A blog post

How I Released 20-lbs in 6-Months (And Keep it Off)

Posted on the 20 February, 2009 at 1:34 pm Written by in Personal

I’m celebrating yet another milestone. As of February 15, 2009, I now weigh 185lbs. When I weighed myself at the start of my weight releasing journey in July 2008, I weighed 205lbs. That means, I’ve lost 20-lbs in 6-months.

The picture on the left shows the difference. You can see it in my face. The image of me in the white was taken at the 2008 New Media Expo in Las Vegas. I was chunky.

The image of me on the right where I’m wearing pink was taken at the Personal Branding Summit on February 18, 2009. I’m looking more lean.

Many have asked how I was able to drop 20-lbs without following some crazy, unhealthy diet. Here’s what I’ve done.

  • I cut out chicken and red meat from my diet. Stopped eating meat in November 2008 after my sister gave me her summary of Skinny Bitch. The part that got me the most is the stress that the animals are under before they’re slaughtered. I aim to live a stress free and positive life, yet here I am eating food that was filled with negative energy. So, I no longer ingest the stress.

My advice? If you’re interested in becoming a vegetarian, drop meat from your diet slowly and get as many recipes as you can. Being a vegetarian isn’t about eating just vegetables and beans. I eat a variety of foods, including soya-based veggie meats, tofu and cheese.

  • I found a workout time that my body responds to. I used to workout in the evenings, but my body just wasn’t changing. So, I started getting up at 5:30am and hitting the gym at 6am. The results? The fat started to melt off my body. It seems like my body loves the early morning workout and responds well to it.

My advice? If you’re going to the gym and your body hasn’t changed in months, change the time of day that you workout. It may mean crawling out of bed earlier in the morning or negotiating with your spouse to get the kids ready for school so you can hit the gym early (or late). There’s no perfect time to workout, but there is a perfect time for you.

  • I do exercises according to my body type. I grow muscle quickly, yet it’s not as easy for me to lose fat. Knowing this, I’ve designed a workout that helps me to keep my heart rate up for 45-minutes while doing low weights, high reps. Circuit training is perfect for my body type. I do 15 reps at a light weight for each muscle and I move from machine to machine rather quickly. It’ll take me about 5-10 minutes to do weights for my back, chest, quads, hamstrings and arms.

My advice? Work with a personal trainer who can design a workout plan for your specific body type. If you’re the type who has difficulty building muscle and you’re already thin, your workout will definitely be different than mine.

  • I’ve connected an active lifestyle with my Creator. I recognize that by staying in shape, I’m honoring what my Creator has given to me. Ever since I made that connection, I’ve been more motivated to workout. When I do arm curls or do an aerobics class, that’s my time to connect with my Creator and thank Him for allowing me to make a choice to stay in shape.

My advice? Change your mindset when working out. If you approach going to the gym as something that’s negative, your body will not respond. However, if you make working out a positive experience and think of all the good it’s going to do for your health, you will lose the pounds quickly. Your body is a gift. Every lump, jiggle and flab is a gift from your Creator. Honor your Creator by being joyful about your time at the gym.

What has been your experience with releasing weight? How successful have you been. Please leave your comments below.

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  • http://www.pgforte.com PG Forte

    Great tips, Leesa! I especially love what you have to say about being joyful. I know the times I’ve been most successful at keeping to an exercise regime were the times I was able to make it a kind of ‘active meditation’.

    You know, now that I think about it, that would make a great book title, wouldn’t it? Joyful at the Gym. If you don’t use it, I’m sure going to!

  • http://tamdoll.blogspot.com Tammy

    Thank you! These are great tips, and I appreciate your putting it out here!

  • http://www.wordpressblogsites.com Sandra De Freitas

    Congratulations Leesa! Your lifestyle has been transformed and so has your energy! You look amazing…I can say that, I just saw you last week! *high five*

    In 2007 my naturopath ran some tests on me after I complained about low energy, exhaustion, inability to focus, weight gain and many other issues. The results concluded that I was intolerant to a large list of foods like wheat, rye, yeast, egg whites, white rice, pop, etc. When I stopped eating the foods I was intolerant too and consumed more vegetables I began to lose weight. I lost 7 pounds in the first month and lost a total of 20 pounds, and kept it off (do I sound like a commercial?) I do not workout at the gym but I do play indoor soccer once a week. Its the kind of workout that tricks me…I’m having too much fun to realize I’m exercising! Ha ha!

    Keep up the amazing work and thank you for being an inspiration to many!

  • http://www.coreconnectionlifestyle.com T Young

    Thank you for sharing your story. I think your story is a good example of bioindividuality. There is no one way of eating for every person. I hope your post inspires readers to begin their own journey to wellness.

  • http://www.squarepegsolution.com Paul Copcutt

    Leesa – good tips and well done – it was great to see you the other evening and your looked fabulous! – Just my toonies worth – Paul

  • http://www.thedynamicbusinesscoach.com LIndel James

    Leesa,
    Thanks so much for the tips…Just what I needed today. Going to give it a try!
    Lindel

  • http://clicktoclient.com Shama Hyder

    Hey Leesa,

    Go you!! I am so proud of you. This is an amazing feat, and I loved how you really figured out what works for your body.

