Jacqueline lost 22 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Jacqueline shares how she lost 22 pounds. She switched from unhealthy/non-affirming habits to lots of self-care and sustainable lifestyle changes. She is also determined to break a generational cycle of diabetes and heart disease.

Social Media:
Instagram: @queeniebeenie94

The person on the left was not in the most positive state of mind. She didn’t like pictures being taken of herself. She would avoid looking at herself in the mirror. She didn’t feel like herself. She found herself dealing with stress in rather unhealthy ways. Needless to say, she was uncomfortable and unhappy. One day, she decided enough was enough and did something about it. She decided to prioritize self-care (physically, mentally, and spiritually) and stop treating her body like a dumpster. Now, she’s slowly becoming herself again. 

TLDR: I’ve spent the last nine months unbigging my back and understanding the importance of self-care. So far, I’ve lost close to 25 pounds.)

What was your motivation? What inspired you to keep going, even when you wanted to give up?
My motivation to better myself came when I noticed that I would do things such as avoid looking at myself in the mirror every time I walked past one. I also realized I handled stress by emotionally eating and noticed I looked like I had aged despite being in my 20s. 

There was one particularly bad day when I just broke down because of how unhappy I was. I was at an all-time low, so I decided to do something about it. I stopped treating myself like I didn’t deserve self-care and have never looked back. 

When times get tough, I try to remind myself of my “why.” I’m on this path because I know I deserve to feel good about myself. I also remind myself that every day I stay on this journey, I’m breaking the generational cycle as both sides of my family have a history of diabetes and heart disease (my grandfather passed of a heart attack at 40 years old). 

How did you change your eating habits?
What helped was that I absolutely LOVE to cook. I also sought help from my nutritionist. I simply started swapping things out (i.e., subbed 1/2 a portion of rice for riced broccoli) and being mindful of nutritional information.

I wanted to make sure that the food I was preparing tasted good because that’s the only way I’m going to maintain this habit of eating healthy. There were recipes I found on various Instagram pages that helped me out! I also made sure that I was eating a substantial amount of protein. 

Most importantly, as someone with a sweet tooth, I found substitutions that helped me with my cravings! Yasso ice cream bars have been a lifesaver. 

What is your workout routine?
I go to a local gym that focuses primarily on strength training and squeezes in some cardio exercises! On light/rest days, I walk my dog around the neighborhood. 

How often did you work out?
I work out 4-5 days a week. It’s become an emotional outlet for me! 

What was your starting weight?
In the picture on the left, I was 203 pounds.

What is your current weight?
My current weight is 181 pounds. 

What is your height?
I’m 5’3″

When did you start your journey?
December 2022. 

Is weight loss surgery part of your journey?
Weight loss surgery is not part of my journey. 

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?
The biggest lesson I learned was to give myself grace when things aren’t going exactly to plan. Progress is very rarely linear. Remaining consistent and being patient is going to pay off in the long run. 

What advice do you have for women who want to lose weight?
Be kind to yourself. It is YOUR journey. Make sure that the changes you make are sustainable. Remind yourself of your why when things get tough. Remember to celebrate the non-scale victories such as having more energy or if your clothes are becoming looser.