Whole 60 Challenge: Dina Younis

Total Body Fat Lost: 3.2%

I chuckled the first time the coaches explained the Whole 9 Nutrition program to me. My basic food groups include: bread, sweets, a little more bread, and a bag of Sour Patch Kids. I  exercise about three times a week, and thoroughly enjoy it (well, most of the time). I've been on this routine for years but have always had the "breaking even" mentality. It was OK to pig out over the weekend, because I just completed a killer WOD so I had some "wiggle" room. Wrong. I wasn't going anywhere. Even if I cut back on junk food and lost a few pounds, I finally came to realize it wasn't just about the numbers on the scale. It's the garbage I've been polluting my body with on a regular basis. When you start to crave dessert after breakfast, you know you have a problem.
READ MORE




The first week was tough. I wanted to reach for something sweet immediately following every meal. It was hard not to boil some pasta for a quick meal after a long day at work. After sticking with it, I knew I was doing something right when I stopped craving sweets right after a meal. Friends and family even noticed that I stopped frantically searching for something to kill the craving. This was a milestone during my Whole 9 journey and it motivated me to keep pushing through. I wanted to be in control of my body and what I put in it. If I could train my body into craving things that were bad for it, I could train it to stop. Which is exactly what I did for 60 days and beyond. My energy levels increased throughout the day, especially during my workouts. I felt lighter, and by not feeling so bloated I felt much more comfortable in my clothes and quicker to move.

For so long, I've been obsessed with the numbers on the scale. Anxiously awaiting the day I enter a new "decade" in my weight loss, stalking every ounce until I get to a certain weight. When I left the Bod Pod office after I completed my "post" test, I truthfully found myself back in scale obsessed state of mind. I was disappointed that I didn't lose more actual pounds than I did. After Coach Brian put me in my place and told me I should be proud of myself, I looked at the Bod Pod assessment closely and it all hit me. I lost 3.2% of body fat, gained lean muscle, fit into pants I couldn't button this past summer, and most importantly have "detoxed" my body.