Interview with Janie

Everyone, meet Janie. I met her my freshman year at Utah State University. She's seriously the nicest person I've ever met. I loved living close to her! Janie is from Farmington, UT. She's an FCHD major and wants to be a high school counselor when she graduates. Her favorite healthy meal is a Subway sandwich loaded with veggies, and her guilty pleasure is Cadbury eggs (isn't everyone's?!) A fun fact about Janie is that she's a sucker for boy bands. N Sync, Backstreet boys, Jonas Brothers "love 'em all."

Janie shared with me her experience, struggles, and dieting secrets along her journey to success. Take a look!

When did you start your diet transformation and what was your "breaking point" that caused you to start?

In August Janie had lost 50 pounds!

I have always been overweight, even as a small child. Growing up I tried all kinds of diets. I did weight watchers several times and was successful, however the weight alway seemed to come back. High school is when I realized just how bad it was. I remember looking at my senior picture and thinking, "is this how I want to live my life?" I lost a little bit of weight that year, but after my freshman year of college, I had gained it all back and then some. I was mortified. I hated myself and the way I looked. That is really when I started. I signed up for a half marathon and began training for that. I cut down my portion sizes and cut out treats and fast food. I worked hard, and by the time I completed my first half marathon, I was down thirty pounds. That was about a year ago, and since then I have lost about 25 more through constant exercise and mindful eating. I still have about 50 more pounds to lose, but I'm so much happier with myself. I am confident in myself and have learned to accept my body. It has been the HARDEST journey of my life, but the most rewarding and life changing. And I am running my second half marathon in about a month!

Wow, thank you for sharing, Janie! And good job on another half marathon! I don't know how you do it!! Do you know why you seemed to put the weight back on?

Yes! Definitely. I would be super strict for a while, but as time went on, I would be more lax, and eventually just stop [dieting] all together.

At her heaviest, she was a size 19/20.
Here she is in single digits in March.

As you've watched yourself go through this transformation, what have you learned? about yourself? About dieting? What products work/don't? 

I have learned so much about myself. I have learned to love myself, to have confidence in my own abilities. I learned to be patient and to not expect immediate results. I have learned that it's ok to make mistakes, and it's not the end of the world if I don't eat perfectly that day, or if I don't exercise six times a week. I have learned that's it's about balance!

Very true. And you're still working on reaching your goals, right? Do you have any advice for those who are working hard to healthier and are learning to love their body?

Yes! Still working on many goals . My advice is to never give up. If you screw up, try again tomorrow! Start recognizing the small changes in your body. You won't have a six pack overnight, but the small changes you see, be proud of! Be proud of your body and be proud of your courage to become healthier and happier. It's YOUR body, so love it.

Is there anything else you'd like to share? Experiences, tips, do's and dont's, etc.

Tips that have worked for me: not eating after 9, drinking 64 ounces of water. (This was tricky for me at first, so I used propel packets and dumped them in my water. Made it easier to drink!) not bringing money to campus. (So I couldn't buy fast food/vending machine items. I also LOVE the light progressive soups. You can eat the whole can and not feel guilty! 

WAY TO GO JANIE!!!!!