A few years ago, Sabrina Osland took her son on a cruise to Alaska.
The two were excited about one of the excursions where a helicopter flew into a glacier and explored. However, Sabrina was surprised to face the extra cost of traveling because she was overweight.
Sabrina, 41, a business sales consultant in Chanhassen, Minnesota, said, “If you’re over a certain weight, you’ll have to pay extra because you’ll be robbing others.” Said.
“I don’t know how £ 20 or £ 50 really matters to a person, but in reality it was one of the most devastating.
Sabrina’s weight fluctuated throughout adulthood. And after getting married seven years ago, she started gaining weight again.
She always cooked simple meals that didn’t always contain a lot of healthy options, and she often ignored her health.
“I wasn’t always focused on exercising or putting myself first,” Sabrina explained. “When I was gaining weight, you didn’t see yourself gaining weight when it was happening.”
When she returned home from the cruise, she decided to exercise for at least 30 minutes each day.
To make sure she moved, she set a reminder on her phone and created a checklist of daily tasks.
Her to-do list includes minor changes such as drinking plenty of water, exercising, and taking vitamins.
“I’m very type A,” she said. “This is a check and balance issue. For example, you need to complete this by a certain time, but if it’s not here, there’s a reminder here.”
She started by walking once a day for 30 minutes. As her endurance improved, she began to walk an hour or twice a day.
Then she added some strength training. Shortly after Sabrina first started, a COVID-19 pandemic occurred, and she had to incorporate these new habits into her home work without a gym.
But it also gave her an opportunity.
“All the excuses I had before my schedule didn’t allow it (it’s gone).” No excuses, “she said. “It was really about taking those little steps.”
She also changed what she eats and switched her focus from “convenient” to “healthy options.” Before she often eats chips for a light meal or something like pizza for a supper. Now she prepares fresh vegetables for light meals and adds salads to her supper.
I ate it because I was thirsty or bored
“It’s nothing more than actually making pizza,” Sabrina said. “So it’s just trying to change (my diet) with protein and vegetables to get rid of as much carbs as possible.”
But she also changed her way of thinking about food.
“I ate because I was thirsty and bored and didn’t necessarily have to refuel my body,” Sabrina said. “There was a change in the way I thought I had to stop and return to the basics of what my body really was telling me.”
When the COVID-19 restriction was lifted, she joined a local gym.
She added strength training to her aerobic exercise. She started working in a group called Alpha Strong, which helps her strengthen her strength training regimen and also adds accountability.
“Strength training is a completely different beast,” she said. “The community itself was great.”
In a little over a year, Sabrina went from 120kg to 61kg. She now likes to be able to enjoy more activities.
“There’s still a lot more to live in a healthy lifestyle, not just how you look physically, but how it affects everything as a whole.” She said. “(I) volunteer more than ever in our community within the local church organization. I just make friends and host people.”
Sabrina is in the maintenance stage and can be difficult.
“I’ve been suffering from weight since I was young, so I broke the bad habits I learned, such as being in a clean plate club … it’s a lifelong journey,” she said. “I have to remind myself every day.”
She shares advice with others who want to create healthy habits.
1. Consider “accumulation of habits”
When Sabrina began her weight loss journey, she was changing one thing at a time. So she will walk 30 minutes a day until it becomes a habit. Then add new habits, such as eating small servings using small plates and bowls.
“I was able to control my part without thinking I was giving up,” she said. “Then I focused on adding (new habits).”
The new habit may be, for example, eating more vegetables and protein. This approach allowed her to take healthy actions that she could easily stick to.
2. “It’s progress, not perfect.”
One day Sabrina’s training wasn’t the best. The other day she didn’t eat as much green as she should have. that’s OK. She knows that consistency makes a difference.
“It’s progress, not perfect. That’s my motto,” she said. “If I’m not doing anything 100%, I feel like I’m failing, and you need to celebrate those successes along the way.”
3. Find support
Sabrina worked with trainers to join an exercise group to build a support network that helps them stay consistent.
“The community friendships we have built … they hold you accountable,” she said. “Developing that community and accountability was huge.”
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