Jen lost 85 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Jen lost 85 pounds. She reached a point in her twenties where she was depressed and eating carelessly, which led to weight gain. By quitting junk food and fast food, working out 5-6 days a week and taking it one day at a time, she has transformed. Check out her story.

What was your motivation?
I lost myself around the age of 24. I was going through a lot and just started eating carelessly. I was in the worst place of my life. I was depressed a lot of the time.

How did you change your diet?
In the past, I ate almost any and everything. I ate anything I wanted, whenever I wanted, and it was a recipe for disaster. Taco Bell, Starbucks, and KFC were my main go-to’s. I had to break away from eating at fast food places and completely stop drinking my favorite Caramel frappé from Starbucks. I also stopped eating fried food and cut out soda and juice.

My diet plan consisted of baked chicken or fish along with veggies, like broccoli, corn, green beans, and spinach. I love black beans and would add it to my spinach salads. I worked 40 hours a week or more, so if I didn’t meal prep. I would buy a Lean Cuisine and have fruit or yogurt on the side. I would eat bbq grilled chicken and fish but without the sauce. I eat every two hours. For example, I eat a healthy breakfast, and two hours later I might eat a fruit or granola bar with water. It seems like you’re eating all day, but you are actually eating healthier smaller portions. It helps!

I also drink water all day! I drink water with every meal or snack. I love to add lemon to my water. I sometimes add lemons, cucumbers, strawberries, and kale to a picture of water, put it in the refrigerator, and drink it throughout the day.

What was your workout routine?
I have always been athletic. How I lost myself and gained so much weight was beyond me! I got a gym membership that I could afford from Planet Fitness, and I’m still with them today. I worked out 5-6 days a week. I did one hour of cardio each day. (Yes, I did cardio each of those days.) However, I may only do weight training three times a week after my cardio session for 15 minutes. I try not to get bored in the gym, so I usually hit the gym for four days and go to a park and walk or skate on the other days. Trying to lose weight made me pick up skates again. I hadn’t skated since childhood, and now I love it!

Here is a trick I learned from my uncle who is a firefighter in Phoenix Arizona… I mostly used the treadmill at the gym. Instead of running, I put the incline on 15, and I’ll walk at a 3.5 or 3.6 speed. You literally burn about 900-1000 calories if you do for an hour. That’s about 450 more calories than running on it. I tested this method out, and it worked for me!

The stair climber is another machine I use. I sometimes split my cardio up and use the stairs climber for 20 and treadmill for 40 minutes. At Planet Fitness there is a machine called the ARC. I absolutely love it. You’re basically jogging and doing high knees at the same time. It got my legs right! I also worked on my abs at night before bed. I would usually do 100-150 crunches.

Eventually, I started training and motivating people to lose weight. I decided to do it because so many people wanted to know how I lost the weight.

When did you start your journey?
In February 2016, I began my weight loss journey. My starting weight was 240 pounds at 5’4″. I decided that I was tired of starting and stopping. By November 2016, I weighed 170 pounds, and I kept going. Today, I weigh 155 pounds! I strive to be better every day.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?
I learned not to be so careless with food. I let myself go before, but it won’t happen again! I’m more mindful about the things I shove in my mouth. I still have my cheat days, but it’s not an everyday thing. I’ve also stayed consistent with working out.

What advice do you have for other women who want to release the weight?
My advice for them is to START. We all fear failure, and that’s okay. I started and stopped like a hundred times before I got serious. It’s a process and doesn’t happen overnight. Take it one day at a time.

Slow progress is better than no progress! Believe in yourself, and you can achieve the goals you want. Strive to be the better version of yourself, because you are already beautiful… you just want to be healthier.

Instagram: @jen_snatchfit18