Cathrines Corner 'This was about saving myself’: 100 Pounds Down and Counting

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Cathrine’s story is so inspirational, we’re going to keep updating it as she continues to push toward her goal weight! Watch for updates to her story on our blog the first week of each month under "Cathrine's Corner." And remember, if she can do it with Diet-to-Go, you can too!

A Diet-to-Go Success Story

Cathrine S. used to be too embarrassed to go outside for a walk.

She used to refuse to look at herself in the mirror.

She used to be prediabetic.

She used to weigh 331 pounds.

But today, at 50 years old and 5 feet 9 inches tall, she’s down 100 pounds to 231 — and she’s no longer any of the things she was a year ago.

“I had to do something drastic because I was scared. That’s what’s been so different about this time,” Cathrine said.

The Struggle

It started for Cathrine in December 2016, when she was walking into work and ran out of breath after stepping up just a few small stairs.

“I stopped and pretended to check my phone because I didn’t want to walk in and have my coworkers see me like that,” she said.

Cathrine already knew she was prediabetic after a doctor’s visit in November, but it was that moment that pushed her over the edge.

“I know portions, I know what healthy eating looks like. I just didn’t know how to put them into practice,” Cathrine said, adding that she was considering weight-loss surgery. “Instead, I started looking for something that I didn’t have to stop and prep a meal, something that wasn’t freeze dried, wasn’t full of preservatives, wasn’t powder.”

She quickly stumbled on Diet-to-Go.

 

The Diet-to-Go Solution

“With Diet-to-Go, I could choose from a number of different plans,” Cathrine said.

She started with the 1,200-calories-per-day Balance D plan, which is created specifically for people with pre- or Type 2 diabetes.

“It had fish. There were shrimp dishes. Everything had a protein, a grain, a fruit or vegetable. It was real food,” Cathrine said. “I had something interesting and different and really quite delicious each and every day, and all I had to do was heat it up.”

Cathrine added that, as a former smoker, she knew she could conquer her weight, but that she just needed the structure, variety and consistency afforded by Diet-to-Go meals to stay on-track.

And that’s exactly what she did. She downloaded the Lose It! app to her phone, which made it easy to log her Diet-to-Go meals and daily calorie intake and stuck to the 7-days-per-week, 3-meals-per-day plan.

She also rewarded herself along the way.

After losing 20 pounds, for example, Cathrine bought herself a new perfume.

“I started to feel more confident and didn’t mind if people noticed me anymore,” she said.

After 40, she bought new clothes. And with 70 pounds gone, Cathrine took an even bigger leap.

“My gift to myself was the gym,” she said. “I knew I needed to be exercising. Before I was at that point, I was too embarrassed to go for a walk in my neighborhood. I worried what people would think of me. I couldn’t walk quickly. There was no way I was going to a gym then.”

Now, Cathrine commits to exercising at the gym 30 to 45 minutes, 5 days a week, doing the elliptical, walking on the treadmill and lifting weights.

“What I’ve realized is that the big secret to weight loss is you have to eat fewer calories and exercise more,” she laughed.

Cathrine said she still has a little ways to go to reach her goal weight of about 200 pounds, but that she feels confident she can get there by sticking with Diet-to-Go and continuing her exercising.

“This time it was about saving myself,” she said. “I wouldn’t have been able to start this if I didn’t have Diet-to-Go, this tool. And then along the way I found the other tools to sustain it.”

How do YOU stay on-track with your weight loss? Help motivate others by sharing in the comments below!

* Weight loss results may vary. Results not guaranteed. 

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Author: Caitlin H
Diet-to-Go Community Manager

Caitlin is the Diet-to-Go community manager and an avid runner. She is passionate about engaging with others online and maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle. She believes moderation is key, and people will have the most weight loss success if they engage in common-sense healthy eating and fitness.

 

Diet-to-Go Success Stories

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