'I Lost And Kept Off 100 Pounds With WW And Regula Jazzercise And HIIT'
My name is Tuesday Gray (@four_mouseketeers), and I am 31 years old. I live in San Diego, California, and I am a new WW (formerly Weight Watchers) coach. Being diagnosed with gallbladder disease and gallstones was a turning point for me. I started changing my diet with WW and doing Jazzercise. These changes helped me lose and keep off 100 pounds.
I was medically overweight or obese my entire life. When I got pregnant with my first baby girl, I gained 40 more pounds. Two years later, I was pregnant with my second baby, and I had never lost any of the previous baby weight. By the time my second daughter was born, I was the heaviest I had ever been and had health issues due to the way I was eating. At 24, the scale had hit 256 pounds.
Shortly after I had my second daughter, I started having extreme pain after eating. It slowly increased until one day the pain was so bad my husband called an ambulance. It was determined that I had gallstones and gallbladder disease. The ER did little to nothing to talk to me about how my nutrition played a huge role in this, and how if I didn’t change, things would get much worse. So I left the hospital with pain medication and was not ready to change.
I sent myself back to the ER several times in blackout pain because I still wasn’t willing to change. I declined surgery. It got so bad the pain would come even after I would drink water.
I finally had my gallbladder removed, and they said it was the worst gallbladder they had seen in a while. It was infected and impacted with stones. At that point, I had not been able to eat without pain for several months, and had lost about 20 pounds.
A young mom of two impressionable girls, I had no confidence, no sense of self-worth, and always felt like I was preaching “do as I say, not as I do.” I deserved to be the best version of me, and my family deserved to have her too!
My life changed on February 25, 2019. I ran into a friend that I hadn’t seen in a while, and she looked amazing.
She was glowing with confidence and seemed so happy. She told me she had been doing WW, and I walked into my local studio later that night. I was so inspired, and I told myself, This is it. I’m ready to be the best possible version of myself–for myself–and no one else.
And the rest is history! I knew it was right for me because I needed the freedom to still enjoy the foods that I love. I knew a restrictive diet wasn’t going to work for me. I get bored easily, and needed to know I had more options than just chicken and veggies every day.
Here’s what I eat in a day.
Breakfast: Protein iced coffee. I use espresso over ice with half of a protein shake (usually I like to use Alani Nu fit shakes or Premier Protein), followed by a variation of eggs like an egg white, ham, and veggie omelette; homemade breakfast sandwich; or my personal favorite: breakfast tacos!
Lunch: I usually keep my lunches pretty simple. A turkey sandwich piled high with veggies with a side of fruit. Or a blackened chicken wrap made with a low-carb tortilla and some Bolthouse Farms ranch dressing paired with some raw veggies.
Snacks: Fresh fruits and veggies. Watermelon, snap peas, and pickles are my favorite! Light string cheese, pretzels, protein bars, edamame, hummus with veggies, Fiber One bars. My absolute favorite snack is air-popped popcorn with white cheddar seasoning!
Dinner: The reason this plan works for me is because I have the flexibility to switch up my meals. I’m constantly learning and searching for new recipes for dinners to keep my interest. Some of my go-to dinners in the beginning of my journey were: two-ingredient-dough pizzas, pickle chicken (mock Chick-Fil-A), and salsa chicken tacos made with crispy shells in the oven. Currently, we have been eating a lot of teriyaki air-fried salmon bowls with brown rice and broccoli, lentil soft tacos, and grilled Hawaiian chicken sandwiches. I always serve every dinner with a different type of veggie.
Dessert: Enlightened brand cookie dough ice cream bars, homemade pizookies made with chocolate chip muffin mix and light vanilla ice cream, or warm homemade banana bread made with Lakanto monk fruit sugar replacement.
I actually did not start exercising until after I hit my goal weight—I just wasn’t ready mentally.
When I finally felt ready, I started by going to Jazzercise with my mom! As soon as I got into a great workout routine, the world shut down due to COVID. However, I continued doing Jazzercise virtually, and eventually I branched off into at-home strength workouts.
Currently, I workout from home using the FitOn app doing a mix of HIIT and strength training four times a week for 30-60 minutes each workout.
These three changes have made my weight loss a success.
I put myself first. I have completely shifted my mindset. I went from having no confidence in myself to being my biggest cheerleader. I put my goals first. I am mindful of everything I am doing while I’m doing it. The reason why I was so successful this time around was because I was doing this for myself—I believed I could and I did.
I embraced planning. Planning sets me up for success! Every Sunday I still sit down and plan all my dinners for the week with my shopping list. I even pre-track meals, so I know how many points I have to work with before dinner. If we are eating out (we go out to eat a lot as a family), I plan ahead! I look to see if the restaurant is in the WW app, and I plan what I will order before I arrive. I’m not afraid to bring my own items to the restaurant. My husband is always amused when I pull my own dressing out of my purse!
My fridge is always stocked. I am always prepared. I stock my fridge and pantry with foods that I know will fuel and fill my body. I try to not let myself get too hungry, but I’m a busy mom and sometimes I don’t listen to my hunger cues—and before I know it, I’m starving. By keeping items on hand that I know fit in my budget, it helps me to not binge.
I have lost about 100 pounds total, and I have kept it off for over two years now.
My journey has taught me how incredibly strong I am. I didn’t know it before. Losing weight is hard, but so is being obese. I lost 100 pounds, but I have gained so much more. I know my worth, and I have so much confidence in myself. I finally feel like the role model I’ve needed to be for my girls, who are 6 and 9 years old. They know it’s not about how we look, but how we feel. We can do hard things!
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