Update June 2019: Chelainne has lost 94 pounds!
Transformation of the Day: Chelainne lost 74 pounds. She felt like her weight was hindering her from living a fuller life, and she was experiencing muscle spasms and knee pain. She began to pay close attention to what and how much she was eating and spent lots of time working out to get results. Now she is working toward her new goal of joining the Armed Forces. Check out her journey.
What was your motivation? What inspired you to keep going, even when you wanted to give up?
I have been overweight all my life. After turning 30 and still being over 300 lbs, I decided that I was ready for a change in my life. My weight held me back from a lot and hindered my confidence significantly, despite being told I was “pretty” my whole life. I noticed as I got older I was having knee pain as well as muscle spasms (which I don’t have any more!) I was also tired of my weight “pricing me out” of everything from fashion to dates, to certain activities. Now I have a whole new motivation. I’ve decided to join the US Armed Forces!
Sometimes I look at myself right now and want to give up because, after a 73 lbs loss things still aren’t looking the way I would like. However, I will keep going. I never thought that losing a significant amount of weight was possible for me, but I’ve made it this far. When I start thinking, “I’ll never look different.” I just remember that I’ve already done the “impossible,” so why not?
How did you change your eating habits?
I started by counting my calories on the LoseIt app. The app really gave me a lot of insight into just how much I was consuming, and what type of macros were in my foods. It helped tremendously. For example, I would always get the “Big S Cookie” from Schlotskys without even noticing the
damn thing is almost 500 calories!
My biggest problem was snacking. I’d either sit at work and snack all night or sit at home and snack all night. The snacks were terrible. For example, my job’s breakroom sells a big bag of Mike n’ Ikes. I love them, and I’d sometimes eat up to 3 bags a night! I have completely given up all soda except diet mountain dew. I only do whole grain bread and tortillas. I’ve also cut out milk and now use almond milk. I eat mainly protein and veggies for my meals and have pretty much given up all snacking. I don’t even notice because I’m not always thinking about my next snack or what snack will make me “feel good”.
What did your workout routine consist of?
I started by doing 40 minutes of cardio 5-6 times a week. My go-to is “Kickin it with Keaira,” a kickboxing workout on Daily Burn. In August 2018, I graduated to going to the gym. I end up staying in there for about 2 hours, even though I try to make my visits shorter, lol. I do about 10 mins of cardio per workout and concentrate on lifting and weight training.
What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
I started at 304 pounds, and now I weigh 230 pounds. I’m 5 feet, 8 inches tall.
When did you start your journey? How long did your transformation take?
My first real efforts started in March 2018. I’m still on this journey until I get to the 170-pound mark as required by the US Army for someone my height.
Is weight loss surgery part of your journey?
Nope. Natural it is.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned?
By far the biggest lesson is that REAL change takes time, effort and real work. There is no way to skirt or circumvent hard work with gimmicky substitutes and “magic pills”.
What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?
Wraps, “cleanses,” coffees, teas, starving, magic pills, magic foods, looking for super quick progress: NO!
Heavy lifting, active lifestyle, clean eating, calorie deficit, and a whole lot of patience: YES!
Instagram: @losing2enlist
chelainne says
thanks guys! Im still at it!