Christel lost 48 pounds

Update June 2021: Shout out to Christel. She lost 48 pounds in 2020 and then regained 31 pounds after starting her first job and trying to balance work, school, and being a mom. She restarted her journey at the beginning of the year, and she’s just 15 pounds away from her previous total. She shared with us what she did to get back on track.

How have you maintained your weight loss/continued to lose weight?
Last year, I lost 48 pounds in 9 months. It was a super proud moment. However, I gained some of my weight back when I started my first job as a nurse—combining work, school, and family as wife and mum were a bit difficult for me. From October to December 31st, I used all the excuses not to continue my journey. I felt like there’s no other way out.

Fast forward to this January 2021. I decided to start again. My weight on January 1st, 2021 was 203 pounds, and now I weigh 187 pounds. I eat in a calorie deficit on most days, and on leg days, I eat n a bit of surplus. I make sure most of my food is a balanced diet. I still eat carbs in moderation, and I added more protein shakes to my diet. This year, my goal is not to focus much on the scale but instead on how to get stronger and build endurance.

I weight train five times a week now. I began with 3-4 times a week till I was able to make my schedule work for me while balancing life. 

Of the lessons you’ve learned on your journey, which one stands out the most at this point?
The most important lesson I’ve learned throughout my fitness journey is to never use excuses as the reason why I cannot because I absolutely can. The mind is a powerful thing. Once you make up your mind, you can push through all your excuses. 

Would you like to offer any new or different advice to women who want to lose weight?
Please don’t give up on yourself. Stop doubting yourself and keep pushing. Remember, if someone else did it, so can you. Focus on yourself, plan your week ahead of time, and put it into writing. You can do this! I am still a work in progress, but I’m very glad I didn’t give up on myself. Here’s to 2021 and staying consistent.

Instagram: @pretty_thickfit

Update July 2020: Christel has lost 11 more pounds for a total of 48 pounds gone. She shared with us that she is still doing HIIT workouts and weight training.

4/23/2020 – Transformation of the Day: Christel lost 37 pounds with healthy eating habits and exercise. She turned to food to deal with stress and to cope with grief after the loss of her beloved father. Her turning point came at a doctor’s visit when she learned the source of the heart palpitations she was experiencing. She shared with us how she took action to change her life.

While growing up, I was always skinny/lean and very active. Fast forward to 2016: I got pregnant and gained about 60 pounds. (I was eating for two, Y’all.). After having my son, I couldn’t drop the weight. I started stress eating while dealing with being a new mum, a wife, and a student. Just trying to balance everything was hard for me. I made a lot of excuses for why I couldn’t work out, and I kept overeating. (Late nights snacks are the worst. 🤦🏿‍♀️). So, I kept gaining weight. At my heaviest, I weighed 220 pounds at 5’9″.

The turning point for me came in 2018 when I started having heart palpitations and went to my doctor for a check-up. My doctor basically said that I was Obese (BMI >30 ). My chest X-ray showed that my heart was borderline (almost bigger than what is expected for my age), and they referred me to a cardiologist. That was so scary to me, and I was like, “I’ve got to do something about this weight.”

So, I started working out again and lost some weight, which significantly decreased my palpitations. However, I wasn’t consistent, and food was still my coping mechanism.

Second Turning Point: I lost my dad last year in November 2019. With my grieving came more overeating, but I knew that my Dad wouldn’t be proud of me if I keep doing this to myself.

I opened a fitness page on Instagram and decided to use it as my accountability page. I thought, “If people are watching, maybe I could be consistent.” So far, it has been amazing. Since January 2020, I have been the most consistent I’ve ever been, and I am still going strong.

I work out 5-6 days a week doing cardio, HIIT, and weight training. I drink a lot of water. I don’t drink soda, and I try to sleep enough. My diet has been good. I haven’t restricted anything aside from soda, but I do count my daily calories and do intermittent fasting 4 – 5 times a week. My daily calorie intake is around 1200-1500.

Intermittent Fasting: My eating window goes from 12 pm to 8 pm (at the latest). I allow myself to enjoy family time breakfast early in the mornings on weekends. That’s why I only do the fasting 4-5 times a week.

My total weight loss is 37 pounds. I currently weigh 183 pounds, and I’m not quitting anytime soon. This is a lifestyle change. I feel more energized, no more palpitations, and my heart is back to average size. I even got a pat on the back from the doctor.

The biggest lesson I learned so far is not to rush the process. There are always going to be bad days. There will be days when you don’t feel like doing anything, and that is okay. I learned that as long as I can pick myself up again, that’s all that matters—being consistent through the ups and downs.

I hope my story motivates anyone who is reading this to start their weight loss journey. You can do it. Do it for your health. It’s not going to be easy, but it will be worth it. Take it one day at a time and get your steps in.

Instagram: @pretty_thickfit