Barbara Tobiason joined VFL.com in November in 2007. She weighed 249 pounds and knew it was time for a change. “I have young grandchildren to keep up with now,” she says. Her initial goal was to get down to 200 pounds.
“I still eat what I want, but I have learned through VFL.com how to change what I like into low cholesterol, low fat, low sodium, and low sugar choices,” Barbara explains. “I make them in a more healthy way.” She says one trick she has learned is substituting oil with applesauce in many of her recipes. “It works just as well and you can’t taste the difference,” she says.
To keep herself motivated, Barbara keeps some smaller-sized dresses she wants to fit into someday in close view in her closet. “I miss ice cream and I miss donuts,” she says, “but I make other things I enjoy instead. You have to change the way you look at food. You have to eat something good for your body instead of the temporary delight will bring you.”
Barbara also joined a local fitness center and began exercising. “I had never been in a gym in my life,” she remembers. Now she exercises regularly, walking on the treadmill every day and doing weight training every other day.
To date, Barbara has lost 40 pounds with VFL.com, and is only nine pounds away from reaching her initial goal. “I can exercise better now,” she says. “I can push myself more. My feet don’t hurt after an hour of walking anymore and I don’t have to make my monthly visit to the chiropractor to take care of my backaches.” Barbara’s advice to other people trying to lose weight: “Hang in there, no matter how hard each day might seem. Bring something with you to eat when going out or before you leave. You’ve got to think ahead. You’ve got to stay ahead of the game.”
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