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By Cathy Cox
eDiets Contributor
In February 2009, Gina teamed up with eDiets as part of the Make Me Over Program – a partnership between ExerciseTV and eDiets.com. We jointly selected 4 participants to take part in a 12 week weight loss challenge. Each participant received 12 weeks of the 7-Day Fresh Prepared Meal Delivery Program, weekly consultations with an eDiets Nutritionist along with customized workouts and weekly training sessions with a trainer from ExerciseTV.
At the age of 36, battling depression and starting her life over after splitting from her husband, Gina was tired of being “uncomfortable” with her now 217lb body. She told us, “The one thing that motivates me is to no longer feel uncomfortable. My clothes are always too tight, my legs rub together and sweat, my arm pits get rashes, and my self esteem has been dramatically affected with my weight issue. I know what it feels like to be thin and I can’t wait to feel that again.“ Gina had been a Fitness Director at a gym, and taught Spinning and other group fitness classes for a number of years. One of her big goals in addition to the weight loss was to be able to get back to that.
With the Make Me Over program, Gina was well on her way! In 12 weeks she lost 30lbs and was feeling ready and motivated to lose another 30. During those 12 weeks, Gina was very strict with herself, she never enjoyed a glass of wine (one of her favorite hobbies!) or time out with friends and family, so she says when the program ended, she hit a bit of a stumbling block. She says she felt like the strict part of the program was over, and she took a break from the meal plan. Gina admits that she went a little crazy, but after a few months she realized she was putting some of the weight back on, when she still had more to lose!
That was a bit of a lightbulb moment for Gina. She says, “I learned from that that I have to do it in a way that I know I can do for the rest of my life. I can’t be the all-or-nothing girl anymore. You gotta change your life, not just a few weeks!“ She goes on to say, “Don’t deprive, I learned you can’t deprive, because then you go crazy. eDiets doesn’t deprive you, it CAN be the way you live, it teaches you how to change your life.”
Once Gina put it all together, she got back on track and switched herself to the 5-Day Fresh Prepared Meal Delivery Program, so she could start to learn about incorporating and preparing her own foods as she continued to lose. Gina says, “I really don’t like to cook, I’m not good at it and I don’t enjoy it. Having the meals delivered made it easy, so I didn’t have to think about it. I know, from being in the [fitness] industry, that 70% of your success is determined by what you put in your mouth. To have it already prepared…how easy is that? I didn’t have to think about it, it was a blessing. Exercise…I have a passion for that, but food is not. The program played a HUGE role, I would not have this success without it.”
And just how much of a success is Gina? Today she’s lost an amazing 60lbs and full of life and more energy than ever before. Gina’s cholesterol dropped so dramatically her Doctor had to ask her what she’d been doing! In January of 2010, Gina started preparing her own meals and using eDiet’s Glycemic Impact Plan. She’s learning to cook, try, and enjoy new foods that she otherwise says she probably wouldn’t have, and enjoys a healthy balanced lifestyle (that includes the occasional glass of wine). Best of all, she’s been re-certified as a group fitness instructor, opened her own business teaching a boot camp in her home town, AND starting teaching Spin classes again! Gina’s energy and passion for helping others achieve their goals is evident in her eyes and when she speaks, she is deeply commited to helping others feel as good as she does. With a few (happy) tears, Gina says, “You just never think when you start something like this but…I’ve inspired so many people…it is just so satisfying, worth more than anything to be that for other people. I had 4 people from my boot camp run their first 5k and I got to stand there and watch them finish…it was so amazing!”
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