Hi everyone,
my name is Lori, I am a single mother to an amazing almost 21-year-old daughter and I am staring 55 directly in the eye. I have been a “Livy Loser” lover since January of 2021 and have found success, knowledge, self-awareness, and confidence thanks to this amazing program.
Weight has been a challenge for me my whole life. I was the shorter, heavier child in the family, never fat but never slim. The one exception to that was when I was very ill; I was diagnosed at 15 years of age with ulcerative colitis that was very severe and at the time I was underweight, anemic and, sadly, loved how my body looked. Fast forward almost 40 years and I am now without a colon (surgery at 26 after more ravaging of my body). I have struggled with my weight since that diagnosis, and often blamed medication, poor digestion, issues related to sudden and drastic weight loss when I was having a flare, poor nutrient absorption and the list goes on and on. The opportunity to join Gina came at a time in my life where I resented my body for not doing what it was “supposed” to do, whether from a weight loss perspective or from an overall health perspective. I was completely unaware of what my body needed, wanted, or even was missing; I was out of touch with my body and had no idea what to do.
Well, a few years later I have seen my lowest low (over 70lbs gone) and, while I have gained a bit due to stress and situational changes, I am still down 60lbs and stronger and trimmer than I have ever been in my life. I am able to enjoy activities that feel so much easier now that I am not carrying around that extra weight and I am no longer hiding behind my clothes. The best part has been sharing this amazing program with family and friends and watching them have success and change their relationships with food and their bodies.
"The best part has been sharing this amazing program with family and friends and watching them have success and change their relationships with food and their bodies."
Now I will not say it has always been an easy or smooth journey. With the recent gains I have seen since my lowest low came those negative dieting narratives. I have had to challenge that thinking, force myself to really truly look in the mirror and see the differences in my body and mostly pay attention. The mindfulness aspects of this program has been both my biggest challenge and my biggest success! I know now what my body wants and needs, and more importantly what it does not need. Committing myself to paying attention, to caring for my body and minding my thoughts has been self-care in the truest sense. I am continuing my journey, growing and learning with every day and every group. This is a finally and forever commitment for me, not to be “on program” but to never lose touch with my body again.
My tips for success:
Consistency is the key. Don’t confuse consistency with perfection, it is not about pass or fail, being perfect or “on plan” all the time. It is about being consistent with following the plan, learning all you can and doing what is good for your body! If you have an indulgent meal, off day or whatever you perceive as “failure”, just get right back at it.
This is a process; it is not a quick fix. You need to hang in for the full 3 months; listen, read, and soak in the information and quite simply follow the plan. Trust the process, Gina and her team know what they are doing, and it is so worth it!
Get rid of the clothes that no longer fit. I know this is scary but it is so freeing to give yourself permission to believe that you know you won’t need them anymore, ever (it is also the most expensive part of this program!)
The scale is truly just a tool, it is not a measure of your success. This has been a hard one for me, but I have learned to not beat myself up for the scale being up, there are so many reasons for this, most of which have nothing to do with real weight gain.
If you have been at this weight loss thing for a long time (or perhaps even a short time), prepare to work on your mindset and negative narratives along with your food, mindful eating and losing weight. My mind is still working on catching up with my body, but I am getting there. You must put effort into understanding that mindset and those narratives so you can shift your patterns and habits that don’t contribute to a healthy lifestyle.
Tune in to your body. Pay attention to the cues it sends you. If something seems off, advocate for yourself with your health care professional and get it checked out. If you are feeling good, do more of what you have been doing-and you will feel good following this program! Your body will thank you, mine sure has.