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Alicia Kelley

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From Old Diets to New Lifestyle

 

aliciaregFor Alicia Kelley, life was a series of yo-yo diets and bad habits until she made the commitment to change her mindset. With the help of Precision Nutrition (a year-long online coaching program), she’s living a whole new way of life in a brand new body.

The Not-So-Good Old Days
“My trigger from childhood on up was eating out of boredom, sadness, exhaustion, anger and frustration,” Kelley says. “I gained and lost weight over and over for years. I counted calories, weighed plates, added points, and eventually gave up and resorted back to my regular habits.”

ON HITTING ROCK BOTTOM
“I had many rock bottom moments,” Kelley says. “I finally got to the point that I knew I couldn’t do one more diet. I desperately needed to change my habits and change how I [thought] about food and movement. I was sick of the roller coaster.”

THE TURNING POINT
“A friend of mine had been through a year of Precision Nutrition and it piqued my interest,” Kelley says. “She told me how life-changing it was, that it wasn’t another diet or gimmick — that this was the lifestyle change I was looking for. I was really ready for something different, something lasting.

“The program includes daily lessons, workouts, habit practice, and communication with a coach and mentors. There are no hard and fast rules, no special foods, no good food or bad food, just foods to help you stay on your continuum. I’ve done all my own workouts at home and a lot of walking by the lake. You don’t weigh or measure yourself. You experiment and find what works for you, your life and your body.”

BIGGEST THRILLS
“I made the change by looking inward — really looking at the whys — and started changing my habits, behaviors and thinking,” Kelley says. “By making slow consistent changes, I could see a bigger picture and effect more change in myself as the year progressed. By making my goals attainable and not worrying about being perfect, I was able to feel and actually be successful. This snowballed into a whole other mindset of can instead of can’t. At first, I hid my scale and decided to focus on the health aspect of this journey instead of the weight as I always used to do. I found that watching my clothing size shrink was more exciting than the number. And as my mindset changed, my body got smaller and stronger, and the scale took care of itself.”

GETTING UP AND MAKING IT HAPPEN
“I think if there is a secret to success, I would say mindset and attitude is what pulls anyone through any situation in life,” Kelley says. “Feeling excited and motivated is something that passes and doesn’t necessarily carry you through. At some point, there needs to be a real inward change so that your daily habits become second nature. Conflict and struggle are a part of everyone’s life at times, but how you deal with it in spite of those struggles is what makes the difference. Small, consistent, self-caring, imperfect changes create big outcomes.”

WISDOM TO SHARE
“I keep my core habits above all else as much as I can,” Kelley says. “I eat slowly and only to 80 percent full. I wipe the slate clean when I get off track. And I incorporate exercise that works around my life. Life isn’t perfect and neither is my regimen, but that’s life, and when an obstacle comes my way, I either work around it, go through it or let it pass and move on.

“I also recommend Precision Nutrition to anyone. I applied and am leading online meetings as a mentor this year for a new group. It’s a true fix — and what I believe most [people] are looking for, but just haven’t found yet.”