~Guest Post~ Janice Planet and how she did it.

Since I know a lot of you have been wondering how I did it and I told you, I thought another perspective would be GREAT!  So Thank you Janice for sharing with us a little about your journey!  

While I was in law school, time was the last thing that I had. From attending lecture to burying my nose in my books, I had very little time to exercise. Late night pizza-fueled cram sessions, coupled with long bouts of physical inactivity resulted in me gaining a lot of weight while in a law program in Boston. Let’s just say that the unbearably cold weather and stress didn’t help. The next thing I knew, my clothes didn’t fit and I felt tired and worn out.


When I graduated and began working, I decided that it was time to lose the 15 pounds I had gained and to get fit. I knew that I would have trouble beginning a routine, so I got smart and hired a Personal Trainer. My trainer taught me how to work out effectively so that I had to spend less time in the gym, but with greater results. Because I hadn’t worked out in a long time, I started slowly and adding on more time and intensity as my body adapted to moving more. I started running, doing yoga and weight training, and while it was hard at first, it was such an amazing feeling of accomplishment when I started to see the results. I would run three days a week, strength train twice a week and do yoga as often as I could.


Lately, I have been working out with friends and that has been a very good habit for me because it keeps me accountable and it makes it a lot more fun! I also sneak in activity wherever I can, whether that means taking the stairs or washing the car instead of taking it to get washed by someone else, just to get a little extra heart-healthy activity in my day. Now, I still work out 5-6 times a week and I have kept the weight off and feel amazing.


In addition to exercise, I also completely changed my eating habits. While I was in school, I survived on greasy pizza, ice cream, ramen noodles and anything quick and cheap. I snuck in the occasional apple, but the nutritious items basically stopped there. I grew up eating fairly unhealthful foods, so when it came time to change my diet, I really had no idea where to begin.


I decided I needed some professional help. With my experience, I realized that if you want to see quick results, it’s important to consult with a Dietitian. My dietitian taught me portion control, which foods to eat and when and how to eat to fuel my body for my workouts and to have more energy. I started avoiding processed foods and sugars, and began eating more fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and healthy fats. I filled my plate up with more vegetables and fruits and limited my night time snacking. After just a couple of days on my new diet plan, I felt like a brand new person. Losing weight isn’t always an easy thing, but having the help of a personal trainer and a dietitian made all of the difference in the world.

By Janice Planet