JaVonya lost 80+ pounds

Transformation of the Day: JaVonya lost 80+ pounds. She decided to restart her transformation journey in 2018 by getting serious about exercise and reducing her carb intake. This mother of four learned how to appreciate her body and hold herself accountable for her goals.

What was your motivation? What inspired you to keep going, even when you wanted to give up?
I was inching up to my 40th birthday and realized that the Gastric Bypass procedure I had undergone years earlier would not be effective without me making a real commitment this time. On the days I felt like giving up, I thought about how many times I had done so in the past, and I said, “Heck no. Not this time.”

How did you change your eating habits?
I worked with a nutritional coach, @sharismith, and followed the Heal for Health program she designed. It required eliminating many foods from my diet and slowly adding them back in a controlled manner. As a result, I learned that I have a lower tolerance for carbs, and so I limit myself to a certain number of grams on most days.

What did your workout routine consist of? How often did you work out?
I do Zumba 5-7 days a week and also incorporate step, weights, resistance bands, and yoga almost every day.

When did you start your journey? What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
I had gastric bypass surgery in 2004. Less than a year after my surgery, I was pregnant with my 1st son. My weight before my 2004 Gastric Bypass surgery was 340 pounds (size 26-28). I birthed my three sons between then and 30 years old and stayed at about the same weight most of that time. (I also have an adult daughter, making me a proud mother of four.)

In February 2018, I got serious about exercising, and I weighed about 275 pounds at that time. When I started reducing carbs in August 2020, I weighed about 235 pounds, and now I’m about 195 pounds.

What is your height?
5 ft, 6 in

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?
I’ve learned to appreciate what my body did for me at 340 pounds. Too many people look at their former bodies and hate that body. However, that body was strong enough to get us to the point of extreme weight loss. 

I’ve also learned that fitness and exercise are mentally beneficial. Also, it’s okay to put yourself at the top of your day so that you have become grounded and will be able to face what the day holds.  

What advice do you have for women who want to lose weight?
Look on the inside first. Your outside is a reflection of what’s going on on the inside. Weight loss can only be successful when you learn to REALLY get to know who you are, appreciate that woman no matter what her size is, and hold yourself personally accountable to being better than you were yesterday.

Instagram: @ja.deneen