We want to thank Meghan for sharing her story! We asked her to write down her thoughts on her weight loss journey after seeing her respond to another woman on The Dolce Diet Facebook Page who asked if The Dolce Diet works for ladies. Meghan responded that it certainly does and that she herself lost 34 lbs. We thought her story would help motivate others. After reading the touching, supportive and very emotional path she’s taken to this point, we know her words are nothing less than inspirational. Thank you, Meghan!
My Story by Meghan C.
My weight loss journey started in June 2012. I have had weight problems since I was 18 years old. I would go back and forth between a size 16 and 14. My problems with my weight got really bad after I had children. I had my first son in 2007 and was able to lose the weight that I had gained but I was never able to get rid of the “baby pouch”.
After the birth of my second son in 2010 I lost my job. I was depressed and angry and put on a lot of weight and was wearing a size 18 jean! I have never been that big before in my life! Playing tag with my kids became exhausting. I never wanted to go anywhere or do anything, because I did not have any clothes that fit. I was in denial about how much weight I had gained, and I refused to go shopping for bigger clothes. I knew I needed to do something when my five year old came up to me and grabbed my back fat and said, “Ew, mommy, you have back boobies!” That was it for me. I could not be this way anymore!
My family goes on a beach vacation every summer. Our trip was planned for August 2012. I started looking at pictures from our vacation in 2011 and was so embarrassed. I could not believe I was that big! My fiancé follows MMA and UFC, and he told me he ordered The Dolce Diet book, and told me the story of who Mike Dolce was and what he did. He said he was going to follow the book for four weeks before our vacation and asked if I wanted to try it. I decided since I was going to be preparing the food for him I might as well give it a shot. I had tried to diet on my own and it never worked, but I figured one more shot couldn’t hurt. What made me decide to go through with it was knowing that I wasn’t going to be doing it alone.
We went to the grocery store and bought everything we needed. To my surprise, our bill came up to $100 for a week; when we normally spend $200. I was already impressed! We started the diet on a Monday and since I wasn’t working, I was working out 2 times a day. My fiancé’ would call me during his lunch to make sure I wasn’t cheating and I was eating the diet food. When he came home I would make a separate dinner four our boys and we would eat our diet food. By Saturday the first week I had lost 5 pounds and my fiancée lost 7! I thought that it would feel like a “diet” and I would feel sluggish, but I felt amazing! I was constantly energized and I always felt satisfied and never like I needed to eat more to get the feeling of being full. We were both thrilled, and after seeing the results that we made in one week we knew we needed to keep going.
By the end of the second week it started to get really hard, but when one of us was ready to quit the other was there to give the push that we needed. During week two the compliments started rolling in. Everyone noticed my weight loss and wanted to know the secret. I told everyone I knew about what I was doing and how easy it was! My clothes were falling off, I had more energy, and I was the happiest I had ever been.
Week three we were pros! We knew exactly what to eat, when to eat, and how much. This was the most emotional week for me. We started going shopping for our vacation, and I needed to buy clothes because nothing I owned fit anymore. Shopping for me was always a horrible experience. Nothing would ever fit and everything looked bad on me. This time I went with my fiancé for support. When we got there I wanted to get a bathing suit and shorts. I never wore shorts because I had very big thighs, but since I started the diet and was losing the weight I decided to try them out. I grabbed a size 14 because I didn’t want to try anything smaller and have them not fit. All I kept thinking was, “You were an 18 so don’t get upset if you’re not smaller than a 14!” I tried the size 14 on and they fell of my waist! That’s when I started to cry. My fiancé comes in thinking that the 14 was too small and did not fit and that’s why I was crying. When he saw that they wouldn’t stay on my waist he just started laughing. He kept saying how proud he was of me and how happy he was that I was finally happy with myself again. I grabbed a size 12 and they fit! I went from a size 18 to a size 12 just 3 weeks later!!!! I could not believe it! I would have never made the progress I did without my fiancée. We both pushed each other to the finish line.
This diet is not difficult to do, but it’s not as easy as popping a diet pill. It takes discipline and self-control. You have to want it for yourself. It wasn’t just four weeks of dieting to me. It was a lifestyle change. I am so thankful to Mike for allowing me the opportunity to have his knowledge and be able to implement it into my own life.
When we went on vacation I was wearing a bathing suit and was not covering it up with a big t-shirt! Everyone that was with us was so impressed and happy for me and couldn’t believe the change in my body.
The best moment for me was when I had to pick up my mother from the airport while on vacation. I hadn’t seen my mother in a year, because she was taking care of her sick mother in another state. I saw her walking by and I parked the car to help her with her bags. As I walking toward her to give her a hug, she walked right by me. I turned around and said, ”Hi mom!” She turned around and immediately started to cry. She did not know that it was me walking up to her. She had no idea that I was on a diet, and she just kept saying how amazing I looked and how proud she was. That was the best moment for me.
The Dolce Diet changed my life in so many ways. I am happier than I have ever been! The most important thing for me, was that this book showed me not only how to diet properly, but how to eat right. It gets to a point where it becomes second nature when you go the grocery story. You learn how to grocery shop. You learn to use portion control. You learn how to, “Live Lean”. My house is always full with organic fruits; vegetables, all natural meats, and gluten free everything! Even my 5 and 2 year old love the pit-bull pancakes.
As women we deal with a lot. Being a wife, mother, and a career woman is not easy. We tend to forget ourselves in the process. I knew that losing the weight was something I needed to do for me, and if I can do it anyone can. I am not an exercise guru, or a diet freak. I love to eat, and I hate working out. I am just an everyday mother and wife with a nine-to-five who had a weight problem and needed to do something about it. I am happily wearing a size 12 from an 18, and my journey isn’t over.
Thanks to Mike, I have the knowledge that I need to get down to my dream size 6. I am healthier and happier than I have ever been! Making the decision to take the first step was the absolute best decision I have ever made for myself!!! Being overweight is hard, dieting is hard, and working out is hard. It’s up to you to pick your hard! It’s possible with the help of a good support system, Mike Dolce, and The Dolce Diet.
