My Success Story: 100 lbs Down!

At the young age of 25 years old, I had accepted that I was probably going to be obese for the rest of my life. I weighed 270 pounds; the heaviest I had ever been. I was hopeless and could not understand why I could not find the motivation to change my lifestyle. I was afraid I would never have that wake up call to finally do something about it.

On April 9, 2017, I went to Urgent Care after being up all night sick and with terrible stomach pain. I was told that I had a bacterial infection and was given medication. I had had digestive issues for years and so decided it would be best to see a Gastroenterologist. After a series of tests, I was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I decided to use this as a wakeup call to initiate lifestyle changes to gain control of IBS, improve my health and lose weight. First I needed to make dietary changes and decided to give up dairy, gluten, and junk food. I started tracking my diet on the MyFitnessPal application, meal prepping, and eating a clean and healthy diet. This was all new for me because all of my life I ate for pleasure, not for nutrition. I never exercised and struggled with binge eating during adolescence and as an adult. My lifestyle had caused steady weight gain going from 187 pounds in 8th grade to 270 pounds by April 2017.

I focused on my diet for about a month and a half before taking my journey to the next step and getting a gym membership. In my 25 years, I could count on both hands how many times I had done a real workout. I had avoided physical activities for years because I was embarrassed by how out of shape I was. On June 19, 2017, at 242 pounds; 28 pounds down, I joined the gym and purchased a personal training package, I made myself a promise that I would work out at least 3 times per week every week, no exceptions. I can proudly say I have kept that promise and exceeded it. In the beginning I had to force myself to go to the gym, but after about a month, I found myself working out 5 to 7 days per week. Before I knew it, the gym became a part of my routine and was something that I looked forward to. I established a wonderful rapport with my personal trainer and have continued to work out with him twice per week.

Initially my goal was to lose 70 pounds by my 27th birthday. I chose that day because it was when I would need to start having mammograms as I am at high risk of breast cancer. My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 37 and one week prior to my high school graduation, passed away from metastatic breast cancer at age 47. Being obese added to my high risk and I decided this would be an additional motivation and keep me going if I got discouraged. I reached my goal 9 months early and decided to go for another 30 pounds for a total of 100 pounds loss. I hit the 100 pounds weight loss on February 7, 2018, just shy of 10 months from the start of my journey.

Never would I have ever imagined I would have been able to lose 100 lbs! There are so many women out there who have amazing weight loss stories. I am so incredibly honored to have been able to share mine.

The journey was not always easy, but I am so grateful that I took a health problem and turned it into a positive lifestyle change. Having a personal trainer that pushed me and motivated me was so much better than trying to develop an exercise program on my own. Not only do I look and feel better, but I discovered I have so much more discipline than I ever would have thought. I’ve been very open about my journey from day one because it keeps me accountable and I hope it can help others feel like they are not alone with the challenges they are facing when it comes to their health and diet. It has been incredibly rewarding to have friends, family members, and acquaintances reach out to me for advice. My entire life, I have let my weight hold me back. I am incredibly thankful that I had the wakeup call I desperately needed in the spring of 2017. This weight loss journey has been the hardest, but best decision I’ve ever made. If someone told me a year ago that I would be where I am today, I would have told them they were crazy. I truly believe if I can do it, anyone can. I know I will have my challenges, but I believe I can and will continue this journey of health, fitness, and the happiness that comes with it!

[edited by mods]