Lauren lost 55 pounds

Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Lauren lost 55 pounds. This petite mom wanted to feel good about herself again and be strong and healthy for her children. She lost the pounds with lots of self love, regular exercise and by embracing vegetarianism. Here is what she shared about her journey…

My name is Lauren and I am 30 years old. My height is 5’3″ and my starting weight was 183 pounds.  I’ve lost 55 pounds and my current weight is 128 pounds. It’s taken me about eleven months to get to where I am today. I wanted to lose weight so that I could feel good about myself again and show my children what it’s like to be strong and healthy, in both body and spirit.

I decided to be the healthiest me that I can be, and in doing so I have become a vegetarian and am going to begin a journey of eliminating dairy as well. I stopped eating big portions, cut down on sugar and increased my protein. I also almost always cook my own food so that I can control how much salt, sugar, and oil are in my meals. Although I still struggle sometimes with using food an an emotional outlet, my relationship with myself and with my children has drastically improved.

I like to do cardio five days a week, and I do little HIIT workouts at home with my kids. I do five minutes at a time if I have to! I just know it’s important to get my heart rate up! I dabble in yoga as well.

Advice: I think that the most important thing is to not get discouraged with little bumps in the road. Life happens. When you have an addiction, every little step you take is a step in the right direction. Even if you crawl, at least you’re moving forward. I think challenging yourself to constantly be a better you is most important! Also, be kind to yourself. I believe that this is the part of my journey that I struggle with the most. Showing love to yourself every step of your journey and embracing your perfect imperfections helps you to treat yourself with more respect, encouraging healthy choices.