Speaker: Nisha Antoine, Branch Chief, Commissioned Corps Program Office, Defense Health Agency
How would you describe your physical and emotional health BEFORE learning the Stop. Dieting. Forever. process?
Nisha Antoine: Hello. My name is Nisha Antoine and I have been a client of Jennifer's since November 2020. When I think about my physical health prior to being her client, I was that person that was going to the gym. I would say once a week and eating fast food probably 2-3 times a week with my family. I thought I was in pretty good shape, but looking back, I was not making the best choices in terms of my emotional health, I probably would say I was completely unaware. Um, even in denial, I did not even realize that my eating habits were connected to my emotional health, so that probably has been the biggest um, eye opener for me.
What result have you gotten from following the process?
Nisha Antoine: The results that I have gotten since I have started the process have been life changing. I get excited when I think about when I first started how nervous I was, I didn't know what to expect, I am the type of person that when I start something, I have to complete it. So I knew that I would get through the process but I was completely unaware of the phases that I would go through and so initially I'll say, I lost the 20 plus pounds that I wanted to lose and I have been able to maintain that two years later. I have acquired much better eating habits, but more importantly than that, I have gained more self awareness, I am more mindful of why I do things especially when I eat; and it definitely is tied to how I'm feeling, I eat when I'm happy, I eat when I am excited, I eat when I am just in, in an emotional moment, I just don't even think about it and I eat when I'm bored. So it made me really aware of those habits and being able to um realize that much sooner than later has helped me avoid having those habits. And so Jennifer talks a great deal about you know, you can eat whatever you want and you truly can, but it is in moderation and understanding why you're eating that, that was eye opening for me again, it connected my eating habits to my emotional health or my emotional well being. I have become a different person and I am still becoming a different person and I love that about her program as well. It is a constant evolution of you know this best version of yourself which I truly appreciate. I just feel surrounded by such a wonderful community of like minded women. These women are inspirational and it has helped my confidence. I feel like a different person, I am a different person, I know how to coach myself through these you know emotional moments that I am having. And I know that I can reach out to Jennifer and my community. So just this process of learning how to be mindful and aware of why you're doing something which was eating has translated into other areas of my life which have been just tremendous. So I would say that is the result of me being a part of the S. D. F. Community.
Why is this weight loss process different from a diet?
Nisha Antoine: This process is nothing like a diet. And it's exactly what I wanted. I love telling the story of how I decided to work with Jennifer, I've known her for several years prior and I, like I said I was in the gym once a week, not eating my best, but expecting something amazing to happen. So I was gaining the same 15 pounds every year and then I would do something drastic that at the beginning of a New Year, like an exercise program and a diet to lose the 15 pounds. And then as soon as I was done with that and I had accomplished a goal and I went on a vacation, I went to someone's wedding, I was right back to where I was with my, with my eating and exercise habits and so when I finally reached out to her, I was like, I'm just so tired of this. Like I'm getting older, I'm doing these drastic things and, And my body just can't handle it anymore and I just, I just really want to lose this 15 pounds and keep it off and she, in that moment made me recognize that my eating habits and why I could not keep this 15 pounds off were connected to my, my, my thinking. And my emotional health and in our consultation, I started crying and I had no idea why I was crying, it was just emotional, Not what I expected and I think in that moment is when I realized, okay, there's something to this. So I joined the program and learned that this is exactly what I needed because this is not a diet, this is a lifestyle and that is, that was like the perfect answer to what I needed, something I can maintain for the rest of my life, something that's not drastic, something that's steady something that's consistent, something that I could do on my own. And so every component of her program creates this lifestyle for you to be able to do that. Like I know that if I never spoke to Jennifer again, all the tools that she has given me will carry me through the rest of my life and it's not about you know portion control and you got to do this type of exercise and it's really not about that, it is, it's really all about your thinking and your mindset and how that can change your perspective on things. It can, it changes your reaction to things which changes your results and I have really simplified it. But that really is what this consists of. And it is always tell her that this is the best investment that I ever made in myself because it may have initially been about weight, but it has been so much more, so much more.
