When I turned 40, I decided it was time for me to get my act together and choose a healthier lifestyle. I am a food photographer and my specialty is desserts. As you can imagine, my “models” are exceptionally easy to work with and extremely delicious! At times that presented a challenge. I had a gym membership for four years and only went twice. It just wasn’t for me. I knew I had to do something low impact but yield results with time and consistency.
In July 2018, I began walking with my friend Becky Esheric and every day since, we have walked roughly 5 miles per day. We walked in the sun, the rain, and even the snow! We do not allow the weather to get in our way.
This time of year, we’ve taken to walking in. Did you know that 9 1/2 laps around the mall are approximately 5 miles? Sometimes, we treat ourselves with pizza and pretzels! The trick my friends is not to deprive yourself but to eat in moderation. I keep track of what I eat and miles walked with free apps MyFitnessPal and MapMyWalk. This allows me to see the amount of calories I burned while exercising, in addition to modifying my food intake throughout the day to match my caloric burn.
When people ask, “What are you doing?” It’s quite simple, walking and eating better. I am a strong believer in doing what works best for your body. Some people use shakes and pills, and for me, those things never really worked. So I went back to the basics. I’m happy to say that as of today, I have lost 43lbs.
My goal was never to lose a specific amount of weight but to be a “healthy size”. I reached my first goal and immediately went to my favorite store “Express,” to buy a new outfit. You see, I shopped here as a teen and was thrilled to know their style still matched mine, 20 years later.
My weight loss journey has inspired friends (via social media) to join me and Becky on our walks. Also, starting January 2019, we will be launching a walking club for women who want to support a walking buddy.
My biggest piece of advice for anyone that wants to start exercising is to find a workout buddy; be flexible with your work out times, track what you eat, and most importantly, set realistic goals. One day, you will look back and realize it was the most subtle changes in your daily habit that had the longest lasting affects!
By Tania Pineiro-Colamarino
