So when Prevention asked if I’d be interested in working with Haylie Pomroy, the nutritionist who helps stars like Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Lopez get red-carpet ready, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to finally reach my goals.
Getting started
Haylie suggested I follow her Metabolism Revolution diet plan. It’s designed for people like me whose metabolisms may be a bit out whack from years of yo-yo dieting. And to help me stick with the diet, Haylie connected me with Shelley, a registered dietitian at her clinic. During our first call, Shelley and I discussed my current eating habits and then got into the nitty-gritty of my new diet. She told me the bulk of my diet would be lean proteins and non-starchy veggies (think: spinach and asparagus). I’d also eat small amounts of healthy fats (like almonds) and complex carbs (like oatmeal). I’d steer clear of processed and refined foods as well as alcohol and caffeine, which Haylie and Shelley said would prevent my metabolism from functioning optimally. To further stoke those fat-burning fires, I’d also be drinking a ton of water. Like, 80-ounces per day. This was very different from my usual diet. In the past, I’d typically eat small breakfasts and lunches to save most of my calories for supper. And while I had been eating veggies daily, they weren’t meal staples. Sugar was a big vice, too. Sometimes I’d try to avoid it for a few days, only to cave and eat so much chocolate that I’d feel sick.
Big changes
On the first day of my diet, I weighed 154.6. I’m 5'6", so that means my BMI was exactly 25—right where the “overweight” category starts. Though BMI is far from a perfect measure of overall health, it wouldn’t hurt to shed a few pounds—and I knew it would give me the confidence to strut down the aisle. Haylie’s plan made sense to me, and I knew that I was motivated enough to stick with it. Still, that first day eating the Haylie way was a major adjustment. Instead of having my usual small breakfast, I had two eggs; a side salad made with four cups of veggies; half a cup of oatmeal cooked in water; an apple; and two big glasses of water. Haylie said starting out the day with a huge meal would rev my metabolism, but I was barely able to finish it all. Lunch was tiny by comparison—just canned tuna over lettuce with a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice. And dinner fell somewhere in between, with four ounces of grilled chicken, half a cup of chickpeas, and 4 cups of steamed veggies. I also snacked on fruit mid-morning and mid-afternoon. I was worried that I might be hungry throughout the day, but I wasn’t. In fact, I had more energy than usual, despite giving up my morning coffee. That first week on the plan—which varied slightly day to day—was easier than I expected it to be. (Preparing meals ahead of time helped a lot.) I was rarely tempted to eat sugary snacks, and the only downside was constantly having to pee from drinking so much water. By the end of those first seven days, I was down nearly 3 pounds—without having made any changes to my workouts. (I typically walk, jog, and lift weights four times a week, which Shelley said was ideal for helping me reach my goals.) I was delighted with my progress!
Hitting my stride—and some speed bumps
Having my wedding as motivation made it pretty easy for me to stick with the plan. But sometimes I was tempted to veer off course. For instance, my fiancé knows I love chocolate and cookies. So early on in the diet, he’d sometimes bring home my favorite treats. I knew he meant well, but having desserts around was just too tempting. So I had to ask him to stop. Socializing was tough, also. During a family pizza night, I came armed with a grilled chicken salad. It wasn’t the worst thing in the world, but honestly, lettuce and lean proteins aren’t so appealing when everyone around you is devouring gooey, cheesy goodness.
A new way of eating
After nearly two months on the plan, my time working with Shelley was coming to a close. The scale read 145.8 at my final weigh-in, and I was beyond excited. I had lost 9.2 pounds! Now the plan is to keep it off—and maybe even lose a little more on my own. So far, I’ve been sticking with the basic principles of the Metabolism Revolution. I eat lots of protein and veggies, and I space out my meals throughout the day. Avoiding sugary foods made me feel good, so I’ll only be reincorporating treats once a week or so, which Haylie said was okay to do once I’d reached my goal weight. Will I look like Reese Witherspoon or J.Lo at my wedding? The big day isn’t until May 2019, so only time will tell. But I have a feeling that I’ll look even better: like the healthiest, most confident version of me. And the best part is, I now have the skills to maintain my happy weight for the long haul.
