Weight loss is a journey, not a destination, and Victoria Newman's story exemplifies this. After struggling with her weight for years, she embarked on a path to better health, losing a significant amount of weight through gradual lifestyle changes. This article explores the strategies she employed, offering insights and tips for anyone looking to achieve sustainable weight loss.
The Turning Point
Victoria Newman's weight gain was gradual, accumulating approximately 80 pounds over six years while building a business with her husband, reaching a total of 248 pounds. She attributed this to the stress of the business and a lack of time management.
“I wasn’t feeling well, my knees were hurting, and I was just always tired,” she said. Plus, her family has a history of diabetes and heart disease, so she knew she had to take better care of herself.
This led to a vicious cycle of exhaustion, poor sleep, and unhealthy habits, which led to a disaster in her life. She was also frustrated because she enjoys hiking, and she was afraid if she fell on a steep trail, she wouldn’t be able to get up. “I weighed 100 pounds more than my husband, so he wouldn’t have been able to help me out,” she said. It was a tipping point for her when she took an anniversary trip with her husband and she couldn’t climb to the top of a scenic view - they had to take the ski lift. “I knew with my heavy weight and activity level that I just didn’t have the ability to climb the incline. I was too out of shape, and I was embarrassed to admit that I just couldn’t physically do it,” she said.
The catalyst for change came during an anniversary trip. Unable to climb to the top of a scenic view, she realized the extent to which her weight was limiting her life. This moment of realization spurred her to take action. "When New Year’s came I decided, ‘OK, I’m going to get in shape. I’m going to fix myself.”
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Gradual Lifestyle Changes
Newman didn’t attempt a total lifestyle overhaul. She took one step at a time. Victoria Newman's approach to weight loss was not about drastic changes, but rather a series of gradual adjustments to her daily habits. This approach made the process more manageable and sustainable in the long run.
Replacing Soda with Water
One of the first changes she made was replacing soda with water. This simple swap had a significant impact, as it also led her to scale back on alcohol consumption, which she had previously mixed with soda.
Eliminating Fast Food
Fast food became a thing of the past for Newman. She made a conscious effort to avoid it, even when traveling or attending events. By packing healthy snacks, she resisted the temptation of concession stands and fast-food restaurants. “I’ve honestly had fast food four times in the past two years. Even when we go to [our daughter’s] track meets, I pack snacks, so I don’t go to the concession stand. When we travel for our business, I pack healthy choices for myself, so when other people are stopping at McDonald’s I don’t need to. Fast food is a thing of the past,” she said.
Incorporating Walking
Newman started walking, initially out of necessity due to her daughter's injury. She joined her local YMCA and began walking on the treadmill. The low-impact nature of walking made it an accessible and sustainable form of exercise. Her daughter, an athlete, injured herself and needed to start swimming as part of her recovery. Newman got a family membership to her local YMCA and began walking on the treadmill: “I could only do a little bit at a time, at a very slow pace. There wasn’t really any other choice but to walk.”
Tracking Food Intake
She recorded what she ate with her Fitbit app. Monitoring her food intake helped her stay accountable and make informed choices about her diet.
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Rediscovering Hiking
Newman and her husband resumed hiking, an activity she had always enjoyed. Being in nature motivated her to stay active and contributed to her overall well-being. “I like to be in nature and be outside,” she said. “So that was one of my motivations - to just be able to go out and do things,” she said. “We started hiking a lot and the weight came off pretty steadily.”
Adjusting Sleep Patterns
She gave up the midnight bedtimes. And because she saw how alcohol was changing her sleep patterns, if she has a drink, it’s much earlier in the evening.
Prioritizing Consistency
She stayed consistent with her physical activity and nutrition. “Keeping my health a priority even when my schedule wasn’t normal was important. With consistency, everything became a habit. Even on vacation, I was conscious of my food choices and activities so I wouldn’t fall out of my routine,” she said. “During times of the scale not moving, I stayed consistent knowing the big picture involved so much more.”
Breaking Through a Plateau
After initial success, Newman encountered a plateau. To overcome this, she realized she needed to further improve her diet and incorporate strength training into her routine. Newman had improved her diet, but she knew it wasn’t as healthy as it could be. “I couldn’t lose any more weight and I knew something had to change. That’s when I saw Stephanie [Mansour] on the TODAY show,” she said. She realized that adding in some strength training would boost her health and fitness. That motivated me,” she said. and gets her workout done first thing. And on Sundays she shops for groceries and meal preps for the week. “That sets me up for success,” she said.
She also takes photos of herself every month to see her progress. “I know what I look like and that is more important than what the scale tells you,” she said.
