Monique lost 85 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Monique lost 85 pounds in 9 months. This mom of 3 wanted to be healthier for her family and improve her health after some setbacks. She was inspired by her husband’s love, a popular author who wrote about her journey and a great online support group. Check out the steps she took to release the weight.

I started at 315 pounds at 5’11”. I now weigh 230 pounds and I’m loving myself. I love my lifestyle change and the healthy foods that I now eat. I’ve even gotten my husband and children to eat healthier. I started my journey in January 2016. I am still transforming, but I lost 85 pounds in the past 9 months. I went from a size 24W to a Juniors size 16.

My motivation for my life change was/is my family. I wanted to be healthy for my husband Brian and our three boys. I had a lot of medical setbacks that developed once I had my children. My blood pressure skyrocketed once to the point where I could have had a stroke. I knew something had to be done.

My inspiration when I had set backs were my husband, author Jasinda Wilder and a wonderful group of ladies on Facebook. They all held me accountable for my actions and best of all, did not put me down when I had setbacks. They built me up. They were able to help me choose healthier options for food and we cheered each other on when we had small and large successes. I never changed my eating habits “cold turkey.” I changed my eating habits by taking away a couple of items at a time until all of the unhealthy items were not eaten anymore. I started to eat non-processed, natural foods with less sugar.

I followed the lifestyle change laid out in the book, “Big Girls Do It Running” by Jasinda Wilder. I started going to the gym three times a week. I would go to workout classes and weight train. Some days, I would go on walks in my neighborhood with my family. Also, I walk constantly as a teacher.

Some advice I have for those trying to loose weight is this: Never try to lose weight quickly. The weight will return just as fast. Quick fixes seem to never work. Have a great support system. Also, find healthy alternatives to the foods that you like. You can easily change a couple of ingredients in your favorite recipe that will make it healthier for you. Fast food is the devil. Things that you think are healthy are 9 times out of 10 not as healthy as you think. Always check the nutrition label. Keep pushing on, even when that scale doesn’t move. Praise yourself for the mini changes (pants are looser, feeling better than I did before, sleeping better, etc.). Last but not least, set long term and short term goals and try your best to stick to them.