I Finally Learned to Cook — And It Helped Me Lose 46 Pounds

Photographs courtesy Mara Jefferies.

Changing your body takes hard work, persistence, and dedication. Here’s one Philadelphian’s transformation story. Want to share yours? Email me at ccunningham@phillymag.com.

Who: Mara Jefferies, 24, a nurse from Collingswood, NJ

Starting weight: 220

Ending weight: 174

How long it took: Around 2.5 years

Why I wanted to make a change: “I decided to make a change during nursing school. I’d spent the past couple years eating like a typical college kid (lots of pizza and junk food), and it was starting to show. One day, I looked in the mirror and it didn’t feel like it was me looking back. I was also thinking of my future self and career. At 22 my blood pressure was borderline high, and my cholesterol was elevated. My doctor told me to either make a change or get ready to be on medication for the rest of my life, so that was a real wake up call.”

What got me started: “I started with OnPoint Nutrition in July of 2015 after my mom showed me an article in the Inquirer about Britney and the success she’d had so far as a nutritionist.”

How I changed my diet: “Before I started working with OnPoint, my diet was mostly pizza, soda, and other carb-heavy foods.  But Britney gave me the tools to create a more balanced diet. My diet is now based around protein and lots of vegetables with an allotted amount of healthy carbs, dairy, fruit, and fats. A typical workday menu for me is egg whites with salsa, cheese, and turkey bacon for breakfast and a banana with peanut butter for a morning snack. For lunch, I usually do a veggie bowl with a protein. My favorite proteins are chicken, turkey sausage, and tofu. My afternoon snack is usually yogurt and fruit. Dinner is usually similar to lunch.”

“Before, I was ordering take-out multiple times a day. Now, I know how to make healthy, interesting meals that are delicious and keep me full throughout the day.”

How I changed my exercise routine: “I had stopped exercising consistently in college because I was studying all the time! Once the weight started to come off, I started running and completed Couch to 10k. I did the Run the Bridge race in Camden with my family a couple years in a row. I also go to yoga, spin, and TRX classes. When I’m working, I get in about 9,000 steps a day!”

What I’m most proud of: “How much I’ve learned about food and cooking. Before starting with Britney, I was ordering take-out multiple times a day and really didn’t know how to cook. Now, I know how to make healthy, interesting meals that are delicious and keep me full throughout the day. My favorite thing to make is a lime-marinated chicken with beet and goat cheese salad. So good! I’m also really proud of how well I’ve learned to balance my food. If I eat a heavier meal, I make sure the next meal is a bit lighter.”

The hardest part: “I have a huge sweet tooth! It is so tough for me to resist sweets. Just the other day, I walked into the break room at work and found three boxes of doughnuts, and of course I went for the chocolate.  But that’s okay! I don’t eat a doughnut everyday (anymore) and I made sure my dinner was a little bit lighter to account for the higher calorie lunch. It’s all about the balance and getting back on track when you indulge.”

How I changed: “After the first few pounds came off, I noticed that I had a lot more energy and was sleeping better. I also felt a lot more confident when I noticed that the program was working. My clothes, that were previously too small, started to fit again. That encouraged me to keep going.”

What I want you to know: “True weight loss isn’t going to happen with a fad diet. It takes a true lifestyle change and it takes time. It’s hard work, but take it one day at a time.”