Not one, but TWO hurricanes bring winds of change to Patti Och
It was a one-two punch that changed Patti Och's life. On Aug. 24, 2004, Hurricane Frances swept through her Florida hometown. Fortunately, she and her husband were able to stay in their home as they cleaned up the damage.
But their luck ran out three weeks later on Sept. 13th, when the wind and rain of Hurricane Jeanne caused their roof to cave in. Their possessions lost, Patti and her husband moved into an RV in their front yard.
This 'temporary shelter' became their home for a year. And the longer they lived there, the harder it became for Patti to cook proper meals on the RV's tiny stove. Pair that with the stress of losing and rebuilding her home, and Patti herself leaning on junk food (such as donuts) to get her through the days.
By the time she was finally able to move out of the RV and back into her house, she had put on 37 pounds. This was hard for Patti to handle, having always been a slender, active person. She just couldn't get used to being overweight, and the change taxed her physically and emotionally.
Then one morning she caught a newspaper ad for L A Weight Loss. That triggered a memory about a woman from her church who told her she lost weight on the program. Patti decided to give it a try.
She was quickly sold on the idea of learning how to eat the regular foods she loved, instead of swearing them off entirely. That was over a year ago. Today, Patti is still at her goal weight of 114 pounds -- the same weight she was in high school!
And now that her life -- and home!-- is back on track, Patti can focus on taking care of herself so she doesn't gain back the weight she worked to lose. She focuses on eating healthy foods, and incorporates some exercise into her life.
She walks on the treadmill, swims, gardens, and takes walks and hikes with her husband. Quite a journey!
Here's Patti before, at 151 pounds:
And after, at a more comfortable 114 pounds:
FAST FACTS
Name: Patti Och
Hometown: Florida
Age: 64
Starting weight: 151 pounds
Goal weight: 114 pounds
Current weight: 114 pounds
Program start date: September 2005
Biggest motivator: Feeling better about herself. Gaining the extra weight took an emotional toll on Patti.
Old eating philosophy: Whatever was easiest to prepare in her tiny RV kitchen.
New eating philosophy: Makes conscious choices about what goes into her body. She eats lots of fruits and vegetables, avoids the junk food aisles at the supermarket, and strives to eat from the five basic food groups every day. She also learned how to make simple substitutions, like using whole wheat flour instead of white, and soy milk instead of regular.
Best thing about losing weight: Feeling free to tackle whatever challenges lie ahead.
Best weight loss secret learned: If you focus on eating foods that are good for you, it will become a natural part of your lifestyle.
But their luck ran out three weeks later on Sept. 13th, when the wind and rain of Hurricane Jeanne caused their roof to cave in. Their possessions lost, Patti and her husband moved into an RV in their front yard.
This 'temporary shelter' became their home for a year. And the longer they lived there, the harder it became for Patti to cook proper meals on the RV's tiny stove. Pair that with the stress of losing and rebuilding her home, and Patti herself leaning on junk food (such as donuts) to get her through the days.
By the time she was finally able to move out of the RV and back into her house, she had put on 37 pounds. This was hard for Patti to handle, having always been a slender, active person. She just couldn't get used to being overweight, and the change taxed her physically and emotionally.
Then one morning she caught a newspaper ad for L A Weight Loss. That triggered a memory about a woman from her church who told her she lost weight on the program. Patti decided to give it a try.
She was quickly sold on the idea of learning how to eat the regular foods she loved, instead of swearing them off entirely. That was over a year ago. Today, Patti is still at her goal weight of 114 pounds -- the same weight she was in high school!
And now that her life -- and home!-- is back on track, Patti can focus on taking care of herself so she doesn't gain back the weight she worked to lose. She focuses on eating healthy foods, and incorporates some exercise into her life.
She walks on the treadmill, swims, gardens, and takes walks and hikes with her husband. Quite a journey!
Here's Patti before, at 151 pounds:
And after, at a more comfortable 114 pounds:
FAST FACTS
Name: Patti Och
Hometown: Florida
Age: 64
Starting weight: 151 pounds
Goal weight: 114 pounds
Current weight: 114 pounds
Program start date: September 2005
Biggest motivator: Feeling better about herself. Gaining the extra weight took an emotional toll on Patti.
Old eating philosophy: Whatever was easiest to prepare in her tiny RV kitchen.
New eating philosophy: Makes conscious choices about what goes into her body. She eats lots of fruits and vegetables, avoids the junk food aisles at the supermarket, and strives to eat from the five basic food groups every day. She also learned how to make simple substitutions, like using whole wheat flour instead of white, and soy milk instead of regular.
Best thing about losing weight: Feeling free to tackle whatever challenges lie ahead.
Best weight loss secret learned: If you focus on eating foods that are good for you, it will become a natural part of your lifestyle.
Labels: 37 pounds, Florida, Hurricane Frances, Hurricane Jeanne, Patti Och
posted by Jackie Zima-Evans @ 12:15 PM
<< Home