Jay lost 143 pounds

Age 35 vs Age 40👑 #agingbackwards #likefinewine #blackdontcrack #throwbackthursdays #40andfabulous #40andfine

A post shared by Baldheaded Philly jawn (@faabulous1) on Jun 21, 2018 at 12:40pm PDT

Transformation of the Day: Jay lost 143 pounds. She was tired the ups and downs of weight loss, including yo-yo dieting, being in pain and emotional eating. When 400 pounds showed up on her scale, she knew that it was time for change. Check out how she released the weight.

What was your motivation?
My motivation was me finally being tired of being sick and tired. I got tired of yo-yo dieting. I got tired of emotional eating. I got tired of losing weight and gaining twice as much weight back. I got tired of being in pain. I got tired of being winded all of the time. Ultimately, when I saw the scale hit 400 pounds, I felt like a harsh reality really kicked in. I needed to change and fast.

I decided to have weight loss surgery as part of my journey. It was my last resort. I really didn’t consider it until my doctor strongly advised me to go for it and I’m glad I did. I would do it over again in a heartbeat. I had the vertical sleeve gastrectomy (also known as VSG). I chose this procedure because I felt like it would work best for me and my lifestyle

How did you change your eating habits?
With gastric sleeve surgery, you’re only allowed to eat a limited amount of food. Prior to having the surgery, I had already started changing my eating habits by eating off  of smaller plates. I also eliminated a lot of processed food and cut as much sugar out of my diet as I could. I’m trying to focus mainly on natural sugars, such as fruit. I stopped eating a lot of white bread, pasta, rice. Instead, I incorporated more whole grain foods.

What did your workout routines look like?
I started out walking everyday, about 3 miles a day. Then, I scaled back to two miles after I had an injury. Now, I mainly concentrate on weight training/strength training. I don’t do a lot of cardio, and if I do I walk about two miles a few times during the week. My main focus is toning and getting stronger.

Starting weight/Current weight
My starting weight as of January 2016 was 400 pounds at 5’9″. Today, my weight is 257 pounds. I’ve lost a total of 143 pounds.

How long did your transformation take?
My journey has been a very long journey. I’ve been going through the weight loss process for at least a decade (actually over a decade). I’ve done so many different things, including fad diets, pills, drinks, Weight Watchers, support groups and nutritionists. It’s been a really long and daunting roller-coaster ride, but I finally found something that worked for me and it’s continuing to work for me. If I want to be honest, I’m going to say that this transformation took 17 years. I’ve gotten to the weight that I weighed 17 years ago and physical and mental transformation took 17 years.

What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?
My advice for others who want to lose weight would be to do it for you, not anyone else. Also, do it when you really feel like you are ready to do it. Don’t do it when you THINK you’re ready. You have to wholeheartedly be ready in order for your weight loss to be successful and consistent. When you going through your weight loss journey you have to be honest with yourself about why you’re doing it and always keep those reasons in the back of your mind.

I’d also like to advise people to not give up. I know it sounds cliche, but you can do it. Sure, it gets frustrating but it can be done. Losing weight successfully is possible.

Instagram: @jayfaabulousone @faabulous1