Tory Johnson, a well-known contributor on Good Morning America, embarked on a transformative journey to lose weight and discover a happier life after years of struggling. Her experience led her to write "The Shift: How I Finally Lost Weight & Discovered a Happier Life," a book where she shares her secrets to success and encourages readers to make significant changes in their own lives. This article delves into Tory Johnson's weight loss journey, her key strategies, and the profound impact it had on her overall well-being, offering valuable insights and inspiration for anyone seeking to make a positive change.
The Defining Moment: A Wake-Up Call
Tory Johnson's journey began with a candid conversation with one of her bosses at Good Morning America. Eighteen months prior to writing her book, her boss told her that her clothes didn't do her justice and suggested she see a stylist. Although her boss never used the words "fat" or "lose weight," Johnson interpreted the feedback as a warning to lose weight or risk her job. While her boss insists her role was never in jeopardy, this wake-up call became the catalyst for Johnson's transformation. This conversation was the shift she needed.
The Journey: 62 Pounds Lost and a Life Transformed
After being overweight for years, Tory Johnson committed to changing her life. In one year, she lost 62 pounds through dedication, perseverance, and a shift in her mindset. Johnson, who has now lost almost 80 pounds, considers herself a work in progress. She doesn't have an end date or a magic number; she’ll know it when she gets there. In the meantime, she’s enjoying the process and reaping the benefits of a healthier, happier life. She chronicled her year-long journey in "The Shift," sharing her experiences and offering guidance to others seeking to transform their lives.
Key Strategies for Weight Loss and a Healthier Lifestyle
Tory Johnson's approach to weight loss involved several key strategies that contributed to her success:
1. Eat Less
Johnson emphasizes the importance of reducing portion sizes to lose weight. She cut her portions considerably and discovered a new app to help her stay on track. RISE pairs you with a nutrition expert right on your phone for personalized feedback and advice every day on what you’re eating based on your lifestyle, preferences, and goals. It’s been valuable for spotting hidden ingredients and portion control.
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2. Choose Smarter
Paying attention to nutritional labels and using apps to track food choices enables individuals to make informed decisions. This awareness helps in selecting healthier options and avoiding unnecessary calories.
3. Move More
Recognizing the hazards of a sedentary lifestyle, Johnson incorporated more physical activity into her daily routine. She started with simple steps like walking around the block and gradually increased her activity level by joining a gym, jogging with her kids, and using a treadmill desk to alternate between standing and walking throughout the day.
Practical Dos and Don'ts
- DO weigh yourself daily: Monitoring your weight daily can provide motivation and help you stay on track. If you're up, you're more determined. If you're down, you're more motivated.
- DON'T give in to temptation without pausing: Taking a moment to pause before indulging in temptation can help you make a better choice. A walk around the block beats an Oreo bender any day.
- DO read nutritional labels or check an app: Paying attention to these details enables all of us to make smart food choices.
- DO grab nail polish instead of bingeing: Applying clear topcoat has saved me from countless calories. You can't stick wet nails into a bag of chips.
- DON'T destroy unflattering photos: Using unflattering photos as motivation can be a powerful tool to stay committed to your goals. Some people are motivated by looking at supermodels in bikinis. For me, there's nothing like dozens of awful pictures of my (former) triple chin to help me stay the course.
Avoiding Cheat Days
Johnson advises against having "cheat" days, comparing it to an alcoholic celebrating sobriety with a few beers. Rewarding a week of healthy eating with cake and cookies is akin to an alcoholic celebrating a month of sobriety with a few beers. It doesn't work, so I finally stopped doing it. Instead, she emphasizes getting back on track immediately if you slip up, reinforcing the idea that "day one can always be right now."
The Impact: A Healthier and Happier Life
The shift in Tory Johnson's lifestyle had a profound impact on her overall well-being. She experienced numerous positive changes, both big and small. She's happier and healthier. On the simple side, she has far more clothing choices and she doesn't leave dressing rooms empty-handed because nothing fits. On the serious side, she avoided the doctor for more than 10 years because she didn't want a lecture about her weight. She finally had a physical and her first mammogram. Nothing feels better than hearing the doctor say, "You're healthy!"
Improved Health
After avoiding doctors for over a decade due to her weight, Johnson finally had a physical and mammogram, receiving a clean bill of health. This was a significant milestone for her, highlighting the importance of taking care of her health.
