Hi! I’m Arielle.
Between May 2015 and now, I’ve lost 85 pounds, dropped five sizes, ran a
10K, and learned a ton about healthy lifestyle changes.
Arielle Calderon
Here’s an honest (and extremely vulnerable) account of the steps I took and the things that surprised me along the way.
1. First I signed up for Weight Watchers and started off slow.
I’ve been yo-yo dieting all my life, and the two biggest mistakes I have made again and again are this:
1. Telling myself, “The diet starts tomorrow” and bingeing on all my favorite foods.
2. Giving things up cold turkey and depriving myself of foods I love.
The main reason I signed up for Weight Watchers is because it’s about
an overall change beyond the scale, not just losing weight. The program
is based on a points system that focuses on more than solely calories.
Foods like fruits and vegetables are zero points, lean meats are very
low points, and anything with added sugar is very high. Basically Weight
Watchers encourages fresh, real food rather than processed crap — but
you can still eat your pizza and drink your alcohol — the key is to do
it all in moderation and find healthy substitutes.
2.
I stopped the dangerous habit of restrictive calorie-counting (a road I
have been down before) and focused on a healthy lifestyle.
During my sophomore year of college, I
lost 40 pounds. I looked great, I received endless compliments, I felt
more confident than ever before — but in reality, I was miserable. I
restricted myself to 400 calories a day, I did one hour on the
elliptical seven days a week, and I popped diet pills like clockwork. I
remember weighing myself every morning and being upset if I hadn’t lost a
pound. In a DAY. I became so obsessed with limiting myself that I
wasn’t actually living my life, and the pressure of it became so
intense because of the attention it came with. Everyone was happy for me
and impressed, not even second-guessing that my very rapid weight loss
was the effect of a dangerously unhealthy diet.
It is no surprise that I gained it all back, plus more. That’s because I wasn’t focused on being
healthy;
I was focused on losing weight. Do I still get bummed if I gain? Of
course, but I take it week by week and reflect on what I ate or how much
I exercised and make small adjustments if need be. I also know that my
body
feels so much better because I am taking care of it. It’s important to look at the bigger picture, not just a number on a scale.
3. I followed the three most common pieces of advice when it comes to weight loss: tracking food, activity, and water intake.
Tracking food: As I do follow
Weight Watchers, the point is to track all your food — even the splurges
you don’t want to admit to (everyone is assigned a weekly allowance for
this purpose). It’s good to honestly track what’s actually going in
your body so you can manage portion control and stay accountable. For a
week, I also wrote down my level of hungriness every time I ate, which
helped me control “boredom cravings.” If you are not with a program or
using an app, you can also track your food with a journal or
spreadsheet.
Tracking activity: Getting an Apple Watch is actually what
kick-started my journey because I was finally taking note of how much I
moved. Obviously devices like this and FitBit are expensive, but you can
always use
free apps to help you track your steps and other exercises.
Tracking water intake: Hydrating is so, so important! Often when you think you’re hungry, you’re actually just thirsty. I downloaded the
Plant Nanny
app, which prompts you to enter your body info and lets you plant cute
flowers as you drink more water. It also has push notifications so you
can always see how many glasses you have left to drink in the day.
4. I finally started eating legit breakfast, not just a piece of fruit.
For most of my life, I never ate
breakfast — I just drank a Diet Coke and maybe munched on a banana. I
thought the less I ate, the more weight I would lose, but eating more
has actually helped me. Having meals like an omelette with fruit keep me full longer, and I stopped snacking on random (bad) foods throughout the day.
5. I skipped the gym at first and opted for walking instead.
Arielle Calderon
I was not a gym person, and I knew
that trying to eat healthy AND exercise heavily every day would be too
much for me at once. Instead, I decided to move more by walking
everywhere, which isn’t hard in NYC. I brought my sneakers to work in a
backpack and changed into them — while wearing a dress — and walked
60-plus blocks home. The first time felt like an eternity, but the more I
did it, and the easier the routes I discovered, I came to enjoy this
(mostly) peaceful hour to myself.
