People 'Half Their Size' Issue Features SparkPeople Member's 177-Pound Weight Loss *

By , SparkPeople Blogger
People magazine has just released a new "Half Their Size" issue, and this one is bigger and better than ever. The entire publication is dedicated to weight loss and featured some amazing success stories along with various diet plans, workout plans and healthy recipes for ideas and inspiration.
 
We are thrilled to announce that a long-time SparkPeople member, Brandy (BBANGEL1214), is featured in the issue. Brandy credits the supportive online Community at SparkPeople as making a big difference in her 177-pound weight loss. Way to go, Brandy!
 
We recently caught up with Brandy to celebrate her magazine debut. Here's what shared some tips from her journey to losing more than half her weight.

Calories Count
"What worked for me was going back to basics: no gimmicks or fads. Since I had been heavy my whole life I had to figure out how to be healthy by eating right and working out. So I started with just calorie counting. You have to track calories on SparkPeople every day even on your cheat days. I didn't eliminate anything totally from my diet because I knew I could never stick with it if I did. Having 'cheat days' served to keep me sane and so I didn't feel deprived. It also gave me a good reality check of just how many calories are in those splurge foods and how quickly they add up."
 
Making Fitness Fun
"I found ways to make exercising fun and found classes I loved to help keep me motivated. My first love was Spinning and still is. I also challenged myself to do a 5K and now have done a few—with all the fun runs that our now available no one should be scared to try one! I got married last year and my husband does Brazilian jiu-jitsu so my new obsessions are sparring and fight training."
 
Getting Started
"One thing I always tell people who are just starting out is that no one in the gym is paying attention to you. We are all in the gym because there is something about ourselves we want to change. So we are too busy comparing ourselves to the person we want to look like and be than to anyone else."
 
Staying Motivated
"For me it was important to remember that numbers don't define you. It isn't about the number on the scale or the pace time for my run. The goal is to be healthy, to feel better, and to live a life without limiting myself because of my weight."
 

Brandy (after losing 177 pounds) got to meet SparkGuy in New York a few years ago!

 
Please join us in congratulating Brandy! Be sure to pick up a copy of People's "Ultimate Diet Guide," which is on newsstands through July 4, 2014.

* Weight loss results will vary from person to person. No individual result should be seen as a typical result of following the SparkPeople program.