A dress, A Birthday, 26 pounds, and Courage: How Proozy’s own, Jackie Ballard lost 14% of Her Body Weight in 2 Months

Courage

-noun
“the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.”

Hero

-noun
“a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character”

Courage, a word often claimed by many but exemplified by few. When I think of courage, I don’t think of singular heroic acts, but rather a series of small heroic acts every single day to motivate and lead those around you.

We are fortunate enough to have somebody who exemplifies heroism, and courage amongst us here at Proozy, and her name is Jackie Ballard.

Jackie is a packing and shipping specialist here at Proozy, and a very good one too, Jackie sets the pace with the shipping crew putting out an incredible 1000 orders.

Jackie’s ability to contribute to the team in her job designated role here at Proozy is astounding, however, Jackie is much more than a shipping specialist, she's a loving dedicated mother, and a leader we can all look up to.

ProozyFit Weight-Loss Challenge

Recently ProozyFit held a weight-loss competition organized by Kari Warwick, with the help of head of training Jeff Culhane. Kari and the team challenged Proozy employees to lose weight as an incentive to living a healthier lifestyle and keep active through Proozyfit.

The challenge was simple

Lose the highest percentage of body-weight in the next two months, claim a cash prize.

Jackie's Motivation

However, for Jackie, it was about much more than that. It was about her birthday, a dress she’s always wanted to wear, and her daughters, whom she does everything for.

Over the next two months, Jackie completely devoted herself to this challenge to be healthier and lead by example for those she holds close.

The Results

Jackie wound up losing a whopping 26 pounds in that short time.

Winning the Proozy weight loss challenge by losing 14% of her total body weight. An incredible feat and display of excellence, determination, and motivation to those around her.

Although her hard-work and determination was a major factor in her success, she credits a change in her eating habits and workout routine.

Jackie’s Tips to Losing Weight

Jackie recommends:

• Surrounding yourself with amazing people who motivate you

Solo ventures are often short-lived and lack accountability. Working out in groups gives you a sense of competition and camaraderie with your peers. In short, it’s easier to quit when there's’ nobody to let down.

• No sugar

Excess sugar only adds to body fat, this happens when you consume more energy-producing nutrients (like sugar, and carbohydrates) than your body needs, for some more information, check out this short podcast clip how sugar converts to fat , featuring Dr. Juan Gallegos, a liver and kidney doctor from the University Of Utah.

• No Soda

Soda, both full flavor, and 0 calorie versions have a myriad of chemicals that are not good for the body. Some of which are used in flame retardants.

• Lay off the seasoning, if you do use it go light

Excessive levels of sodium can temporarily increase Blood Pressure and cause excessive water retention

• Lay off the Dressing, Use Vinaigrette to add taste to salads.

Dressings are where salads can take a turn from nutritious, natural, and healthy, to heavy, processed, and calorically dense.

• Eat your vegetables and greens!!!

Nutrition is through the roof. Caloric Density is very minimal. There are compounds in these items that your body was built to thrive on. Can’t skip this one!

• Stick to Chicken as a base for your protein

Without a doubt, one of the most accessible forms of lean protein that can have many various forms of preparation, without breaking the bank.

In short, we often look to heroes of the big screen with super-human abilities for motivation, inspiration, and enjoyment. However, as disappointing as it is for me to say this… Heroes of the big screen don’t exist in reality.

However, this doesn’t mean heroes don’t exist at all, they just come in a different form. Heroes come in the form of people like Jackie. By showing her strength, courage, and exuberance making a lasting impact on those around her.

For more tips and stories on fitness, be sure to be on the lookout for our monthly Fitness Newsletters.