My name is Connie Chan (@conniechacha), and I am 34 years old. I am from Los Angeles and am a current stay-at-home mom. After trying various fad diets and failing to lose weight, I started working with a health coach, who taught me the importance of meal prepping.
I have struggled with my weight all my life up until my 30s. From age 19, I was gaining about 10 pounds a year. In between the years, my clothes would stop fitting and I would try a new trendy diet or juice cleanse to lose weight quickly, but give up the next week. I repeated this cycle every other month. I was almost 300 pounds at age 29.
Although I had no physical health issues, I was mentally unhealthy. I would constantly have mean conversations in my head about myself.
That changed after I joined an online personal development seminar in October 2016.
It really helped me with shifting perspectives. In February 2017, I let go of my ego and reached out to my friend Blaine Strong, who is a health coach, for support. I was sick and tired of seeing someone I no longer recognized in the mirror, and figured someone with muscle could probably help me shed a pound or two. I was very embarrassed to ask,but I knew I only had two choices: stay the same, or change.
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I talked to Blaine about my goal of wanting to lose 100 pounds before my 30th birthday.
He told me it would be hard work and helped me create an eating plan. We incorporated more protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats into my diet.
The worst parts of any diet for me were being very restrictive, eating the same foods on repeat, and having food that tastes bland. Through our meal planning and prepping, I learned how to make healthy substitutions for my favorite foods with a lot of trial and error. Learning what was actually a balanced meal and cooking it with flavor helped keep me on track.
I started with one small step to incorporate into my daily routine. I started to wake up 5 minutes earlier to make a protein shake for breakfast. This was a huge, attainable goal for me because I used to always skip breakfast.
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Once I got the hang of making my shake, I incorporated meal prepping my lunches for work. If I were to go out to eat, I would choose a salad with dressing on the side over fries. Eventually, I was able to turn down the barrage of birthday cakes, Donut Fridays, and other desserts at work. I knew that every choice I made could bring me closer to or further away from my goal.
Here’s what I eat in a day.
- Breakfast: Herbalife protein shake
- Lunch: Adobo-seasoned chicken breast with a warm arugula, butternut squash, carrot, and beet salad tossed in balsamic vinegar (add walnuts or sliced almonds for a crunch)
- Snacks: A protein bar or fresh fruit
- Dinner: Baked balsamic salmon with ¼ cup of brown rice and broccoli
- Dessert: Plain Greek yogurt with a honey drizzle and fresh fruit, or a really thick protein shake so it tastes like ice cream
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When I started on this health journey, I joined a yoga for athletes class every Monday.
I enjoyed the flow of things, going at your own pace, and the challenge it gave me. After three months and not seeing more progress, a friend suggested that I incorporate HIIT classes.
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I started once a week and built up my endurance. After a year, I was taking six classes a week and even started to lead a workout station on the beach!Now, a typical week for me involves going on YouTube or my friend’s IG pages to follow workouts they create. I also wrangle a very active 30-pound toddler daily.
These three changes helped make my weight loss journey a success.
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I lost 100 pounds, and it took me one year and 11 months.
I initially started my weight loss journey because I felt so physically unattractive. I was tired of hiding behind angled selfies, asking friends to delete photos that showed my body, and avoiding people I hadn’t seen in years because I feared being judged.
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On this journey, I really learned to love and value myself at a higher level. I got to build self-confidence and release old insecurities. I stopped letting the scale determine my value. I was truly able to be my true, authentic self. This led to me finding the love of my life, getting married, and having a beautiful baby.
There were a million times I wanted to give up and quit because I wasn’t seeing results fast enough or I always had “life” happening to me.I’m so glad I never gave up on myself because of all the amazing things that came out of one goal.
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