Don’t EVER give up!!!!!

I was taking care of my mom after her stroke in 2014 and I literally stopped taking care of myself. I gained an extreme amount of weight (that I'm still ashamed to even talk about) and was at the highest weight I had ever been in my life!
I was wearing a 4X (and that was a tight fit). I had been diagnosed with full blown diabetes, fibromyalgia, degenerative disc disease of my upper spine as well as 5 bone spurs and spinal stenosis of my lower spine with narrowing at the base of my spine that caused me to have chronic pain daily. I mean I couldn't walk most days from pain not to mention have been through 4 major surgeries I was left a prisoner inside my own body.
My doctor told me I was 1 injury away from being in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. Not to mention the stress of my mother's health, the recent passing of my dad as well, I couldn't even think about my needs. I never went back to that doctor because it was better to be in denial than face reality. It's hard to imagine letting myself ever get to the size of a 4X. I'm humiliated and sad to even share my pictures of me at my worst. (I still have a difficult time looking at myself in the mirror.)
This went on until 2016 and I finally got a wake up call after my mom passed away in August 2016. I started back on my calorie counting app. I started logging everything, even if I went over my calories. I held myself accountable and started taking care of myself. I was tired of living in denial. I wasn't losing weight yet but towards the end of October 2016, I started sticking to my calorie regiment and was semi doing low carb. I had lost about 50 pounds doing this by February 2017 and had begun thinking about going back to the gym. So I joined WOA in February and then my husband joined about 2 weeks later.
Since then, I've lost an additional 46 pounds, I went from barely making 8 min on the elliptical to a good 60 minutes. I was able to run on the treadmill with my husband (I'm not supposed to because of my back, but it felt so good) for the first time in 20 years, and I can PLANK! I’ve been known to use the stair climber to 96 floors! Oh and I just ran my first ever 5K doing 13 minute miles!
I started out with 10 pound weights doing circuit training and now I'm up to 527 pounds on leg day (leg sled press), 75 pounds on arm day except for the Butterfly Press, I can squeeze out 3 sets of 85 pounds. There's not a machine that I've not tried! My favorite would have to be the ReAct and maybe because it's still a challenge for me but I can do 10 Min at level 40 Advanced.
The first few months back in the gym I became accountable to myself for the first time in a long time! If I didn't feel like working out, I went anyway or if I didn't get to go, I was there the next day or soon after. If I messed up my day with going over my calories, I just ate less the next day. I didn't dwell on my mistakes. I just moved on and didn't dwell on the negative. I believe this has been key to my success thus far.
The bottom line is, no one can take care of you but YOU! YOU have to be honest with yourself. YOU have to put the work in. It's not going to come off overnight! So my advice is, just go. Get up and move. Track your calories, food, drinks and be accountable. Invest in yourself! You're worth 25$/month.
Plateaus will come, just stay strong, even switch your routine up, that will trick your body. Never do the same workout everyday. And NEVER EVER give up. I'm so THANKFUL I stuck with it. I'm so thankful this transformation is visible.
With that being said, I've been blessed with the unconditional love of my family, especially my AMAZING husband who has been my biggest supporter and best friend, I was encouraged to submit my story and my pictures in hopes to be an inspiration to someone going through this battle. So to YOU, whoever you are, this is for YOU.
I went from a size snug 4X to L in a shirt and a large in pants and dress. I've lost a total of 18 inches just off my stomach and I still haven't finished my journey!!!
A journey that I never really set a goal to because of all the failed attempts from times past. I just knew there had to be a better life without living in so much pain and if I didn't follow through this 150th time of quitting, I wouldn't be alive for very much longer. So here's to the 96 pounds that I've sweated off, and the crazy amount of inches that have went with them, bye bye forever!

(This is what I sent in to my gym as a testimonial and I’ll be featured on their wall! Talk about being held accountable! And I wouldn’t have it any other way. Hope this motivates someone.)