How Do You Lose Weight & Keep It Off?

A childhood of obesity coupled with constant teasing is something health and wellness consultant and author of Half My Size: How I Ate To Lose 150lbs, Caroline Jhingory and I have in common. But that’s not all. We all also share the victory of taking back our health and making a message out of our former misery and struggle.

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With that said, I love her story and am honored to share her weight loss testimony with you. So whether you are trying to lose 10 lbs or 100 lbs, know this: your personal success is on the way. May this interview inspire you, motivate you and prove to you that you too can kick unwanted pounds to the curb.

HelloBeautiful: I often say to my clients and followers that “the body follows the mind.” What moment initiated your journey toward weight loss?

Caroline Jhingory: That “what moment” was really an accumulation of “ah ha moments.” One day a combination of feeling sick and tired of being the “fat girl” and my doctor telling me that at 5’2 and 300lbs, I was pre-diabetic just hit me like a brick. Spending nearly 20 years of my life as morbidly obese, the world had truly made me feel as if I had a deformity or I was some sort of 8^th class citizen. I wanted to change this.

HB: That’s incredible! So how much weight did you lose and how long did it take you to lose it?

CJ: At my heaviest, I reached 307lbs on a 5’2 frame, and I lost over 150lbs. It took me a year and half to lose the weight and learn how to keep it off.

HB: What keep you motivated along the way?

CJ: My motivation came from all over. Positive acknowledgment of my progress from friends and family, the constant “aww baby you look so good.” Also, instead of constantly weighing myself I would buy dresses and jeans a few sizes too small. I would mark my success by being able to eventually fit into these items.

HB: That’s excellent. I love that! I too am a huge fan of not becoming number obsessed, so using clothes as a motivator is great. What other tips would you give someone trying to lose weight?

CJ: Weight loss is not solely a process of getting rid of the unhealthy food in your cabinets and fridge…you must also get rid of the unhealthy people in your life and unhealthy ways in which you speak to yourself. Most overweight individuals consider themselves emotional eaters or food addicts. Successful weight loss only happens when you give a pink slip to the negative people and situations in your life.

HB: I know that’s right! Again, “the body follows the mind!” So tell me, what’s your secret weapon when it comes to keeping the weight off then?

CJ: No real secret. I forced healthy eating and regular exercise to become a regimented part of my life just like taking a bath, brushing my teeth or calling my mama everyday.

HB: So it’s a habit. Excellent. Speaking of habits, what is your favorite way to get in exercise/physical activity?

C: My favorite form of exercise is riding my bicycle around the streets of Washington, DC (my hometown). From the Tidal Basin through Georgia Avenue, it gives me such clarity and perfect peace. It also allows me to cross train with the power walks that I do on my treadmill. When on the treadmill, I zone out by watching reality shows. It is my guilty pleasure and helps the time on the treadmill breeze by.

HB: Fun! So, how has your relationship with exercise changed throughout this journey?

CJ: Overeating, binge eating and being a food addict to the fullest were my unhealthy addictions. Exercise has become my replacement healthy addiction. If I miss too many days working out, I am a total beyotch.

HB: What is your favorite meal/dish?

CJ: My favorite meal, which I don’t eat often is my father’s curry chicken, cook-up rice and roti. But my favorite good girl meal is a juicy piece of grilled salmon and asparagus.

HB: So glad you said this. People think they have to give up their favorite food when they are trying to lose weight. Not true. You just have to eat it in moderation and balance it out with healthy stuff. Or, reinvent it–which is what you do right?

CJ: Yes, I am currently developing a catering business that features kale-infused cocktails. #KaleCocktails and #WhatTheKale are hashtags I use when sharing the recipes via social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Thus far, I have catered quite a few mommy-groups, book club meetings and get togethers with my #RecipeRemixes. I am big on taking traditional items like pizza, fried chicken and event shrimp & grits and creating healthier versions. I also share many of these recipes on my website www.CarolineJhingory.com.

HB: Wow, can’t wait to get my hands on that shrimp & grits recipe. Seems like you got a good grip on your health. But I’m just wondering, if you could do it all over again what would you change about your journey to where you are now?

CJ: Not to be too much of a cornball….but in the illustrious words of Faith Evans:

If I had to do it all again

I wouldn’t take away the rain

Cuz I know it made me who I am

HB: Amazing! Well clearly your rocking a new body, but tell me more about the other changes you have experienced since you’ve lost the weight?

CJ: I will never again be an emotional eater because I no longer allow my emotions to eat me.

HB: Tell me more about your book! What inspired you to write Half My Size: How I Ate To Lose 150lbs, and what makes your story different from other weight loss stories?

CJ: I grew tired of the one size fits all approaches to weight loss on television and in health magazines. As a woman of color, I know first-hand that losing weight and keeping it off takes a lot more than eating granola and going to a yoga class. I wrote Half My Size How I Ate To Lose 150lbs to provide others with the practical and affordable healthy eating strategies that changed my life. Half My Size focuses on diet, because weight loss is 85% diet and 15% exercise; healthy eating is washing the car and exercise is shining the rims.

HB: If you can leave us with one final thought what would it be?

CJ: Recognize that being fit means being healthy not only physically but emotionally and spiritually.

Caroline Jhingory is a health and wellness consultant and author of Half My Size: How I Ate To Lose 150lbs; which is available exclusively at Amazon and Amazon Kindle. Through her writing, public speaking and social media, Ms. Jhingory continually shares her journey of weight loss, fitness and nutrition. She has provided her healthy living strategies on the Dr. Oz Show, Good Morning America, the Today Show and appeared in such publications as The Huffington Post, People, Essence, and Shape magazines. She has been an invited to conduct workshops and cooking demonstrations for numerous organizations, including Howard University Hospital, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, PNC Bank, the National Association of Women in Agriculture and the local government agencies, as well as at churches and schools across the country. You can connect with Caroline via Instagram, Twitter or Facebook; she also operates an active website and blog at www.CarolineJhingory.com

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Robbie Ann Darby (RAD Experience) is a professional FitGirl, Group Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer in NYC. Follow her sweaty life on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for more fun health and fitness tips!