20 pounds in 10 weeks: Verena’s success story

“First and foremost, you have to make the decision to change your habits for the long term.” That’s exactly what Verena has done to change her life. She shares her inspiring success story today with our Gymondo community.

What made you realize that you needed a healthy lifestyle change?

I used to do Zumba once or twice a week to cope with the stress of college. That was enough to keep a healthy normal weight without really having to pay attention to what I ate.
For the past 1.5 years, it was the first time I’ve worked 40 hours a week in a new (desk) job. I also volunteer a lot and usually have weekend commitments. That’s why I wanted to use every bit of free time to do only the things that I really enjoyed, which didn’t really include exercise. But it did include going out to eat and baking. Around the same time, I also moved in with my boyfriend. Naturally, you want to enjoy your time together on the couch and cook something nice for dinner.
So, although I had the incentive to exercise so that I could continue to eat what I wanted, I never really managed to integrate it into my everyday life.

Why did you feel you needed to take action?

What bothered me about my body were the many small changes that had begun to creep in: the belt notch that I had used for years had to move up, my pants were pinching me, blouses that used to fit perfectly were now too tight… However, I’ve never really given much thought to others’ opinions of me. What was important was for me to like myself. Also, I’ve never been the kind of person you’d call athletic which was reflected in my resting heart rate of 80 to 100 BPM.

Was there a key moment that led you to start with Gymondo?

I started to reflect during New Year’s Eve. Shortly before that, my sister gave me a jumpsuit she had made me for Christmas. She asked me what size she should use as a template, and I told her, “Medium as it’ll a bit more comfortable.” And why not? I had always worn M for pants and S for tops.
So at Christmas, I went to try on my present and I needed my sister’s help to pull the zipper up! It wasn’t pretty. And I couldn’t sit down in it. At least not without the risk of tearing. So we thought about where we might sew in some extra fabric to make it fit. My grandma then spoke up, “She’s got to lose weight!” At the time, we all laughed about it and I waved off. My sister made the adjustments and all would be fine!
The weekend after New Year’s, I enjoyed an impressive hotel breakfast, had pasta for lunch, and then pizza for dinner that I realized where all this was heading. Something had to happen!

What was your first positive experience with Gymondo?

I didn’t have to wait long for my first positive experience. Although it is well-known that water, especially at the beginning of a diet change, causes the pounds to drop off the scales, I was amazed that I had already lost several pounds after the first few days. When the measuring tape confirmed the trend, I wanted to do everything I could to keep it that way.

Were there any setbacks or moments of doubt?

I never really had any doubts, but there was a plateau between the fifth and sixth week. My measurements were steadily getting smaller, but my weight wasn’t really going along with it.

Was there a moment of happiness when you realized it was worth it?

An extraordinary moment of happiness was when I first compared my “before” pictures from January with those after week 7. Although I had noticed a change in myself, the difference in my posture and the slight definition of muscles on the sides of my body, I hadn’t really seen it until then.

How did friends and relatives react to your change?

My boyfriend is very proud of me and my discipline in sticking to my goal. My external appearance is not so important to him, but he’s noticed how my overall fitness has improved.
My family is also amazed at how quickly I’ve been able to achieve these initial goals. They know that I’ve worked hard for this and are happy that I’m doing something good for myself and my body with sports and nutrition.

Was there anything that motivated you to stick to your goal?

About halfway through, I tried on that jumpsuit again. And lo and behold – it fit much better! I could sit down in it and zip it up myself without any problem! However, a few inches less would make it even more comfortable.
So I carried on!
Many women intentionally buy a wedding dress that is too small, so that they have a reason to lose weight. I have my tailored jumpsuit that I want to fit in.

How long did it take to reach your goal? What are your results (body weight and measurements)? How often do you work out each week on average?

I train five times a week with Gymondo (between 15 and 35 minutes) and go to the gym at my sports club once a week (60 minutes). And my resting heart rate? It’s now an athletic 50 to 60 BPM.

What has changed in your life since your transformation?

After I took a break from exercise for a couple of days both at week 8 and week 10, I realized how much I got used to working out almost daily. In addition, I was missing the feeling of happiness that I had after every completed workout. And yet, even on those days, I continued to lose weight without exercise. That’s when I realized that I had built muscle mass. As they say, a person who exercises burns more calories “doing nothing” than one who doesn’t.

Many people want to achieve results like yours. What’s your advice to them?

Don’t be persuaded by others to change your life. You have to make the decision for yourself so that you change your habits for the long term. After that, motivational words from friends and relatives are of course a great incentive.
And once you’ve decided to live healthier, it’s time to set concrete goals. Not “I want to exercise more and lose weight,” but “I want to fit into my new jumpsuit. For that, I’m doing the Slim in 10 Weeks program!”
If you can achieve your goals so quickly with exercise and five meals a day, why bother with starvation or pills?

Do you have a final goal you’re pushing for at present?

Summer’s coming and time to do away with all the layers. I want to fit in the clothes that I used to be able to wear without any problems. So,  I’d like to stick to my workouts after my Slim in 10 Weeks program and further tighten my body.

Verena did it. What about you? What are you waiting for? Start your own Gymondo success story!

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