Weight Loss Profile: Dan

“Once I started to lose those first few pounds, I got that exciting ‘I can do this’ feeling and just stuck to it!”

Meet Dan, our newest Weight Loss Profile and now the proud owner of a VIP Pink Bowl. He lost more than 60lbs through a combination of exercise and eating right.

What inspired you to start losing weight?
There were a number of things that inspired me to lose weight. I had at times been told by my family members that I needed to start losing weight. Being told to lose weight and realizing that you need to lose weight are two very different things though. I came to that point during the middle of last summer and realized that I didn’t feel good about myself and my body. At that point, I made the decision to change and set my goals… After about 6 months, I reached my goal weight of 160lb and have been maintaining my weight around there +/- a few pounds.
What is your exercise routine (if any)?
I don’t exactly keep to any routine. I attempted going to the gym a couple of times but then just didn’t have the motivation to keep showing up. The one thing I did love to do was inline skating. In the beginning of my weight loss, I would wake up nice and early and get in a 10 mile ride 3 times a week with a day of rest in between. I don’t wake up quite as early anymore but I continue to skate and bike about 4 times a week on average with increasing intensity and distance.
What is your ideal salad/wrap?
The Thai Chicken Crunch salad. Just Salad really helped because they were right around the corner from where I worked and they showed the calorie count for all the foods. I would eat some of my favorite salads with dressing on the side or even no dressing at all. They were still quite tasty!
Aside from Just Salad, what was the rest of your nutritional plan like?
My whole nutrition plan was based on calorie counting. My initial calorie goal was approximately 1300 -1500 calories and slightly more for days when I would work out. My breakfasts are fairly light, so it’s usually just black coffee and a banana/granola bar. (~100 – 150 calories) For lunch, I would alternate between a salads, soups, and sandwiches. I like to buy larger portions of each so I could mix and match combos of all 3. I found the right portion sizes that would fill me up and would meet my calorie requirements. (~500 calories) I also have a mid-day snack, usually a piece of fruit. (~100 – 150 calories) Dinner would almost always include a salad and an alternating protein. (~500 calories)
What do you think is the key to losing weight (and keeping it off!)?
In terms of losing weight, I believe the most important thing is keeping a food journal above all else. Prior to my diet, I would eat just about anything I felt like. Once I started to document everything, I started to see what all the unhealthy foods were. As I progressed, I saw simple foods that I would need to avoid entirely (burgers/soda/etc) and foods where I could simply modify some ingredients or portion sizes to make healthier (smaller sandwiches/no mayo/black coffee/etc). Making small concessions at each meal can have a huge impact in the grand scheme of things.
Once you reach your goal weight, the key to keeping it off is not to go back to your old eating habits. No matter what you’re eating, always try to make it just a little bit healthier. You don’t need to keep logging all of your food, but all the information you learned about nutrition and your body will be in the back of your mind whenever you’re choosing what to eat.

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Thanks for the great advice Dan! Monitoring your intake, eating right and being active are definitely great ways towards a healthier lifestyle.

Have a story to share with us? Fill out this form, and you could win a VIP Pink Bowl too!

Mother’s Day Customer Profile: Meet Carrie!

Carrie’s co-workers, Theresa & Brian, think she’s an amazing mother and they both nominated her to win a VIP Pink Bowl. After hearing her story, we completely agree that this Super-Mom & CEO is pink-bowl-worthy. Here’s what Theresa & Brian had to say:

Name: Carrie
How many children does she have, and how old are they?
Two girls: Charlotte (9) and Kate (6)

What makes her a great mom?
Theresa: She is so much more. She’s an entrepreneur, a business leader, and a role model.
When Carrie had her first daughter, she was a very successful sales manager, working more than 30 miles from home. She’d get home at about 7:00 at night, just in time to tuck in her little girl in. One day, when Carrie was dropping her off at daycare, her daughter grabbed onto her leg and said, “Please Mom, don’t go.” She didn’t. Carrie resigned the next day, and asked a current client if she could consult for them on the side around social media. They said yes. It was a drastic lifestyle change, and significantly less money, but Carrie was thrilled to have more time with her daughter. Carrie’s little consulting gig turned into a bigger consulting gig, which turned into Likeable Media, one of the fastest growing social media firms in the country.
She’s even spoken out about the career vs. family debate in the media, providing her own wisdom. As one of her employees, and a young woman struggling with fitting career goals into life plans (and vice versa), I’m personally inspired by her every day.

