Bree lost 47 pounds

Update January 2018: Check out this update from Bree. She’s lost more than 60 pounds.

I’ve lost a total of 60+ pounds since 2013. I currently weigh 159 pounds and I started at 220 pounds. My heigh is 5’4″. My weight fluctuates all the time, (within 10 pounds) but I’ve managed to keep most of the weigh off for about a year (and some change) by eating vegetables and exercising regularly.

I started the journey as a staunch Vegan. Then, over the course of a year, I reintroduced dairy and fish back into my diet (though sparingly).

I was unhappy with my body when I was heavier, but if I could go back, I wouldn’t hate myself as much as I did. I would tell myself that I was beautiful more and embrace my thickness (not so much my unhealthiness, but my beauty, ya know?) Needless to say, it’s much easier to like myself now because it is more about how I think I look and less about how I think other people think I look.

The most important thing that I’ve taken away from this whole journey is to make sure that I eat foods that allow me to have regular bowel movements everyday. It’s the less glamorous side of weight loss, but it’s the truth… and I’m all the more healthy for it.

Instagram: @the.high.one

Weight Loss Journey: Bree lost 47 pounds. She focused on high intensity interval training and converted to a Vegan lifestyle to get great results. Now she is sharing her story to motivate and inspire others. Check out what she shared with us about her journey.

My name is Bree and I’m 5 feet and 4 inches tall. I’ve lost a total of 45+ pounds in the last 2 years and I’m still losing! The before photos are from December of 2013 when I weighed in at 210 pounds. The after photo is from February of 2016 at 163 pounds.

I graduated college in the summer of 2013, and it wasn’t until I left school that I really saw how my health had plummeted over the course of 4 years. I had developed a severe case of eczema, and every time I looked in the mirror I saw the boogie woman. Feeling like an utter loser, a complete failure and a stranger to beauty, I was determined to make a change. I bought a Black Girl’s Workout Too! DVD for a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workout program and exercised with my buddy 4-5 times a week. I began living a Vegan lifestyle for spiritual awareness. It wasn’t really that hard for me to make the switch because I love vegetables and animals. I started by just cutting out meat. Once I got in the groove of eating meat free, I cut out the cheese and later on down the road, the gluten. My skin loved me for it.

If I had to choose one aspect of my health/weight loss journey that made the most difference, I would say that being vegan and gluten-free take the cake. Due to my diet changes, my eczema has dissipated with only minor flair ups. I’m more confident when showing my naked legs and arms. I also drink tons of water these days, and I’m not afraid to eat a plate full of vegetables (after all, I am vegan, ha ha!).

My advice to anyone looking to lose weight is to be patient with yourself. Egypt wasn’t built in a day *wink wink*.

You can find me on Instagram @__breet.

I also am documenting my weight loss and hair growth journey on my YouTube channel.