Ashley lost 92 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Ashley lost 92 pounds. She was using unhealthy food to cope with anxiety. This emotional eating led to weight gain, low self-esteem, and even more anxiety. She broke the cycle by seeking out help from a personal trainer and committing to healthy eating habits. Consistency and patience are key to her success.

I’m generally a happy glowing and always smiling person, but I also battle with anxiety and emotional eating. Smiles were not always present on my face. I often used fattening and sugary foods to cope with my anxiety, thinking that if I eat chocolate cake and fattening foods, the anxiety will quickly disappear! Nope. That’s not how any of that works.

I started to realize that consuming all those fattening, sugary foods only brought on negative results, such as expanding my waistline, lowering my self-esteem, and reducing my confidence. All of this made my anxiety worse by the day! Eventually, I realized that something else needed to be done!

I then started to seek guidance from personal trainers to keep me focused and accountable for my actions. That choice sent me in the right direction to where I ultimately am today in my healthy lifestyle!

What was your motivation?
What motivated me to make a change was a desire to live longer! As a black woman, it seems we are more susceptible to diseases and obesity, and I simply want to live a long life.

What inspired you to keep going, even when you wanted to give up?
What inspired me when I wanted to give up was my excellent trainer! She really kept pushing me through my journey. She didn’t give up on me!

How did you change your eating habits?
My personal trainer put me on a keto-based, low carb diet. If I did consume carbs, it was healthy carbs like fruits and oats. I also changed my portion sizes.

I don’t eat like I used to. I eat in a stricter, more structured manner with discipline. I wrote down everything I ate in a food log to keep me on track. I stopped eating tons of sweets, like cookies, candies, cakes, etc. I also cut out all sodas and sugary juices as those contain sneaky sugars that can quickly add to weight gain.

I cut out chips and salty snacks as well. Now I eat tons of veggies. I love salads, and I eat mostly chicken, turkey, and fish. I have cut back on pork and red meat because those take longer to digest and raise blood pressure. I battled high blood pressure for a while due to the excessive weight I was carrying. I drink lots of water now and have soy milk now and then.

Tell us about your workout routine.
I hardly ever worked out when I was heavier because my joints hurt. I developed osteoarthritis in my knees from being morbidly obese. Now I work out three days a week with my trainer. We do HIIT workouts and strength training. I also walk a few miles on days that I don’t do personal training to stay consistent with my goals.

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
My starting weight was 270 pounds, and my current weight is 178 pounds. By the way, I’m still in the process of losing more weight, but I’ve have come along way from where I started!

What is your height?
I’m 5’2″.

When did you start your journey? How long did your transformation take?
I started my journey a little over two years ago. It took me about a year and a half to get a huge chunk of my weight off.

Was weight loss surgery part of your journey?
No weight loss surgeries were involved in achieving this goal. All sweat and dedication!

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is what my trainer would tell me, “Don’t cheat yourself, treat yourself.” I’ve learned to push myself to the fullest.

What advice do you have for women who want to lose weight?
Always remain consistent even when things seem not to be going the way you want. Despite that, you have to remain consistent and patient. Remember, it’s a lifestyle change and not a quick fix change.

Instagram: @ash4everash