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Mar 22

‘I Ate A Plant-Based Diet And Walked To Lose 100 Pounds’ – Women’s Health

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My name is Shaun Hayes (@theshaunelife), and I am 46 years old. I live in Maryland, and Im the owner and principal makeup artist at Red Carpet Ready Makeup. After a health scare that landed me in the emergency room, I started eating a plant-based diet filled with whole foods and walking for weight loss. My wellness journey also led me to become a certified health coach and to receive certification in plant-based nutrition.

Losing weight was a childhood struggle for me. I remember being called names and being talked about by other kids, family, and even my pediatrician. I didnt want to be medically overweight or deemed unhealthy, but as a kid, I didnt understand or know how to change that. I joined my first weight-loss program when I was 12, and this started what felt like a decades-long roller coaster ride of yo-yo and fad dieting.

I tried multiple weight-loss centers, trendy diets, appetite-suppressant pills, B-12, pre-packaged food, liquid diets, special shakes, smoothiesthe list went on. In all of my attempts to lose weight, I never thought about sustainable weight loss. I always wanted to lose weight quickly or around an event, so Id put my body in a harsh caloric deficit.

It was my childhood dream to get married in my moms wedding dress. So when I was getting married in 2002, that was my goal: to lose 50 pounds so I could wear my moms wedding dress. That goal-oriented mindset created a yo-yo effect for me. As soon as I lost the weight and fit into the dress, there was no longer anything to motivate me to keep the weight off. All of my hard work was focused on a particular, short-term goal, and I'd revert back to old habits after accomplishing it.

My weight was also a factor in my infertility issues, which came to light after I got married and was trying to start a family. My husband and I tried to conceive for five years and finally had to seek help. I was diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), a hormonal disorder that affects ovulation. With medical help, I gave birth to my daughter in 2007 and then twin boys in 2011.

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I left my journalism career in 2012 to run my makeup business full time, and this was a dream come true. But after three years of entrepreneurship, I was deeply unhappy, physically exhausted, and in poor health. My body was literally breaking down, and my weight was ballooning. I kept stuffing my exhaustion with food while struggling to be consistent with exerciseall while trying to lose weightwithout results.

In between makeup bookings, fast food and junk food were what I ate. And when I did cook, pastas, heavy cream sauces, and fried foods were common. Working on my feet was becoming more difficult at 271 pounds. I suffered from arthritis and chronic knee and low back pain, which were worsening. My blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol numbers were also rising.

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I read somewhere that if you listen to your body whisper, then you wont have to hear it scream. I guess you can say I heard the scream days before a celebrity makeup booking and press junket. I woke up with an aching pain in my right arm that worsened to the point where I couldnt move it. I ended up in the emergency room and discovered I had a serious flare-up of bursitis in my shoulder, which caused inflammation between my joints. Feeling and seeing my body start to break down was a wake-up call.

I was 42, and unlike my many past attempts to lose weight, this time wasn't dramatic, drastic, extreme, go-hard, or restrictive. I didnt have a sweeping agenda of sacrifices that would lead to overwhelm and self-sabotage. In fact, I didnt even set out after my health scare to lose weight initially. I just wanted to slow down, breathe, and unplug from the grind and hustle that had become my day-to-day.

I started walking. One day. Two days. Three. Breathing. One week. Two weeks. Three weeks. Releasing. Healing. Feeling. Forgiving. Learning. Loving all of me. I experienced a spiritual awakening when I started walking. I began to listen to and honor my unique energy. Walking gave me time to consciously unwind. My senses and awareness were heightened. I started seeing my life through a different lens. My old identity of being a workaholic was no longer viable. My transformation started from the inside out.

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Every walk was a step toward healing my whole self and making small changes to move my body and increase my cardio. This eventually led me to restructure my business and redefine my values and what was truly important to me. My health became a top priority.

Working with a health coach helped me learn what healthy eating really was and how to do it without deprivation. I would define my eating plan as a real food plan. Real foods are lean foods that have gone from the field or stream to my table. They are nutrient-dense, fiber-rich, and filling foods that steadied my blood sugar, promoted fat burning, and contributed to my physical, mental, emotional, and brain health.

I eat a lot of all times or free" foods, which are fruits and vegetables, but vegetables reign supreme on my plate because ounce for ounce, they contain fewer calories and more fiber than most other foods. Theyre also nutrient-dense. I became primarily plant-based in 2021, but before that I ate mostly cold-water, wild-caught fish, and occasionally organic, free-range chicken and eggs. Now that I live a primarily plant-based lifestyle, I get protein from a variety of plants (veggies, fruits, raw nuts, beans, legumes, whole grains), tofu, tempeh, non-dairy Greek yogurt, and occasionally vegan protein powder.

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Instead of avoiding carbs, I stopped eating the wrong carbs, such as sweetened beverages, white breads, highly sweetened cereals, snack foods, fast food, processed foods, and now eat the right carbs: vegetables and fruit, oatmeal, raw nuts, beans and legumes, some soy foods, and whole grains.

I let the bad fats go (a.k.a. hydrogenated, trans fats) and fuel my body with good fats, preferably those from whole foods such as avocados, raw nuts, seeds, hummus, coconut milk, and whole olives. I practice a low-oil lifestyle, so when it comes to oils and nut butters, which are another source of fat, I occasionally use extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil, peanut, almond and cashew butters, and tahini.

Water is my primary beverage of choice because it helps keep my organs functioning, helps with digestion and weight loss, keeps me full, and even gives me great skin.

I still allow flexibility for sometimes food or what I call indulgences, which are desserts for me. I also leave room for holidays and food-focused events and gatherings in my life. I love to bake, so I enjoy indulgences as often as Im willing to prepare them.

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I changed from eating the traditional three meals a day and started grazing, which involves eating five to six mini meals throughout the day. This has the huge benefit of steadying my blood sugar and keeping my energy levels sustained throughout the day. It also keeps me from going all day and not eating until late at night, which is what I used to do.

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Then I knew it was time to change it up because I started to plateau, and I wanted to start building strength. Bootcamp classes with BNFITDC led by Byron Nichols, where I started to build strength, tone, and finally perfect a deep push-up. I did bootcamp for two years, but again found my body plateauing. Ive lost 100 pounds on this journey, and loose skin is real with significant weight loss.

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Now, I work with fitness instructor Christine Archer to build more muscle, burn fat, and tighten my skin as much as possible before considering excess skin removal surgery. My new workout regimen is pushing me in new ways physically with weight training.

I want other women to know that this journey has been a gentle, gradual evolution. Its been about small changes that compounded over time, building habits and consistency one day, one week, one month at a time.

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Taking my health back has added to every aspect of my life. I feel amazing, and Im more confident and happier. I included my kids in the journey and have been able to show them the benefits of healthy eating and moving your body.

Ladies, you can do this. I hope my story inspires and empowers you. Simply start by putting low-pressure habits in place to help you move toward the vision you have for yourself. And as Robin Sharma says in The 5 AM Club, The smallest of implementations is always worth more than the grandest of intentions.

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'I Ate A Plant-Based Diet And Walked To Lose 100 Pounds' - Women's Health

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