Chic Critique Forum | DIETCHIC | BEFORE & AFTER STORIES

Did you know that there is a new section in the forum called “DietChic”? Chic Critique’s mission is to create a community within our forum so we wanted to add a weight-loss support group for your benefit. DietChic will definitely be beneficial to me! I’ve lost 40 pounds since I had my 4th baby but I still have 20 more pounds to go. I’ve asked two photographers, Jenna Cole and Robyn Oakenfold to be our DietChic Mentors since they have had such amazing success. Each week in the forum, our DietChic Mentors will be sharing ideas, tips, motivation and inspiration. Read their inspirational stories below:

____________________________________________

JENNA COLE | DIETCHIC MENTOR

My name is Jenna, I’m 27, and I’ve done this weight loss thing far too many times now. When I had an (adorable) baby I gained over twice what I needed to (mostly due to an overabundance of Cheez-its and popcorn). After baby, I lost about 15 lbs with little to no work, and another 20 over the next 8 months. Then I got down to business and dropped another 25 between January and August 2011. I went from wearing a size 16 in jeans to between an 8-10 (it varies with every brand, I swear!). My goal is to be slipping into size 4 jeans sometime next year!

January 14th (183 pounds) versus August 27th

January 25th (178 lbs) versus August 27th

January 29th (177 lbs) versus August 27th

You can read a detailed explanation of how I’ve lost all this weight . Currently I’m working toward the Hobbler Half Marathon in July. It’s my first race longer than a 5k!

There are a few things I believe about food and nutrition that guide the decisions I make:

Local, seasonal foods.
I make 99% of what we eat from scratch.
If I don’t want to eat something, I don’t keep it in the house.
I am a mostly-vegetarian.
I eat clean/whole foods/real foods.
I avoid refined (aka white) flour, corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, and high amounts of corn/soy products.
I ideally would eat an average of 1200 calories/day.
I don’t eat when I’m not hungry.
I realized that it’s okay to be a little bit hungry.
I fully acknowledge that I am an over-eater with tendencies toward food addiction.

I am excited to be your DietChic Mentor in Chic Critique Forum!

__________________________________________________________________

ROBYN OAKENFOLD | DIETCHIC MENTOR

After having two children in about two years, plus a career that kept me sitting at a computer a lot of the time, I was far from ever getting back in skinny jeans again. I had a choice: either I was going to continue on this path or I was going to take charge and make some changes. So a year ago I made the choice to get back the healthier and happier me.

BEFORE: AFTER:

Over the years I have tried a few different types of diets, but none ever really worked for me long-term. Either I was starving myself or I was counting points. What I needed was more of a lifestyle change, not another “diet” that I would fall off in a few weeks.

When I first heard of the 17 day diet I was immediately intrigued. After buying the book and reading a bit more into it, I knew this would help me get where I wanted to go. This diet is based on four cycles of 17 days, the the first cycle is a detoxing cycle. It cleanses, hydrates, removes unhealthy carbs, improves eating habits and stimulates your metabolism. It was challenging at first, yet everything I was eating was satisfying. I had to cut out all processed foods & my beloved grande latte and embrace green tea, unlimited amounts of veggies & lean meats (chicken, turkey & fish), plus lots of egg whites but limited yolks, and 2 servings of probiotics, low sugar fruits, healthy fats and of course 64 ounces of water. The biggest thing that helped me stick to this was being able to add small amounts of low fat cheese, sour cream, salad dressing, herbs & spices and stevia or agave nectar to my meals.

After the detox cycle I had gone down one dress size and felt so amazing. I still had more weight to lose so I moved onto cycle 2 where you add in 2 servings of healthy carbs and starches. This was when I discovered I had a sensitivity to gluten. This provided a new challenge but how I felt not consuming those foods was all I needed to make those changes. As the months went by, I continued to lose weight. I felt and looked better. I was so happy to finally have found something that worked and taught me how to eat and cook cleaner.

I am now just at the one year mark, and to date I have lost close to 30 lbs and am down from a size 12 to a size 6. Even my husband has also lost about 30 lbs just by simple changes in the family meals and what I don’t buy anymore. This really has become a way of life for not only myself but my family as well. I am on cycle 4 now which is the maintaining cycle which allows me to indulge a bit on weekends and eat within cycle 1, 2 and 3 during the week to keep my weight stable. This along with increase outdoor activities and walks, I know I am setting healthy lifestyle habits for my children.

I am looking forward to being your DietChic Mentor in Chic Critique Forum!