Weight loss success stories: Amber O’Neal

Amber O’Neal’s weight loss journey is one of those weight loss success stories that exemplifies how you can


turn a seemingly personal “negative situation” into positive one and not only change your life for the better but also effect positive change in the life of those in your community. I hope that you find Ambers’ story inspiring.

In her own words, Amber describes her personal weight loss journey…

Before	After

First and Last Name: Amber O’Neal
Age: 30
Former weight: 180
Current weight: 143
Total Pounds lost: 37
Height: 5’9”

How long I’ve kept it off: Started October 2000; Reached my goal November 2001

Amber O’Neal is an odd candidate for starting an Atlanta personal training and nutrition company. As an overweight child, exercise was something that she despised with a passion and avoided at all costs – even volunteering to grade papers for the teacher rather than endure recess outside with the other kids.

While she grew up on healthy food, portion control was an unknown entity, and by middle school she had become the dreaded “big girl.”

After gaining the typical Freshman Fifteen in college, she began to pay closer attention to her eating


habits – reading every nutrition magazine and book that she could get her hands on. Through her own self-study and experimentation, she found ways to satisfy her appetite without going overboard, and with that she began her fitness and nutrition journey.

Café Physique was born out of Amber’s desire to offer a 360-degree approach to fitness. Convinced that for the ordinary person, progress would not be permanent without habit-altering lifestyle changes, she recruited a personal training and nutrition staff to offer full lifestyle management in the form of personal training, weight loss management, and educational services.

Turning point: I made the decision to change my lifestyle after looking around the room at a family function and realizing that nearly every single woman in my entire extended family was obese. It was shocking to me, and I decided that day to make a permanent change.

Diet plan: I decided against starting a formal “commercial” diet plan because I wanted to really change my eating habits forever – not just get on a temporary plan with an end date in mind. By far, the most important part of my eating plan was portion control.

My portions were outrageous! I wasn’t necessarily eating horrible things (though my choices needed improvement as well), but I was just eating so much of the things that I did eat. Even healthy food can make you fat if you eat enough of it!

Typical meals…

Breakfast: Egg white omelet with 1 slice of 2% American cheese and spinach/tomato or broccoli in it; 1 slice of 100% whole wheat toast with 1 tablespoon of reduced-sugar strawberry preserves.

Lunch: Grilled chicken breast salad with celery, boiled egg, peppers, tomato, cucumber and a teeny bit of feta cheese. I dip my fork in low-fat Italian dressing before stabbing the salad.

Dinner: 1 piece of baked tilapia, 1 small sweet potato with a couple of squirts of spray butter and a sprinkling of Splenda brown sugar & sautéed spinach with garlic

Exercise routine: My exercise routine is really varied because I don’t like to get bored. I typically do 3 days of strength training (Day 1: Chest/triceps, Day 2: Lower Body, Day 3: Back/Biceps) and 3 days of cardio (My absolute favorites are Indoor Cycling classes & kickboxing).

The 7th day I usually rest, but sometimes I take a yoga or pilates class. This is my personal routine, but I also work out with my clients sometimes, so I end up doing more.

Biggest challenges:

Getting Started – I didn’t know the first thing about lifting weights. Whenever I did go to the gym, I would head straight to the aerobics room because that’s the only thing that I felt comfortable with. I had to change my spending habits so that I could afford a personal trainer to help me get started. That was an invaluable decision, even though I missed my pedicures and eating lunch out – the things I had to give up to afford her.

During – I had to think about EVERYTHING – when I was going to workout, what workout I was going to do, when I was going to eat, what I was going to eat, how much of it I was going to eat, when was I going to get to eat again, etc. Sometimes I just wanted to be a “normal” person and not have to always be thinking about being healthy.

After – Not forgetting what it was like to be overweight. I never want to forget what it felt like because remembering that feeling helps me avoid being prejudiced against overweight people and it makes me have a genuinely understanding spirit with my personal training clients.

What do you reach for when you are hungry but want to stay on track? Rice cakes with hummus spread on them. If I close my eyes really tight and hold my breath, it tastes like pizza. Just kidding…kind of.

Secret to my success? Was it The secret to my success is the same thing that has kept the weight off after all of this time. Every single day when I wake up, I make a choice. I know that I can eat whatever I want to, but I choose to eat what I know is healthy and what my body needs – not necessarily what I crave.

I know that I can skip my work out and get another 90 minutes of much-needed sleep, but I choose to get up and move my body. I know that I can give up and let all of my hard work go down the drain, but I choose to keep going and continue the lifestyle that I’ve come to love.

How is my life different now? Wow. My life has COMPLETELY changed. I’ve gone from being a completely sedentary person who ate 2-3 times the recommended servings of EVERYTHING to a fit die-hard exerciser who eats healthy 90% of the time.

I got so caught up in my weight loss journey that I decided I had to help other people and I wanted to be involved in the industry ALL the time – not just before or after my “real” job. So, I quit my job in Corporate America, and I built Café Physique from the ground up.

I now own a company that specializes solely in bringing fitness & nutrition success to ordinary people – just like me! This complete change is still a shock to me even as I write this for you now.

Dining tip: My #1 dining tip is to PLAN AHEAD. When I know that I’m going out with my friends or out on a date, I always check the restaurant website ahead of time to get a feel for the cuisine and I choose a few “safe” dishes that I know that I can feel good about eating.

I often have to ask for small modifications to be made at the restaurant (like last night I ordered my fish broiled instead of fried), and it’s easier for me if I’ve mapped it out beforehand.

Thank you for sharing your weight loss success story, Amber. You’re truly an inspiration to us all. You can learn more about Amber and her fitness program by visiting www.cafephysique.com.

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Disclaimer: The article above is for information purposes only. Always consult your physician before engaging in any exercise program.