FFFC:  Please introduce yourself to our readers (i.e. your name, occupation, hobbies, etc.).

J:  I’m Jenica, wife and stay at home Mom of 2 (ages 4 and 2.5).

FFFC:  What sparked your weight-loss transformation journey?

J:  I was playing around with my daughter (then almost 2 yrs) while my newborn son took a nap. I decided to pretend like I was sleeping. She came up to me, and began to try to wake me up. I continued to pretend to be asleep. She again tried to wake me, and when I didn’t respond, she began to cry.
That moment changed everything. being stay-at-home mom and all I could think was, “What if something really happened to me while I was home alone with them? This is how she would react. This is how scared she would be.” I was an almost 28-year-old with high blood pressure, PCOS, insulin resistance, and starting to show signs of sleep apnea.

That was my ah-ha moment.

FFFC:  What was your beginning and current weight or measurements?

J:  I started at 305 lbs, with a BMI of 47.8. Although I haven’t weighed myself in a few weeks (that number means less and less the more active I become), I’ve lost 117 lbs and a BMI of 29.4. I lost 12.5 “ in my waist, 17” in my hips.

FFFC:  How long did it take for your weight-loss transformation from beginning to end?

J:  I don’t put an “end” on the time of my transformation, because I really consider this a LIFELONG process. My goals may change from time to time, but for me, this is a journey towards increased health and wellness. That being said, I lost 100 lbs in about 18 months and had reached my lowest weight in less than 2 years.

FFFC:  What physical activities did you participate in during your journey?

J:  Since I am a stay-at-home mom, finding time to workout was difficult at times. I often simply pushed my children in the double stroller- often only 20 min at a time 3-5 times a week. I also found circuit training images on Pinterest or did random workouts from YouTube while my children napped.

Now that my children are in preschool for a few hours 3 days a week, I have begun training for a half marathon. I also LOVE Zumba!

FFFC:  How did your eating habits change?

J:  I had bad eating habits all around. I’d often skip meals and then binge on processed foods at night. Now I try to eat as clean as possible, but also allow “treats”

FFFC:  What do you typically eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner?

J:  Breakfast (if I’m home for the morning) is usually an omelette with a few eggs (whole eggs), with veggies, a side of fruit, and coffee.

Lunch- one of my favs- “avocado chicken salad”- mash an avocado, add shredded chicken and pico de gallo. If I am out of chicken, I often do the same but add hard-boiled eggs instead.

Dinner- we try to do protein and 2 veggies- so something like Salmon with asparagus and roasted cauliflower etc.

*Desserts- Our latest fav is “guilt free” ice cream- freeze a few bananas (after peeling them), blend them along with honey, a TBSP or so of almond butter, vanilla extract and voila, ice cream! (We’ve also added frozen berries, chocolate chips, coconut flakes etc).

FFFC:  What is your favorite fitness activity?

J:  These days it’s Zumba and running/walking/jogging.

FFFC:  What do you do now to maintain your physique?

J:  Continue to be mindful of my eating and making time for physical activity!

FFFC:  How did you develop and sustain the willpower to avoid the bad stuff (i.e. junk food, bad drinks, lack of activity, etc.)?

J:  If I have a craving for a few days, I usually allow myself to indulge in a treat. I have found that if I COMPLETELY deny myself any food/treat/food group, it can lead to a binge on that food. Also, often when I am craving something, I try to make it at home rather than buying it pre-made somewhere. This allows me to control the quality of ingredients I use.

FFFC:  What advice do you have for someone starting out on their weight-loss journey but unsure of how to begin?

J:  My advice is to first, give yourself the opportunity for the process to take a while. Don’t try to do a quick fix diet that will lead to the weight coming back. Make small changes at a time and really understand that this will be a new LIFESTYLE!

FFFC:  What do you think is the biggest misconception about this journey?

J:  That you have to spend a ton of money buying programs that have you working out for an hour at a time. I lost most of my weight without much physical activity and with not spending more than the cost of new running/walking shoes. ANYONE CAN do this, but it takes a willing and committed spirit more than it takes money, or fancy equipment, or a trainer, or a gym membership (I had NONE of those).

FFFC:  Do you have any fitness idols? Who are they?

J:  I have people who inspire me- and most of them are people have had similar weight loss stories— just normal people who have decided to change their lives. But I wouldn’t consider them idols. I have come to an understanding that we all have different goals in mind for ourselves and it’s important to ONLY compare ourselves to ourselves. My body will never look like anyone else’s, and that’s ok. I have learned to be happy with MY body.

14. How can readers learn more about your transformation and journey online (i.e. Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, etc.)?

J:  They can follow me at www.facebook.com/thismomislosingit