She now craves healthy foods
Gail Krieger, 46, struggled with her weight since childhood. “I’ve been on more diets than you know what to do with,” says the Tarry Tarrytown, NY, resident, who was categorized as obese by her doctor. She once lost as much as 80 pounds, but gained it all back and then some.
Then, in August 2016, a 45-year-old acquaintance of hers died of a heart attack. “I was like, ‘That’s it — I don’t want to die like that,’ ” Krieger, who works in education adminstration, says.
Days later, Krieger went to see a cardiologist, who told her that her previously perfect blood pressure had gone up and that it was time to get serious about her health.
A colleague recommended she try NutriMost, a multiphase whole-food personalized diet plan that involves meeting with a health coach.
During the first 40 days, under the supervision of a medical doctor, Krieger restricted herself to eating just 500 to 600 calories of vegetables and proteins a day. Gradually, she added avocados, cheese and other healthy fats back into her meals, for a total daily intake of 1,200 to 1,300 calories. Her maintenance phase, which began once she hit her goal of losing 130 pounds this past October, consists mostly of salads, roasted vegetable dishes and proteins such as whole eggs and chicken. As long as she sticks to the right foods, she no longer has to count calories. Krieger, who once thought nothing of sitting down to a sleeve of Oreos before bed, says having salad for lunch and dinner is her new normal.
“I think what’s different for me is that I haven’t felt the need to go back,” she says. “It’s about commitment — I want to do this for myself, and for my family.”