I’m from Atlanta and am married with three elementary school age kids. I work in manufacturing and enjoy being with my family when I’m not at work.
I have been healthy for most of my life. After some difficult family issues, I found it was harder to keep the weight off, and I was overindulging in food and drink. I wanted to regain control of my food choices.
Mostly, I tried exercising and some do-it-yourself fitness apps. They helped a little, but I did not get great traction. I felt like I was ready for a change, but didn’t really know how to make it happen. The self-guided approach was not getting me where I wanted to go. I had to come to terms with the fact that extra support and direction might be the difference between change and status quo.
From the start, the goal with CSF was to integrate good habits into my life so that I could sustain them long term. CSF gave me the knowledge I needed as well as the application to my life and habits. We learned a little at a time and didn’t try to make enormous change quickly. It was a very methodical process, and we used the tools that were comfortable to me.
I was a little skeptical at first, but I started to see weight and inches come off and stay off. The app was a very helpful tool to help me see the progress I was making and to connect my actions to the results. I am back in control of how I take care of my body. I can still enjoy food, but I also know how to make healthy decisions. It is a great feeling to be in control and to know that I’m taking better care of my body.
What I have learned, and I will continue doing even after working with CSF, is that calories count! It was very helpful to learn that I can make big changes just by being aware of what I was eating and the accumulated calories. I could use it like a budget and still splurge at the right time. I learned how to add protein into my diet. Carbs and fats weren’t hard, but I had to be intentional about the protein. Use the scale. Weighing myself is an easy way to maintain progress. I can monitor the effects of my diet and activity and make changes accordingly.
I lost over 20 lbs. and got as low as my weight at high school graduation. In that process, I lost several inches off of my waist and had to get some new clothes. I think I would have continued to try do-it -myself action plans that had small effect. It’s frustrating to try and fail repeatedly. Getting some wins is very helpful to building confidence.
Give it a try. You have to want to change. If you really want to change, CSF can help guide you down the path. It’s much easier to get someone to help you than it is to figure everything out on your own. It’s also nice to have someone pulling for you.
