My weight was ALWAYS a problem lol. I was born weighing 10lbs 11oz (my nickname from my family was Butterball & Chunky). As time progressed, I never grew out of the “baby weight” and instead, continued to gain weight. Often times, I was the biggest kid in the class and I was teased for it.
A lot of my continuous weight gain was a result of my family’s poor eating habits. We often ate out and most of our meals cooked at home were fried or loaded with sauces & seasoning. To top it off, food was a source of comfort for me as well (I’m an emotional eater).
NAME : Victoria
BEFORE WEIGHT : 275
AFTER WEIGHT : 150
POUNDS LOST : 125
HOW DID YOUR WEIGHT AFFECT ANY ASPECT(S) OF YOUR LIFE? My weight kept me from doing A LOT. I was deathly shy as a result of my weight and lacked confidence in myself and my physical capabilities. I strayed away from large gatherings and avoided opportunities that would force me to be in front of people.
WHAT WAS THE “TURNING POINT” THAT GOT YOU STARTED ON YOUR WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY? The turning point for me was after I had my second son in 2016. I was feeling the stress of planning a wedding, buying a new home, and taking care of my 11 month old (my boys are 11 months apart in age). As a result, a topped the scale at 275 lbs.
In June of 2017, I got the wake up call I needed during a wellness check-up for my oldest son. The doctor informed us that she was concerned about his weight for his age (he was in the 94th percentile at one and a half years old). It reminded me of what I went through as a child and I knew then that in order to break the cycle, I had to first change my lifestyle. That’s when I decided I would start my weight loss journey and see it through because my kids were dependent on me.
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED? The first steps I took involved researching and planning how I would get started on my journey. I discovered apps to help with setting goals and tracking, then I began eliminating white carbs (bread, white, pasta), fried foods, and juices from my diet since those were my biggest weaknesses. I also focused on walking a mile at the park everyday for the first month of my journey. Gradually changing my habits helped me not to feel overwhelm with the process.
HOW LONG AFTER YOU STARTED DID YOU BEGIN TO SEE RESULTS OF YOUR WEIGHT LOSS EFFORTS? I really began to see results of my efforts 3 months into my journey.
WHAT WAS THE HARDEST PART? I have PCOS & I’m insulin resistant. Thus, I was constantly battling an uphill battle with my weight. Additionally, I was still a new mom and wife at the time I began my journey, so it was definitely a process for me to overcome & balance everything I had going on.
DID YOU EVER WANT TO GIVE UP? WHAT KEPT YOU GOING? I wanted to give a few times during the 1st month of my journey, especially when I did not a change in the scale for two weeks. As a result, I joined and became active in weight loss support groups on Facebook as a way to stay encouraged and accountable.
HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO LOSE MOST OF THE WEIGHT? It took me a little over a year to lose the weight.
DID YOU HAVE ANY NON-SCALE VICTORIES? Yes! My biggest non-scale victory was getting down into single digit clothing (I went from a size 20/22 to a size 6/8). Additionally, I was excited when I was able to run a mile non-stop for the first time in my life!
WHAT DOES YOUR DAILY DIET LOOK LIKE COMPARED TO WHEN YOU WERE HEAVIER? I was an emotional eater and I mostly ate fast food with little to no vegetables or water. I loved fried foods and foods loaded with sauces or seasoning. I did not (and still do not lol) eat raw veggies, so this means that I did not have many selections to choose from when it came to adding more vegetables in my diet. However, I made a way out of no way, and retrained my taste buds to crave healthier foods, such as, steamed broccoli or sauteed spinach and grilled foods, as well as, crave water instead of juices & sodas all the time.
HOW DOES YOUR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY COMPARE TO WHEN YOU WERE HEAVIER? Working out was extremely hard for me in the beginning and there were many times I would cry after trying to do more high intensity exercises (i.e. burpees or jumping jacks). That’s why I started with walking a mile a day until I was more comfortable with exercise in the beginning stages of my journey.
By the 3rd month, I began going to the gym at my job and participating in group fitness classes (step aerobics, cycling) while working with a trainer on how to get started with weight training. Eventually I fell in love with fitness, thus inspiring me to become a Certified Personal Trainer!
MY WEIGHT LOSS TIPS & TRICKS
- I actually had a cheat meal once a week, every Saturday. This gave me something to look forward to (like a reward) for staying consistent throughout the week.
- When I couldn’t workout during the day time, I would sleep in my workout clothes so I could save time in the morning.
- I would eat from my kids plates and bowls to keep my portions in control.
