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Natasha was used to handling things on her own. She works taking care of others and loves taking solo adventures to destinations like Thailand, London, and Paris.
When Natasha’s mother suddenly passed away, she found herself taking care of everything but herself. With her mental and physical health suffering, she knew she needed to make a change and turned to Trifecta to help.
Meet Natasha
Natasha is a nurse from Kirkland, WA. She loves to travel, hang out with her friends and family, and work with her colleagues and patients. She’s even finding time to work on achieving her bachelor’s degree. ‘A typical busy life,’ she calls it.
Natasha holds down work, school and still has time for weekends away with friends. But she didn’t always make it look so effortless and her journey hasn’t been easy.
Lost in Loss
“When I started my nursing career last year, everything was like going well and my mom suddenly died. It was devastating. She was only 59. All of a sudden I had to make all her medical decisions, I had to do everything with the funeral, I had to support my family. I have a younger brother who's only 19 and he was definitely in shock. It was something that rocked my world. I went back to work within three days and I just kept working, working, working.”
Unable to grieve, Natasha focused on her responsibilities. She had so many that she wasn’t finding any time to take care of herself.
“I just did not take a break. One day I was going to answer a call for one of my patients and my back was really hurting and I wondered what was going on."
"That night like I got on the scale and saw I was over 300 pounds. I’d gained over 80 pounds in nine months. That was the heaviest I've been in life.”
Changes for Good
I have tried risky diets before that made me weak, lose weight drastically, and put it back on immediately.
I didn’t want to just lose weight, I wanted a lifestyle change, one that would allow me to live with the quality of life that I wanted and let me continue to be there for the people in my life.
“I decided I had to make a change. I realized I was neglecting myself because I was too busy making arrangements for Mom, taking care of my family, my patients... taking care of everyone else besides myself, and I just kind of let myself go."
I decided I was going to really start taking care of myself and do it in a healthy way where I'm actually eating healthy food, working out, and exercising. I started by walking on the trails by my house. Soon after I found Trifecta.
The Right Fit
I didn’t want to make a mistake with another drastic diet and knew that I needed something that would fit into my busy life.
“I did a lot of research because I’d tried meal prep companies before but with being so busy working 12-hour nights, it's hard. Plus I'm getting my bachelor's degree. It’s really busy with school and work and I’d ignore everything else.”'
“I needed something that I can heat up quickly, something that’s healthy for me and I needed to have a plan.”
I am on the Clean meal plan and love the salmon and Mexican-inspired dishes the most.
Ready to upgrade your nutrition? Find the meal plan that's right for you.
A New Perspective
I am not on a diet, I am honing habits that will carry me through a healthy life.
I now have a different mindset. I'm usually an all-or-nothing type of person. This is a lifestyle change that I want to incorporate into my daily life. If I go out one day and have dinner with friends, I'm not going to beat myself up. I'm just going to get back on track.
I can look forward to Trifecta. It's good food and I feel healthy but I also don't feel like I’m depriving myself of something.
There was a time when I felt like things were super busy and I knew I could order another week of Trifecta meals. I just didn't have to worry about, ‘Oh my gosh, I have to cook. I have to make brown rice. I have to make a bunch of chicken.’ It felt like I could breathe, knowing I have my week's meals taken care of.
Looking Back and Moving Forward
As much as the scale or mirror, my own memory charts my progress out of more challenging times. Seeing how far I have come since I recognized that I needed help gives me the strength to push forward.
“Before my mom died, I struggled with depression and so losing my mom the way that it happened, I was in a really dark place and really didn’t care about a lot of things.
I keep my before picture and sometimes I'll look at it because it's not just weight, it's where I was at that point mentally. I can see in my face and remember how unhappy I was.”
“Since I decided to change my life, I've felt like I was really investing in myself.”
I work so hard, so I would treat myself to meals out or drinks. But when I made my decision to make this investment in myself, it felt so good. I wanted something for myself and something that was going to make me feel good in the long run.
Mind, Body, Spirit
I have lost over 30 pounds since starting Trifecta and am feeling more confident in myself.
"I'm going out with my friend and it's a really nice day out and I'm like, ‘Oh I'm gonna wear this little dress.’ And I haven't worn a dress in I can't even remember how long. I know my friend is going to be shocked to see me wearing a dress but I feel so much better not just physically but mentally."
The grief therapist that I was seeing for my Mom, she's noticed the difference in my mood and that I'm a lot more positive. Before I would see her every single week. Now I see her about once a month, kind of just to check in. It's a huge difference.
A Lifestyle Takes Shape
To me, the connection between my physical and mental well-being has given me the insight to measure my progress not just by how I look, but by how I feel.
“I try not to get too wrapped up in what I look like but I noticed like I don't have the back pain and then my scrubs like fit a lot better, you know, they're like a lot looser than before. For a while, I kept going up and up and up in sizes until I finally refused to go higher, and then they just got tighter on me.”
“Working for 12 hours and I had all these scrubs reminding me how tight they were.”
“Some of my co-workers, they're very outspoken. They’ll say things like, ‘Oh, wow, you look really great,’ or, ‘Oh my God, you lost so much weight. You’re glowing’ It’s extra but it feels good.”
Always for Others
Even after taking the time to focus on me, I still find inspiration in those around me. I see my progress benefiting those closest to me too.
“When I have to answer a call light to help a patient, now I feel like when I get up it's a lot quicker so it motivates me to say ‘Okay, I can keep on my goal and I'm going to continue to feel better and take better care of my patients."
I think of my mom. She was one of those people, how moms are, telling me I’m beautiful the way I am. She would never make me feel bad about anything, but I know that she’d be super proud of me and want me to be my best. If she knew I was gaining weight and being sad, she’d want me to move forward and do better for myself.
"I think Mom would be proud and that I have to keep going."
I want to be a role model to my little brother and my dad. My brother’s been into working out but when my dad saw my progress he started talking about the weight he has to lose. He’ll call me when I’m hiking and tell me he has to get out walking too. It's motivating him.
Losing Weight Without the Weight
My journey has taught me that there’s no use losing weight if you’re only focusing on what you still have to lose. I don't let my goals work against me by putting too much pressure on myself to progress too quickly like before. I am in this for the long haul now.
"My plan is to lose at least 55 more pounds. I have a certain goal in mind, but I'm taking it month by month, week by week, and not putting too much pressure on myself.”
"This is what I want for the rest of my life, not just for bikini season.”
“Earlier on I was obsessed over everything I had to do to get results. Then I would end up gaining a few pounds because I went out with friends a couple of times and I didn't work out that weekend, and I'd feel really bad about it. But then I said, ‘You know what? No. This is something that you're doing for a lifestyle. This isn't just for a couple of weeks. Just get back on track.’
And within a week I’d lost what I’d gained. So I just try to keep that in mind. I'm not going to put that pressure on myself anymore."
The Truth
If you're waiting for the perfect time to start your own journey, it may be time to change plans. For me and millions of others with busy, unpredictable lives, that perfect days just don't come. What's important is making the most of the days you are given.
"It's never too late. It's never not a good time because I told myself that right now is not a good time too many times. I just lost my mother. I'm grieving. I'm working. I’m nursing. There are a million different things and reasons and barriers in the way, but it's never not a good time to start."
Even if you start a hundred times, that's fine. That's part of the process. As long as you have your goal in the back of your mind and know that this is something you want, you can keep going for it.
"Never give up on the possibility of completing your dreams."
Capture your own dreams and make a plan for a healthy lifestyle with the help of Trifecta's ready-to-eat meal delivery.
