Jeanine lost 63 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Jeanine lost 63 pounds, going from a size 22 to size a size 12. Her job offers a special healthcare cost contribution if your BMI is under 28. She wanted to get that benefit as well as improve her health in general through healthier eating habits and exercise. Check out her story.

What was your motivation?
I work for a healthcare organization. We have to participate in a yearly health assessment. In order for the company to contribute to your healthcare insurance costs, your BMI cannot be over 28. If your BMI is over 28, you are obligated to lose 5% of your weight in order to receive the contribution. I wanted the free money and decided that I should begin my journey.

I looked at my weight, BMI, blood pressure and body measurements and said to myself, “I need to lose more than 5%!” I past years, I had tried Nutri System, Herbalife, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers and would always gain what I had lost, plus more back. September of 2015, I joined a bootcamp-style gym and started a lower carb lifestyle. Since I was the girl who normally ate around 3,000 calories a day, I knew that this was going to be a long, hard journey and not just a walk in the park. Once I started seeing weight loss progress, I was inspired to keep pushing.

What inspired you when you wanted to give up?
I took pictures along the way so that when the scales didn’t move, I could still see the inches being lost. I knew that I had a goal in mind and nothing was going to stop me from reaching it.

How did you change your eating habits?
I used the Atkins diet and started eating less carbs. I stopped eating so many processed carbs and sugar and started eating more veggies. I don’t eat all the pasta, rice, bread and potatoes that I was used to eating. I eliminated sugar from my diet. I also monitor food labels very closely. I used to drink about 6 sodas a day.

Now, I may have a diet soda every 5 to 6 months and I drink 64 or more ounces of water a day. I used to eat out all the time, now I prepare my foods and I eat little to no processed foods. I meal prep in advance so that I am less likely to cheat or run to a fast food restaurant. I stopped buying foods that would allow me to cheat. If I know that there is something that is not good for my lifestyle change, I don’t bring it into the house.

What did your workout routines look like?
My workouts consists of kickboxing, core exercises, Couch to 5K, bootcamp and Zumba. I often work out 5-6 days a week. I find creative ways to workout so that I don’t get bored. I’ll find TV themed workouts on Pinterest such as The Walking Dead workout or the Spell Your Name workout challenge.

Starting weight/Current weight
My starting weight was 254 pounds with a BMI of 49. My current weight is 191 with a BMI of 38. I have gone down 5 pants sizes. (from a 22 – 12) I am 5 feet tall.

How long did your transformation take?
I started my journey in September 2015. I am still in this process, but thus far it has taken 10 months. My first long-term goal is to get to 170 pounds.

What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?
Never give up and never be a slave to the scale. Do not get discouraged when you don’t see the numbers on the scale move. So many people give up at the moment that they feel stagnant or that they aren’t making progress.

Instagram: @jstrickland1970