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Overhauling Her Diet
Newman said transitioning her diet was a challenge - she comes from Appalachian culture, so she grew up eating a lot of fried foods and small portions of vegetables. Newman overhauled her eating habits, transitioning from a diet rich in fried foods and gravy to one focused on lean protein and vegetables.
“I never realized how unhealthy my cooking was because it wasn’t processed food. I always loved to cook, and it was good homemade cooking, but it was things like gravy, biscuits and cornbread,” she said. “I still eat those foods in moderation, but on a regular basis I’m pretty good with my diet.”
She stopped frying foods. “I started using a lot of olive oil and nonstick spray, and baking and grilling. I use some of Steph [Mansour’s] recipes,” she said.
She tried restricting her calories to 1,200 per day, but discovered that didn’t work. “I wasn’t eating enough food,” she said. “It’s not sustainable. When I started doing strength training, I realized I had to have my protein.” Now, she aims to eat 130 grams of protein per day, in foods like eggs turkey sausage, Greek yogurt, protein cereal, chicken, seafood and a daily protein bar. She’ll prep a week’s worth of high-protein salads or soups for lunch.
Her carb intake naturally decreased. She has found that the way she eats now, she doesn’t eat many carbs. “It’s not that I restrict them, I just don’t want them,” she said. She no longer has any junk food in the house. And when she eats in a restaurant, she skips the appetizers and chooses salmon or seafood with a salad.
The Results
Newman lost 60 pounds in six months, dropping about two pounds a week. “Sixty pounds came off pretty quickly because I was so overweight for my height at 5 foot 2 inches,” she said. She dropped 40 more, but those pounds took more time - almost a year.
The weight loss and health changes she’s seen in the past year have made a big difference. She can hike a lot more, for starters. “We do the same trails now that we did last year and our time is so much better. I’m not tired. I can do it all. We’re in West Virginia - we have nothing but mountains - and I feel good after hiking, not exhausted or embarrassed that I had to stop so many times,” she said.
Her hot flashes, which were waking her up three or four times a night, are almost gone. Along with the weight loss, she’s seen her resting heart rate decrease and her Fitbit cardio fitness level improve. “It states that I’m in good to very good shape versus poor when I first started,” she said. And her stress level has gone down a lot. “I’m not as tired so I get more done - it all goes hand in hand. Even work is less stressful.
The weight loss and health changes she’s seen in the past year have made a big difference. The changes she has experienced have significantly improved her quality of life. She can now hike without exhaustion, her hot flashes have diminished, her resting heart rate has decreased, and her stress levels are lower.
Exercise and Stress Relief
Regarding exercise and stress relief, Victoria Newman has a clear understanding of what works for her. She emphasizes the importance of finding activities that one enjoys and that fit into their lifestyle. Her exercise plan incorporates a variety of activities, including Soul Cycle, Go Stride, Ripped Fit, and yoga. She finds that exercising with a group is particularly motivating.
She also finds that it is imperative to incorporate exercise into her daily routine, and it is always time well spent. She is far more efficient when she exercises. She can manage her time optionally when she exercises. It makes her more balanced. She is a good problem solver, and exercise makes her a better thinker. when she wake up with a new thought. Beginning the day this way helps her organize her day and enables her to focus on what she need to accomplish. It provides her with a road map. It helps her manage the challenges that can arise during the rest of the day.
The broader context of weight loss and health
Victoria Newman's approach to weight loss aligns with broader scientific understanding of the relationship between diet, exercise, and overall health.
The Role of Diet
The ketogenic diet (KD), characterized by high-fat and low-carbohydrate intake, has gained attention as a potential weight-loss strategy. By restricting carbohydrate consumption to less than 50 grams per day, the body enters a state of ketosis, where it relies on ketone bodies for energy production. While KD has shown promise in inducing weight loss and improving metabolic markers, it is not without controversy. Concerns have been raised regarding potential cardiovascular risks associated with elevated lipid levels. However, conflicting evidence exists, with some studies suggesting that KD may be protective against cardiovascular disease.
The Importance of Exercise
Exercise plays a crucial role in weight management and overall well-being. Regular physical activity helps burn calories, build muscle mass, and improve cardiovascular health. Different forms of exercise offer unique benefits, and finding activities that one enjoys is key to maintaining a consistent exercise routine.
The Impact of Circadian Rhythms
Recent studies have highlighted the connection between circadian rhythms and feeding behavior. Disruption of these rhythms, such as through irregular meal times or late-night snacking, can contribute to weight gain and metabolic dysfunction. Aligning eating patterns with the body's natural circadian rhythms may be beneficial for weight management.