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Weight Loss Success Stories - Kris Lost Weight
By Diet & Exercise
First Name: Kris
Age: 33
Family Status: Single
Occupation: Founder/President - ShapeFit, LLC (ShapeFit.com)
Hometown:
St. Petersburg, FL
Pounds or Inches Lost: I lost 50 pounds!
Starting
Weight: 230 pounds
Current Weight: 180 pounds
Kris's
Weight Loss Story!
When did you become unhappy with your weight?
I grew up
as an overweight kid. I was always tired and had very little energy to do anything.
As I got older, I knew I had to make some changes.
What made you decide to lose weight? I was in Junior
High School and decided to go out for the football team. The coaches told me I
had great potential but I needed to get stronger and drop some weight if I wanted
to make first team defense. I decided to check out the weight room and start lifting.
After a few weeks, I started seeing my body change and my strength levels increasing
rapidly. I kept lifting and added some cardio to burn off the fat. I ended up
making first team defensive tackle that year and played all through high school. At
the end of high school, I was weighing in at about 230 pounds. As a defensive
lineman in high school, I needed to pack on the size to be able to go up against
those massive 300 pound monsters on the offensive line. At 5'11 and 230 pounds,
I was big and strong but was carrying around a significant amount of fat. After
football season ended, I wanted to burn off some excess pounds and focus on more
of a lean, athletic physique. I decided to really focus on my diet. I went
on a very strict nutritional regimen. I cut out all empty calories from my diet
(fast food, sweets, soda, etc.) and really focused on only eating clean nutrient
dense foods. I kept up my intense weight lifting workouts and increased my cardio
workouts to 45-60 minutes everyday to burn off excess fat.
What were the most important changes you made to lose weight?
It really came down to hitting it from all angles. Clean food to fuel my body,
weight training to build muscle and cardio to burn fat. Out of these three elements,
my diet was probably the most important aspect which helped change my physique.
When I decided to be very disciplined with the foods I consumed, the changes were
incredible.
What was most challenging about losing weight?  I
have always been a food person with a huge appetite. Back in the day, I would
indulge in everything from greasy fast food to decadent desserts. My portion control
was nonexistent.
The most challenging thing for me was adhering to a strict
nutritional plan and cutting out most of my favorite "comfort" foods.
I learned early on that these comfort foods were triggers and would instantly
effect my appetite and the way I felt. If I had a tiny piece of dessert or some
fast food, it would trigger my hunger and it was almost impossible to back down
from eating more and more. I decided to eliminate all empty calories and only
focus on clean fuel for my body. Within about 2 weeks, my tastes started
changing and my craving went way down. Once my habits and routines started to
change, my focus was on preparing healthy nutrient dense foods all the time. I
still get craving now but I decide to choose healthier foods to eat. If I crave
sweets, I will eat frozen grapes (amazing). If I'm craving something salty, I
will have a bag of fat free microwave popcorn. Choosing these healthier alternatives
have cut down a huge amount on my overall calories and they still leave me feeling
satisfied.
How long did it take you to start to see results? Within
about 2 weeks of weight training, I started feeling my strength levels go way
up. My energy was through the roof and I couldn't wait to get back in the gym
to train. When I added cardio workouts and a clean diet to my overall fitness
plan, the changes were incredible.
To this day, I can still see changes in my physique over the
course a week or two when my nutritional plan is on. When I tighten
up my diet and really focus on nutrient dense foods, the changes
start showing up in a matter of days. Unfortunately, this can
go the other way also. If I take a few weeks off and cheat on
my diet, the changes are very apparent. My body really wants clean
fuel to run optimally and when I consume empty calories, the mirror
doesn't lie. I have always found it fascinating that with small
changes in specific foods and training routines, one can make
noticeable changes in their physique.
How long did it take for you to reach your current weight?
It took about 6 months of strict training and diet to reach my current weight.
How long have you maintained your weight loss and how do you do it?
I have maintained my weight for over 10 years now. I do it by
simply following the same principles which got me here. A clean
diet, intense weight training and cardio work. All of these 3
elements are crucial for me to keep improving. If 1 aspect starts
to drop, I can easily see my improvements start to decline. If
I take a few weeks off and slack on my cardio training and go
off my diet a little, the changes are apparent. This is what drives
me to keep improving everyday.
