By Ann Donahue-Smukler
The Newsday
Name: Linda Mysliborski
Age/Location: 40, Greenport, N.Y.
Occupation: Medical records coordinator and volunteer firefighter / EMT
Height: 5 feet
Before January 2015: 178
Current August 2016: 119
Her Story
Several personal losses at an early age led to a lifetime of emotional eating, says Linda Mysliborski.
“I was really affected, and at around age 9 I started eating for comfort.” As an adult, she was a late-night junk food eater, loved candy and skipped meals.
About 18 months ago she lost 20 pounds (through extra walking and eliminating sugar, soda and caffeine) and met a friend who recommended a “1-on-3” personal trainer (one trainer, three trainees simultaneously). Mysliborski signed on with him and says they clicked.
“Whatever he instructed me to do, worked,” she says. The weight came off.
She says she struggled at first with compliments about her appearance. “I just didn’t see it, but I was feeling better overall.” And because she was feeling better, she was less stressed and, therefore, flare-ups from a previous diagnosis of Crohn’s disease were minimized.
“I had such energy and was able to breathe easier. A lot of my weight was belly weight, and I always felt like there was a weight on top of me,” says Mysliborski.
When asked why she thinks the weight loss will stick, she responds, “It’s a whole new lifestyle for me. I look forward to getting up in the morning and doing some activity. I was a quitter all my life. I never stuck with anything. This has been different.”
Her diet
On workout days, Mysliborski has a protein shake for breakfast. On non-workout days she has egg whites and vegetables scrambled as either an omelet or a frittata.
Lunch is usually a green salad with chicken or shrimp. Dinner is a protein, usually a 4-ounce portion of chicken, fish or steak with vegetables on the side. She snacks on smoothies that she makes with berries, peaches and Greek yogurt.
Her exercise
Mysliborski sees her trainer three times a week and does body suspension exercises (using an apparatus that leverages gravity and the individual’s body weight), stretching, cardio activity and some weightlifting. She also runs three miles or bikes six miles every day, depending on the weather.
Her advice
“Keep a positive attitude. Tell yourself you can do it. Never give up. You’ll have hard days. It doesn’t come off all at once, but you have to stick to it.”
Copyright 2016 Newsday