Katrina lost 73 pounds

Update Jan 2017: Katrina wrote in to share her progress. Since 2015, she’s maintained her weight loss, gained lean muscle and dropped three dress sizes (from the picture in the middle).

How have you maintained your weight loss/continued to lose weight?
I have been following the Paleo way of eating for several years now and have kept the same personal trainers for almost two years now. I meet with my personal trainers three times a week. I also walk my dogs when the weather permits. Having personal trainers has been one of the best decisions I have made because it holds you accountable. Knowing that someone is waiting on you to show up for an appointment just makes you feel the importance of getting to that session.

I have been more committed to eating clean, more than ever after watching several documentaries such as; Fed Up and Sugar Coated. These documentaries have changed my life for the better. I have learned just how detrimental processed foods are to the body. I stay clear of those types of foods and have no desire to eat them anymore. These documentaries have showed me how sugar is in just about everything processed and how sugars affect the body in the worst way.

Going Paleo has been so easy for me, because I have removed the processed foods from my diet and I no longer crave those types of foods anymore. To tell you the truth, processed foods just do not appeal to me anymore because I now know what they actually do to the body. I do not enjoy the discomfort that those foods use to make me feel. For example, I am a Lupus survivor and I have hypertension. I have not had a flare up with the Lupus in years. As of January 9, 2017 (at my last doctor’s visit) my blood pressure was registering a 110/77. 

What lessons have you learned on this journey? What stands out the most?
I have learned that food and nutrition are the most crucial part of my weight loss journey. There are no diet pills on the market that have assisted me the way that proper nutrition has. The key to weight loss for me is proper nutrition. Meal prepping had been critical as well. It has simplified my abilitiy to make the proper food choices. The rule is “80 % is diet and 20 % is exercise.” Furthermore, you simply cannot out work a bad diet.

At this point, would you offer any new or different advice to others who want to lose weight?
My advice is that this has to become a lifestyle change, not to just an attempt get healthy and fit for a short period of time. This is something that you have to commit to daily and for the rest of your life. Improper nutrition and a sedentary life is what made me 80 pounds heavier and sick in the first place. Also, just because I have reached my desired weight does not mean that I can revert back to those bad eating habits or becoming a couch potato again. Those behaviors are what had me out of control. You must choose better health over the desire for those foods and that inactive lifestyle that made make you overweigh, tired, and sick.

Nov 2015: Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Katrina lost 73 pounds. After witnessing family members suffering with diabetes and one of them dealing with 2 amputations, she was inspired to change her lifestyle.  She shared with us what she did to release the weight.

What was your motivation? 
I was motivated to lose the weight after seeing several family members suffering from diabetes and witnessing an uncle undergo two amputations. I also suffer from hypertension and was tired of being sick from severe headaches.

How did you change your eating habits?
I stopped eating all process foods and started following the Paleo Diet. I also stopped eating junk food and fast food, as well as drinking soda or fruit juices. I replaced them with whole foods; such as, fruits, vegetables, lots of green smoothies and lean meats (chicken, turkey, and fish).
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What did your workout routines consist of?
I have invested in three professional trainers throughout my transformation, meeting with them 3 times a week for an hour per session. With my trainers, I do HIIT training, circuit training and lift weights. I’ve also taking Zumba classes, as well as walking my two Yorkie dogs for a walk daily. I walk with them two to three times a day for at least 30 – 90 mins.

Stats:
My starting weight was 248 pounds. I currently weight 175 pounds.
My height is 5’6″.
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How long did your transformation take?
I started my transformation during the summer of 2011.
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What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?
Believe in yourself. Believe that you can make the changes need and know that this is a lifestyle change, not a quick fix. Start with little steps, such as removing certain foods from your diet, doing it one item at a time. Replace those foods with more nutritional food. After a while, the cravings will leave and you will not desire the bad foods anymore.