How has your life changed now that you've lost weight?
Everything is different now. Since losing 50 pounds of fat, I feel much more
athletic now. I have an overall sense of well being that I never experienced when
I was heavier. I have so much more energy and I sleep better also. My mind is
much clearer and I can sharply concentrate throughout the entire day without feeling
mentally cloudy, which I used to feel when I was eating empty calories (sweets,
fast foods, etc.).
How did ShapeFit help you reach your weight loss goals?  Well,
ShapeFit is a labor of love. I created this site to help other people learn more
about health and fitness so they can live healthier lives. I took the aspects
I learned over many years and added these elements to ShapeFit to help others.
When I first created the ShapeFit website in 2000, I started out very slowly
and added a few pages of content every week. Then, I decided to add a couple of
pages every single day. I kept up this routine and today ShapeFit.com has over
4,000 pages of fitness content with over 500,000 unique visitors every
month! This has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. To be
able to share my passion with the world and help thousands of people everyday
is something very special.
Kris's
Weight Loss Tips!
Weight loss tip #1:
Its never too late to start. No matter
how much you're currently overweight or how out of shape you are, you can ALWAYS
start making changes and improve your life! It all starts now. Forget about
yesterday and focus all your energy into making smart choices to live a healthier
life. Today is truly the first day of the rest of your life!
Weight loss tip #2: Realize that food is a very powerful
drug. You can use it to make yourself very sick or you can decide to use it
to optimally fuel and energize your body! Research different foods and learn about
the multitude of ways nutrient dense foods positively impact your body. Knowledge
is power and learning how and what you're eating is vitally important!
Weight loss tip #3: Eat 5-6 small nutrient dense meals
every day. This should consist of clean, nutritious foods to optimally fuel your
body. Include a lean protein source in each meal which will help repair and build
muscle tissue. Make sure to optimize your pre-workout and post-workout meals to
maximize the windows of opportunity.
Weight loss tip #4: Be very conscience when you
eat. When you sit down to eat a meal, ask yourself if this food is helping you
reach your goals or is it setting you back. So many people simply eat without
thinking about what they are putting into their bodies. They consume food almost
unconsciously and shovel it into their face. Relax and truly enjoy every bite
of food you have prepared for yourself.
Weight loss tip #5:
Pre-plan your meals. This is crucial for succeeding. If
you don't have a plan, it will be very difficult to choose the
right foods to attain your ideal physique. Keep nutrient dense
foods and snacks at your home, in your car and especially at work.
Put a box of protein bars in the office fridge or have a bag of
mixed nuts at your desk so you will have quick access to these
quality food choices when you're hungry. Preparing meals early
also really helps. Try cooking all your week's meals on Sunday
night and prepare them in small Tupperware containers. Although
this is extra work, it will pay off huge in the long run. You
will have instant access to healthy prepared meals and you can
take the guesswork out of finding nutrient dense foods to eat.
Kris's
Weight Loss Eating Plan!
Breakfast:
1 cup of organic steel cut oatmeal, 2 scoops
of whey protein powder, 1 tbs of flaxseed oil.
Lunch: 8 ounces of broiled chicken breast, 1/2 boiled
sweet potato, 2 cups of steamed broccoli, small green salad.
Dinner: 8 ounces of broiled wild salmon, 2 cups of veggie
stir fry with 1 tbs of extra virgin olive oil, small green salad.
Snacks or Mini Meals: Protein bars, protein shakes, almonds,
walnuts, nonfat yogurt, frozen grapes, black beans, air popped popcorn, hummus,
nonfat cottage cheese, soy chips, apples.
Kris's
Weight Loss Workouts!
Weight Training:
Intense weight training with 8-10 reps per set and a 2 day on
1 day off split routine:
Monday: Chest/Back
Tuesday: Biceps/Triceps/Abs
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Shoulders/Abs
Friday: Legs
Sat/Sun: Off
Cardiovascular: Cardio workouts 4-5 times per week for
30-45 minutes per session. Jogging, jumping rope, mountain biking, elliptical
machine.
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