Kyla lost 84 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Kyla lost 84 pounds with healthy eating habits and exercise. In college, emotional eating and stress eating led to significant weight gain. She was very self-conscious and disliked what she saw in the mirror. One day in 2017, she got a gym membership, started her transformation journey.

My name is Kyla, and I’m 26 years old. My motivation to lose weight began when I moved back home after graduating from college in 2016. At 5’2″ and 210 pounds, I had become very self-conscious about my appearance and disliked who I saw in the mirror. I also hated how I felt inside. 

In college, my eating habits were TERRIBLE! I ate fast food every single day. I ate chocolate and junk food every night. I realized that with the stress of college, food and my bed became my comfort zone. If I was Stressed, ice cream was the answer. Depressed? Kit kat. Bored? Pizza. Busy? Fast food. 

As much as I tried to ignore it, I knew I’d gained so much weight. I couldn’t ignore it anymore. January 17, 2017, was the day I got my gym membership and changed my life forever. 

I began working out four days a week with no trainer. My workouts were mostly cardio. I did 45 minutes on the elliptical machine and 20 minutes on weightlifting machines. A mistake I made was not balancing my cardio with my weight lifting, which caused me to lose physical strength along with the weight loss.

I began eating salads, fruits, vegetables, chicken, and nuts. I limited the amount of fast food, fried food, and junk food I ate. However, I slipped up more often than none. 

Once I lost the weight, I developed another bad relationship with food. Instead of overeating, I began undereating. I was down to one meal a day because I feared that eating would make all the weight come back. With time, I learned to eat properly and not overindulge or be afraid of food. 

It took one and a half years of working out and healthy eating to finally reach my goal size. I knew I didn’t want to lose any more weight, but I wanted to strengthen and tone. In September 2018, I began seeing a personal trainer (Katrina Hill) two times a week. Other than training me, she has also educated me, pushed me, guided me, prayed for me, and motivated me to become even better in every aspect of life. I am currently in the gym 4-5 times a week.  

I’ve lost a total of 84 pounds. I currently weigh 126 pounds. I am still learning, growing, and loving myself through every day of this journey. “Growth is the process of responding positively to change.” I thank God every day for the ability to grow!

My advice for women who want to lose weight is to be consistent and patient with yourself. As much research as you can do, the biggest tool will be to listen to your own body and learn how your body reacts to the foods you eat and the workouts you do. Trust your journey.

Instagram: @KylaLechelle