April lost 20 pounds

April lost 20 pounds in 10 weeks. This mom of 2 wanted to be healthy and love what she saw in the mirror. With the help of a great coach and a great support system, she was able to get results. “My advice to anyone who wants to lose weight is to have a prayer, purpose and plan.”

My name is April. I am a 29 year old mother of two handsome boys, ages 8 years old and 2 years old. My motivation for changing my life was to be a healthier me for me and my boys. Also, there are so many young people my age who are dying slowly.

I had gained about 30 pounds after giving birth to my second son. I was also diagnosed with high blood pressure during my pregnancy. I lost weight due to breastfeeding, but after I stopped breastfeeding, the weight came back. I just couldn’t get rid of it. I felt disgusted with myself, because I couldn’t believe that I had let myself go like that. None of my clothes fit right. I hated going in stores to try on clothes and I didn’t like seeing what I saw in the mirror.

I weighed 217 pounds in January 2016. I kept saying I need to lose weight, but I didn’t know where to start. My life was in turmoil and I just didn’t have the motivation. Time passed by and my weight came down a little, but it wasn’t what I wanted. In the mirror, I still saw my flaws and it made me discouraged.

I saw a post on Facebook from a family friend who dropped a tremendous amount of weight on Terry Starks’s program. I didn’t believe it at first, but I figured I’d give him a try because I wasn’t feeling my weight any more. I reached out to Terry and we got the ball rolling. I started his program weighing 198 pounds. He sent daily motivational emails and would always be available if I had questions.

The plan required me to take a multivitamin, flax seed oil, and work out daily for 30 minutes, so I figured cool this will be a breeze. What was I thinking? This was a struggle for me. I told my mom and my sister, “I don’t know about this one.” They encouraged me and said, “You can do this.” I prayed to God and asked Him to help me through this because I really needed this lifestyle change. I had a prayer, a plan and a purpose. That is what got me through this.

He sent me my meal plan which forced me to become more disciplined. I received a menu every Thursday that I would start the following Monday. I only used Mrs. Dash seasoning on my foods. That was a big challenge because I’m use to my salt and sugar. The amount of protein, vegetables, fruit and water I consumed was all measured out. I stopped eating fried foods, pork and desserts. I started eating more green vegetables and my plate was very colorful. I went from a plate full of food to 5 small meals per day.

I would work out most days with my sons. They thought it was entertainment time with mommy. Honestly, they motivated mommy to keep going forward. I worked out daily Sunday-Saturday. On Tuesdays and Thursday, I worked out twice a day at 5:15 am and 5:15 pm for 45 minutes each time.

I had to keep moving and keep following Terry’s meal plan. I took a picture every week to see my progress. I will admit that it was a struggle and a huge challenge. I had to pray hard daily because it didn’t get easier, but the program teaches you discipline and obedience.

I started to see results. I never realized how big I was until Terry posted my pictures side by side. He told me we would get rid of my muffin top and I said, “Muffin top?? What muffin top?” In my mind, I was big but I wasn’t sloppy big. He brought that realization to the surface and all I could do is laugh and be thankful I reached out to him.

I’m so proud of myself. I have to give God the glory, my support team (mom, sisters and my sons) and Terry for his gifts. To any one who is looking to lose weight, my advice to you is to have a made up mind. Where the mind goes the body follows. This won’t happen overnight. There has to be dedication and persistence if you want to see results. You can’t give up just because you didn’t lose weight.

Now, I weigh 178 pounds at 5’6″ 1/2. I still want to be just 10 more pounds smaller. My progress is my progress. I have to trust the process because it’s definitely necessary. I can say that since I have been on this program, I haven’t had to take any blood pressure medicine in more than two months.

Every time I thought about giving up, I would look at old pictures and think of how I felt when I was that size. I look at my boys and say I gotta do this for them because they need me here longer. Most of all, I must do this for me. I need to be a healthier me so that I can be a better me.

My advice to anyone who wants to lose weight is to have a prayer, purpose and plan. You must have a made up mind and be determined to lose the weight and trust the process because it’s necessary. If the mind is made up then body will transform because wherever the mind goes the body follows. It will take just as long to get the weight off because it was so easy to put on weight. So know that any progress is good progress and your transformation is different from everyone else because you are unique. I pray your journey is as amazing as you are and know that it can inspire others who may be going through the same thing.