Ebony lost 33 pounds

Weight Loss Success Story of the Day: Ebony lost 33.5 pounds.  She saw herself healthy and happy, but needed her vision of herself to match up with what she saw in her mind. She did the work and the results are clear.  Here is what she shared with us about how she lost the weight…

I always knew that I needed to get under 200 pounds again. I am 5’ 8” tall so I felt that I could hold my weight well. This is just not true. It is a myth that I believed and I lie I told myself. The fact is, what I saw in the mirror was not the reflection of the self that I see in my mind. I wanted the two to match. I looked at myself on my 36th birthday back in May 2014 and decided to throw myself a 15 minute pity party. I sat in my dining room and cried my eyes out because for the first time in a long time.  Then I got serious with myself and I knew I had to do something. I also have a history of diabetes, hypertension, and congestive heart failure on both sides of my family. I want to ensure that I prevent all of these ailments.

I immediately stopped eating fast food with the exception of subway turkey subs. I stopped frying foods and began baking everything. I also added green smoothies back into my diet. I began walking in May. I decided to try to get 10,000 steps in a day. I then joined the gym in June 2014. I now have a Fitbit that I wear daily to help me keep track of my steps and to stay motivated.  I workout at least 4 days a week, either at home or at the gym. I do an hour of cardio on the treadmill or arc trainer machine. I then do a strength circuit. Strength training has really helped change the shape of my body.

My starting weight was 252.5 pounds on May 21, 2014. I am currently 219 on December 30, 2014. I have lost 33.5lbs and I feel fantastic. My goal is to get under 200 pounds in 2015 and reach my goal weight of 175 pounds. 

My advice for others is to just get started. Take it slow and do not get discouraged if you fall off. I also suggest getting others involved as a way of establishing some sort of accountability measure. I post on my Facebook page and I also have friends with Fitbits and we challenge each other. If everyone knows what you are doing, you will likely want to continue because you know others are watching and in most cases wishing you well and even being inspired by you! My whole office has made healthy changes because they were motivated by my weight loss. I love this page and the site. It also helps keep me motivated when I see so many sisters taking the same journey and succeeding! Thank you BWLW!