Before: 230 pounds
After: 145 pounds
Height: 5'3"
Age: 26
Logan Stringfellow, 26, first started really losing her battle of the bulge after having a baby. It wasn’t just the baby weight that got her in trouble—she also started eating worse and moving less. Her activities revolved around watching movies with her daughter, followed by fast food for dinner.
It became a vicious cycle—Logan’s weight gain and body image issues prevented her from leaving the house to do anything, which subsequently made her gain more weight.
“I had portion control issues as well as bad habits such as eating late at night,” she says. Logan could easily eat half a pizza washed down with a liter of Pepsi, and when she ordered from a burger joint she’d get a super-sized meal, followed by another burger.
“I knew that I was overdoing it, but food was my outlet and that’s what most satisfied me,” she says.
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The Turning Point
On New Years Eve 2009, Logan—then 230 pounds—resolved to make a change for 2010.
“I was tired of not being able to do the things I loved and feeling self-conscious about the way I looked. I had a young child and I didn't want her to end up like me,” Logan says. “I wanted her to have an active lifestyle and eat healthy, but I realized I had to teach myself those things first.”
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The Lifestyle
Logan had dieted before but would typically give up when she didn’t see changes in a week. This time, Logan knew that if she was going to drop the pounds for good, she would have to pace herself. “It took me years to gain all of that weight, and it was likely going to take me years to shed the pounds,” she says.
To start, she made small changes to her diet, such as giving up soda and not eating after 6:30 p.m. (Does eating at night make you gain weight?) Setting small exercise goals got her moving more, too. At first Logan would walk on the treadmill for 15 minutes twice a week. Slowly she started increasing her time, then the speed. She began noticing a difference in her body, but had her “breakthrough” when she saw a commercial for Turbo Jam and ordered the DVDs.
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“That was the moment when things started clicking for me,” she said. “I knew I needed to keep it interesting to not lose motivation. After I started using the DVDs, I really began to lose the weight.”
Over the course of a year she continued with her eating and exercise plan, making slight modifications when necessary to cut out a bad habit or step up her workout routine.
The Motivation
Logan is proud to tell people she’s not on a diet—she’s on a lifestyle change. She loves being able to go hiking or to the local amusement park with her daughter.
“I got rid of my TV, and my entertainment now is bike riding, skiing, rollerblading, walking, running, hiking, and swimming,” she says. “I try to keep on the move instead of sitting on the couch for extended periods of time.”
Diagnosed with thyroid cancer in September 2010, Logan initially regained 30 pounds because it affected her ability to work out. Now she’s back exercising and isn’t letting anything knock her off course. “If I have a bad day or even a week when I have fallen off the wagon, I just make a new goal for the following week. Setting small goals helps me not to get too overwhelmed,” she says.
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The Reward
A customer service rep, Logan doesn’t see many of her coworkers for months at a time, and she got a kick seeing them face to face after her transformation.
“It’s been a nice confidence booster seeing and hearing the reactions of my members when they see me now,” she said. “Everyone wants to know how I did it and I am proud when I tell my story.”
But even more rewarding is spending time with her daughter in a healthy way.
“I don’t feel like I’m missing out on life anymore,” she says.
Logan’s Tips
Go to sleep. “If I'm pulling the vulture move in the kitchen by constantly going in and out, and opening and closing the refrigerator door, I go to bed. I figure if I'm asleep I won’t eat.”
Satisfy your cravings. “I still find myself wanting something sweet from time to time. I normally try to keep dried fruit around somewhere, or sometimes I’ll substitute just one sugar-free cookie instead of a piece of chocolate and usually that helps relieve my sweet need.”
Exercise where you’re comfortable. “I feel like I can lose more weight if I go all out—if I were at a gym I think I would be self-conscious and not able to do my moves the way I like to.”
