Today I am excited to share an emotional conversation with Jenny, a dedicated sugar-free mama tribe who fell from 196 pounds to 148 pounds and dropped to size 8. Her story is evidence of lasting success when she has the right tools, mindset and support.
Would you start by telling us a bit about where you came from, what brought you to the tribe, and how your life looked before this journey began?
My name is Jenny Walker I am 53 years old. I live in Michigan with my husband Matt, 33 years. I have two boys. Trent is 30 years old and Brendan is 26 years old. There are also two miniature schnauzers, Monty and Levy.
My journey to a sugar-free world began on March 11th, 2024.
In November before I placed an Amazon order for Christmas I remember seeing a 30-day sugar removal book, but I didn’t realize I had put it in my cart. So when I receive the order, the book comes with it. I thought about going back but instead I started reading it.
Then on March 9, 2024, I was using this cool book that asked my husband if he wanted to try this sugar-free meal with me and tells me what to eat and why we are eating it. He agreed and started on March 11, 2024.
Thirty days later, after completing the book, we really knew what to do to continue. I lost 17 pounds and he lost 21 pounds.
As a former weight watcher customer and leader, I became stoned because I had no support.
When I got to the back of the book and found out that Brenda had a tribe, I went straight away
I spoke to my doctor. She didn’t care what I was doing. I was glad that I was doing it and wrote a letter to my HSA to cover the costs of being in the tribe.
I am a member and am officially undergoing maintenance. I started at 196 and achieved my goal of 148.
My husband’s mat started at 297 and now weighs 213. This is a lifelong change for us. Find out more about their personal weight loss here.
How many times have you tried weight loss in the past? Also, what do you think there is a lack of those attempts from a maintenance perspective?
It really has come and goes back and forth in my entire life. I’ve done exercises I mean really a lot of exercise over the years. Exercise always determined how and what I could eat. I have always been a part of the weight watcher.
I was a member of the whole life and at one point I was a leader. The reason I couldn’t hold on weight loss is because the weight watchers never explained why they did what they did.
You just followed it and wanted the best. Brenda explained the science behind why it works and how it works in her book. This gave me more faith in believing what I was doing this time
The people around me will really do well.
What was your biggest fear of maintenance before joining the SFM tribe?
My biggest fear is that I lose it!!!! It’s so easy for me to happen. You’re not excited to lose weight anymore.
Bad habits can easily go back because it is where you should be and because you know it won’t hurt you. I’m very afraid that it will happen.
Not only do I want to wake up again every day, I also don’t have the feeling of putting what’s best for me in my body.
What in this program will help you ultimately maintain it rather than try again?
On a day when you can go into the closet and choose something you haven’t worn for years (they fit). The energy I had every day.
Good sleep god I’m sleeping, so gooooooood! The problem is that we really enjoy eating this way and how it made me feel. I’ve never had any other meals that felt as good as I did.
How did the tribe support your thinking and habits during the transition from weight loss to maintenance?
The best part about a tribe is that you have access to many people who are experiencing the same thing as you.
The Facebook page, another chat on messenger, and weekly meetings really provide support. The biggest thing is the challenges Brenda does every month.
This helps me get restrained and reminds me of what I have to do to maintain maintenance. It puts me accountable to myself. When people in our group tell me how good I am doing, I can’t disappoint them.
Have you had a particular tool, routine, or mindset shift that made the biggest difference for you during maintenance?
I use the Carbohydrate Manager and Eat app to track food calories and macros. My 30 Days Sugar Elimination book is very much loved. I use it almost every day.
I had to exchange routines that didn’t work for myself. When I get home from work, I go to the pantry, grab a bag of chips, and eat the whole bag.
Now, when I get home from work, I immediately go out into my garden and water the flowers. I find some activities until dinner time, then I make a dinner that will serve me and does not harm me.
I’ve never thought about what I put in my body. It’s time to realize that you can do this once you understand what there is in the processed food and how you felt when you didn’t eat it.
People say it’s impossible to get sugar, gluten and processed foods from your diet, but we did that.
Have you ever realized that “I’m actually keeping it!” What was it like?
I remember that when I did my first monthly challenge after achieving the goal, I either stayed the same or lost a pound.
How do you define success now compared to when you are focused on losing weight?
When you go and finish your blood test and your doctor tells you that you are the definition of health.
