Janee lost 50 pounds

Mom on a Mission: Janee lost 50 pounds. This proud mom and trained chef was facing multiple hospitalizations, sleep apnea and diabetes. She had to seriously consider whether her life would be cut short and how that would impact her daughter. She chose to pursue greater wellness and greater health. Check out what she did.

My motivation is my eight year old daughter. I love my daughter too much to not be able to be there for her because I didn’t want to take my health serious. In the picture on the left I weighed almost 500 pounds and my current weight is 448 pounds at 5’8″ tall. I have so much more to go before I am finished.

At the age of 23, I was hospitalized due to blood clots in my lungs. I spent a week and a day in the ICU, where I was diagnosed with diabetes and chronic sleep apnea. All of my doctors were saying that I wasn’t to young to be going through everything I was going through. They said that if I didn’t start taking better care of myself it would only be a matter of time before I was not here anymore. Seeing how this affected my daughter, who was 4 year old at the time, really hurt me.

The doctors explained to me that if I didn’t get my eating habits together, I would have to be on insulin for the rest of my life. I hate medication and I hate needles even more. So, after being released from the hospital, I joined a gym, but that journey was short lived. After about a month or two, I was back to my old habits. Which landed me back into the hospital in May 2015. Once again, I had to spend over a week in the hospital. This time I gained over 20 pounds. Making my max weight 498 pounds. I had to be transported to another hospital because the equipment had a weight maximum and I was almost 100 lbs to big for it. This was very embarrassing. I had to have a right heart cath (a procedure where they go in through your arm or groin to check the pressure in your heart and lungs). Once again the doctors well telling me that I was on a downward hill and if I didn’t get my life together I wouldn’t have many years to spend with my daughter.

I didn’t take what they were saying serious until God started making my life uncomfortable. Simple things like tying my shoes, walking up the stairs, or even getting up to use the restroom became difficult tasks. So, I began to pray and asked God to help me on my journey to a healthier me.

In February of this year, (2016), I joined a gym. Even though I only went about twice that whole first week, I lost about 4 lbs. Since then, I’ve been going to the gym about 3-4 times a week. On days I can’t get to the gym, I walk for about 30-45 mins minimum.

My eating habits have changed drastically. Before my journey I was eating out almost everyday, every meal of the day. Now I cook everyday. I am a trained chef, so cooking healthy stuff comes as an ease to me. I also drink ACV (apple cider vinegar) detox water everyday, every other week. I am on an strict 1800 calorie diet. I am still addicted to bread, but I don’t indulge in it as much as before. It’s not easy. Some days are better than others, but I am making it work.

My journey has just begun. My goal weight is 250, but once I get there I might just keep going. I thought about having weight loss surgery, but a few people around me has loss their lives behind it. So, I’m just going to do it the old fashion way. Hardwork and Dedication!

My advice for others who would like to loss weight is stop waiting on “Monday”. Start your journey today. Every little step counts. Be encouraged and encourage someone else. Its ok to be comfortable in the skin you are in and be healthy at the same time. I really hope my story is motivation, inspiration and encouragement for someone else and above all put God first in EVERYTHING that you do.

Instagram: @janee07_