Valencia lost 131 pounds

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Valencia lost 131 pounds.  This young lady decided to make the lifestyle changes she needed to make to overcome obesity, depression and raise her self esteem.  Here is what she shared with us:

My name is Valencia and I’m 22 years old. Growing up, I suffered with obesity and struggled a lot. My starting weight in 2008 was 330 lbs and that brought me to depression and a lack of self confidence. How I changed that you ask? Well I started focusing on things I like to do.  I stopped stressing about having to get on the scale and about being unhealthy. I started walking and drinking more water. I even started zumba classes, since I loved to dance. I started eating smaller portions of my meals and cut out fried foods. I also started watching my carbs and tracked them every week. I encluded more greens to my meals and drank plenty of lemon water in between. I exercised at least four times a week for at least 3 hours with different routines such as: jogging, crunches, cardio, and zumba. With all the positive feedback I received, I grew confidence and even more motivation. 4 years later, I am at my current weight of 199 pounds and I’m feeling great. My advice to people going through the weight loss journey is to never give up and keep telling yourself you are beautiful no matter what!