Djuana lost 54 pounds

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Djuana lost 54 pounds. This petite mom and wife found success without supplements and without access to a gym.  She worked out at home, changed her diet and used trial and error to figure out what worked for her. Here is what she shared with us about her journey…

I gone from 180 lbs to 126lbs (height: 5 feet tall). It was an all natural, 3 1/2 year process. It took me a year to lose the weight, but I also include the times I fell off track. No weight loss pills, fat burners, meal substitutes/replacements, pre-workout, etc. Just protein powder after workouts for muscle recovery. The rest of the nutrients that I put into my body come from the healthy meals that I eat %90 percent of the time.  I meal prep and once a week I have a cheat meal (Well, 2 now because I’m bulking).

This has not been a straight shot. As you can see, when I lost weight I found myself skinny. I didn’t like that, so I started toning up. I liked the toned look, but I still felt too thin and wanted more curves and muscle. I am now in the process of bulking up in order to build up to the body I want. Every new transition required me to learn how to eat and train according to my new goals. I didn’t always get it right in the beginning, but I stuck to it.

I’m 29 years old. I have a wonderful husband and beautiful baby boy. My inspiration is my life in general and knowing that I could be a better person health wise. I looked at myself and realized that I let myself get that way and that only I could change it. I got so comfortable with sitting on my couch, being lazy and eating unhealthy. Just being able to take my son to the park was difficult. Going down the slide with him and running around with him was hard too. I really wanted to be able to keep up with him like he wanted me to. It was so difficult. I finally got motivated to change when the doctors told me I was obese. I didn’t notice that my weight had gotten so bad. The health conditions that I brought upon myself due to my weight were something I wasn’t wanting to live with. I couldn’t imagine my health getting the best of me.

As far as my eating habits, I tried getting rid of everything bad in general, all at one time. Junk foods, sodas, fast food…ect. It didn’t work for me. I would do good, but then I’d get overwhelmed and stressed out and end up quitting. I was always starting over again. After getting tired of all the stopping and starting over, I decided to stop rushing the process and slow down. Starbucks and soda was the first thing to go. I used to have 3 large Frappuccinos a day. During the year of my weight loss journey, I got that down to 1 a week. I did the same thing with soda and unhealthy foods. I started substituting for healthier ingredients. Instead of regular potato, I had a sweet potato. Instead of lettuce, I did spinach. I switched to ground turkey meat and ate more fish and poultry. I also used egg whites instead of the yolk and started snacking on fruits and veggies instead of chips and cookies. I learned how to meal prep as well.

When I started working out, I started slow. First month: 3 miles a week. Second month: 5 miles a week. After the second month, I started doing 3 mile runs every other day, then I got up to three 3 mile runs and three 5 mile runs. I did lots of cardio. I also did situps, crunches, pushups…etc. I lost all my weight at home with no access to workout equipment, except two 25 lb weight plates. I ran up and down the stairs at my home, did squats, leg raises, etc. My workouts were usually a 3 or 5 mile run followed by 5 or 6 sets of 25 body workouts. (eventually worked myself up to 100)

I’m still far from perfect and I know that I have a long road ahead of me. I’m just want to motivate others to keep going. Don’t be afraid to learn through trial and error. As long as you learn and apply it, you’ll reach your goals. Trust the process. Nothing changes overnight. Build your body the way you see fit, not according to society. Eat healthy, be active and never give up. Fitness isn’t a one time goal. It’s a lifestyle change.

Instagram: @fitladyd_14