Transformation of the Day: Chavandra lost 36 pounds. Seeing how diabetes affected her family members motivated this young lady to start exercising and eating right. Although she’s had some ups and downs, she hasn’t given up. Check out her journey.
I hated exercise. I enjoyed playing sports, but that was it. I didn’t eat healthy and didn’t really care to change my habits. It wasn’t until my sophomore year in high school that I knew I needed to change my life around.
Motivation: Both of my parents are diabetics, and many of my family members suffer from the disease as well. I didn’t want to experience the disease for myself.
Eating Habits and Exercise: The first thing I did was cut out soda and drinks with calories. By doing this, lost 15 pounds with no exercise. Then, I began to take small walks around my neighborhood and in my back yard (because I was too insecure to walk far). I also dropped meat completely, mainly because I did not like the taste. This change helped me health wise as well.
I continued to exercise by lengthening my walks and exercising at the local Curves where I worked. I was struggling with eating healthy, but enjoyed working out. I got some help by using Beachbody programs with measurements. I’ll sometimes use the Nike fit app to help me choose workouts.
Timeline: During my first weight loss journey, I lost approx. 80 pounds in about a year and a half. I started out at around 220 pounds and ended at 140 pounds! (height: 5’4″) Unfortunately I gained it all back.
After college, I moved to Maryland for a job. During my time there, I became depressed and my weight went back up to 230 pounds. I moved back to Indiana, and decided I was going to plan a summer trip. I created specific goals for that trip. I began measuring my food again. I made sure I got the proper amounts of protein, carbs, veggies, fruits, and healthy fats in my meals and snacks. I worked harder on cooking and making fresh food versus eating a microwaveable meal.
Today, at 24 years old, I weigh 194 pounds. I continue to work out daily, but I give myself a break on Sundays. I still meal prep to ensure I dont slip up or try to go the easy route.
Biggest Lesson: The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to not be so hard on myself. I’ve experienced a lot of failure on my weight loss journey and that was because I made it out to be harder than it really is.
Advice: My advice for other people is that getting healthy, getting toned and losing weight is definitely a journey and not a destination! It’s a marathon, not a sprint. It takes time to figure out what works and what doesn’t, but once you do, it’s so worth it!
Instagram: @vandrac24
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