Natalie lost 10 lbs (4.5 kgs) as a NEW mom!

Hi, this is Negeena Abdullah, and I am here today with Natalie. She recently went through the Spice Yourself Skinny eight week program. And Natalie, I'd love for you to introduce yourself, tell us about your results, Tell us a little bit about your background and who you are.

Hi, I'm Natalie and I was 116 and I lost 10 pounds, like, permanently, I feel like, because it's not coming back. And I'm a new mom. I have a almost 8 month old, and I'm an actress in New York City.

Oh, my gosh. So you were 116 and you lost £10 after that, right? Is that what it was?

That's right after the program, correct. It just kind of fell off. Totally.

Oh, my gosh. Okay. And you're a new mom and actress. So tell me how you were able to follow, you know, kind of change your eating while you're having a very young baby, basically a newborn.

Oh, my God. Yeah.

I mean, everything. So tell me how you did that.

I was so daunted by that. Honestly. I've never really dieted before, and so I was, like, concerned, is this gonna, you know, take away from the calories from my child? And I did have to kind of recalibrate. Like, I did have to eat more because I lost the weight and because it was burning so quickly, I was like, I'm hungry and, you know, I just had to eat and drink more. And so I learned about my body, actually. So the first week or two, I was, like, nervous, but eventually it just kind of. I was more in tune with my body's needs and what I needed to make more milk and stuff like that. So that was. That was cool. It was nerve wracking, but it was cool.

Oh, my God. And were you able to still nurse your baby throughout or how did that go?

Totally. I mean, I just had to drink more and more, you know, the program just. And so I had to be mindful about. But not just eating anything. See, I didn't just want to eat to eat because I was just hungry, but I wanted to eat. Like, I just had to eat more Ezekiel bread or I had to drink more tea and water. So, yeah, that's kind of how I did it.

Oh, that is so, like, reassuring to hear. Because a lot of women, they have. They're not sure on how to go about getting healthier considering losing weight while they're still breastfeeding. Because it really is. It's like you need more calories for your baby. You need more calories to produce milk, but then you Also don't want all that extra weight coming on everywhere. You want to get started on that. So the thing is, it's like, if you eat the right kinds of calories, then you can. And the kinds of foods, you can produce enough milk, you can keep nursing your baby, and then you can also shed the weight. At the same time, you just have to, like you said, be in tune with your body. So it's. So I'm so glad you're an example that that can actually happen.

And I'd like to add that your spices, because some people are like, you shouldn't eat this spice with that. And I don't agree with. I mean, I think it's probably cultural. Maybe they just don't. Didn't need those kind of spices, but it was totally fine. And also, you know, I'm Korean, so I ate kimchi or whatever, and so the spices super delicious. And my baby was fine.

Your baby was fine? Yes. Oh, my God, that's so good to hear. And the other thing that a lot of people don't talk about is, like, when you are eating spices that are healthy, like, they're natural for you. There's nothing artificial about it. You're also exposing your baby to, like, flavors, like, different things that later on, it makes them more. Like, it makes it easier for the baby to eat different things later on. Like, you know, if you're. And then later on, as you're not nursing, as your baby's starting to eat regular food, putting flavors, not spicy food, obviously, but, like, some flavors, it actually opens up their taste buds, so it makes it easier. And they're not eating, like, hot dogs and pizza and chicken for the rest of their life.

I mean, that's. Spices does not mean spicy. It means flavorful. Yeah.

Yes, yes, yes. Oh, my gosh. Okay, so tell me, so what made you actually decide to take the step and say, I'm ready to join Spice Yourself Gaming? Like, I'm ready to make change.

I don't know how I found out about it, but I was like. As soon as you announced it, I was like, oh, yeah, I'm totally joining that. And I remember when I signed up, I was on 63rd in Lexington at this Illustrator Society, and I was like. My friend and I were like, on our phones, like, did you sign up? Because it's gonna run out. You have to do it now. We were like, signing up. To me, you're a mother. You're super busy. I've read about how busy you are. And you're not gonna sit there and give me some elaborate like, plan that I'm just gonna be like, I can't do this. And so it just, I knew that it would work, so it was like a no brainer for me.

