October 2019

Challenge yourself to change

Tiffany Proctor finds that friendly competition helps her focus on maintaining a healthy diet and exercise.

Tiffany is always up for a good challenge. She organizes office weight-loss competitions and gets in on Instagram and Facebook contests. Recently, she vowed to work out daily for 100 days – and she made it. As a self-proclaimed pescatarian, Tiffany eats only seafood, fruits, and vegetables. Her approach is working, too. She’s losing weight and feeling great. 

Why did you decide to start down the path of getting healthier?

I just didn’t feel right, and I didn’t feel good about myself physically or emotionally. I especially didn’t like the way I looked. When I found out I was borderline diabetic, things really started to change. 

Describe your diet for us.

In November 2016, I stopped eating cheese and other dairy cold turkey. I’m a pescatarian, which means I don’t eat meat, only seafood, fruits, and vegetables. I did a lot of research and met some people who eat this way. They just had a glow so I decided I’d try it. 

What about carbs?

I eat low carbs and only whole wheat bread, no honey wheat or other types. And I love quinoa.

Do you have a food weakness?

Since I was a kid I’ve loved candy, like Starburst and Laffy Taffy. I try to minimize it to one to two pieces a week.

What’s a typical food day?

Breakfast is a smoothie or oatmeal. Lunch is a veggie salad with a couple of shrimp. And dinner might be quinoa, salmon, and asparagus or broccoli. I snack throughout the day on granola, cherries, and almonds.

Are you exercising too?

Yes. I didn’t realize how weak I was until I started working out. I mainly do cardio, like running on a treadmill or outside, about two times a week. Lately I’ve been doing more weights because I want to make my muscles larger.

Tell us about one of the competitions you’ve been involved in.

I’ve organized a few office challenges. Everyone puts $5 in a bucket and weighs themselves. Then each Monday they weigh themselves again. If they’ve gained weight, they have to put in $1 for each pound. If they lost, they don’t have to put in money. The winner gets to keep all the money in the bucket.

Seven women joined, and even those who didn’t lose weight had fun and got a lot out of it. It changed the dynamics of food in the office because if we had a potluck, we made it a salad bar and brought fruit instead of cookies.

Have there been others?

I did a challenge in which I worked out for 100 days in a row. I started Facebook and Instagram pages with several people, and we do a lot of challenges.

What are your short-term goals?

I gained back some of the weight I originally took off, and I want to lose that again.

Long-term?

I want to stay healthy and look and feel young as I get older. Someday I want to try yoga, maybe hot yoga, possibly even become an instructor. But I’m not ready yet.

Would you recommend challenges to people just starting out?

Absolutely. They give you something to work toward. It really helps to have something to motivate you in a positive way.

Any other advice?

Just keep going. If you eat right, you will see and feel a difference, I promise. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.