Shauna Reid freely admits she's half the woman she used to be... but that's a good thing.
At the age of 23 Shauna weighed 351 pounds and wore tight-fitting size-26 clothing.
At an age when all her friends were hitting the dance clubs, Shauna was staying home and trying to figure out what went wrong.
Shauna is the daughter of a Weight Watchers group leader. But while mom was helping others lose weight, Shauna was packing on pounds.
Frustrated and afraid, Shauna turned to blogging. The Internet proved a safe haven for a young woman struggling with weight and seeking anonymity while exorcising her personal demons and detailing her missteps to strangers.
Writing as "dietgirl," Shauna became a popular blogger. She took control of her weight and began the amazing journey that has led her to drop a super 175 pounds.
She's now 31, wearing 12-14 sizes, and at peace with her weight. She's also the proud author of the motivational new book, The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl(Avon).
"I don't have a magical formula for weight loss," Shauna admits. "But after years of trial and error, I learned that it's essential to figure out what works for you and what fits into your life, rather than trying to fit your life around a diet.
"I focus on eating healthy food with loads of fruit and vegetables. I don't believe in 'Good' or 'Bad' foods, so I'll never surrender my precious chocolate and ice cream.
"But I've learned to savor smaller portions and now I can finally enjoy food without guilt or shame."
Slimmed-down Shauna reveals there's a new love in her life.
"I've also learned to love exercise," she says. "I began with walking to the end of the block and back, and kept adding more blocks until I got the nerve to join a gym.
"I've gradually built up my fitness from there. My current favorites are kickboxing, cycling, walking, hillwalking, weight training and fitness DVDs."
Speaking to me by phone from her home in Scotland, Shauna says she no longer stresses over the numbers on the scale. She stands 5'8" and weighs 175... and she's perfectly fine with that.
There's a joy in her voice. It's the sound of contentment and true happiness.
"Sure I lost a lot of weight, but the biggest changes took place in my head," Shauna says. "I started out as a hardcore dieter, struggling with self-loathing. I thought my mission was all about bullying my body into a more socially acceptable shape.
"But soon I realized what I really wanted more than smaller jeans was to feel comfortable in my own skin. To just like being me.
"Once I started treating myself kindly with good food and exercise instead of disgust and anger, I started to appreciate my body, lumps and bumps and all.
"There was more to me than the size of my jeans, after all. And that has been the best lesson of this whole adventure.
"Overall, my philosophy boils down to: Do the healthy more often than you don't do the healthy thing. It's not about numbers and scales; it's eating well and being kind to myself. Persistence, not perfection. Getting back up when I fell over. Over and over again!"
Dietgirl's Top 20 Weight Loss Tips
Shauna notes, "People often ask me for diet and weight loss tips so I've put together my top 20. This is seven years of tricks, tweaks, discoveries and epiphanies all condensed into one handy list. Hopefully you'll find something helpful here for you!"
1. First, start with the big picture. Write down your goals and be specific. What do you want to change? Where do you want to be a year from now?
2. Next, focus on the details. Every day we make dozens of tiny decisions that can spell the difference between whether we lose weight or gain. Do you pick the muesli for breakfast or the chocolate muffin? Do you spend 20 minutes on the couch or 20 minutes on a brisk walk? Small changes can add up to huge results.
3. Start exercising - no matter what your fitness level. At 25 stone (350 pounds) I could only shuffle to the end of the street, but I gradually built up to the whole block. Within a couple of years I was running! Don't compare yourself to others, just work within your limits and take it slow and steady.
4. Eat breakfast. A wholesome breakfast makes me feel smug, satisfied and determined to stay ..
on track all day. My favorite is porridge, livened up with grated apple and cinnamon, or chopped banana and teaspoon of peanut butter.
5. Be kind to yourself and your body. You don’t have to look in the mirror and chant, “I love me! I am beautiful!” but at the same time yelling at your thighs won’t encourage your weight loss efforts.
6. Make your treats miniature. Instead of banning dessert, I choose smaller portions – like an apple crumble baked in a ramekin dish or a small bar of chocolate. I get my sugar hit without dangerous leftovers!
7. Lift weights. It won’t make you bigger – it’ll make you svelte and strong! If you’re worried about loose skin, resistance training is the best thing you can do to tone your body as you lose weight.
8. Planning is crucial. Every Saturday I take 10 minutes to plan our meals for the coming week. I choose from a list of 25 easy, tried-and-true recipes, so it’s quicker to cook than phone for restaurant food.
9. Buy your groceries online. It saves time and you’re not tempted by all the sights and smells of the supermarket. Or tortured by your screaming children.
10. Feel your emotions, don’t feed them. In times of stress it’s tempting to bury your feelings in cake – better to feel bad about binging than tackle the real issue! But try to find non-edible ways of coping – I highly recommend kickboxing classes.
11. Go Greek. If you’re a cream or sour cream fiend, 0% or 2% Greek yogurt is an excellent substitute. It's low in fat, protein-rich and incredibly creamy. Dollop into meringue nests and top with fresh fruit. Splodge onto a bowl of chili. Swirl into butternut squash soup.
12. The best exercise is the one you enjoy. So what if your best friend swears by aerobics at dawn? If you’re a shift worker or just plain grumpy in the morning, this will never suit you. Choose an exercise you like and do it when it’s most convenient for you – this way you’ll stick with it.
13. Stock your office pantry. It's much easier to ignore the vending machine when I’ve got half an orchard sitting on my desk and a drawer full of oatcakes, nuts and seeds.
14. Have a "cuppa." When hunger strikes and it’s not meal time, I make a cup of tea. This gives me time to figure out if I’m really hungry or if I’m just bored or cranky or upset. Herbal tea is great – experiment until you find one that doesn’t taste like grass clippings!
15. Have a moan. Losing weight isn’t easy, but you don’t have to feel alone in the struggle. Start your own blog, sign up for a message board, or join in the conversation here on the Diet.com boards and forums. Remember, we’re all in this lardy boat together!
16. Put the scales in perspective. Don’t fret over small fluctuations – focus on all the healthy things you’ve been doing for your body. Get out the tape measure or have a pair of “measurement jeans” so you’re not dependent on the scales for feedback.
17. Be adaptable. Make your weight loss plans fit around your life, not the other way around. Sometimes circumstances will change – a new job, a family crisis, moving house – and suddenly your usual routine doesn’t work. The trick is to be flexible and know when it’s time to tweak your methods.
18. Set a non-scale goal. Why not train for a charity 5k race or challenge yourself to do 10 push-ups? Focusing on fitness means I don’t fret about the numbers so much. And all those endorphins make me feel less inclined to go on a chocolate bender.
19. Accept that sometimes it’s going to suck. Despite your best intentions, there will be days when you fall into a bag of chips. But long-term success is about persistence, not perfection. It’s picking yourself up when you fall, over and over again.
20. Don’t wait to be “skinny” to start living your life. If you have dreams of traveling or writing a book or learning to scuba dive, don’t think you need a smaller bottom before you deserve them. Your life is happening right now – so forget about your wobbly bits and jump right in!
The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl is the story of how Shauna Reid lost 175 pounds - half her body weight - and went from popular blogger to best-selling author. To get your FREE copy of this book simply become a Diet.com Premium Member!
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