Oh, awesome. Awesome. I'm so glad you did that. Oh my gosh. So I know one of the reasons, like you wanted to also, like, one of the things is, like, it's your career. You're an actor.

Oh, yeah, duh.

Yeah. No, no, I want to ask you about that. So tell me about that. Like, tell me how has going through spice yourself skinny, like, changed the way that you are able to put yourself forward in your, in your career?

Well, I did a TV job and I, you know, I looked pretty horrible, like two months out. I mean, I may be perhaps judging myself, but I took photos of my friend who's a photographer, was like, let's take photos of you. I'm like, cool. I just had a baby. He's like, no problem. And I was like, great. And even though they're so beautifully shot, like, you know, he shoots like a lot of famous comedians and stuff like that. And I look great. Like I, you know, I'm an attractive person. Like, Like, I'll say that, but heavier. And I was like, this is not representative of me. And you know, I had already signed up for the course, but it just illustrated to me, like, I have the best lighting. Like, my wardrobe's good, my hair, makeup's, everything's great. I'm just heavy and it's not really who I am. So I'm gonna take care of that. And I wasn't like down on myself. I just was like, yeah, I just had a baby. I'm. I'm not gonna at all be mean to myself, but this is something that I want to, you know, take care of.

Oh, absolutely. So now how do you feel like when you're, when you're kind of going to auditions or when you're thinking about things? How do you feel now?

There, like, are a million things that you can worry about when you're going to an audition. There's younger, skinnier people all over, but it's really a non issue. It's like, I don't even think about my weight and I don't. That's not a worry for me. So I think before when I was pregnant, I'd actually wear a lot of black. And some people were like, oh, I didn't even know you're pregnant. And secretly I was like, ah, that's great. But I also felt like that wearing Black was a way of hiding myself. And when you're an actor, that's the opposite of what you want to do. So I feel like I can wear, like, color, like, and I feel, like, just, like, joyful kind of about it. So, yeah, I'm very happy with how I'm feeling, for sure.

Oh, awesome. Oh, my God. That makes such a difference. When you can, like, walk in, you know, whether it's, like, an audition or whether it's, like, say, you're making a presentation or whatever it is. When you can walk in and you're not concerned with your weight and how you look, like you're not obsessing about it, then you can actually put your attention into your craft, into your talent, into what you're teaching people, into what you're doing.

Absolutely. And, you know, I actually felt my body recalibrate itself to be lighter. And I think you mentioned that in the first couple weeks, like, you just. It's detox. It's kind of rapid, actually. And I actually. I liked the way it felt on my frame. I was like, I don't feel like. Like extra heavy. And it's a lightness. It's a levity. I don't know how to explain it, but it feels really good.

Yeah, it's like, you can wear. Do you feel like you can wear heels easier? Like you can.

Oh, my God, yes. Okay. So I was, like, trying on shoes, and I, you know, after I had the baby, and I was like, I'm giving these shoes away. These just don't fit. And. And then after a couple weeks, I was like, oh, my God, my shoes fit. I thought my feet had permanently just gotten big. And. And that's the thing, like, especially after seeing your pictures. Like, I was like, she had two kids, okay? Like. Like, people say, like, oh, your butt's just gonna get big or your feet are just gonna get big. Is that really true? Possibly, but I don't necessarily think it's true. Okay. No, it's not true.

Yes. Oh, my God, I'm so glad you said that.

Absolutely.

So, wait, tell me, how old was your baby when you started Spice yourself? Skinny?

Gosh, I think he might have been four months. Four or five months?

Yep. Four or five months.

Okay.

I think that's such a great time to start. It's like, anytime after three months, like, for me, personally, I just kind of, like, laid low for three months, and I just got used to my baby. And, you know, each baby getting used to them, nursing them, and then I just. Like, I just. There's like their sleep schedule is completely opposite. So. But then after around three months, at least, that's what. That was my experience. It's not everyone's experience. But then I started feeling like, okay, I'm ready to start taking back on taking care of myself. Like, I'm ready to dedicate a little bit of myself to my. You know, to me again. And so, like, that's actually the timeframe where you can. You can get started. And now he's not even a year old. Right. And you're. You're, like, bad.

