Wife, mom and Master Nutritionist, Christina Jordan, lost over 130+ pounds, overcame Type 2 Diabetes and food addiction and now shares her wisdom for losing the weight and keeping it off for over a decade. Here’s Christina’s wisdom for losing the weight and keeping it off…

Go all in!

There came a day when not one item of clothing in my closet fit— not even my size 22W jeans would button! My energy and passion for life was at a flat zero. My blood sugar skyrocketed from the Type 2 Diabetes I developed from being over 100+ pounds overweight and food cravings left me feeling out of control. “I’m too tired to do ______”, was the echoing statement of my life. I felt chronically exhausted, depressed and too tired to play with my kids, flirt with my husband, get myself ready for the day, go out with friends or even enjoy my life. My doctors warned that if I didn’t make some major improvements and lose the weight I was going to have to live with insulin injections for the rest of my life and was drastically cutting my life short. I felt scared and trapped by my weight and I knew I had to make a BIG change! 10 years ago I made a choice to GO ALL IN with my health. I didn’t dabble or make a wishy-washy promise to “try” another new diet. I made a rock-solid commitment to change EVERYTHING in order to get healthy. First, I began by giving away every single item of clothes I owned to charity and left just one shirt, one pair of pants, one dress and some workout clothes to wear until I could purchase others in a smaller size. Second, I raided my pantry and gave away every item of food that was not healthy. I didn’t care about what I gave away, my only focus was to do whatever it took to lose the weight and get my life back on track for my family and myself. That’s “ALL IN” commitment and it will help you along your weight loss journey.

Find a “Fitness Witness” & Make A BOLD Statement!

When I began my weight loss journey I was just as skeptical and fearful as any normal person. As a Type 2 Diabetic toppling the scales at 271 pounds, “What if I fail?”, echoed through my mind constantly. I worried what will people think of me if they find out I tried to lose the weight, but couldn’t stick to my goals. To combat this fearful mindset I enlisted the help of my husband, my family and close friends. I decided being BOLD and letting everyone know of my plan was better than cowardly hiding it from the people closest to me. This way they could help hold me accountable to my goals, encourage me when I felt weak and maybe even join me for a workout or healthy meal. I also created an official “Health Contract” for myself, where I listed all my health goals, what I was going to change and what I would accomplish in my health. I signed it, as did my husband who acted as my “Fitness Witness”, and boldly hung it on my fridge for all the world to see. I still have the original copy to this very day. Don’t ever be ashamed for starting a health goal. You are starting and that’s what matters. Your greatest trial could become your greatest triumph!

Become Your Own Expert.

I wish I could have had a Master Nutritionist or expert hold my hand and walk me through my journey to losing weight. When I began I was like any other over-weight, confused, scared stay-at-home mom. I was no exert and had NO CLUE where to start! Sure, I had some ideas about dieting, but all I knew was that the fad diets never worked for me. I had to personally put in the time to educate myself on nutrition, fitness, metabolic hormones, healthy living and even the psychology behind food addiction. Out of my own desperate need to lose the weight and heal my body of Type 2 Diabetes and food addiction, I read every book I could find on health and wellness and even went back to school to earn my Masters in Nutrition and currently working towards my Doctorate of Naturalpathic Medicine. I would work and take care of my three children during the day and then study and take exams all night after I put them to bed— Plus work in a workout and plan my healthy meals for the next day. Was it easy? No way! But it was so worth it and I’m so grateful for the education. Today, I help thousands of people lose weight and discover their health, but I myself was actually my first patient. Don’t expect others to “fix” you. You have to put in the work, the time and the energy to learn how to care for you body through the wisdom found in books, classes, seminars, blogs and respected weight loss experts.

EAT MORE & Stop Trying to be SKINNY!

When I first began my journey to losing over 130+ pounds my first instinct was to cut calories and starve myself skinny. After all, that’s what the so-called “experts” requested I do. I did try it their way for a very short time. I ate 500 calories or less a day, deprived myself and watched as my body began to revolt with dizzy spells, hair loss, dark eye circles, dull skin, crazy emotional mood swings and zero energy. I would lose 10 pounds and then gain it right back a dozen times over. Eventually, my body was so out of balanced and in survival mode that even when I fasted and worked out for hours a day I would gain weight. Nothing worked due to the years of DIET ABUSE. I was DONE trying to be SKINNY! My mission was to get HEALTHY so that I could live a long life with my family. I began by EATING MORE healthy, nutritious foods, sleeping more and taking more time for myself. I would eat 5-6 times per day and each meal was a healthy combo of lean protein, fruits, veggies and healthy fats. Guess what happened? I lost weight, stressed less, gained muscle, my hair grew back thicker, my skin looked more youthful, my energy skyrocketed and I felt amazing! Within a year I had lost over 100 pounds and have easily maintained my new healthy weight for a decade— while having children, raising three awesome kids and balancing marriage, work and family responsibilities.

Be the BOSS of Your Body!

Let’s be honest, if losing weight was easy, everyone would be fit, healthy and Type 2 Diabetes, heard disease and metabolic disorders would be almost nonexistent. But that is not the case in America. Over half our population is overweight and suffering from illnesses due to obesity. I was one of the many suffering and obesity was controlling my life. My weight prevented me from enjoying many wonderful things, including being physically able to run and play with my kids, go for a hike, ride a bike, and even cross my legs. I felt trapped trapped in a prison where food addiction was the prison warden. I broke free from this victim mentality by making a choice to take action. I began eating healthy, going for nightly walks with my husband and making a conscious effort to sleep more and take more time to relax which lowered my stress and cortisol levels. When addictive impulses would try to temp me I would remind myself that I AM THE BOSS of my body and that I had come too far to be told what to do by a cookie, cupcake or whatever sugary beverage was tempting me on the moment! If you want to lose the weight and keep it off for the rest of your life, one of the greatest mind shifts you can make is realizing YOU are in charge, YOU decide what you will do and YOU are the one in authority over your body. I encourage you to take a stand, step into your position of authority and be the BOSS over your body.