Leah lost 65 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Leah lost 65 pounds. Due to her parents’ divorce, sexual assault and depression, she was in a place in her life where she felt like she didn’t want to go on. As her 35th birthday approached, she decided that she wanted to start conquering her fears. That decision was the catalyst for her transformation.

What was your motivation? What inspired you to keep going when you wanted to give up?
I was dealing with my parents’ divorce. My mom came to live with me after the divorce, and I was working a low paying retail job at the time. I was coming to terms with having been raped, again, and just not wanting to go on in life. I was okay with existing. I didn’t want to put any effort into anything.

I was turning 35, and I really wanted to conquer some fears. I wanted to go indoor skydiving for my 35 birthday, but I weighed too much. Then, decided that I wanted to go ziplining and I weighed 263 pounds at the time. To zipline you had to be under 250 pounds.

So, I decided to lose weight so I could zip line with friend and family for my birthday. I was very nervous when we reached the top because they weigh you before they let you in the standing area. My weight: 248 pounds. I was so happy and excited. I had a blast zooming across Fremont Street. Once I did that, once I did something that I feared, I decided to continue losing weight and doing things that I usually wouldn’t do.

How did you change your eating habits?
My best friend, who knew I changed my eating habits and knew that I loved organization, sent me a picture of the refrigerator of someone who meal prepped. When I saw it, I knew that my fridge HAD to look like that, LOL! I immediately removed all processed carbs and processed sugar from my diet and began meal planning.

What did your workout routine look like?
I started with Hip Hop Abs, and then some family members helped me get a gym membership. I didn’t have a specific routine, but I worked out three times a week

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
My starting weight was 263 pounds, and my current weight is 198 pounds. My height is 5’8″. [No surgery]

When did you start your journey? How long did your transformation take?
I started my journey in 2014. It’s been a long journey, not only because I battle depression, but I found out at the end of 2017 that I had PCOS (which hindered me from losing weight). When I was diagnosed with PCOS, I opted not to take metformin because I believed had destroyed my mother’s body. I decided to go the natural route and take Inositol, B-12 and Folic Acid. I also take iron because PCOS is the reason for my anemia. Once I began that regimen in September of 2017, I went from 225 pounds to 213 pounds by the end of January 2018

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned?
That you have to push through, no matter how difficult everything seems. You have to push through and eventually you will come out the other side. Another a lesson that I am still learning is that I am worthy.

What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?
Go to your doctor first. I could have saved years of disappointment if I had known that I had PCOS and I could have treated it then. Go to your doctor and get checked before starting any weight loss journey.

Also, learn to love the skin you are in. Very little can be achieved when there is self hate. Know that weight doesn’t fall off overnight. If you do eat that box of donuts tonight, that it’s not a setback… you didn’t fail. You just combined a couple of cheat days all in one and the next day you will do better. If you eat a whole box of little Debbie’s the next day, just drink more water, and do better the next day. You haven’t failed until you have completely given up. As long as you have breath, there is hope and there is life. You just have to decide what kind of life you want to fight for.

Instagram: @leahgboogie