Jammelle lost 62 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Jammelle lost 62 pounds. She wanted to have as much energy for her younger son as she had for her teenaged son. On this journey, she has transformed mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Gradually, she made changes to her eating habits and scaled up the intensity of her workouts.

What was your motivation? What inspired you to keep going, even when you wanted to give up?
My motivation is that I have sons. At the start of my journey, my sons were 3 and 13 years old. I needed to have the same energy and drive for my 3-year-old as I did for my 13-year-old ten years before. I had to get healthy to be the best for my boys.

To be honest, there hasn’t been a day since I started that I wanted to give up on my journey. It took me seven months to mentally prepare for my 1st day of exercising and changing my eating habits. I chose me for once, and that was my true inspiration. I made a decision that was only for me, and I reminded myself of this every day.

How did you change your eating habits?
I gave up coffee in January 2019. Why coffee? I use to have coffee at least five days a week with ten sugars and 3-4 flavored creamers. Once I started my journey in July 2019, I cut off all my bad habits and changed my daily meals. That meant no candy, junk food, pasta, bread, white potatoes, fried food, and coffee. Also, no adult beverages unless it was a cheat meal.

I ate more vegetables, starting drinking a gallon of water, and ate three meals a day plus a healthy snack. I didn’t want to diet. I just wanted to make healthier choices 90% of the time and enjoy my guilty pleasures the other 10% (everything I gave up) with limitations.

What did your workout routine consist of?
In the beginning, I would walk for 2-3 miles 4-5 days a week. Instead of sitting for an hour on my lunch break, I walked or jogged. When it was cold at work, I would run our stairs and walk our building.

Next, I moved up to walking/jogging 5 miles five times a week. I added a high-intensity cardio class 1-2 times a week. Once I hit one of my mini goals in December 2019, I started to work with a Personal Trainer, my brother H.O.F (Height of Fame, LLC.), to work on strength training and take me to the next level. I got a gym membership a month later. My workout changed in different stages, but I have stayed consistent by working out five days a week.

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
224 pounds – July 3, 2019
162 pounds – Aug. 27, 2020

What is your height?
5’5 1/2″

How long did your transformation take?
My transformation took a year.

Is weight loss surgery part of your journey?
No

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?
The biggest lesson I have learned is that when I think I’m done, there is still more gas left in my tank to push a little bit more than the day before.

My journey has truly taught me to choose me, love me, and put me first. I have discovered a peace that I can’t explain. I wish I could put it in pill form to share with those who need peace. If I was being transparent, I would say I haven’t always loved me. I have been my worst critic and gave myself some of the worst beatings. The load that I packed became too much to carry. It became HEAVY, mentally and emotionally. The only thing that kept me grounded was the words Jahmal uttered to me almost five years ago, “God got us.” It was the power of these words coming from a 9-year-old’s mouth. These words reminded me that #GodGotMe, and I can be #BruisedNotBroken while I never stopped trusting in His word. My journey is literally a reflection of how God has changed my life.

What advice would you like to share with women who want to lose weight?
The advice I would like to share with other women is to trust God and choose you! Invest in your mental self. That has been my greatest reward on this journey, along with finding peace. Learning to allow God to move in my life mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically was a bonus.

I knew how to quiet the noise when I was working out. That was one of the only times as a career-driven, single parent of two active boys that I could hear my thoughts clearly while focusing only on me. I truly fell in love with myself during my journey.

Also, figure out what works for you and stick to it. Allow yourself to commit to small changes. Start by cutting out a couple of bad food habits for 30 days and add some kind of physical activity to your routine three days a week for an hour. Then, build off of that. They say it takes 21 days to make a habit and 90 days to make lifestyle changes. Choose YOU and commit to YOUR process!

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