Tia lost 175 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Tia lost 175 pounds. The final straw came when her scale no longer registered her weight. She learned that there are no real shortcuts or quick fixes. It’s all about hard work and consistency. Check out how she took action. 

What was your motivation? What inspired you to keep going, even when you wanted to give up?
I was just tired of doing the same thing over and over… and feeling stuck. I was ready for a change. A combination of things motivated me. One big push came was when I got my dream job working for MAC cosmetics. I felt insecure all the time, and I would cry after work. I could never find cute clothes that fit, and it felt like I couldn’t keep up with the other girls. They were running circles around me, literally. I ended up quitting.

The final straw for me was when my scale stopped registering my weight! The fact that my weight had gotten so bad made me embarrassed to leave my house and do things. Also, I remember running into someone I went to school with and feeling super embarrassed. Then, she actually tried to drag me on the internet about my weight.

When did you start your journey? How long did your transformation take?
This has definitely been a lifetime journey, but my changes started around 2016. I had VSG weight loss surgery (gastric sleeve) in August 2016. I’m still working toward my goal.

How did you change your eating habits?
It’s all about Balance. I drastically cut my calorie intake and started using a calorie counting app to track everything I was eating. You’ll be so surprised at how many calories are in small things. I realized that there were over 1200 calories in the caramel macchiato I was drinking every day! Meditation and spiritual growth have also helped me to keep going. I incorporated weekly fast and adopted a high protein diet. Dr. Pierre Dukan’s Dukan Diet is the only thing that ever worked for me.

The most significant change for me was my relationship with fast food. After doing a lot of research trying to figure out why I could not stick to any type of healthy eating lifestyle, I realized I was struggling with a binge eating disorder. I was also very depressed, which fueled the fire. I would eat fast food multiple times a day, and I was probably consuming upward of 20,000 calories daily.

What did your workout routine consist of?
I started by just using the elliptical machine and lifting some free weights. Now, I do HIIT on a treadmill or stair climber combined with weights. I like the Transformed app and the Body for Life Plan.

To be honest, I still struggle with being consistent with my workouts, but it’s about progress. I try to work out at least four days a week. On a good week, I’ll go six days a week. I love to run! I like using the Couch to 5k app. (C25k)

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
My starting weight was 365 pounds, and my current weight is 190 pounds. My height is 5’4″.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned?
Consistency over intensity. This process is just going to take time. I thought that having weight loss surgery was going to make this process much easier, but it’s been more difficult, and it’s taken just as much time (if not more) as losing weight the traditional way. It’s been three years, and I’m still pressing.

What advice do you have for people who want to lose weight?
THERE IS NO SECRET. Don’t throw out the basic principles! People ask me about my weight loss journey all the time, and I think we tend to over-complicate things. Cut your calories and move more = you lose weight, period.

Become an expert on your body and know that not every lifestyle works for everyone. You have to become a nutrition expert, a fitness expert and even your own counselor at times.

You to be willing to sacrifice as well. People say things like;

• “I can’t eat like that.”
• “I love food too much.”
• “I won’t do that.” 

Then, you’re not ready to make a change. Don’t complain that you’re in the position that you’re in if you’re not willing to make the sacrifices. There is no shortcut. I used to hate when people said this to me, but it is absolutely correct: There is no fast way out of this. Every time I would try to take a shortcut I would gain back all the weight plus more.

This journey really does take time. As I said, it has been three years, and I’m still not at my goal, but I’m okay with that. I’ve learned who I am and where my strength comes from. It’s a marathon, not a Sprint.

Instagram: @Nahsikah