Kia lost 49 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Kia lost 49 pounds. At her annual check up, her blood work showed signs of pre-diabetes, and she found out that her weight was affecting her reproductive system. However, her doctor’s use of the words “morbidly obese” is what really served as a wakeup call. She did her research, adopted a Keto diet and hit the gym. Check out her journey.

“They say” Snapchat and Instagram filters cover up a lot of things, but it DOES NOT cover up weight gain.

I’ve battled with weight my entire adult life. Throughout my 20’s I would diet and lose 15-20 lbs for birthdays, weddings, and other special occasions, but I never really took it seriously. The minute the event was over,
I was back to eating recklessly and “living my best life”… or so I thought.

Completing my annual check-up with my primary care physician last year was the eye opener indeed. Standing at only 5’2″, my weight peaked at 225 pounds. My blood work indicated signs for pre-diabetes and the weight was affecting my reproductive organs (I had irregular cycles or none at all).

My PCP told me flat out that my height to weight ratio equated to being morbidly obese. I literally couldn’t hear anything else after that because I was fixated on the words “morbidly obese”. I’ve always been a chubby girl, and my PCP never complained about my weight other than “Let’s work on that”. But this time was so different, and all I could do was picture myself on My 600lb Life.

After that appointment, I begin to do research on the Ketogenic diet, hit the gym 3-4 times a week (stair climber, treadmill, planks, weights, etc.). I also began drinking a gallon of water a day. Around the 3 month mark, I began to plateau and get discouraged. I’ve never had a flat stomach in my entire adult life and started to feel as though it was useless to even try. That is… until I began to follow a couple of hashtags that led me to the Black Women Losing Weight Instagram page.

Seeing so many beautiful women with similar stories transform their bodies into masterpieces motivated me to keep going. Seeing the pictures stroll down my timeline was a constant reminder that “I can do it too .“

At the end of 2017, I weighed in at 225 pounds. As of September 25, 2018, I’m at a healthy and strong 176 pounds. I have 16 more lbs to go to reach my goal of 160lbs, so I have no plans of quitting. The keto diet has become a lifestyle for me and working out is therapeutic.

Honestly, the advice I would give to anybody who is looking to lose weight (and be consistent with it) is to be independent in your workouts and overall regimen. Don’t become dependent on a workout partner or group of friends to work out with you because that can cause inconsistency. Slowly but surely, the enthusiasm fades, and you and your friends go from working out every day after work to going to happy hour. Before you know it, you’re back at square one #AskMeHowIKnow

My advice: Grab your cell phone, wireless headphones, a water bottle, and a fanny pack. Make a banging playlist, hit the gym or park and zone out. Solo Dolo.

If you’re ever feeling uninspired, look at the Black Women Losing Weight page. You’ll get back on track.

Instagram: @issa_raekia