JoAnn lost 126 pounds

Today’s weight loss before and after story: JoAnn lost 126 pounds.  She used My Fitness Pal to count calories and gained a love for running on her journey. Here is what she shared with us:

Hello, my name JoAnn. I am a wife and mother of four. I have had three C-sections, a set of twins, and two gastric bypass surgeries (includes reversal). I have been overweight all of my life my heaviest 398 pounds. In my early twenties I had the Gastric Bypass surgery unfortunately I had to have the surgery reversed, for over a year I was what they called the walking dead my body wasn’t absorbing protein and I almost died. I lost 210 pounds however, after the reversal; I gained most of the weight back. March of 2010, I weighed in at 298 pounds.

I decided to get healthy after the premature deaths of my parents. My mother past away at 55 in 2009 from ALS and my father at 56 in Jan 2010 from high blood pressure and being on dialysis. Losing both parents so soon in life really took its toll on me. Having four kids of my own, I knew that I still needed my parents and there was no way I was going let something like my weight take me out sooner than necessary. Being here for my children and growing old with my husband is what sparked me to change my life.

My Philosophy is TAKE IT ONE DAY AT A TIME. I am not perfect and do not claim to be. If I have a bad moment, I do not see myself as a failure, I just know that I will see the consequences of my decision on the scale and I keep going. People do not get that YOU are in control of what goes into your body. Therefore, if you make a conscience choice to eat junk, just know that you are going to have to put in the extra work to get it off with that said, you then have to decide if it is worth it or not, if so then eat it and keep it moving. However, always in moderation. I am a firm believer in counting and watching your calories I have been on My Fitness Pal for over 815 days.

I strength train 3 times a week and do cardio, but my true love is running. I learned to run using the Couch to Run program back in November 2011.  I ran my first race a 10k in March 2012 in 1hr 10 minutes. So far, I have competed in 13 races including a two half marathons and will run in three more before the year is over.

My Motto is NO EXCUSES I truly believe that if you want something bad enough you can do it. I find that people want to know so badly how I did it, when I tell them that I would get up at 4 am and workout  5 times a week run 15 miles over the weekend, they lose interest. Lol!  Everyone wants a QUICK FIX but when it comes to losing weight and keeping it off, SORRY but there’s no such thing.  I do not compare myself to others everyone is different and what works for me may not work for you. Changing the way you think is key to losing weight and keeping it off.

I had the infamous Ah Ha moment! For me, I refuse to turn 40 still dealing with my weight.  Sll my life I’ve had to deal with it and I am tired! Life is too short and enough is enough. If you want it, make up your mind and JUST DO IT!