When I was a teenager, I was always bigger than the other girls at school but as I became a teenager the weight began piling on.
NAME : Jade
BEFORE WEIGHT : 240
AFTER WEIGHT : 168
POUNDS LOST : 72 and counting
HOW DID YOUR WEIGHT AFFECT ANY ASPECT(S) OF YOUR LIFE? I was bullied at school, kids would throw stones at me and chase me with water guns.
The bullying continued right through high school.
I was painfully shy, I would keep my hair long to hide my face from the world, I would walk hunched over hoping to hide myself or make myself smaller.
I put up emotional barriers around myself trying to protect myself from the next bully that came along.
Physically I was in pain, my back would go out constantly and that would affect my hips.
Unless I had to be out for work I did my best to stay at home away from the world that judged me.
WHAT WAS THE “TURNING POINT” THAT GOT YOU STARTED ON YOUR WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY? I was in an unhappy living situation, although he never made fun of my weight he knew exactly what to say to hurt me emotionally and I was miserable but had no where to go.
There was a hiking trail close by – I began hiking every day simply because it got me out of the house and away.
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED? I started researching online for other woman who had coped with pcos, I read every message thread I could find, I read there diet plans and workout tips.
I saved my money and hired a personal trainer to teach me how to weight lift.
My next obstacle was gaining the courage to walk into a gym, emotionally this for me was very difficult but I took baby steps each day and eventually was able to walk into the gym and complete proper workouts without feeling terrified.
HOW LONG AFTER YOU STARTED DID YOU BEGIN TO SEE RESULTS OF YOUR WEIGHT LOSS EFFORTS? For the longest time I didn’t notice, I felt better physically and emotionally I could feel myself getting stronger but I didn’t see it.
It wasn’t until I posted a photo on Facebook (after not posting anything for a very long time),
it got such a massive response that for the first time I realized what I had achieved, my mother messaged me crying and even one of my high school bullies reached out and apologized for what she had done to me a a kid (mainly because she herself was now obease).
WHAT WAS THE HARDEST PART? Lack of funds was a huge obstacle, I was barely scrapping by financially.
I’m also in a foreign country so no support from friends or family, I didn’t really even have friends so I was all alone.
At one point I had to begin working 80hour work weeks to get by, working so often made it hard to eat healthy and workout and the weight quickly began coming back.
When that happened I truly put my foot down, I searched for a decent paying job so i could survive on one salary, I got myself a gym membership and I made sure I was eating right.
Emotional barriers were something I had to work on a lot (to this day I have to continue to work on them), even when I first got my gym membership it took over a dozens times before I could even get the courage to walk into the gym.
I would get to the door – loose my nerve and walk away.
Or I would walk in and see all these people everywhere and I’d get scared and walk out.
I had to take everything in baby steps, going to the gym I would start by getting the nerve to get onto a cardio machine for 30mins and go from there, same with the weights room, I had to start slow and build my confidence.
Confidence – like my body is something I still have to work on every single day.
DID YOU EVER WANT TO GIVE UP? WHAT KEPT YOU GOING? I wanted to give up a lot, I felt like my emotional barriers were too strong.
I felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere and it was a waste of time, I was constantly depressed.
I would remember all the cruel taunts I got growing up about how I was just fat and ugly and I had it in my head that I was just supposed to be like that.
I was tired of being embarrassed and that was what pulled me through, I wanted to feel strong and confident for the first time in my life.
I want to be able to settle down and get married and have a family and the state I was in I would never be able to have that.
I want to be proud of my appearance and I want to be able to wear nice clothing and feel beautiful.
DID YOU HIT ANY WEIGHT LOSS PLATEAUS? HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM? I hit a lot of plateaus, diet was the toughest to figure out.
It was constant research along with trial and error, I tried numerous ‘Diets’ before I realized I had to create a lifestyle – even then it was difficult to find the balance.
I saved money for a nutritionist who knew about pcos, I wasn’t able to afford her help for long but it was enough to see the pattern in how she worked meal plans for my body.
I saw the pattern in how she changed food to suit my body and it’s needs and I used it as a template for myself.
Gym was always an obstacle – my shyness to this day can still overtake me but I would find workout plans and use them at the gym, if there are times I can’ get into the gym I’ll follow a home program.
I also treated myself to an mma gym, again it was an emotional barrier to overcome but I did it, I began learning skills that not only helped me get fit but helped me gain a new confidence which I had never had.
HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO LOSE MOST OF THE WEIGHT? Years, I yo yo’d a lot , I would get to 180 and never be able to push through and I would give up, that was the worst because I would have to start over again.
I also suffered an accident which left me not able to walk for a few months, that was the last time weight crept up on me, after that I started again and I never stopped.
This past year I have lost 50 of the 72ibs.
I’m still not done – I’d like to get as close to the 100 mark as I safely can to prove to other women this can be done naturally and in healthy manner.
DID YOU HAVE ANY NON-SCALE VICTORIES? Physical strength – being able to lift and move heavy objects both with ease and without throwing my back out.
Not walking around in pain is a much welcomed relief.
Working on my confidence for me is most likely key- as the weight has come off my confidence continues to grow.
I still have my moments but they are getting less and less.
WHAT DOES YOUR DAILY DIET LOOK LIKE COMPARED TO WHEN YOU WERE HEAVIER? I never paid attention to my diet when I was heavier. I just ate.
My diet now is very clean, I meal prep on Sundays for the week and I make sure my carbs/Fats and Proteins are balanced right.
I keep track on myfitnesspal so I know what I’ve eaten every day.
HOW DOES YOUR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY COMPARE TO WHEN YOU WERE HEAVIER? I’m much more active now days, before I would hide away.
I was scared of the world.
Now I workout 5-6 times a week.
On my lunch break I take a walk by the beach and I moved close enough to my job where I can walk to and from home each day.
MY WEIGHT LOSS TIPS & TRICKS
- Focus on your nutrition.
It’s key!
Getting the right balance and nutrients is crucial to success. - Get active!
You don’t have to dive in and become a complete gym bunny.
If you have to start slow then start slow, there are free fitness trackers out there and an abundance of help.
Bodybuilders.com is one of my favorite sources of workout information and the online community is very supportive. - Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you feel like you need it.
If you don’t have people in your circle you feel you can talk to then reach out.
There are plenty of online forums, I get messages through Facebook/Instagram and even through my body space app (bodybuilders.com) from women asking questions.
There are women who have been through what your going through – they understand and a majority of us are happy to help. - Keep a food diary.
For me myfitnesspal is a daily thing.
Sometimes you just don’t realize what you eat and how much.
Tracking your food will help you keep mindful. - Get enough GOOD FATS.
One of the mistakes I would make was to cut out all fats, when I started incorporating good fats (in moderation) I noticed my weight and body changing again.
Everything in moderation.