Brian: Carrie is an amazing mother who is also the CEO of Likeable Media… Likeable now takes up an incredible amount of her time but she leaves the office by 5:00pm in order to cook dinner and spend time with her two girls. She encourages her daughters to be entrepreneurs through the creation of CKLemonade which has been featured in the Port Washington Patch. She is the Daisy Trooper Leader for Troop 483 in Port Washington when she isn’t running one the fastest growing companies in New York City. She also treats all of her employees as family, creating an amazing atmosphere here at Likeable!

Why does she deserve a VIP Pink Bowl?
Theresa: Because she’s a very important person, of course! Not just to her girls, but to all of her Likeable family members and fellow women in business. She’s been an incredible example of the importance of putting yourself first and focusing on building a healthy, balanced life — and she needs something cute & girly to carry her healthy food in!

Brian: Dave Kerpen, her husband, has one and he won’t share. As much as she loves her orange bowl she would do anything for a pink bowl!

Do you know a mother who deserves the VIP Pink Bowl? Tell us why by filling out the form! 

Mother’s Day Customer Profile: Meet Mary!

Meet Mary, our first Mother’s Day Customer Profile feature! Her daughter, Dana, nominated her to win a VIP Pink Bowl, and based on what she wrote, we think she is 100% pink-bowl-worthy. Here’s what Dana had to say about her mother, Mary:

Name: Mary
How many children does she have, and how old are they?
Three children: 27 boy (engaged), 24 girl, 21 boy

What makes her a great mom?
Mary, where to begin? My mother is the most selfless woman I have ever come across. She puts so many individuals before herself, always makes her three children a first priority and never ever complains about the workload that she faces on a daily basis (work, cooking, laundry, etc.). Mary has a glow about her that nobody can ever replicate, and her positive energy is contagious! She has raised my brothers and me to be hard working adults who maintain a strict set of morals and a strong ambition to succeed.
My mother lights up any room when she walks in, and always draws a crowd. Her smile, her laughter and her humor are amazing! Needless to say, she can bust a move like no other mother I have ever seen! This woman can “Dougie” better than any person at a NYC Club! Ultimately, being the only girl of three children I have found not only a friend in my mom, but a best friend and an idol, and that is was makes her so GREAT!

Why does she deserve a VIP Pink Bowl?
My mom deserves a VIP Pink bowl because she is a Very Important Person in so many peoples lives! My mother is super health conscious and loves that Just Salad offers healthy choices AND a calorie counter on their website. Mary enjoys her spin class 6 days a week and leads an extremely healthy lifestyle by eating at Just Salad on a weekly basis. She loves salads, salads and just SALADS! Mary recently turned 50 and she is more FABULOUS than ever, and I think a Pink Bowl will make her feel even more special! I would love for my mother to have a VIP Pink Bowl to make her feel special and Pretty in Pink!

Do you know a mom who deserves the VIP Pink Bowl? Tell us why by filling out the form! 

Customer Profile: Dana

Name: Dana
What is your favorite Just Salad Location?
Murray Hill – 600 Third
Single/Taken?
Taken
What is your favorite topping?
Broccoli
Which topping are you most afraid to try?
Sundried tomatoes
What topping do you wish we had?
You have them all already!
What is your ideal salad/wrap?
Mesclun Greens, avocado, broccoli, roasted red peppers, walnuts- yum!
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life what would it be?
Refrigerated Gala apples
If you could have a cook-off with any TV chef, who would you battle?
Giada!
What is your top played song in iTunes?
Give Me Everything (Pitbull feat. Ne-yo)
If entered in a salad-eating contest, how many bowls would you be able to eat?
2 – They’re too filling for any more than that!
If you could be any topping, which would you be and why?
Whole wheat croutons, because they are appealing to most salad eaters and provide a nice crunch to change up the typical texture of salad
Why should you get a VIP Pink Bowl?
I should get a VIP Pink Bowl because I am an avid ‘Just Salad’ consumer who maintains a deep love for anything PINK! Being a vegetarian it is super difficult to find a consistently clean and healthy place to purchase a salad, so with the bonus of also offering vegetarian soup options, Just Salad has changed my life forever! The convenience of having a Just Salad right around the corner from my apartment in Murray Hill, NYC caused the criteria for my new apartment search to include a conveniently located Just Salad (Note: this was accomplished!). So, although I enjoy my green reusable bowl, I think it is much more beneficial to “Go-Green” in style, with none other than a girlie pink bowl!

Want to be featured in our next customer profile (AND win a VIP Pink Bowl)? Fill out the form!