Yeah, no, I mean, I don't feel guilty, but I. You know, whenever people, they're just like, you're a mom. And it's like, yeah, it's, you know. You know, in other countries, people are being fed for, like, you know, a year or whatever. They're just taken care of really well. And here we don't really do that. And I feel like this is definitely a form of, like, yeah, three months. You gotta kinda just be a mom, but afterwards, you can really take care of yourself. And that's what I really, really loved about the program.

Yes. Oh, my gosh. And so, like, I mean, I think this is such a key thing because a lot of times, like, as a mom, once you become a mom, there's this stigma that it's like, oh, you lose yourself or, like, oh, you're just gonna gain weight because you're a mom and your life might change. Like, it's not gonna be as fun, you're not gonna feel as good. But it's absolutely a myth. But the thing is, you do have to put in that effort to spend that time on yourself.

And.

And when the weight is the number one thing, because if you're carrying 10, 12, 15 extra pounds, you just can't even fit into the clothes you want. And it takes up all of your thought. Like, every day when you wake up, you're thinking about what you can't fit into. So when you can take control of your weight, it ends up making. This is from my personal experience. It's like you end up actually feeling more like yourself. You start feeling happier. I actually felt like I was a happy parent. Like, I wasn't someone that was burdened and saying, like, oh, gosh, it's so hard being a mom. It was more like, this is fun now, like, I feel like myself and I have a baby. You know, it's the best of both worlds.

So, yeah, to be honest, like, you are a super woman. I do. Like, it's still. It's Great. And you know there's hard days, right?

Yes.

Like, I need to take a nap all day or one day or whatever. But I feel like, because I will be honest, I didn't really know how to cook. I mean, a lot of women do. I. I would eat kimchi and like rice, maybe a hard boiled egg. That would be like my go to meal. And my moods would fluctuate because I wasn't eating right or I just like skip a meal. And with this program, I learned like, oh, when I eat well, actually my mood is like, I feel great. I have energy, I can go work out. I'm not going to feel starving, you know, And. Yeah. So it's like an upward spiral, right? You continually feel great.

Yes. That is such a good point. It's like the physical part is a big part of it, but also it's like the inside, like. Yes. You're not having the mood swings or like the different levels of going up and then feeling tired and feeling energetic for like 10 minutes and then feeling that crash. Like you're not going through the ups and downs. And it's so much easier to just feel like a sustained level of energy. Like that's a high level of energy without all those mood swings. Yes.

And that's.

It's so based on the food that we're putting in our bodies, it's like absolutely correlated to that. So. Okay, so, Natalie, I still find it amazing that you were able to make food, fit it in with a new baby, with a career. How did you make it work in general? How are some of the ways like it worked for you? Why did it work for you?

Yes. I mean, my advice for women who are especially new moms, first of all, go easy on yourself. Don't kill yourself. Be very gentle throughout the whole process. But I would say have a friend also join spice yourself skinny because it makes it more fun and alive. I paired up with a buddy of mine who is. She's a go getter and she. So she's interesting because she actually had tried every diet and she's actually older than me and she's very high powered and just an amazing woman. And she's like, this is the first thing that has ever worked. And to hear that from her, I was like, wow. Because she's like tharns. She's smart. She's like a smart, successful person. And so I was so lucky that my first experience losing weight purposefully was so positive. I answer your question. I feel like I rambled. But anyway.

No, no, no. Absolutely. It's like, it worked well.

How did.

Like, the daily kind of the. Like. Like, how were you able to, like, make fun of foods or know what to eat? Like, was it. Was it straightforward for you? Was it confusing? Like, how was it?

