Lakeisha lost 35 pounds. Accountabily and commitment were key to her success. This Bahamian mom had the support of her daughter who worked out with her and encouraged healthy food choices. She also joined a fitness group and got a great coach who helped her to get her eating habits in order. Check out her story.
My name is Lakeisha. I am 35 years old and I live in The Bahamas. I was in denial about my weight gain. It was easy to ignore how I felt in fitted clothing, but when I could not buckle my own heels “I opened up my eyes, I saw the sign!”
I remember someone asking me if I had a boy or a girl. I had gained so much weight, I guess I looked post-maternity! I also recall having pain in my knees, which led me to start wearing flats. When I started going to the gym last summer I weighed in at 190 pounds (I cried about that). I was overweight for my height. I am only about 5 foot, 2 inches tall.
I went to the gym for a month and later I joined a fitness group to get more cardio in my routine. I changed my eating habits as well. Today, I weigh 155 pounds. My journey was all natural, no pills or fat burners! I am still working on reaching my goal of reaching 150 pounds.
My daughter and I started the gym in August of 2015. When I started crying after my weigh-in, she said “Mummy, Don’t worry. I’ll help you.” There were many days that I wanted to just eat whatever I wanted and forget it, but she always was on me and telling me “Let’s go!” She runs track, so it was easy for her.
I’m always on the go, so eating healthy is not always convenient. In the past, I often found myself grabbing fries or something similar that I could eat while driving. In the beginning, I didn’t really have a specific meal plan, but I initially cut out salt. I used salt free and MSG free spices and seasonings. I tried to eat less carbs and eat lots of protein. I definitely had to cut out the sweets.
At the gym I did lots of weights and some cross fitness. I went four times a week. I did not get the results I wanted that first month, so I joined a local fitness group called Cardio Blast. As the name suggests, it was lots of cardio with HIIT workouts. I had a coach who shared my passion about losing weight as he had been overweight at an earlier time in his life. “Coach T” (as he is called) tailored my daily meals according to the workout. He would check up on me to ask how I was eating, which was something I needed to keep me accountable! On weekends, we would normally do a cleanse or mini detox.
I did Cardio Blast five days a week (sometimes twice a day) for eight weeks. At the end of that session my body had transformed! I weighed in at 169 lbs, down from the 190 lbs. I started out with that program in August, so in three months I had lost 21 pounds. I weighed 155 pounds at last doctor’s visit this April.
I pop in every now and then to get a good Cardio Blast workout, but these days I try to workout at home and eat healthy. No carbs after 3 pm and and I have my biggest meal before 3 pm.
I would also tell anyone else who is trying to lose weight to set personal goals. Understand that what is typical for one person may not work for another. Losing weight is an emotional struggle. Having the support of a friend or family member really helps. Meal planning is also important, especially if you are someone on the go.
Be committed. Change won’t happen overnight!
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