It's a FILF Friday

What can get me to slap $4.95 down on a conveyer belt faster than you can say Us Weekly? That would be reading a headline like, How They Lost the Weight. This inquiring mind wants to know.

I love getting the scoop on other people's weight-loss successes. If they can do it, well then, maybe little ol' me can do it, too. Keep your celebrity weight-loss secrets. I want to hear how real folks have dug in their heels and made it work.

With that in mind, a new feature is kicking off at SAB.
It's FILF Fridays!

What on earth is a FILF, you ask? Contrary to what you may be thinking (this is a family blog!), it's a Friend Interested in Losing Fat.

Occasionally on Fridays, we'll be getting insider tips from people just like you and me. Some of them have lost weight, some may be at their goal, and some may be just starting out. But, if there is one thing I've learned over my years on the chub roller coaster, it's that most of us are a lot more alike than we might realize. No matter our approach to food and eating, there are usually a lot of similarities we can see in our emotions, struggles, and passion about food and our weight.

So pull up a seat and allow me to introduce you to the first FILF ever to grace the pages of songs about beets. Please welcome, Michel!


Michel, who is married to her husband, Mark, is a stay-at-home mom with two beautiful little girls, Paige and Avery. She told me she loves running! Let's read about how she developed that devotion.

What brought you to where you are now in your weight loss journey?
I started losing weight with Weight Watchers (WW) and walking after having my first daughter. After the second daughter, I went back to Weight Watchers. I've lost 50 pounds since I started WW in June of 2008. I really put together a workout regime in December of that year. I started to workout at home more with dvd's and walking dvd's. I then made the commitment to train to run the 2009 Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K. Additionally, in 2009, I ran four 5K's and two 8K's. I am now training to run the 2010 Bank of America Chicago Marathon in October.

What kept you going?
Friends telling me that I inspire them. I don't want to let them down by quitting. Also, I'm still not at my goal weight. I envision myself as a thinner and more in-shape version of myself.

Any favorite, nutritious meals you come back to again and again?
I have a favorite Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella Pasta salad from WW that I love that has become like comfort food for me. I make it at least once a week. I portion it out so I can grab it when I just want to add some grilled chicken and make it more filling.

What have been your high and low points?
High point: I just did a 5K where I achieved a personal record time. I also got an award for coming in second in my age and weight category, called the Clydesdale. I never, ever place, so it was a really big deal for me. I cried. I couldn't help it.

Low point: When I threw my back out twice in December of 2009. I had to basically give up working out for awhile. The time off made it hard to get back into a groove with workouts and running.

If you could have any celebrity’s body, who would you choose and why?
Gabriella Reece. She has an athlete's body that's very feminine. She's not a stick, she has curves. It's awesome.

If you could talk to Michel 10 years ago, what would you tell her?
Fast food and beer are temporary fixes. Also, keep on moving!!

Do you have any tips/advice you think might help other FILF’s?
1. I was at a WW meeting one day and one of the members had a great loss that week. Our leader asked her to talk about her week. She talked about how she had a family member in the hospital, and it was a really stressful week. She said that she "couldn't control what was going on around her, but she could control what she ate." It was like a light bulb went off! I think that's a lot of people. Some people eat when they are happy, sad, upset, stressed out, you name it. But don't let that lead your life.

2. I had done a Jillian Michael's workout one night. As much as it killed me to do it, the one thing that stuck out to me is something she said at the end. She said,"Don't sabotage what you just did!" Meaning, just because you worked, that doesn't mean you can go raid the cookie jar. That voice and saying have followed me around a lot. It helped me pass up the pretzel joint at the mall plenty of times. Thank you, Jillian!


Thank YOU, Michel! You've accomplished so much -- you're truly an inspiration. We're thrilled you could join us for the FILF Friday kickoff. We're better for having met you!

*You can follow Michel's progress and find the recipe for her favorite pasta salad on her blog, Baby Weight My Fat Ass.