My name is Catalina, and I am 32 years old. I live in Clovis, California, and I am an accounting clerk in property management.
Even as a child, I always felt like a larger-bodied girl and was the heaviest in my friend group. I never understood why I didn?t look like everyone else. Over the years, I tried several different programs. My mum even got me a personal trainer at one point. I went to gyms and tried shakes, frozen meals and the keto diet ? but no programme I tried was sustainable.
My weight was also impacting my health. I have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which can cause weight gain and irregular periods. I knew I wanted to start a family someday, and my weight would make having a normal monthly cycle very difficult. At 26, I hit my heaviest weight of 20 stone.
All I could remember is feeling so uncomfortable in my skin and feeling so out of place. I was embarrassed to be in family pictures. On top of that, I was always out of breath. I had a hard time getting in and out of my car. Life was stressful, and I had a long list of excuses for why it was the way it was.
So, in March 2018, I decided I needed a major change in my life.
Shortly after my cousin’s wedding, I was at work one day in the break room, talking to a coworker. She told me about “The Mayo Clinic Diet: A weight-loss program for life” and how it had helped her with her weight. She had a friend referral code for a free first month, so I decided to give it a shot. When I first started, I didn?t believe it would work, but I was willing to give it a try.
?The Mayo Clinic Diet? you can get it from Google searching or this is the direct page btw it?s free, CLICK HERE
It really worked for me because is really not a diet, but a lifestyle. You can eat everything; the program teaches you about portions and how to balance your foods and choose healthier options. I honestly don?t feel deprived of anything because if I?m craving a specific food, I can have it.
I have also found easy ways to lighten up some of my most favourite foods. It?s helped me re-learn a healthy relationship with food. I feel I eat more of a variety of foods now, and I am definitely more open to trying new foods and getting creative with meals.
Here?s what I eat in a day.
Breakfast: Coffee, banana, and sometimes I make overnight oats
Lunch: I?ll have leftovers or a frozen Healthy Choice meal or Panera Bread Spicy Thai salad
Snacks: Fruit like a plum or an orange or protein bars
Dinner: Chalupa tacos
Dessert: Yasso Ice Cream Bars, and I have been obsessed with nut butters lately!
The best advice I can give someone starting out on a weight-loss journey is to not focus on the scale. That thing will mess with your head and send you down a spiral. You have to stop and celebrate the little things in life.
I used to worry so much about what to eat and how to act at family events. Now I just take purse snacks, try to have a meal prior, and just take it one step at a time. I still enjoy all my favourite foods on a regular basis (I have pizza once a week!). The Mayo Clinic Diet: A weight-loss program for life is not a diet, but a lifestyle. I truly feel like a whole new person.
