Charmaine lost 105 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Charmaine lost 105 pounds. Childhood obesity, low self esteem, fad diets and bullying did not stop this powerful young lady.  At 22 years old, she made a commitment to herself to go from “depressed to determined” and she is standing in victory.  She shared with us what changes she’s made to change her life.

Starting weight: 289 pounds
Current weight: 184 pounds
Goal weight: 150 pounds
Height: 5’6″

I have struggled with childhood obesity. I have failed at many fad diets. I became a victim of bullying. I have felt depressed. I dealt with low self-esteem. I have wanted to give up…. BUT my God had bigger plans for me! It was in 2012, at the age of 22, when I finally said ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! I told myself that I was ready to commit to living a healthier and happier life. At that time I weighed 289 pounds and was entering in my senior year of college. I just wanted to prepare myself for graduation and feel confident when walking across that stage to receive my BA. Today, at the age of 25, I stand before you weighing 184 pounds. I have gone from a size 24/26 to a size 12/14. I have gone from unhappy to happy, depressed to determined, and from lazy to UNSTOPPABLE!

In the beginning, I immediately cut out junk food, fast food, beef, pork, and sodas. I limited my carbs, sugars and sodium as well. I learned to eat out less, cook more and eventually began meal prepping for the week. As far as my workout routine, I simply began walking outdoors and completed intervals on the treadmill. I would workout 3 times a week for about an hour. The more I grew to love physical activity, the more I found myself increasing my workouts to 4-5 times a week. Now there are days when I have to make myself REST! I began running in 2014 and in September 2015 I ran my first half marathon with more to come!

For those out there struggling with their weight, my advice is to 1) Take responsibility for your own actions. You only have one life to live and one body to treat right. 2) Losing weight is not a sprint, but a marathon. Change does not happen overnight. Just as much time as it took for you to gain that weight, be committed to giving it that time frame exactly to get the weight off. Last but not least, 3) YOU CAN DO IT! Erase any negative thought in your mind, remove yourself from any negative people and let’s get to it!

Fitness Instagram @ceeresults
Personal Instagram @cee8020

There will days when you just do not feel like doing it, but after you take a look at yourself in the mirror, and after you check your inbox, and after you check your Instagram… You realize that this life is so much bigger than you. You have inspired others and you can’t let them down! – Cee