Chudney lost 52 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Chudney lost 52 pounds. 17 years after the birth of her daughter, she’d convinced herself that she was still carrying baby weight. Her wakeup call came when a trip to the ER revealed the toll that smoking and her unhealthy eating habits had taken on her body. With help from her coach, she has greatly improved her health and fitness.

For the longest time, I convinced myself that I was carrying around “baby fat,” even though I had my daughter over 17 years ago. It was easier to say baby fat rather than admit that I was overweight, and wasn’t taking care of myself or my body.

I drank plenty of alcohol, smoked, ate fried foods… you name it.  I reached my limit in the spring of 2017 when I went to the ER for a horrendous toothache. I almost managed to forget I was in pain when I weighed in at a whopping 208 pounds. (I’m  5’3). My blood pressure was over 180!! Rather than letting them put me on medication for my blood pressure (which they strongly advocated), I decided to see if I could do something on my own about my health without the help of pills.

I remember being on Facebook one day and coming across the Black Women Losing Weight page. Your page was featuring Ebony Cornish, a life coach who lost over fifty pounds. Her story stood out to me, so I decided to look her up and drop her a message. That was one of the best decisions I had ever made! I joined Ebony’s Fit and Fab Bootcamp which taught me how to choose healthier eating options, and do 30-minute workouts daily. I trusted the process and eventually saw results, both mentally and physically. I started in May 2017, and within 6 months I lost 52 pounds (down to 156 pounds).

My daily food regimen included eating lots of veggies, fruit, and protein throughout the day. I drank a minimum of a gallon of water each day. I also made sure to get in at least a 30-minute workout (Beachbody workout) which helped my waist go from 42 inches to 30 inches. This routine worked very well for me because it was a lifestyle change. I didn’t want to engage in any fads or trending diets. I needed something that I can see myself doing for the long haul.

I will admit that it took a while to adjust to the change, but I was excited to see all of the positive outcomes which came to pass. I am healthier now. My blood pressure went down from 181 to 124. I stopped smoking, and my muffin top is gone.

I also took lots and lots of pictures so that anytime I started second guessing myself, I could look at the photos and see all of my hard earned accomplishments (scale based as well as non-scale victories). This helped me to push forward, not backward.

What I would say to the women out there who are struggling is don’t put so much pressure on yourselves. We are human, and from time to time we are going to mess up. When you fall, dust yourself off and get back up, because you’re not out of the race yet. Also, please stop putting your weight loss journey on a timer. These things take time, patience, and dedication. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t meet your goal in the timeframe you’ve put upon yourself. Remember, it’s a lifestyle change.

Lastly, your journey is just that… YOURS! No comparing your results to others. Put in the work so you can reap the rewards!

Sidenote: After the weight loss, I managed to get pregnant at 41 years old. Using the tools I learned, I only gained 20 pounds, and managed to snap back to 157 pounds!