    I think this is so key!!

    Awesome job and please keep us updated.

  • http://mykalsreport.blogspot.com/ Chris Morales

    Thanks for the tips. My wife and I have modified our diet to include more vegetables and less red meat. I want to loose about 15 pounds within the next 2 months as I begin serious training for a marathon in Jamaica this December. Your tips will help a lot.

  • Lurleen

    Hi Leesa,

    You look great! I too have lost about 40 pounds in about 2 years and am trying to keep it off which is a very difficult task. I first started walking on the treadmill then I started doing Turbo Jam and now I am doing P90X which is a great workout. I am now building muscle which taking the weight off faster now because I have reached a stand still in losing weight.

    So I am excited for you and you keep it going. Losing weight and being healthy really makes you feel good and good about yourself.

    You Rock!

    Lurleen D. McNair
    @LurleenMcNair

  • http://www.BoundlessRiches.com/ecourse Lisa Van Allen

    Thanks for sharing your victory with us!! I have lost 21 lbs. in 6 weeks working with health coach Lynette Patterson (connect with her on Twitter @LynettePatter). I’m eating meal replacements and one lean & green meal a day. Eating every 2-3 hours keeps me from ever feeling hungry and enough of the meals satisfy my craving for sweets/chocolate, that I rarely miss foods I no longer eat. High nutrition, protein packed… I feel better than I have in years!

    If a 50 year old woman with mild lupus can lose – anyone can!!! It just takes readiness, commitment, the right program and lots of support. The spiritual connection is also very important to me, and a great sense of humor! I have a ways to go — but I’m determined to get it alllll off!!

    Keep watching my Twitter/Facebook profile pix as I continue to lose!

    Blessings!
    Lisa

  • http://www.laonlinefitness.com L.A.

    Tons of good information and motivation in this post.

    I’m glad to read that you’ve discovered a program that works for you and adhering to it.

    Stay focused. I’ll be back to visit to see more pictures of progress. :-)

    The pictures you posted depict a noticeable change for the better and I’m sure you feel awesome and very proud of your accomplishment.

    However, the most important attribute is that you are much more healthier because of your hard work and dedication.

  • http://www.tishiasavestime.com Tishia Lee

    Congratulations Leesa. You look great. I love the tips/advice you’ve shared.

  • Carrie C.

    Congrats! I have the same issue with time of day. That means 5AM for me (to get in a good workout before I have to be at work)so it’s tough, but my metabolism likes it.

  • Melanie Joy Vertalino

    Leesa, Let me first begin by saying you look great! And it takes a lot of courage to go on the Internet and tell the entire world about your weight and your struggles! I commend you for that! I recently bought a book that you and your readers might be interested to hear about. Heather Picken just published a book called, “Body of Love: 57 Secrets to Transform Your Body Using the Law of Attraction” and it is helping me considerably! Most people who are overweight have a “fat” mindset or think of themselves negatively. Heather’s book helps to transform your subconscious thoughts to align you with your highest good and ideal body image! I felt thinner the day after starting to read it. This is my new path as I have lost and gained weight back consistently in the past. I now believe the key is your mind set and am placing my faith in Heather. Feel free to check out the book on Amazon and I hope your readers do the same! Great work and keep it up! I am sure you will get to your goal weight! Congratulations!

  • Heather B

    Congratulations Leesa,

    I too have lost about 20 lbs in the last year. I did it by starting an in-home aerobic walking program. It’s literally changed my life. To prove that one good thing leads to another, my accomplishment motivated me to help others and I’m now about ready to sit for a certification exam as a personal trainer. I’m on a new journey and so happy about it!

    I too have found that eating less meat is what my body needs. My metabolism is much faster and smoother since I became a ‘fishetarian’ a bit over 2 yrs ago.

    I’ve still got 10 lbs to lose to be at my goal weight and have recently added strength training to my aerobic routine. The medical reason this helps is because lean muscle, that is developed by strength training, burns more calories just to maintain itself than non-lean muscle does. And losing weight, believe it or not, is as simple as: calories out (burned) must be greater than calories in (consumed). Do you know that you’ll lose a pound for every additional 3500 calories burned? This means if you consume or work off about 500 extra a day you’ll lose a pound by end of 7 dys. There are lots of ways that people can omit 500 calories over the course of a day…exercise is one of the best!!

    Stay strong and happy!

  • http://www.living-streams.co.uk Tony T

    Weight gain just creeps up on you and diets are so difficult to keep. My experience is that the answer is to pick one which fits with your own eating preferences. In my case, this means that the high protein / low carbohydrate approach fits.

    I tried it some eight years again and lost 64 lbs in 6 months. Easing the diet a little then enabled me to hold my new weight for about 3 years.

    Then stress in my life caused me to stray too far and start eating a lot of carbohydrate again – resulting in me regaining my old weight over the last 5 years. As of 2 days ago, I’m back on the diet.

    Wish me success.