Audrey goes from size 18/20 and size 12/14

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with just one step.” As I reflect back to when I took my first step towards losing weight, I get tears in my eyes. I remember looking in the mirror and not being happy with what I saw. I remember feeling all of the doubt and defeat that was bottled up inside of me. I knew that if I wanted to lose weight I had to first take a step. In taking the first step I found the strength to take another and another and another. Once you take the first step on your journey you will find the strength to continue on. Not only will you see results but you will realize that your mentality changes. The doubt and defeat turns into confidence and triumph! “The difference between try and triumph is a little umph”. It’s amazing what you can do when you put a little “umph” inside of you everyday. When you don’t feel like working out or eating right, that little “umph” will encourage you to stick to your journey. I encourage you today to find your “umph” and let it help you take the first step on your journey of a thousand miles! #TotalLifeChanges #BelieveInYou #Triumph #WeightLoss #PlusSized #FromDesperationToInspiration

A post shared by Audrey Harrell (@audreyharrell) on Mar 14, 2017 at 10:32am PDT

Great Transformation: Audrey has gone from a size 18/20 and to a size 12/14 and is no longer judging her progress just by the number on the scale. I loved that she says, “I told myself to focus on the purpose and not the progress, which kept me focused on the end result.” You can really see her progress in her before and after. Check out how she did it.

What was your motivation?
My motivation for wanting to lose weight was so that I could be happy with what I saw in the mirror. My inspiration comes from my daughters, who are ages 2 and 4 years old. I wanted them to see a healthier and happier version of me. I want them to know that their health is the most important thing because without it, it is difficult to live a happy life.

How did you change your eating habits?
I changed my eating habits one day at a time. I told myself to focus on the purpose and not the progress, which kept me focused on the end result. First, I eliminated beef and pork from my diet and drank close to a gallon of water each day. In addition to that I controlled the size of my portions and ate all of my meals at the same time everyday without eating past 7pm. I was blessed to find an organic detox tea which helped to jumpstart my weight loss (Iaso). I drank the tea 3 times a day and cut my meal portions in half. After 2 weeks, I then incorporated an exercise regimen 3-4 days a week.

I incorporated fruits, such as grapefruit, oranges, mangos, and pineapple for dessert and as snacks in between my meals. Since green vegetables are very low in calories, I ate lots of raw spinach and kale for lunch and dinner, along with beans and nuts for protein. I believe those foods tremendously played a key factor in helping me get lots of fiber and protein to build muscle and burn the fat. I only indulged in foods such as cinnamon buns, cake, cookies, pie, and ice cream once every 2 weeks.

What did your workout routines look like?
I use Youtube videos for a lot of at home workouts, because it is difficult for me to get to the gym being a stay at home mom. I choose cardio or high intensity interval training workouts which last anywhere from 15-30 minutes.

Starting Weight/Current Weight
Due to the fact that I do not like to use the scale, I can only tell you what dress size I wore when I started my journey. I was in a size 18/20 and now I am in a size 12/14. My height is 5’8″.  The scale discourages me and is not a real sign of progress in my opinion. I determine how much weight I lose each week by how my clothes fit and by comparing myself to my before picture.

How long did your transformation take?
My transformation took 3 months.

What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?
Stay focused on the end result and everything else will follow.

Instagram: @audreyharrell