The Post talks with six New Yorkers who were looking for and found fitness and diet plans that work, helping them to shed pounds and gain confidence and hope in 2018.
It had always been Valerie Felski’s dream to move to New York City. But when the upstate resident finally made the leap in 2015, she was so self-conscious of her appearance, she didn’t want to leave her apartment.
“I was so uncomfortable to be in public because of how I looked and felt,” says the 25-year-old fashion publicist, who stands at 5-feet-6 inches and weighed 285 pounds at the time. “I was a shell of the person I wanted to be.”
Depressed — her father had passed away in 2014 — she began eating takeout alone in her apartment, particularly comfort foods such as Mexican and pizza. She also turned down invites to social events since trying to find the right dress would cause her to break down in tears.
Then, two years ago, while scrolling through Instagram — and seeing the life she was missing out on — she decided to make a change.
“I said, ‘Enough is enough,’ ” Felski says. “I was sick of being unhappy and thinking that I couldn’t show the world who I was because of my weight.”
Because of her busy work schedule, Felski decided to go on Nutrisystem, which delivers packaged meal plans and low-calorie snacks.
“I’m just not a ‘meal prep’ kind of person,” she says.
‘I was sick of being unhappy and thinking that I couldn’t show the world who I was because of my weight.’
Gradually, she began to shed weight, and she even started packing healthy whole-food snacks — baby carrots, clementines and the odd bit of dark chocolate — to combat cravings. While she no longer relies on Nutrisystem meals, she’s sworn off takeout and now whips up simple meals for herself such as soups and salads.
She also began taking classes at cycling studio FlyWheel and boxing gym Shadowbox, where the “empowering” workouts boosted her mood.
Two years later, she’s 80 pounds lighter. And while she wants to lose more weight in the coming year, she can finally “go out with friends on a whim” without feeling overwhelmed by insecurity.
“On a scale, I might still be considered overweight,” she says. “But I feel really good at this weight. I finally feel healthy.”
Tip: On weekends, get in a workout with your pals before heading out to brunch. Exercise can motivate you to make healthier choices when you order, such as avocado toast or an acai bowl instead of pancakes or french toast.