And walking a lot is what helped me get into running later down the road. The baby steps count!
6. I didn’t give up on myself when times got rough.
A little less than two months into my
journey, I found myself crying hysterically on a subway train. I was
wearing a nice dress, my hair was curled, and I was carrying flowers and
boxes. A man offered me his seat, which I figured was because a) I was a
woman and he was being nice, or b) I was carrying a lot of stuff and he
was being nice. I smiled at the gesture until he said, “You should sit
since you’re pregnant.” It was my birthday.
To know that your weight has inconvenienced you in so many areas in
your life — whether it’s struggling to fit in a theater seat, hoping
your seatbelt will close on an airplane, or not doing fun activities
that depend on a weight limit — and then to hear strangers point it out
in this subtle, good-intentioned way, is heartbreaking. It was just
another reminder of the shame I carried from my unhealthy habits. But
instead of sobbing into a pint of ice cream, I called my mom and cooked
dinner. I took the blow and moved on. It took an enormous amount of
effort, but it also made me stronger.
On another note: PEOPLE, ***NEVER*** ASSUME A WOMAN IS PREGNANT.
7. I stopped ordering Seamless and forced myself to learn how to cook my favorite foods with healthy substitutes.
Arielle Calderon
This was a huge change for me; I used
to order delivery three to five times per week, I always ate lunch out,
and my extent of “cooking” was heating up soup on the stove top. I did
not even know how to chop vegetables.
I started off simple and watched a ton of videos on how to cook very
basic things like Brussels sprouts and shrimp. I even YouTubed how to
properly cut apples. Now I cook every day, bring my own lunch to work,
and experiment with healthy swaps. I was surprised to see how easy and
satisfying it was to replace pasta with
zoodles and
spaghetti squash, burgers with turkey burgers, and rice and potatoes with
cauliflower. And once I discovered
PB2,
I was pretty much ruined for life (in the best way possible). Also,
just to be clear, I definitely still eat rice, pasta, and potatoes. I
just look at the swaps as a different meal option.
For some amazing Weight Watchers-friendly recipes, check out
SkinnyTaste and
Emily Bites. I have also been inspired by
Tasty videos, but I change the ingredients around a bit to make it healthier.
8. I did my research and learned that added sugar is the goddamn devil.
While this may seem obvious to many
people, I was not aware how horrible added sugar actually is. To believe
that you can cut all added sugar is bullshit in my opinion (it is
literally in everything), but lowering the intake has so many benefits. I
no longer crave cheesecakes and brownies, I don’t feel like I need a
dessert with every meal, and my constant headaches have stopped (though I
do not know if this is a direct correlation).
According to the
American Heart Association,
women should eat a max of 30 grams (6 teaspoons) of added sugar per
day. The average American eats about 100 grams (20 teaspoons) of added
sugar per day. There are 39 grams of sugar in ONE CAN OF COKE ALONE. If
you haven’t already, cut soda. Your body will thank you.
Anyway, added sugar is unavoidable, but if you lower your intake and
focus more on natural sugar — such as fruits, honey, and milk — that is
better for you.
9. And I learned that protein is the sweet, sweet angel.
Protein keeps you full, so I look for
foods that have a high protein content and low sugar content. While
people tend to associate protein with meat, you can also get a healthy
dose from beans, yogurt, eggs, cheese, nuts, and seeds.
10. I learned to celebrate non-scale victories.
Arielle Calderon
While it’s definitely a motivator to
see the scale move down, it’s really about the other victories that make
the lifestyle change so much more worth it. Things like being able to
run a 10K, reaching
ONEderland, finally shopping at places other than Lane Bryant; those little things are incredible measures of success.
11. About four months into my lifestyle change, I quit drinking — but not intentionally.
Arielle Calderon
This is actually one of the hardest
parts of my weight loss journey, but not because I miss alcohol; it’s
because people will NOT LEAVE ME ALONE ABOUT IT.
