Dana lost 68 pounds

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Dana lost 68 pounds and is now a certified fitness instructor. She has experienced a number of serious challenges that inspired her to change her life.  Now she is helping others to do the same and that is a wonderful thing!

My name is Dana L. Bradford-Majors and I am currently a fitness instructor in Indianapolis, IN. My initial motivation was the loss of both my aunt and uncle in a two month timeframe. We were all survivors of both Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, but unfortunately, stress and health factors both took them away. I then became pregnant in April of 2011 and lost my son in August. I then became pregnant in December of that same year and as a result, gained about 80 pounds due to depression, anxiety, hypothyroidism and your typical pregnancy weight gain.

What was your motivation?
My inspiration was my family. I need to be here for them. I have 4 young children and I, along with my husband, are their foundation. I want to be able to play with them without getting winded!

How did you change your eating habits?
I changed my eating habits gradually by taking recipes that I learned from my mother, father and great aunt and tweaked them to be a little healthier. I love to cook, so the possibilities are endless when you want to create a dish that has to feed 6 people AND you still want it to taste good lol! I am NOT a fan of sweets or soda, so I seldomly, if ever bring in any junk food. I am an avid water drinker, so I drink that, along with homemade smoothies and protein shakes as well.

What do your workout routines look like?
I workout 5 times a week. I weight train twice a week, along with Zumba, PiYo and Pound, Rockout Workout.

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
My starting weight was 228 pounds. I am currently 160 pounds. I’m 5’4″.

How long did your transformation take?
I’m still on the road to my fighting weight, but it’s taken me 2 years to get where I am now.

What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?
Never give up, never settle. If you have a goal, it’s yours and yours alone. No matter what, don’t give up. Find the cruise control, then break the speed limit!

My instagram is @majorfitness1 and you can find me at facebook.com/MAJORFitnesswithDana