Danielle lost 87 pounds

Update: Danielle has lost an additional 25 pounds for a total of 87 pounds gone. She continued to make progress during the pandemic with meal prepping and hiking.

What is your current weight?
My current weight is 170 pounds.

How have you maintained your weight loss/continued to lose weight? 
I managed to lose 25 more pounds. I maintained my success by staying consistent with meal prepping and hiking outdoors due to the pandemic and not being able to go to the gym.

Of the lessons you’ve learned on your journey, which one stands out the most at this point?
I learned that endurance and persistence is the key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I also learned to be kind to my body regardless of setbacks.

During this process, I’ve managed to create a business, “Danielle’s Kitchen”, and have helped others lose weight by meal prepping.

Would you like to offer any new or different advice to women who want to lose weight?
It definitely starts with how you perceive yourself and how you treat yourself. Self-love saved me, and it will save you every time.

Jul 4, 2019 – Transformation of the Day: Danielle lost 62 pounds. She also fought a winning battle against depression and anxiety that was giving her some terrifying thoughts. Becoming a pescatarian and putting in lots of hours in the gym was vital, but changing her mindset was the most significant change she made. Check out her story.

These two photos both reflect Chapter 25 for me. However, as you can see, they are clearly telling two different stories! In the first pic from Oct/Nov 2018, I was weighing in at a whole 257 pounds! YES, 257lbs! I was actually happy in the first picture, or I thought I was. My grandma picked up on my depression two years before this photo, but I denied it. In my mind, I COULDN’T be depressed! No, not Danielle, the comedian.

It didn’t dawn on me that I was actually battling in my mind every single day! I was pushed to transition my situation in so many ways. I questioned the authenticity of God and so many other things!

In November 2018, I realized that I was losing my fight against life when I had to sleep on my parent’s couch out of fear of staying alone because of what my mind told me I COULD do to myself to end the depression and anxiety I was facing daily. I was afraid of being in my own home alone with my gun. My thoughts scared the hell out of me. I was glued to that couch for several nights out of fear of what my mind told me I could do and how quickly I could end it all. I quickly realized at that moment that I was in for a fight if I wanted to not only live but to live an abundant life.

The thing is, I couldn’t pinpoint why I was having those scary thoughts. Depression is funny like that! I had just released a book, was back enrolled in school and was living independently, yet I was struggling to survive. I was struggling to LIVE! Eventually, I knew something was wrong, but I was afraid to say anything because of the fear of people thinking I wanted attention or the whole “Girl, You ok. You ain’t depressed” response, so I kept quiet. It wasn’t until I met with my Pastors and they called it out that I finally exhaled because I knew I wasn’t going crazy and that it wasn’t my imagination. Hence that’s what started my journey in December 2018.

I disappeared from social media and made some tough choices that I am grateful for! I stopped telling people the plan and started executing the plan so that my results would do the talking! Since then, I have lost more than 50lbs, allowing me to break into the 100’s for the first time since I came home from Orlando back in 2013! I decided to not just live but to live my best life! So here’s to Chapter 26

What was your motivation? What inspired you to keep going, even when you wanted to give up?
Fear is what motivated me! My fear of dying without giving myself a fighting chance to win. My fear of settling for where I was and my fear of missing out on life. My inspiration to keep going was the rear-view mirror of my life; the direction my life was going, and my refusal to make a U-turn. (Also, my dad threatened to cut me off of the gym membership he was paying for, lol.)

How did you change your eating habits?
A month after my decision to take on this journey, I decided to cut out all meat and go pescatarian. I also cut out soda, sweets (some) and limited my carb intake. It’s been six months since I have become a pescatarian.

What did your workout routine consist of?
My workouts were straight cardio for the first few months. I started out only being able to do the stair stepper for only five mins. Now I’m able to do it for an hour. I was working out at least four to five times a
week.

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
My starting weight was 257 pounds, and my current weight is 195 pounds.

What is your height?
5’6″

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned?
When you seriously put your mind to something, you will tap into a strength you didn’t know you had. I was already the 195lb Danielle. I just had to fight to reveal her to myself.

What advice do you have for people who want to lose weight?
Start by winning the battle in your mind with daily reminders of who you are and what you want to show yourself that you are capable of. The real workout starts with whipping your mind into shape.

Instagram: @DanielleDDow and @Snackishtees