Recently, I had the pleasure of doing an interview with Gayla Baer of Slim Fit Mama . Gayla is an incredible woman, who has seen hard-won success not only in the area of weight loss, but in her personal life as well. Her story speaks of the courage to be your best self you can be, in spite of the pressures others may put upon you to live your life their way.
What motivated you to begin your weight loss journey?
A couple of years ago, I had family portraits taken that were going to be included in our Christmas cards. When the proofs came back, I cried. I didn’t recognize the person in those pictures. She looked kinda like me – had on my clothes, but was not anywhere close to the me I’d always recognized. I refused to gain one more pound. I scanned in one of the pictures as a reminder and burned the rest of them. I wanted as little proof as possible that I’d ever gotten “fat.”
What was the absolute last straw, the one final moment when you decided you had to change your health/weight/lifestyle?
I was married to a man who was not a nice person. In hindsight I believe he wanted me insecure as a way to keep and control me – but his constant reminders of how unattractive I’d become made me want to get back to “me” and kick him to the curb. I did!
How important is support in your journey?
Support is ok – but it’s not everything. I have two teenagers and a boyfriend who love sweets. I felt like I needed some support in the last stretch of my weight loss – thus I created Slim Fit Mama
Where do you find your support (ie spouse, children, friends, online community, etc)?
My mom is a big support as well as the community that’s developing on Slim Fit Mama and some of my Facebook friends.
Do you follow a calorie restricted diet, or use a different method to lose weight?
Right now I focus on low-carb, high protein. It’s what worked in the first half of my journey and it’s what I’m attempting now – without much luck actually. I’m sort of stuck trying to figure out what is going to work for this second half.
How important is exercise in your program?
I know an exercise program is very important, right now I do a little just to keep from gaining – but I developed heal spurs from walking so much, it’s difficult to do anything too much that requires me to be on my feet.
How long have you been trying to lose weight, and how much have you lost up until now?
At the time of the proofs I weight 198. Today I am at 165. My goal weight is 140 – that’s where I was most comfortable a few years ago.
Do you enjoy working out alone, or do you prefer doing so in the company of others?
I’d much prefer having a workout partner – but that just never seems to work out for me.
What led to your weight gain? Was there one single thing which you are now able to pinpoint as the primary contributor?
I think there were several factors that contributed to my gain. I quite smoking 5 years ago so I’m sure that’s part of it. I was under so much stress in my life. I’d married a man who, two months into the marriage decided to not contribute to the household finances by quitting work. He turned out to not be a nice person to me or my kids and being the sole financial support for a family of 6, became so overwhelming. He was liked in the community and by everyone else, but at home, it was hell. Looking back, I honestly think part of me gained weight out of stress, but also to make myself as unattractive to him as he was to me. I’d lost all respect for him and was simply going through the motions until I got up the courage to kick him out.
With all the other demands on your time (family, blogging, etc) how do you find time for exercise and healthy food choices?
It’s tough. It’s not something that comes easy at all. I have to squeeze time in for me where I can. For me, it’s mostly about portion control. I try to eat a salad before dinner along with a couple glasses of water to help curb the hunger. I also watch my carb intake. If I have a hamburger, I eat only one half of the bun. If I eat a salad, I put the dressing on the side. Little changes like that can make a big difference.
Thank you, Gayla, for your wonderful interview! Readers can come back again Friday next week, when Gayla shares her thoughts and experiences about blogging and writing.
Been on a similar journey of self discovery/slef improvement? Why not share? Helpful comments and suggestions are always most welcome!
Recently, I had the pleasure of doing an interview with Gayla Baer of Slim Fit Mama . Gayla is an incredible woman, who has seen hard-won success not only in the area of weight loss, but in her personal life as well. Her story speaks of the courage to be your best self you can be, in spite of the pressures others may put upon you to live your life their way.
What motivated you to begin your weight loss journey?
A couple of years ago, I had family portraits taken that were going to be included in our Christmas cards. When the proofs came back, I cried. I didn’t recognize the person in those pictures. She looked kinda like me – had on my clothes, but was not anywhere close to the me I’d always recognized. I refused to gain one more pound. I scanned in one of the pictures as a reminder and burned the rest of them. I wanted as little proof as possible that I’d ever gotten “fat.”
What was the absolute last straw, the one final moment when you decided you had to change your health/weight/lifestyle?
I was married to a man who was not a nice person. In hindsight I believe he wanted me insecure as a way to keep and control me – but his constant reminders of how unattractive I’d become made me want to get back to “me” and kick him to the curb. I did!
How important is support in your journey?
Support is ok – but it’s not everything. I have two teenagers and a boyfriend who love sweets. I felt like I needed some support in the last stretch of my weight loss – thus I created Slim Fit Mama
Where do you find your support (ie spouse, children, friends, online community, etc)?
My mom is a big support as well as the community that’s developing on Slim Fit Mama and some of my Facebook friends.
Do you follow a calorie restricted diet, or use a different method to lose weight?
Right now I focus on low-carb, high protein. It’s what worked in the first half of my journey and it’s what I’m attempting now – without much luck actually. I’m sort of stuck trying to figure out what is going to work for this second half.
How important is exercise in your program?
I know an exercise program is very important, right now I do a little just to keep from gaining – but I developed heal spurs from walking so much, it’s difficult to do anything too much that requires me to be on my feet.
How long have you been trying to lose weight, and how much have you lost up until now?
At the time of the proofs I weight 198. Today I am at 165. My goal weight is 140 – that’s where I was most comfortable a few years ago.
Do you enjoy working out alone, or do you prefer doing so in the company of others?
I’d much prefer having a workout partner – but that just never seems to work out for me.
What led to your weight gain? Was there one single thing which you are now able to pinpoint as the primary contributor?
I think there were several factors that contributed to my gain. I quite smoking 5 years ago so I’m sure that’s part of it. I was under so much stress in my life. I’d married a man who, two months into the marriage decided to not contribute to the household finances by quitting work. He turned out to not be a nice person to me or my kids and being the sole financial support for a family of 6, became so overwhelming. He was liked in the community and by everyone else, but at home, it was hell. Looking back, I honestly think part of me gained weight out of stress, but also to make myself as unattractive to him as he was to me. I’d lost all respect for him and was simply going through the motions until I got up the courage to kick him out.
With all the other demands on your time (family, blogging, etc) how do you find time for exercise and healthy food choices?
It’s tough. It’s not something that comes easy at all. I have to squeeze time in for me where I can. For me, it’s mostly about portion control. I try to eat a salad before dinner along with a couple glasses of water to help curb the hunger. I also watch my carb intake. If I have a hamburger, I eat only one half of the bun. If I eat a salad, I put the dressing on the side. Little changes like that can make a big difference.
Thank you, Gayla, for your wonderful interview! Readers can come back again Friday next week, when Gayla shares her thoughts and experiences about blogging and writing.
Been on a similar journey of self discovery/slef improvement? Why not share? Helpful comments and suggestions are always most welcome!