Woman loses over 100 pounds, says taking dressing room “selfies” and eating more vegetables keys to success

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Taking pictures of oneself and then posting them on various social media outlets is popular these days, perhaps most notably gaining foothold when the Oxford dictionary named the self portrait trend, “selfie,” as the word of the year in 2013 (1). Flash forward to 2014. Taking a selfie still remains a common occurrence, popping up everywhere from celebrities who tweet about their new hair style to friends who post pics of their faces, blistered from poison ivy.

It’s no wonder, then, that one woman jumped on the bandwagon, showing the world her beautiful body from the privacy of various dressing rooms. But it’s not like it sounds.

Woman loses over 100 pounds due, in part, to better eating habits

Unlike some folks who feel compelled to show friends, grandparents and colleagues what they look like in skimpy clothes, Julia Kozerski took tasteful images of herself to show off her incredible physical transformation as she lost a whopping 160 pounds in one year (2). Kozerski says she hadn’t stepped on a scale for years, and the shock she felt when she finally decided to was her wake-up call.

At 338 pounds and wearing a size 28-30 pants, she started to adopt healthier eating habits such as using less salad dressing, adding more vegetables in salads and enjoying fruits. “No more food, no more soda,” she says.

The role selfies had in the weight loss journey

When she dropped to a size 26 in just a couple of weeks, the excitement was enough for Kozerski to snap her first dressing room selfie. It became the first of many, ultimately resulting in a year-long documentation of her weight loss. As her 160 pounds dropped, she took images of her new figure from the insides of dressing rooms, showing off her trim body adorned with stylish clothes that fit her increasingly smaller frame.

She explains that it was an exciting time and says that the selfies were an instrumental part of her weight loss journey, allowing her to look at older pictures on her phone and remain motivated. Health expert Dr. Oz agrees; a top 100 list of weight loss tips on his web site suggests taking ” . . . a photo of yourself each week so you can see your physical transformation (3)” and of course, to incorporate healthy foods like avocado (my personal favorite) and meat alternatives such a beans in the diet.

So, kudos to you, Kozerski. Not only did you shed 160 pounds by making healthier food choices, but you shared your transformation as you made those strides. It kept you on track and now, your images are helping to keep others on track.

And, oh yeah. The fact that you managed to do it without making absurd come-hither expressions or wearing risque nurse Halloween outfits is a huge plus. Bonus points for that.

There are lots of weight loss success stories out there. Thank you for being among one of the more inspirational and tactful ones.

Sources for this article include:

(1) http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-24992393

(2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifVCh-HZmHA

(3) http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/dr-ozs-100-weight-loss-tips

Jennifer