Boom Hari lost 107+ pounds

Transformation of the Day: Coach Boom Hari lost 107+ pounds by creating a holistically healthy lifestyle. She shared some excellent insights into how self-love, honesty, and adopting a healthy mindset are essential to releasing weight.

I started my business as a result of my weight loss journey. I became an avid advocate of living a holistically healthy lifestyle that includes wellness for the mind, body, and soul. I firmly believe that weight loss is not just about diet and exercise. Moreover, it’s a reconstruction of the mind’s connection to the body and a higher way of thinking – learning to love yourself wholeheartedly. 

What was your motivation? What inspired you to keep going when you wanted to give up?
I have always struggled with my weight. I suffered from insecurities throughout high school and was considered overweight, being a size 12 and increasing to a size 16. My older sister’s nickname for me was “Miss Piggy” and that name carried well into adulthood. 

I discovered working out and running in college after I got tired of the fat jokes. I made it a routine and saw weight loss success as I worked out and ate healthy. I was very active, and I worked as a volunteer firefighter (staying fit was a part of what we did). Then, I met my ex. Because of his possessive behavior and toxic personality, I found myself pulling away from all the things that defined who I was and made me feel good about myself.

After years of mental and emotional abuse and living in a very toxic environment, I turned to food for comfort and started to gain some serious weight. After 13 years of living like this and hating myself, I got tired. I woke up one morning, stepped on the scale, and realized that I weighed well over 200 lbs. I thought to myself, “No more! I cannot allow this for me anymore.” I needed to make a change within myself.

How did you change your eating habits?
I went through a ritual exercise of breaking up with food. I started with a colonic, followed by a fast. During my fast, I did a mental rehearsal where I envisioned myself getting a divorce from food. I visualized how I was going to start adding healthier foods to my lifestyle. I did not think about dieting because I had attempted so many different diets in the past, and they did not last. I always gained the weight back. 

This time, I wanted to do something different. I pulled meat and poultry out of my diet and stopped eating fast food. I incorporated more raw foods and loaded up on the veggies. I shifted my mindset and started to visualize the person that I wanted to be. I envisioned how she looked, how she walked and kept reminding myself why it was important to get to her.

What did your workout routine consist of? How often did you workout?
When I started to feel more and more energized by the foods I was eating, I felt the urge to add a workout routine to the mix. I found an accountability partner, and we started walking every day. As we got stronger and built up our endurance, we walked further. Then, we started jogging. Then, we began running, leading to us running eight miles a day in the middle of the summer heat. Crazy, right? Nothing stopped us from getting our run in, including the heat. We could not be stopped! 

More of the weight fell off, and I started to love myself even more. I took it further by taking Body Pump, a weight lifting group workout class. After falling in love with Body pump, I decided that I wanted to teach it. So, I got certified via Les Mills to teach Body Pump. At the same time, I discovered Body Combat, a high-intensity kickboxing class. I got certified to teach that as well. By then, there was no stopping me. I was well on this journey of fitness and kept taking it to the next level (with group fitness cert, personal trainer cert, and then TRX and heavy bag kickboxing). I went on to get other certifications. Currently, I’m on task to receive my Health and Life coach Cert in a few weeks.

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
When I weighed myself for the first time for my journey, I was at 215 pounds. I had lost a few pounds before that weigh-in, so I would say that I topped off at 250 pounds. My current weight is between 143 and 147 pounds. It fluctuates, topping off at 160lbs (highest ever since losing the weight) to 130lbs (lowest weight).

What is your height?
I am 5’2.5″.

When did you start your journey? How long did your transformation take?
I started my journey in Dec 2010. It took me about a year to get down to 130lbs, but I hated my body because I lost weight but did not build muscles. I started strength training the following year. Then, I started teaching Body Pump in November 2012, and the rest is history.

Is weight loss surgery part of your journey?
No, it was not.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned?
I learned that diets and “lose weight” quick gimmicks are not sustainable. If the mind shift is not present in your weight loss journey, you are likely to black slide and create more insecurities within yourself, believing that you’re not worthy. Weight loss starts with a love of self. By the way, I left my abusive husband in 2012, and like the weight I left behind, I have not looked back since.

What advice do you have for people who want to lose weight?
I would tell them to dive into their Why and be honest with themselves. Honesty of self is going to lead them to success.

• Why is it important that they do this? 
• Who are they doing this for? 
• What do they stand to gain when they are successful? 
• What do they have to give up or leave behind to be successful? 
• Are they willing to leave it behind? 

Most importantly, I would tell them to develop a loving relationship with themselves.

I can be found on Instagram: @Boom_Hari and FB: @BoomOlistiic Evolution.