First. First week, we made the mistake of cooking everything. So it took us five hours prayer. We were dying, and I had my son strapped on me. It was a mess. Then after a couple weeks, we realized we don't have to cook everything. All we have to do is chop everything. And that took, like, an hour. And then it set for the whole week. And that, okay, this is the most amazing thing. And I'm sorry if I'm jumping the gun. The most amazing thing is that I actually learned how to cook because I had my meals prepared for me when I was first three months, right. But then if they didn't come, I'm screwed because I just. I didn't have a dinner here. I'm like, oh, get fish, get tofu, whatever. Throw it together. I know how to cook healthy food for myself or even other people. That was amazing because I was surprised about how ingrained it became. So first, it was challenging. Yes, we know. It's a new way of kind of doing things, but it gradually becomes part of, you know, every day.

Oh, my gosh. So you learn to cook. It's like, by following the recipes, following the plan, that. That's how it kind of happened, that you learned.

I'm not perfect. Like, I'm not gonna open a restaurant. But I'm saying I'm like, I'm not gonna be, like, doing the rice and kimchi egg thing anymore.

Yes, yes, yes. And you used to post such, like, beautiful pictures in our sisterhood group of the foods you were making and spices you were adding. And I was like, oh, my God. So you say you're not gonna open a restaurant, but I don't know. Those pictures looked pretty good of what you were making. Okay, so finally, like, do you think, so this is something. Do you feel like it's something you can continue easily? Is it something you have to think about, like, how are you able to keep this ten pounds off, like you said?

Yeah. I mean, I think, like, this week, I didn't do it. And it was kind of a. Like, because I did.

Because of.

I didn't grocery shops. Right. So. But I know what I can just pick up. I know instead of, like, eating takeout, I know what I can do very quickly. So that's one thing. It's just ingrained. Number two is, like, just setting up in a schedule. Thursday, I'm gonna go shopping, you know, so I can prepare it. I think preparation is totally the key. And you know, there's a lot of talk about people who have relatives that cook them food and they have to eat it and the holidays, we experience that. And I brought my own food. I don't care what my in laws think of me. I'm a jerk. They probably don't like, like me too much, but I was like, it's all noodles and two shrimp. And I look at it and I'm so glad I brought like a bunch of vegetables and, and like, whatever. And I think my husband was like, super nervous because his parents are really crazy about food. But I was just like, I can't eat that. I cannot eat. I'm sorry. I know. Even though they're very good cooks, I was like, this is not healthy for me. I can't do it. So I, you know, I think, yeah, just that, that, that I know what is really good for me. That's, that's gonna be able to help me like, function throughout the day.

Yes. Well, how. So what did your in laws think about that? What did they say?

They probably hate me, which is fine, but I'm not known to be like the, like the dutiful daughter in law. Honestly, like, I wish they would eat like this because it would be better for them. They are, you know, older obviously, and so, you know, and it's not something that's totally crazy like just cut out the rice, eat, you know, more proteins, try different things. And yeah, they won't say, but they probably were like, horrified. But my health is more important than trying to please someone.

Yes. Yeah, absolutely. And like, once you go through this, it's like once you actually like part of the, part of the Spice Yourself Skinny program is that you actually like become aware of how food, foods are making you feel. So I mean, it's obviously going to help you lose weight, but you also realize the effect on your mind and on your. Just your energy levels. And so once you start doing that, if you do go and eat like a big bowl of noodles or a big bowl of rice without protein, without anything, you can feel it like you might be asleep for the rest of the day. That's what happens. And you start to know that about yourself. So, I mean, I love how you did that. It's like we have to also sometimes stand up for ourselves, you know, and it's like we know what we need, otherwise we're going to be like, convinced and letting other People convince us to do things and then we're going to not be in the body that we want to be. We're not going to be living the life we want to live. So you do have to stand up for yourself. And what happens is people actually, they do understand. And especially when you lose ten pounds or more and people see the effects, what happens is they're like, oh my God, never mind. What did you do now?

My mother in law is like, I'm really worried about Natalie. I'm just like, whatever.

Oh my God. It's so funny. It's like Asian parents. Oh, if she's. Is she Asian? Yes.