I just did my thing and he told me that he could have nothing wrong and that he didn’t have the consequences of everything being within normal levels. I didn’t realize how excited it made me.
At age 53, my doctor told me I was the definition of health. what! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
How do you deal with variations on previous and previous scales?
I’m very used to going up a few pounds and dropping a few pounds. Someone once told me this was normal for someone who was doing maintenance.
So I give blessings at 5 pounds. I will never emphasize it if I move up and down five pounds. It’s really second hand for me now. I love it! The fact that Brenda also addresses and explains why you may stall or notice fluctuations is also very helpful.
What beliefs about food, your body, or weight have changed the most since maintaining?
Thanks to Brenda, I fully understand what sugar gluten and processed foods do to me. I went from 196 to 148 because I’m keeping it away from my body. I go from size 16 to 8 and wear a medium shirt.
Needless to say, people say I glow, my skin looks much healthier and my hair doesn’t change that much. It’s absolutely true that my grandma told me that you’re what you eat all the time!
How has your daily life changed now that you are doing maintenance?
That really hasn’t changed at all. I was afraid to change anything. Change is very unsettling for me. I didn’t want to go back to my old habits.
We still follow what the 30 Days Sugar Elimination Book taught us. We plan what we eat every day to make sure what we eat is most useful to us. The best part is that my husband and I are responsible for each other.
I don’t want to disappoint him, so he doesn’t want to disappoint me. I think it will help you get married too. It’s good that you feel good on your own skin. It creates confidence.
What are you eating now and how do you feel about your daily life in motion? Is it different to losing weight?
My eating routine and movement have not changed. A year later, we make sure to move every day as we still have no sugar. I run, play Zumba, ride a bike. Or simply go for a walk.
Every day, my goal is to burn 500 calories. It also provides 20 minutes of sunlight. Vitamin D is doing great things for me.
Are there any foods or habits you’ve learned to include something sustainably rather than feel like “on or off”?
I added fruit to my meal. But I rarely go outside of my usual stuff. If so, make sure to check what it is doing to my blood sugar level.
Like watermelon, I love it and I really think no one has gained weight, but eating it makes me feel terrible. You will raise that sugar and then you will crash.
What were the most surprising challenges during maintenance and how did you overcome them?
Addresses weight loss excitement. You will find that reporting goals other than others set for yourself, like a doctor, is what makes you happy. And the biggest thing was to spend a special occasion.
This is difficult for me. Because if you’re doing maintenance one day outside the moon, it won’t hurt you. So I’ve certainly worked on it on all my vacations this summer, especially. I set the goal of not indulging in special occasions.
What do you do when you notice that old habits are creeping up?
I own it! We are not perfect! I remember how I felt when I stayed with my plans and became better.
Old habits are difficult to stop the good Lord, we all know, but I have my goal to not return to them. It really helps that I don’t bring anything seduced into my house.
If you can go back and talk to your past self, you will always be able to recover.
Weight – what do you say?
You’re an idiot who keeps trying these meals that don’t work. Eat 30 Oreos, hit 23 points and the weight watcher doesn’t know.
I knew how consuming sugar gluten and processed foods from my body helped me. If I can bottle it and sell it, I’ll be rich. I’m trying to think about how I felt when I was so unhealthy. That’s everything I need.
What do you say to the maintenance and tribe members who doubt they can do that too?
I would say they need to stay in the lane they are in and maintenance is not that difficult.
I certainly thought it was, but you have to make it your lifestyle and see it like I’ve been doing this all the time to get here.
What do you think you need to understand about maintenance that no one really talks about?
Yes, you won’t be excited to lose weight anymore, but many other events will prove to be exciting to be doing maintenance.
Every year’s trip to the doctor is huge for me just to see the expression on his face. Clothes you can wear. How your husband sees you. Trust me, it’s amazing.
Even if things feel intense, are there any personal mantras or beliefs that will help you keep going?
This is for me. I’m for my family and how my husband tells me to see me, I can live it.
What’s next on this journey – goal, mindset, or whatever?
My goal is to be the best I can. I am so grateful to Brenda, Angie and the tribe for finding this tribe. This is something I will never take part in.
My goal is not to make what I struggle with, but to make what I do into maintenance. And I certainly beat it. I found something that worked and sustainable.
