Kim lost 41 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Kim lost 41 pounds. She was using food and alcohol as a coping mechanism for depression and anxiety, which led to emotional eating and drinking. Joining a local gym, meal planning and keeping a food journal has led to major results in 6 months. Check out her journey.

One of my co-workers sent me this picture of me (before photo) when she came across it the other day. She said, “Kim better not ever say anything else about not seeing any progress!” And she’s right, lol! Looking in the mirror everyday, I notice little changes here and there. I’ve definitely seen a change when it comes to my clothes. To know that I let myself get THAT big blows my mind! I can’t blame my friends or family for not telling me that I was gaining so much weight so fast. They all know I’ve struggled with my weight my entire life.

The Kim to the left was battling with depression and anxiety. She was using food and alcohol as a coping mechanism, as well as a comfort. Emotional and binge eating/drinking is very real. It took my doctor and therapist to tell me, “Kim, you will be a diabetic or worse any day now. You’re literally eating and drinking yourself to death.” Sometimes your mirror is in other people and not in what you see. The Kim on the right is happy and not because someone else is the cause of it. I’m more confident in myself. I’m PROUD of myself. I’m learning to love myself more and more each day. I thank God for the ability to push through and become disciplined in this lifestyle change. My journey is all thanks to the most high. God is simply amazing and I’m just getting started

Starting weight/Current weight
I started at 264 pounds and I currently weigh 223 pounds. My height is 5’5 1/2″.

When did you start your journey? 
February 2017

What was your motivation?
When my doctor told me I was pre-diabetic, he also told me that this condition could lead to lots of other illnesses. At the age of 31, this really scared me. I didn’t want to die young. I wanted my life back.

What inspired you when you wanted to give up?
Looking at my progress pictures to see how far I had come. Also, one of my students is severely overweight and she said she wanted to be like me when she grew up. That meant a lot.

How did you change your eating habits?
I began keeping a food journal. I planned out every meal and snack that I wanted to eat for the week. I made sure to meal plan every Sunday. I didn’t use a specific plan or diet, but I did lots of research on the internet on the best ways to lose weight and the right foods to eat. I referenced a book called The 17 Day Diet and initially cut out all carbs. Later, I slowly incorporated good carbs back into my diet. I also cut out fried foods, stopped ordering takeout as much, cut way back on alcohol and began cooking most of my meals at home.

What did your workout routine look like?
I joined a gym called AWOL Fitness located in Greensboro, NC. They have personal trainers and group training classes that feature high intensity interval training. They also focus on conditioning and weight lifting. I worked out 5-6 days a week.

What advice do you have for other people who want to lose weight?
Stay consistent, meal prep, use something as your accountability tool such as MyFitnessPal to track your food intake & just get through the first 21 days because it takes that long to form a habit.
Do you have an Instagram that you’d like us to include with the post?

Instagram: @lovelivelife007