My name is Antoinette Jensen (@netjfitness), and I’m 34 years old. I live in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and am the owner and manager of NetJFitness. I decided to lose weight as a New Year’s resolution and started WW. Then I switched to my own way of eating and exercising with a low carb protein diet, and I lost over 60 pounds.
Before I started losing weight, I did not have the confidence, motivation and self-esteem. I hid in my house to prevent anyone from knowing me who knew me before I picked up weight. My self-isolation and my lack of self-confidence began to affect my marriage and friendships. At 26, I hit my heaviest weight of 200 pounds.
Though it may sound cliché, the beginning of my journey was a New Year’s resolution.
I have been thinking for the past year and realizing that it existed to go to work and then come home right away just to sit in the house with my husband and kids. I decided that night what I had enough. I would start working to make myself feel and look better. It was 2012, and I was 26 then.
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Initially, I signed up for Weight Watchers (now called WW). I shared my desire to lose weight with one of my co-workers, and she invited me to join a WW group at our workplace. During our weekly lunch meetings, I learned how to ensure my meals were nutritious and properly distributed, I was able to get healthy recipes and make healthy food replacements, and was able to track my weight to see what impact these changes had on my body.
I’m very grateful for the WW points system – it was easy to follow and I learned the basics of a calorie deficit without counting the calories.
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I also focus on portion control, and I record all my foods in the MyFitnessPal app to keep track of calorie and nutrient intake.
This is what I eat one day:
- Breakfast: Eggs with turkey sausage
- Lunch: Turkey Meatballs with Potato Hash
- Snacks: Fresh fruit
- Dinner: Salmon paired with asparagus
- Dessert: Cookies and Cream Premier Protein Shake
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After the initial weight loss of the WW program, I knew that adding exercise would only increase the results I see.
Initially, I attended the Zumba class at a local fitness center. I am grateful to my supportive husband who attended the classes with me for months until I felt comfortable. After getting comfortable, I enlisted the help of a personal trainer who showed me new exercises.
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Currently, I exercise six days a week for at least 90 minutes every day. I start my workout with a three mile run. I alternate between working upper body and lower body every day and use intensive interval exercise (HIIT).
I also enjoy strength training. After researching various exercise programs and exercises, I found that I really loved how my body responds to light and physique.
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It took me two years to reach my overall goal of losing 61 pounds, and I successfully kept the weight off for 8 years.
During the two years I was losing weight, there were periods of time where I did not lose weight for weeks, or I gained weight. There were times I conceded for days and weeks in a row. However, I never lost sight of my purpose and the reasons why I wanted to lose weight and get healthier.
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To maintain my weight, I set goals each month. It helped me stay focused. Some examples of my goals:
- Reduce my mile time
- Eat more vegetables
- Do one workout outside a week
- Try new group fitness classes
I also take * lots * of photos. Doing so has helped me identify my body composition changes, and it’s a good reminder that change occurs even when the scale is not moving.
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These three behavioral changes made the biggest difference in my weight loss results.
- I created a routine. It was necessary to be successful. I conveniently went to the gym for the first time that morning. I would be in the gym at 5am so I could end my day with a workout and still be home in time to get my three kids ready for school. Giving priority to my workouts at the beginning of my day reduces the chances that I will find an excuse not to go to the gym.
- I set SMART goals. Each month, I decided to create a goal for myself that was SMART – meaning they were specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and a timeline. For example, when I decided to train for a half marathon, I gave myself 12 weeks to prepare myself for the race. I set my goal to run a set number of miles each week, I followed my pace and time for each run. This enabled me to measure my progress and make sure I was on track to reach my goal of running a half marathon. I completed my first half in 2019, within one hour and 57 minutes.
- I made healthy food exchanges. I have foods with no nutrition, such as soft drinks, cookies, etc. Not cut out. My family and I also made other substitutes, such as switching burgers to turkey burgers, switching from 2 percent milk to skim milk, and making sure there was at least one serving of vegetables along with lunches and dinners.
My life has changed on much more than just losing weight.
My weight loss made me realize that I’m important, that it’s good to give myself permission to look after myself. Creating a routine to take care of myself is not selfish – it’s self – care, and I need it.
I regained my confidence and discovered a new passion for fitness. However, the respects do not come at the same time. I found that you need to take the time to celebrate the small victories and changes. The goal is progress, not perfection.
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