In February 2018, I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes and chronic depression. The doctors offered me several medications, but when I went home and did some research, I realized that the side effects would do me more harm than good. But this was the catalyst I needed to make the lifestyle changes required to heal myself. I was almost 300lbs and in a lot of pain because my body was caving in on me.
I had read about many people who had lost weight and healed themselves of all types of illnesses without medication, so I knew I could achieve the same. I learned that 80% of success in weight loss is diet-related, not crash diets, but making permanent healthy eating choices. I had spent the majority of my life fad dieting, but the weight would always return because my eating habits hadn’t changed.
I switched from eating unhealthy processed fast foods to healthy home-cooked meals made from whole foods. The first thing I noticed was how much more energy I had. It might be easier to go out and buy a Mcdonald’s, but it makes you sluggish and lazy, which demotivates you and keeps you trapped in a cycle of unhealthy eating. I also discovered that buying healthy ingredients is a lot cheaper than eating fast food. When I was consuming a diet of junk food, I was spending almost $100 per week, I now spend $27 per week on food ingredients such as:
• Chicken
• Onions
• Spinach
• Tomatoes
• Garlic
• Pasta
• Strawberries
• Peanut butter
I am also into cross-training and work out 5 to 6 times a week doing a combination of weight lifting and cardio. I didn’t start exercising to lose weight. I learned that therapists often advise their depressed patients to exercise because it triggers the release of the feel-good hormone dopamine. I am proud to say that I haven’t felt depressed since I started working out. It really has been a game-changer for me. I am now extremely strong and can carry my weight up a rope. When I first got started, that was impossible for me.
I documented my weight loss process on social media to hold myself accountable. But I wasn’t expecting to inspire so many people, I now have over eight thousand Instagram followers, and I’ve become an online fitness coach. I’ve dedicated my life to helping men and women achieve their weight loss goals.
I didn’t believe lasting weight loss was possible until I made a conscious and determined effort to be consistent with my eating habits. The problem is that everyone wants instant results. We expect a flat stomach after eating two tuna sandwiches and running half a mile on the treadmill. We give up when we don’t see the weight melt off us in the time frame that we consider reasonable but it’s unrealistic. You will then hear people complaining that they’ve tried every diet under the sun, and nothing worked for them. But I can tell you with confidence that to see results. You’ve got to be consistent. My weight loss journey started in 2018 when I was almost 300lbs. I’ve lost 88lbs, and I’m in the best shape of my life. There’s nothing special about me. I’m just an ordinary woman who chose to take on an extraordinary challenge and won.
