Tess Found Health and Strength With BBG — Oh, and She Lost 20 Pounds, Too

2015 was the year where a lot changed for Tess. She had been sick for weeks, and things just kept getting worse until finally she had to get admitted to the hospital. "I got diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC), a type of inflammatory bowel disease closely related to Crohn's disease."

There's no cure yet, and people usually have symptom flare-ups on and off. Symptoms are different for everybody with UC but for Tess, the symptoms she struggles with the most are cramping stomach pain, lack of appetite during the day, fatigue, fever, joint pain, and soreness, as well as sensitivity to some foods.

After being diagnosed with UC, she started treatment."My body started functioning more like others. Nutrients were getting absorbed again, and for the first time in my life I was able to gain weight," Tess explained. She weighed about 43 kilograms (about 95 pounds) when she was in the hospital, and eventually weighed 58 kilograms (about 128 pounds) after receiving treatment.

And although she was receiving treatment, she still struggled with her illness, and continued to have symptom flare-ups. "The symptoms get less heavy, but they are still there," Tess said.

Next to medication, Tess was desperately searching for a way to feel stronger and healthier. This is when she started the BBG program. "I started this because I thought it would be easy to follow (it only takes 28 minutes)." Well, it was anything but easy, but after sticking to the program, she noticed her symptoms where getting "less heavy."

She mostly did BBG, but on the days she was feeling really good, she also incorporated some extra weight training "because I really like lifting weights." The weight also started to come off, but for Tess "it wasn't all about losing weight. It was more about beating my weaknesses. I wanted to feel strong." She continues to follow BBG, taking breaks only when she has flare-ups.

Tess shared that eating enough has never been easy, and she used to eat very little during the day, skipped breakfast, and then at night, she'd "binge-eat unhealthy snacks," like Cheetos and chocolate bars. So during her weight-loss journey, Tess never focused on eating less, but rather, aimed to eat more.

"My biggest struggle was to actually eat breakfast. I've noticed that when I eat more (nutrient-rich whole foods) during the day, I don't feel the need to binge-eat at night." She also used to start eating at lunchtime with a big meal. Now she eats smaller portions during the day. "It helps me feel better in my skin and it also helped a lot with my weight loss."

Tess doesn't count calories or macros, but she did make some diet changes along her fitness journey in the hopes of curing her UC symptoms. "I've tried eating gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian. I've learned the hard way that there's no food or food group that causes my illness or digestive issues." Tess found that her health is best when she sticks to nutrient-rich foods, and avoids those that have caused digestive issues in the past.

"Not one day of eating is the same for me. It depends on how I digest certain foods at that moment." She doesn't follow a certain diet or meal plan, but after years of experimenting, this is an example of the routine that works best:

Right after waking up: two glasses of water

Breakfast: Multigrain toast with one egg (sometimes extra egg whites). "I like to start my day of eating with high-proteins."

Lunch: Multigrain sandwich with one boiled egg, cheese, and some fruit on the side

Snacks: On workout days, she does BBG after lunch and will have post-workout protein shake plus some fruit. On rest days, Tess doesn't usually snack during the day, but will have a snack in the evening. "I also have unhealthy snacks sometimes too, I don't like to restrict myself too much. When things get out of hand I make sure to drink more water and replace the unhealthy snacks with fruit or other healthy snacks."

Dinner: Tess is mostly vegetarian so dinner is usually a veggie burger or pasta. She buys all her vegetables fresh and tries to make most of the sauces with whole foods and spices.

The biggest nonscale victory Tess experienced was healing herself by making healthier choices, instead of only depending on medication to feel good. "And being successful with these healthier choices made me confident enough to follow my dreams and to make decisions that would benefit myself in the long run." Tess added, "For example, I chose a different career path that made me so much happier in my day-to-day life."

Tess never wants to be in the hospital again, and that drives her to stay on the healthy path by working out, eating whole foods, and staying hydrated. "It was the scariest time of my life and I still have flashbacks."

Of course, she has days when she wants to do anything but work out. Sometimes she listens to her body, skips the workouts, and curls up on the couch with a blanket. "And sometimes I push through and go robot-mode. By this I mean: not overthink, just go, set my expectations low, and just get my body moving, even if it's just a little bit." This tends to put her in a better mood, and she usually feels so good afterward.

Tess wants to remind everyone to be proud and to acknowledge the small steps you take that make a difference toward your goals. Also, don't overthink or stress; just start somewhere and you'll learn along the way.

Another important tip: "Don't restrict yourself too much or completely change up your life to be the best version of yourself. Do it gradually." Tess suggests starting with having two glasses of water in the morning, and adding in a little movement like a 10-minute walk, or turning on music and dancing while dinner cooks. "Take it step by step, and only do things that will make you feel better."

"I'm still on my journey and wouldn't say I've made it to my goals yet, but I've learned so much about self-love, fitness, health, and food," Tess said. She loves sharing her story on her blog as "a way of inspiring and motivating other people who might be struggling to feel fit and strong."