helps me to eat better.
What I really love about the new me: Feeling proud of what I've accomplished and confident about reaching goals that I set for myself.
