She Did It! Diandra Douglis

Diandra Douglis lives outside of Houston, Texas. A former tennis player, Diandra gained the weight after getting injured. “I was used to eating a certain amount a day, but was no longer burning those calories,” she says. She lost the weight through a simple diet in which she ate only one grain a day. (If she had rice with lunch, she wouldn’t have a roll with dinner). “I now maintain that weight because I have healed and am playing tennis again.” she says.

How much weight have you lost, and when did you do it?
I lost about ten pounds two years ago, over a period of about ten weeks.

What inspired you to lose weight?
I was used to being fit and in shape because of my tennis training. After my injury, I gained a lot of weight, and both my self-esteem and my abilities took a hit. I could no longer run as far or as fast as I used to, and I just felt less energetic. I wanted to lose the weight to feel better.

What was the number one change you made in your life?
I cut way back on grains. I love grains, but I agreed to only have one major grain a day while trying to lose the weight.

What was the biggest challenge?
Not eating chocolate. Perhaps one of my favorite foods in the world, and I had to pretty much give it up to lose that weight. But I did.

What do you wish other girls knew about healthy eating?
Food is a habit. We get into the habit of eating chips, chocolate, and other junk foods, but once you’re off of it for a little while, it feels natural to not indulge. You stop craving it.

How can other girls make changes?
Choose one thing–whether it is soda, or chocolate, or bread, or any other food that they eat frequently that could contribute to their weight gain–and eat it less. If you have three cans of soda every day, limit them to one can a day. If you eat a candy bar every day, limit it to once or twice a week.

How do you stay motivated?
I feel better when I’m at a comfortable weight. Whenever I start to gain weight and feel sluggish, I always remind myself that I could feel better.

How did you celebrate your success?
By shopping! Shopping is awesome by itself, but when you’re shopping because you’ve lost weight it’s just the cherry on top of the sundae.

What can you do now that you couldn’t do when you were overweight?
I can run faster around the tennis courts and reach shots that I previously couldn’t get. And I don’t feel winded when climbing the stairs.

What would you say to a girl who doesn’t think she can do it?
She should think about all the reasons that make her want to lose weight — whether it’s feeling better, looking better, or just trying to fit into that old pair of jeans — and then focus on that as her goal.

Note: Although cutting back on grains helped Diandra lose weight, it may not work for everyone, especially if you get a lot of physical activity. Grains are carbs (so are vegetables and fruit), and they’re necessary to provide the energy your body needs throughout the day, especially when you work out! Fitsmi recommends teenage girls eat 5-6 ounces of grains a day (one ounce is a slice of bread or 1 cup of cereal). Depending on your weight and activity level, you may need to eat more or less. To learn more about grains and which ones are healthy, click here.

If you want to know more about the healthy changes Diandra’s family made, check out the Q&A with Diandra’s mom, Julie, on Fitsmi for Moms.

We want to hear your story! If you and your family have made healthy changes and would like to be featured on Fitsmi and Fitsmi for Moms, please email ashley@fitsmi.com.