Véronique Desjardins
24, Montreal
POUNDS DROPPED: 70
My turning point: In the fall of 2010, the last year of my bachelors degree, I was 235 lbs. I told myself that I couldn’t present myself to the “real world” after graduation like this. I had watched The Biggest Loser – when they compare their body’s age to their real age, and I just said to myself: I can’t stay like this – this is the start of my life.
My method: I told my parents about my goal to lose weight – they made me sign a contract to myself that I would not break this vow, no matter how hard it would get. I signed up for a gym membership and got a trainer. We started with muscle and cardio training once a week and I did about three cardio sessions on my own, plus yoga once a week. I started doing spinning and boxing at the gym, too – they’re still my favourite activities. When a few friends at work challenged me to do a sprint triathlon in May, it made me train even harder. I had a lot of support from them and my family. They encouraged me to push forward when I wanted to give up.
I started keeping a food journal, as well. I used a smartphone app that tells you how many calories are in a portion size. I was overeating by a lot – too much cheese, too much bread! I started to measure everything I was eating for the first few months. What you eat and how much of you eat – it’s crucial. It doesn’t matter how much exercise you do, if you don’t eat well you won’t lose weight.
Today I am 165 lbs – I feel beautiful, but I still need to lose weight to be in the healthy BMI index (Yes, even with all that work, I am not there yet!)
My kryptonite: I still crave chips on a Friday afternoon at work. And cheese – any time, anywhere.
Tell us how you lost it: tgam.ca/weightloss
