Erica lost 60 pounds

Featured Weight Loss Success Story: Erica lost 60 pounds and is now Super Fit.  After a terrible ankle injury, she was told by a doctor that her ability to exercise would be hindered and that motivated her to get fit and healthy.  She is now inspiring others to do the same.  Here is what she share about how she lost the weight:

My name is Erica Stepteau,  I’ve been married almost 11 years with no children. I currently reside in Atlanta, GA. I recently completed Masters Degree in Business Management & Leadership.

I was 150lbs for a very long time until I had a terrible ankle injury. This injury resulted in 5 screws and 1 plate. During recovery time I gained approximately 25lbs. I was in physical therapy for 6 months and it took me almost 8 months to walk again without any assistance. My Orthopedic Surgeon explained to me that I may not be able to participate in any strenuous activities for the rest of my life because how bad I the bones were broken in the ankle. That was my wakeup call! I don’t know what came over me, I went crazy and started to eat healthier and worked out like a mad woman!

My weight loss journey began June 2010 at 174 pounds. I returned for my 2 year checkup appointment 45 pounds lighter, ran a half marathon (13.1 miles), and completed multiple Beachbody fitness programs. I successfully achieved final weight goal of 114lbs in May 2012!

I have always been pretty active, but I had a lot of work to do to improve my eating habits. MyFitnessPal was a great tool for me at the beginning of my journey in tracking food I was consuming throughout the day. The first month of logging foods really shocked me. I didn’t know I consumed so much carbs and sugar. I started researching ideas on how to eat better without completely omitting things I love: cake/pizza/breads. For example, I make homemade pizzas loaded with veggies instead of meats, soda cakes topped with fresh berries and whipped cream. I had to tweak recipes and minimize portion sizes, but overall I didn’t take away too many items. In addition, planning was a key factor in my success; Every meal for the week was planned, documented and stored. I left no room for error or excuses to consume something that I knew wasn’t accounted for.

As I learned portion control and nutrition balance, I began to be less scrutinizing on planning meals. The biggest nutrition trick which help me turn my body into a fat-burning furnace was eating every 2hours totaling to 6 small meals a day. My body is still trained like this even while maintaining current weight; I never let my body get hungry.

Three tips I have for a person who is trying to reach the same goal:

1.Write down your goal and why you want to achieve it (Copy this and place on mirror, refrigerator, and desk at work)
2.Plan, Plan, Plan. Nutrition and Fitness-Leave very little room for error and excuses.
3.Find a support group or like-mined people to help inspire one another.

My weight loss journey allowed me to find my passion in helping others. Two years ago I created a Facebook Group page, Fit4Life, to help others achieve their health and fitness goals using some of the very same principles I’ve used in my journey. This group started off with 39 people and as of today there are 171 members apart of this group. I share daily tips, recipes, create workout videos, and facilitate monthly challenges. In addition, I am working towards being a certified Health Coach and Fitness Professional so that I can began a new career path in the Health and Wellness industry. I live, breathe, and think about nutrition and fitness. I am so glad I experienced that ankle injury because It allowed me to find myself in many ways. I didn’t know how ambitious I was until I lost the weight and also this path has allowed me to meet so many people so that I can help them achieve their goals as well!!!”

Instagram: @Fit4Life_Coaching