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'I Lost Over 120 Pounds' - Zann's Story

The story of a Roxborough resident who took the weight off and is still going.

I first saw Zann at the Roxborough YMCA two summers ago, where she worked as a summer camp counselor.  I guessed that she weighed near 300 pounds, and was surprised that, at that weight, she could keep up with kids in that setting. 

The following spring, I signed my kids up for their first swim lessons. To my surprise, Zann was their instructor. She did a great job and looked quite at home in the water. 

Swimming is a Catch 22 exercise for overweight people. On the  one hand, it is the best exercise for them because movement in water takes stress of excess weight off of joints and bones. However, most overweight individuals hate being seen in bathing suits.

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So from a health perspective,  I was secretly delighted to see Zann in the pool. And she proved to be a great swim instructor for my kids. They fell in love with her. 

As time passed, I saw Zann in the pool a lot, and on the elliptical machine in the cardio room, now and again. Our schedules at the gym were different so I didn't see her every day. 

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But, when I did see her, it seemed there was less of her. So I asked if she'd been losing weight and she said, "Yup! Sixty pounds so far!"

Now, she has been on a weight loss eating and exercise routine for six months, and she has lost more than 120 pounds. Or should I say, she has released more than 120 pounds, for when we "lose" something, we often want it back. But when we release something, we let it go, and in this case, hopefully never welcome it back.

So here is her story. I hope it inspires all of us to be healthier.  

Zann was "always chubby as a kid," as she put it. But her serious weight problems began after a back injury. Not only did the injury decrease her activity level, it required a number of painful procedures. 

Her parents did what many parents do: they rewarded her successful completion of painful procedures with food–usually the fat and sweet kind. Zann thinks that this was the beginning of what became her own pattern of rewarding herself with food.  

As she gained weight she had highs and lows of any kid–"riding bikes, climbing trees, catching lizards." But she also was "constantly teased" due to her weight. 

The sad truth is that kids are brutal. I've said it before, and I'll say it again–as parents, there are two reasons we should be conscientious about our kids' nutrition and eating habits:  for their physical health and their mental health. 

Fat kids get bullied. Its not right. It's downright awful for any kid to bully another, (or any adult to mock another), but why feed mean kids ammunition? We can tell our children all day that words are just words, but we're lying. Words hurt.  

Twenty years from now, your child's scraped knees and black eyes will be gone, but the damage done by words can be lasting.  Zann is willing to be honest about how lonely and isolated she felt. Even when well meaning adults like her school nurse tried to help her, it simply made her feel more alone. 

If you love your child, the last thing you want for them is to be mocked. Being overly obsessed with "skinny" is no better. It puts undue pressure on children (usually girls) and puts the focus on vanity instead of health.  

Speaking of health, that is the other reason we should be eating healthy and teaching our kids to eat healthy. The more pounds over a healthy weight range we carry on our bodies, the harder we are making our organs work. The heart has to work harder to pump blood, the liver has to work harder to remove toxins of too much and/or bad food, the intestines are stressed and overtaxed,  and the joints of feet, knees, and spine are under constant over-strain, just to name a few issues. 

The more overweight a person becomes the greater the risk becomes of acquiring both minor and major health problems. Also, with a bad diet, the immune system is compromised and the person becomes more susceptible to contagious ailments, allergies, and more. 

Though Zann is in her mid 20's, she never really experienced weight related health issues until recently. But I am certain that though they may not have shown themselves, had she not begun to take healthy action, they would have eventually shown themselves in an ugly way.

Now that Zann has come to a point in her life when she was ready to do whatever needed to be done to change her life, (even gastric bypass surgery), what is it that she is doing to loose the weight and get healthy? 

Before taking the drastic step of surgery, she decided to try one last dieting option.  She contacted a nutrition counselor and began using Herbalife Products. Herbalife has an excellent reputation and has been providing cutting edge products for more than 20 years. What is her regimen?  Well, I'll let her tell you herself.

  • Patch:  What Herbalife products do you use? 
  • Zann: I use the Healthy Meal Replacement Formula 1 shaken mix, as well as the PDM (protein drink mix) for added protein. I am also on most supplements that herbalife offers, such as multivitamins, the rmobond “fat reducers," aminogen “protein absorbers” etc. I am on an advanced program. My coaching and accountability comes directly from Narberth Nutrition (Meg and Paul Lile) who are distributors of Herbalife.
  • Patch. What is your basic daily eating routine? 
  • Zann: Currently, I drink four to five Herbalife meal replacement shakes a day, as well as have a sensible meal. I generally substitute simple carbs with other things. For example, spaghetti made with spaghetti squash instead of standard pasta. I snack if needed. If I choose to snack, I usually have some form of high protein yogurt like Chobani mixed with a scoop of the Herbalife PDM, making that snack 31 grams of protein. Lean protein is the center of everything I eat. On top of the foods I eat, I also drink a gallon of water and a gallon of Herbalife green tea in a single day.
  • Patch: How often do you exercise, and what type of exercise do you do?
  • Zann: I exercise four days in a row, then take a day off, then four days in a row. I felt it was the most reasonable, yet challenging for my body. I initially started with swimming to be easier on the joints, ( I have swam since I was about 3 months old), then I moved to the elliptical and now I am currently running often. Usually two to three miles daily. I also do forms of toning such as crunches and even more extensive core work. Most of my weight remains in my core. I also do back work 3 of the 4 days, consists of both cardio and toning, and one day only consisting of cardio.

It is not easy to loose weight. Fortunately for Zann, she has always been an active person. So it was the issue of food that had to be addressed. For others, it is the issue of exercise. And still for others, it is both. 

But as i close out my six-week series on weight loss, (or as a friend recently corrected me, "weight release,")  I'd like to give an interesting insight from Zann's life experience with obesity.  

She says, "if there is any message I’d like to send...using the terms “fat,” “grotesquely obese,” or talking about obesity as an epidemic are only directing the problem with obesity into a negative arena. I feel strongly that by referring to this issue in the forms that the media has, the “fight” against obesity is counterproductive. People are prompted to change and develop good nutrition through success and encouragement, rather than the negative implications put on them as a whole in society. This negative stereotype towards overweight individuals is generally what gave me the desire to not lose weight."

I have found this concept true of animals, and of people alike. When I trained dogs, if one ran away and i beat it, it would run away again. However, if it ran away and I shook a box of treats, it came running.

Children are similar. When we reward them for doing good, they will do good more often, and we will not have to worry so much about punishing the bad. We adults are really not much different. We all like the reward of a job well done. Whether we want the praise, the attention, a monetary reward, or something else, only two things really motivate us: fear and reward. And as Zann so insightfully pointed out, we may have far more success by using an encouraging approach, a cheer and positive words, instead of constantly talking down or badly about so many overweight people who are our neighbors, friends, family, or ourselves.  

As a human being, you are a unique and wonderful creation. Your existence is a miracle. Celebrate yourself no matter what shape you're in, but love yourself enough to begin and maintain healthy habits. Love those who love you enough to make yourself healthy for them. You can do it.

You can see Zann's blog here and learn how to contact her nutrition coaches for more information on Herbalife. 

Namaste.

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