Real People, Real Stories: Heavy's Stacia Kingston, Part Two

On Wednesday, we featured an interview with Stacia Kingston, featured on A&E’s HEAVY.  She was able to share with us how she has handled the transition back to her home environment with changes to her job, relationship and friendships and even her current diet and fitness routine.  I think she’s doing great – what about you?  I don’t think it would be so without the support and motivation gained throughout the six month journey at H3, but most importantly the self-confidence she exuded when leaving, ready to take on her new world!

See how this has impacted her in Part Two of our interview:



H3 is such a supportive and encouraging environment – it’s almost impossible not to succeed with your plan.  How have you been able to maintain your motivation in your ‘old’ environment?    

I keep myself motivated by a variety of things. I commit myself to keep participating in races. I recently planned out my race schedule for the rest of the year, and doing that motivates me to continue being active. First, because I pay for the races in advance; second because I know if I don’t train, I may not be able to complete these races; and third because they are fun and inspire me to push myself further and further. The race environment in and of itself is a supportive and inspiring environment!  

I have a before/after picture hanging right above my desk, both at work and at home. Seeing where I was at my heaviest and how far I’ve come inspires me to keep moving towards my goals. That leads me to my goal outfit! I have two outfits hanging in my room, one that is not too far off from where I am, and another that is my end goal. The first keeps me motivated daily and I plan to change it out when I can fit into it. The second is going to take longer to get to, and if I just had that one on display, I might become frustrated that I’d never get there!

My home page on my computer is set to the H3 Daily blog, which provides a constant reminder every time I turn it on that my health is my number one priority. I also surround myself with things that constantly remind me of my new life. I have positive mantras all around my home, a fitball as a desk chair, and my bike helmet out where I can see it. I keep my long term goals in a frame on my desk (again at home and at work), and I keep my evolving short term goals on a whiteboard in an area that I pass hundreds of times a day.

Those are great ideas to keep fitness fun and to keep your eyes on the bigger prize!  Even the most motivated person can have their off days – have you been able to build a support group since returning home? 

Support is so important, and I didn’t realize just how much so until I arrived home.  I do have a handful of friends from my former life who are very supportive in a hands-on kind of way. They will call me if they haven’t heard from me in over a week, which they know is usually a sign that all is not well in my world. Sometimes, if they feel like I’m in a bad place, they will outright turn down my request to meet for dinner, and say “let’s talk instead.” I love them for that. I have been attending meetings with Weight Watchers to stay accountable with my weekly weigh-ins. I also get positive feedback and support from the other HEAVY participants and other guests that I met at H3. I started a Facebook page for the “H3 Dirty Dozen and Friends” which provides a positive, collaborative opportunity to share challenges, as well as a shoulder to cry on, or a new idea!

A huge part of my support is the staff at H3. When I call I’m always greeted with excitement and genuine interest in how I’m doing. I have weekly coaching sessions through H3 at Home. My coaching sessions provide me with encouragement, positive reinforcement, accountability, a safety net when I fall, and the opportunity to continue setting goals and focusing very specifically on the areas of my life that need the most attention. I never get the chance to get in a rut with all this support!

You seem to have everything together and are well on your way to success!  It’s great that you have been able to implement so many positive changes into your environment.  Like most, with a full-time job and other responsibilities – when do you have time for all of this?!  

Time management has always been my downfall! I will say that since my time at H3 it has drastically improved. Because I had to plan and stick to a schedule for six months, I got into the habit of doing it. Before, I was the type of person who took things as they came. I never used a calendar or a day planner, I never scheduled anything. Not surprisingly, it was very obvious when you looked at my life that there was no kind of planning going on...I was a mess! I always thought that having a strict schedule would stress me out, but quite the opposite is true. Because I have planned when I exercise, clean, shop, cook, and eat I am less stressed, and confident in my ability to continue living healthily. Now when I find myself with free time on my hands, it stresses me out, but in a good way. Knowing that all the basics in my life are under control allows me time to plan and pursue other goals!

Thanks Stacia!  We have enjoyed getting to know you and will continue to keep in touch.  Keep us posted with your accomplishments and we look forward to a picture of you in your goal outfit very soon!  If you have questions for Stacia – you can post them on the H3 Facebook wall.