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More Clothing Choices
One of the simple yet significant changes Johnson noticed was having more clothing choices. She no longer had to leave dressing rooms empty-handed because nothing fit, which boosted her confidence and self-esteem.
A Shift in Thinking
Johnson emphasizes that her weight loss journey was not just about dieting but about a "shift in her thinking." She realized that the motivation she needed to succeed was rooted in events of her past. She went back 20 years and remembered that she got married wearing navy, not white, because she didn’t want to look like a “marshmallow.” She had avoided visiting the doctor for 10 years because she didn’t want a lecture about her weight. This shift in mindset allowed her to address the underlying issues that had contributed to her weight problem.
The Book: "The Shift: How I Finally Lost Weight & Discovered a Happier Life"
In her book, Tory Johnson shares her personal experience of overcoming challenges and achieving a healthier lifestyle. She creates a plan, makes a list of things she is willing to sacrifice, and teaches herself the realities of self-discipline. With disarming honesty, she shares her experience of overcoming the inevitable challenges along the way. The book offers valuable lessons and inspiration for anyone struggling to make a big life change, providing a roadmap for taking charge and transforming their lives. It also includes profiles of readers who've successfully shifted too, recipes of many of my favorite dishes, and fresh tips and updates on what has worked well for me.
Shift for Good: Simple Changes for Lasting Joy Inside and Out
Tory Johnson also wrote Shift for Good: Simple Changes for Lasting Joy Inside and Out, and what she’s learned since the publication of her first book. Shift for Good shares her candid story of significant weight loss and feeling initially euphoric, then having to face the harsh reality that losing weight wasn’t the answer to all her life challenges. She realized that there was much more to do to reach the ultimate success, happiness and reward she longed for.
Small Shifts, Big Benefits
Johnson made a series of small shifts in her life that she says made all the difference. In some ways, she felt her life was spinning out of control, so she explored a variety of things that she hoped would make her feel more comfortable in her own skin, from mediation to acupuncture to spending more quality time with our beagle, Marly. She made a conscious effort to get more sleep every night and forced herself to leave her office for frequent breaks. She learned that a 10-minute walk around the block midday can easily reset your mood -- anyone can step away from her desk for that kind of break, no matter how busy she is. She’s always had the seasonal holiday giving bug, but she decided to make a year-round commitment by volunteering with women and foster kids. She started to reap the benefits at work. At her own business, she stopped coasting and got moving again. She recommitted to always having a Plan B and a “Screw You” stash of cash to weather hard times. She dialed for dollars herself instead of leaving sales to others. Her staff says she stopped snapping. Little changes, sure, but the benefits added up.
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Advice for Readers
Tory Johnson offers the following advice to readers:
- The past doesn't have to define your future: You can change your mind for a happier, healthier, better life.
- It's not easy, nor does it happen overnight: With patience and perseverance, you can make big things happen.
- Know that it's never too late to change: Don’t settle for less than what you want : if you don’t like something about yourself or feel that your life is less than full, get moving again. No one is going to come rescue you.
- Figure out what you want to change and commit to doing it but know going into it that it won’t happen overnight.
Facing New Challenges
After the euphoria of weight loss, Johnson faced the reality that it wasn't the answer to all her life challenges. While she didn’t return to unhealthy eating habits, she began to coast in certain aspects of her personal and professional life. She got lazy and had a sense of entitlement. When she encountered a series of new setbacks, she realized that she had more work to do.
Empty Nest
Johnson also talks frankly about how that feels - to be a successful, professional mom and to launch your kids -- what we have to deal with, face and move through? Cynics will say - and some have - that I had 18 years to prepare for my twins leaving for college, so stop whining. But I’m not sure how anyone prepares for two empty bedrooms. It floored me to realize that Emma and Jake were not just away at summer camp and would return in a month. That was a knockout punch that sent me reeling and I cried for days. I talk to Emma and Jake everyday (thank you Snapchat, text and Facetime) but it's not the same. It was the end of the greatest chapter in my life. I expected many other moms to tell me that it gets a lot easier with time, and some did. But to my surprise, many moms told me that it sucks for years, sometimes with no end, and in some ways it felt reassuring to know that there are plenty of other mom softies out there, too. I know intuitively that in the circle of life when something ends, something new begins.