I weighed a healthy 190 pounds when I graduated from college, but over the next several years I slowly gained. By the time I was 29, I was up to 250 pounds and felt awful. I had no energy. My doctor told me my cholesterol was high, my blood sugar was high, and that if I didn’t change my diet and lifestyle, I’d be diabetic in 10 years. That was enough to scare the crap out of me and take his advice to make an appointment with Rania.
I wasn’t optimistic she could help me, though. I worked long hours and traveled for my job nearly every week. I lived on takeout meals delivered to the office or in restaurants and bars when I was on the road. I spent a lot of time sitting at a desk or on an airplane and didn’t have time to exercise. My job was so stressful, I didn’t want the added stress of trying to starve myself, and my travel schedule wasn’t going to let up any time soon.
It turned out I was very wrong. Rania taught me that there are strategies you can use when you order take-out or eat at restaurants; that you can put together a healthy meal. As she explained her 1:1:1 approach, I realized I could apply it anywhere. The diet was so sustainable that it didn’t feel like a diet at all but more like a new
way of life!
One of the best changes I made was to have a morning and afternoon snack. That really kept hunger pangs at bay. I also ate lighter lunches like vegetable soup followed by a turkey sandwich with cheese on whole wheat bread with mustard rather than mayonnaise. I ate more balanced dinners—dodging the bread basket,picking sensible appetizers, and having only one glass of wine. I also started eating more green vegetables and drinking more
tomato juice because I can add those things for “free.” These are all better nutritional choices than I was making before. Thanks to Rania’s plan, I got down to 185 pounds in 8 months and, in the process, lowered my cholesterol and blood sugar to healthy levels. And the weight has stayed off. I’ve simply kept on following Rania’s advice and stuck with her 1:1:1 eating strategy!