Weight Loss Wednesday: The Fit Bride

Hello and welcome to another inspiring story of weight loss 🙂 I am always so interested in other people’s journeys to a healthier and happier life – I hope you guys like this feature as much as I do!

This week Brie from the Fit Bride is sharing her story…

Before:

· How many pounds did you lose? 50 on the nose

· How long did it take? 6 months exactly

· Where are you from? Chicago, Illinois, but living in Kansas City, Missouri

· Occupation? Non-practicing attorney/recruiter

After: 

What was the motivating factor that got you started on your weight loss journey? Was it one thing or a series of events?

I was going to be a bridesmaid in a friend’s wedding, and I saw the pictures of me at her shower and I was so embarrassed. That same weekend, I finally saw the dreaded 200 pounds on the scale at the doctor’s office. I knew I’d be graduating law school and getting married soon myself, and I decided enough was enough—I was too young to live my life ashamed and in denial!

What do you think was the one most important change you made? How did it help? Can you keep this up for life?

For me, it was really important to get moving. I love food too much to be a perfect healthy eater all the time, but as long as I keep my activity level up everything balances out in the long run. I started slowly—my goal was to go to the gym every other day (so 3 or 4 times a week), and every day to do just a tiny bit more than I did the session before. In the beginning, I could only run for 3 minutes…but the next day, I made it my mission to run for 3 minutes and 15 seconds. Before I knew it, I’d built up to running six miles at a stretch!

How did you change your eating habits?

I started to think of food differently all around. I tracked my calories and really tried to educate myself about what foods kept me full. I also stopped eating out of boredom (well, okay, mostly, at least!) and started incorporating more fruits, veggies, and healthy fats.

How did you change your exercise habits?

I went from totally sedentary to at least exercising four days a week. Like I said, my motto was just do more. If you just try to add a little bit every day, small changes will add up to big ones before you know it! I’m now training for my first half marathon in April and my first full marathon in October! I also love to lift weights, do yoga, and spin.

How do you plan to maintain these healthy habits?

It’s important for me to always have a program or goal going. I tend to flounder when I don’t have a specific focus to my training, which is why I register for races far in advance! (Mostly I’m cheap—if I don’t train for the Chicago Marathon, I will have wasted $135!)

I’ve actually gained back about 10 pounds of the 50 I initially lost, but at least 5 of those were intentional—I did The New Rules of Lifting for Women program to build muscle, so I put on some awesome muscle mass then. Even though I’m not at my lowest weight anymore, I’m really happy where I am because this is realistic for me! I am fit and healthy, but I still indulge in ice cream and pizza from time to time.

Do you have any tips for RER readers who want to lose weight?

Don’t make yourself miserable! Losing weight doesn’t have to completely suck. Finding activities you enjoy and foods you love is the key to keeping yourself sane.

I’ve also found so much encouragement in online health and fitness communities, especially the blogging world. I blog at thefitbride.wordpress.com and I get so much support and encouragement from readers and other bloggers as I work towards my running goals! Reach out—there are people that want to cheer you on!

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Brie, thank you so much for sharing your tips and journey with us 🙂 And rock out that marathon!!!

If you have a weight loss story you want to share email me at [email protected]