Clemustine lost 101 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Clemustine lost 101 pounds. After struggling with her weight for years, she decided that enough was enough. With her daughter, her health, and aging as her motivations, she worked with several doctors and a nutritionist to get the tools and information she needed to succeed.

What was your motivation? My motivation was my nine-year-old daughter, my diabetes, and my age. I’ve been struggling with weight since my early 20s. I was always the largest and tallest of my friends, and it just became “a thing.” 

One day, I finally said, “Enough!” I made up my mind and decided that it was time to take care of myself. So I got a team together, and it began from there. The first thing I did was talk to my PCP, and then I found a black female endocrinologist, as well as women doctors. I wanted a full understanding of my health. 

My endocrinologist did bloodwork and labs and helped me get a medicine called Qsymia. Now it’s not a magic pill, but it helps with cravings. 

Then, I got a dietitian, and we started with a balanced diet. My dietitian doesn’t believe in “diets.” She believes in clean eating and non-artificial eating. So, I basically eat regular foods but in moderation. I stay away from fried foods and highly processed foods. 

I eat balanced carbs, veggies, and proteins. I do not eat a lot of fruit, and she’s ok with that. I work out five days a week, doing minimal cardio for about 20 mins and weight lifting daily. 

At the beginning of the journey, my weight was 274 pounds/ size 16. I currently weigh 173 pounds/ size 4-6. I’m 6 feet tall, so I’m pretty tall. 

I started this journey in February 2022. So it has taken just over a year. I’m still losing weight and have another 10 lbs to go before I get to maintenance. 

The biggest thing I’ve learned is that no matter how much you want to lose weight or how you want to do it, there are no easy ways to do it. If your mind isn’t in it, you will regain the weight. I’ll be 50 years old soon, and it took me this long to learn that lesson. 

If you want to lose weight, find your true motivations. Be mentally ready to give up foods that you’ve always known. There are things that are just not good for us. Be realistic and know it’s not easy. It’s not magic. It’s a lot of hard work that pays off in the end.