I never set out to quit because of calories or points, I just slowed
down and noticed how much better my body felt without booze. It’s a real
bummer to see how much my social life revolves around drinking, but I
have just as much fun when I’m not taking shots at the bar. People are
absolutely
convinced that I am not having fun or that I’m being
too restrictive because I won’t have a beer. This is a personal choice,
and I promise that I am enjoying myself. (Especially because it’s
cheaper and there are no hangovers!)
So if you are thinking about quitting drinking, just remember that you are doing this for
you
and not other people! And if you do want to continue drinking, that is
OK too! You are allowed to enjoy life the way you want to — just be
smart about it.
12. When I finally felt comfortable enough to work out, I joined a gym and tried a bunch of classes.
Arielle Calderon
I joined
Crunch Gym
about five months after I started Weight Watchers. I stuck to the
elliptical at first since that was my comfort zone, but I eventually got
the
C25K app
and began running on the treadmill. After I got into a groove, I took
some classes at the gym (Zumba, spinning, cardio dance, strength
training, etc.). And after months of always making fun of SoulCycle, I
finally did a class and actually
loved it. They turn the lights off and you can just jam without feeling self-conscious. I also did a
Hamilton-themed ride and I’m pretty sure it changed my life.
13. I don’t sacrifice my social life — I just plan healthier meals and snacks around it.
Arielle Calderon
Part of a balanced lifestyle also
includes mental health. You can’t spend all your time worrying about
what you will eat or when you will work out (which I am still partly
guilty of). But I will often make dinner before going out and pack a
snack in my purse so I can eat when I’m hungry and not feel terrible
about it.
When going to restaurants, I look at the menu ahead of time and stick
to veggies and lean meats. I’d rather not always do salads, so a turkey
burger is usually my go-to.
14. On days when I feel like the same girl from eight months ago, I look at before and after pictures.
When you see your body every day,
it’s hard to notice changes. And if you’re a bigger person, it’s even
more difficult to see significant transformations in the mirror. That is
why you must depend on those non-scale victories and take a look at how
far you’ve come!
If you are just starting out, take progress pictures! I was a
classified expert at hiding my body with a purse or another human being,
and now I regret it. It’s also refreshing to see how much happier and
more confident you are in later pics.
15. I relied on support from the Weight Watchers Connect feature.
In November/December of 2015, Weight
Watchers changed its plan from Points Plus to Smart Points, as well as
added this new Connect feature. It has been a total game changer.
Members can post success stories, relatable struggles, ask for
advice, share recipes, and more. I do the online program, so this is a
great way for me to get the support of IRL meetings without dishing out
the extra cash.
16. I took the hard but important step of donating all my old clothes.
I just did this recently, and it was
one of the most terrifying things I’ve had to do to date. People tell me
all the time about their friend who lost a bunch of weight and gained
it all back, a story I know all too well. I had planned to keep my
plus-size clothes “just in case,” but that is the wrong mentality. I
have to look forward, not back. I think I will always have this constant
fear of returning to old habits and spiraling out of control, but I am
hopeful that I will persevere because I made the effort to change my
overall mental and physical health.
17. I’m finally learning to love myself.
Arielle Calderon
This is the hardest challenge of all.
I have never been happy with my body, and it has limited me from having
so many amazing life experiences. I still have a good amount of weight I
would like to lose, but I’m finally starting to feel comfortable in my
skin. I feel I am working toward the person I deserve to be. I
will continue to aim for my goal weight, and possibly start some
personal training to get me to the next level, but I will not cut
calories or starve myself for a meal if I’m not losing as much as I want
to. It’s all about balance.
So if you are looking to make a lifestyle change, or perhaps you’ve
already begun, just remember to do this for yourself because you
want to
— not because you feel pressured to. If you are truly happy with your
mind, body, and soul, OWN IT. If you are putting on a facade to hide
your unhappiness, then maybe it’s time to take control. Don’t let anyone
or anything bring you down — just take it slow and enjoy the ride. It’s
not a race!
If you want to keep up with my weight loss journey, you can follow me on Instagram.
And should you have any personal questions, you can email me at ariellesweightloss@gmail.com. :)