My Transformation Story: Lindsay Fabrizio

What was the turning point that prompted you to lose weight?
I have been overweight for the majority of my adult life and had tried all sorts of different plans and programs. Some worked for a spell, others didn't. I had decided in my head, being 5 feet tall, "Well, as long as I don't ever get to 200 lbs, then it can't be that bad." I had gotten my weight down to about 145 lbs about 6 years ago and I felt great, but after being on an extremely restrictive diet for a year, I snapped out of it like a bat out of hell and started to fall back into old habits and a poor relationship with food and quickly gained back all of the weight I had lost - and then some. I was sitting around 175 lbs for a couple years, and after getting comfortable with that, the weight started to creep up. I became more tired and cranky. My allergies became worse, I was sick more often, my posture was poor, and I hated how all of my clothes looked on me. I stepped on a scale for the first time in maybe 6 months and my heart stopped when I saw that I had hit 191 lbs. My fear of ever getting to 200 lbs was right within reach and I knew I had to do something - and fast. I started to look into my options for personal training and I got frustrated because I didn't want to work with some stranger who might not really listen to me or really care about what my goals and my concerns were. I had worked with a personal trainer many years ago for a couple months, but I quit after I felt like I was invisible to him during our sessions and he pushed me to the point of vomiting during a workout. I knew that I needed help - but not like that. So I reached out to Lisa, hoping that she could help me the way that I knew I needed to be helped. With guidance and support, a simple plan for meals, and reasonable goals for exercise and added activity. Speaking to her gave me hope and made me excited to work towards my goals because she made them feel attainable rather than impossible.

When did you start losing weight?
I started using the LynFit Shakes and supplements and following the diet guidelines on July 20th, 2017. Overnight, my body kicked into high gear and I lost 2.5 lbs. Making small adjustments to my diet, I balanced myself out and I average now about 2 to 3 pounds a week. My goal is to lose 60 pounds and I'm officially down 19 pounds as of today (September 8, 2017)!

How did you get started?
Lisa had me start right away with the LynFit meal replacement shakes twice a day. I have a shake in the morning with my Accelerator Advanced, Cutting Edge, and DBoost, and a shake in the afternoon with my Accelerator Advanced, Cutting Edge, and a salad. Sometimes I have a piece of fruit in the morning or in the afternoon, and then I have dinner, which is a few ounces of lean protein from the list or seafood and TONS of veggies and leafy greens. Getting started with such a simple plan to follow was what made it super easy for me. I've gotten so stressed about meal prep in the past with other plans and programs that after a week I would give up. This is just too easy to ignore.

What was your greatest challenge?
My greatest challenge starting out was going through what I considered "a bad exorcism of all of my food demons" the first two weeks on plan. My sugar cravings and my desire for all of the usual haunts (Popeye's, Wendy's, McDonald's, overloaded salads, overstuffed grinders and paninis, and every kind of carb and treat you could name) came out and went one right after another. By the end of week two, my sugar cravings had subsided, but I still needed to learn and adapt to what was going on around me and how to not get overwhelmed by temptation at work events or parties.

How did you overcome it?
I learned that having a piece of fruit to snack on can be satisfying, and taking time to drink more water or tea is enough to get me through a random craving that may hit. It gives me a moment to figure out if it's just part of my patterned emotional eating out of boredom or stress versus feeling actual hunger. I also learned pretty quickly what physical hunger really feels like and how to pay attention to it and feed it properly instead of finding a quick and crappy fix that will just make me feel terrible afterward. I also started making salads for all of the cookouts, pig roasts, and parties I was invited to this summer. Little did I know that my salads would be a hit with everyone!  Lisa suggested I keep Lean Bars on hand for a more filling and satisfying snack to prevent those killer cravings that take me off plan.

If you reached a weight loss plateau how did you overcome it?
About 3 weeks in, I noticed that I was stuck and wasn't losing any weight. I couldn't understand why, as I was eating lots of veggies, and lean protein, and doing everything right. I reached out to Lisa and came to find out that too many "crunchy" vegetables and too much chicken makes my metabolism more stubborn. More leafy greens, white fish and seafood, and having chicken more sparingly yielded me the best results. I quickly became more creative with my salads by adding in some extra veggies, trying out new salad dressings and seasonings, and swapping in some chicken broth instead of extra oil. I've learned how to cook without using cooking oil, which was definitely new for me.

What does your daily diet look like?
Protein shake in the morning with water or coffee if I feel that I need the extra jolt. Green tea throughout the day because plain water is terribly unexciting. A piece of fruit before lunch if I really feel hungry. Shake with a leafy salad for lunch. A piece of fruit - again only if needed in the afternoon before I get home for the day. And for dinner, I do a lean meat with either a really big salad or a small salad and some seasoned veggies. I like to spray my veggies with some Pam® and season them really well for roasting, or I will steam them. Depending on how my food intake looks for the day and if I really want it, I'll have a fudgsicle as a snack after dinner. On Sundays, my boyfriend and I will go out and I'll treat myself and cheat a little with something I don't normally eat during the week - but in moderation!

What's your favorite snack meal?
I loooove strawberries if they're in season, and I really like the fudgsicle as a treat and of course Lean Bars - they are a game changer!

What's life like now that you've lost weight?
I still have a long way to go before I can really answer this question fully, but so far it feels really great to be able to look in the mirror and see the transformation going on with my body. My clothes are all starting to get loose, my posture is improving, and I'm not as tired as I was a month and a half ago. My allergies and symptoms have reduced significantly, and best of all, my doctor is happy with me! It's really nice to have other people notice the changes I've made and get words of encouragement from others, but I'm doing this for me, so that's just icing on the cake.

If you have any suggestions what would they be?
You have to want it. You have to want to make the changes and the commitment necessary to get through this, and you have to want to do it for yourself and not anyone else. Lisa and I both come from a long line of people with serious health concerns, and the last thing I wanted for myself was to become that person with the heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. Find ways to make salads exciting for you. Season EVERYTHING. Salt and pepper are not enough to help you stay on track, and too much salt isn't good for you anyway. If you have a party to go to and you know you're going be tempted, offer to bring a giant salad with all the stuff you can eat in it. Don't overthink it. Don't beat yourself up if you have a "bad week" and get back on plan. Allow yourself to mess up so you can learn how your body responds to those mistakes and how you can balance them out if they do happen because they will. And most importantly, enjoy the ride and believe in the process.