LaBresha lost 130 pounds

Transformation of the Day: LaBresha lost 130 pounds. As a nurse, she regularly saw the medical complications that can come with obesity. When she reached her highest weight of over 400 lbs., she started making practical, lifestyle changes and never gave up. Check out how she released the weight.

Height: 5’8″
Starting weight: 460lbs
Current weight: 330lbs
Total weight loss: 130lbs

At my highest weight, I was 460 pounds. It was 2012 and I thought “What can I do to not get any bigger?” So, I began to eat smaller portions of the same foods I normally ate and over the course of a year I lost 20 pounds.

Next, I invested in a treadmill and began walking 30 minutes a day, 3 times a week. By doing that, I lost another 20 lbs and was able to maintain the 40 pounds loss until I was ready to start my journey. You see, it was not until 2016 that my mind was really ready to embrace releasing the weight for good. I was approaching 40 years old (I’ll be the big 4-0 in March 2017). I felt that if I did not get serious about losing weight and keeping it off, I was going to have to opt for gastric bypass (which I did not want to have). I knew I could not remain a morbidly obese person for the rest of my life.

I started working with a personal trainer in the summer of 2016 and then switched over to group sessions. My current workout routine consist of 3 days per week at the gym for 60-90 minutes. I also do an additional 2 days at home, working out for 30-45 minutes. My goal is to workout a total of 5 days/week. I do HIIT training for all my workouts, which includes weights for some sessions.

I follow a 1500 calorie per day diet that is high protein. I don’t restrict anything from my diet, except for sugary beverages. I only drink water. I eat an unlimited amount of vegetables but I only eat fruit if I’m about to workout. I still eat the foods I love, just a lot less of them.

I have been able to accomplish all this through diet and exercise, no surgery. Being a nurse, I get to see the medical complications of obesity on a regular basis. I knew I didn’t want that life for myself. I had no health issues at my highest weight, other than aches and pains from carrying around excess weight. However, I knew it was only a matter of time before I did face health issues.

Every day is not easy, but my main motivation for staying on track are my 8 year old twins. I want to be around to see them grow up. The best advice I can give to someone else about weight loss is to just try and never give up. You are going to have bad days, maybe even weeks, but not giving up is really all that matters.