It's like Chinese. Okay.

There's always like, either they're worried about you gaining weight or they're worried about.

You being too skinny.

It's like you're never okay.

I'd rather just be happier with who I am and, you know.

Yes, yes, yes. Awesome. Oh, my God. Well, thank you so much, Sally, for sharing so much. Is there tell me one thing that you think surprised you about spice yourself skinny like that you were not sure of and that now you. Now it's like just kind of surprised you.

I was surprised. Or I guess like the one thing that I always had trouble with, with cooking is that if I did have a go to meal, it's just like one meal. And so I was surprised that the meals were so different and so, so flavorful. And so I had always equated healthy food as like, either it's healthy or it's, you know, it's bad. And this was just super delicious, like, and I, you know, the garam masala shrimp, I don't know if that's what it is, but my husband's like, this is great. And it's just like, it's so powerful. The flavors are so powerful that it's just delicious. So I think that opened my eyes to like, how delicious healthy food can be. And it's like, I don't know why that it's not that way in, you know, regular restaurants and stuff, but.

Yes, yes. Oh, my God, I love it. So your husband enjoyed eating with you? Like, it's not like you ate by yourself all the time.

No, no, no. He is very traditional and very like, you know, you know, he just has his set ways. But it just so happens that he ate one of my dishes because he was late for work and he's a control freak. So he likes to cook, but I don't eat meat, so I don't really like some of his meals anyway. He happened to eat my shrimp dish, and he was like, this is delicious. And so that was really cool.

Oh, awesome. Awesome. Oh, my God. So, okay, one more thing. I just have to ask as a follow up. So, like, these meals were filling. Like, were you hungry ever? Were you full? Because that's, like, so important.

Okay. So I think in the very beginning with breastfeeding, to be honest, I was hungry, and I did have to eat more, like Ezekiel bread and drink more water. And you know what I loved also is your snacks. You were so thoughtful in, like, making yummy, delicious snacks. So I would just make extra. So I think in the first two weeks where you drop a lot. Yes, I was hungry, but the snacks were there. And actually, maybe I ate two meals. Oh, wait, you know, I forgot to remember my friend went to the doctor. I don't. This is totally off the topic. She was worried. She was eating so much eggs or whatever, and she actually. Her cholesterol would, like, weigh the heck down because of it.

Awesome.

And so, like, it's not just like, we're losing weight, actually. It's data. It's numbers that's saying that it's healthy. So anyway, I totally rambled and I lost my thought. But no, I want.

No, absolutely. That's so important. I mean, I just wanted to make sure that it was filling for you. It's like you had to get used to it in the beginning. Yes, you ate a little bit more. That was good. Is the right kinds of foods to eat. You do need more, like, as a breastfeeding mom. But you can eat the right things, and then you can still start, still keep losing. But the most important thing is that you have to be full. It's like, you can't be sitting there hungry. That's not work. It's not going to work for anyone, especially a breastfeeding mom.

You know, your breakfasts have also kind of changed my life because I would eat an egg and toast and be starving and then, like, revert to, like, like, bad eating. And so your. Your breakfasts are so filling and, like, delicious that it really starts the day. Great. Yeah.

Yes. Oh, good. Thank you so much. Oh, my God. Thank you.

You're welcome.

I'm so happy you tried everything. You did everything. And, like, look at you now. It's so exciting. We are getting your amazing before and after pictures, which we're gonna show, and I'm just so, so happy for you. Like, I literally look at you and I'm like, what? You're a mom. Like, that's what I think, too, you know, it's not the image that you get right away. And I feel like that's the best compliment as a mom, when people are surprised that you're a mom, because we.

Need to redefine the mom thing, because moms are just beautiful.

You need to redefine what a mom is like. You can be a sexy, hot, fit, thin mom, you know, and you can be a great. A great parent to your baby. Like, that's totally possible. And be really good to yourself. So I'm so happy you took these steps. You started, like, right when you were feeling comfortable. You look amazing. And thank you so much for sharing everything, Natalie. You're welcome.

Have a wonderful day. Thank you.