La’Tanyia lost 50 pounds

Transformation of the Day: La’Tanyia lost 50 pounds. At the beginning of this year, she realized just how much weight she gained in the last 2 years. With prayer, healthy eating habits and lots of exercise, this mom of two is reclaiming her health. Check out her story.

I’m a 40-year-old a mother of two (ages 14 and 19). In November of 2016. I lost my only brother. He died suddenly with Interstitial Lung Disease. From that point, my life fell into a depression, and I was in stress mode. I was trying to be strong for my Mother and Father, and doing for everyone around me while ignoring my needs. I didn’t realize how all of this was affecting me, and I was experiencing constant weight gain.

In January 2018, I decided to step on the scale. That is when reality hit me in my face. I am 5’3″, and I was tipping close to 300 pounds. I weighed in at exactly 283.6 pounds. I gained a total of 40lbs from November 2016 to January 2018.

My first step was to go to God in prayer and ask him to help guide as I took back control over my life. I asked God to lead me in the right direction as I worked to get ME back. Since January 8th, 2018, I have lost 50 pounds and I been taking charge of my life.

What motivated me to get back to a better version of me? I was about to be 40 years old, and my health is important. Most of all, I didn’t want to be on blood pressure pills or cholesterol pills, and I didn’t want to become Diabetic (which commonly runs on both sides of my family). Also, my kids have always have motivated me to become a better me for them.

What inspired me the most during this process was the way my clothes looked on me, and the people who inbox or dm me just to tell me that I have inspired them to take back their lives and get back on track.

Out of all the things that inspired me, the most important are my before and after pictures. I just look at how far I’ve come and all the prayers that God has answered for me.

How did I change my eating habits? First, I wrote down everything that I was eating or drinking that wasn’t healthy for me. Then, I eliminated those things from my diet. I started out on a 1500 calorie diet and gradually transitioned to 1200 calories a day. I incorporated Intermittent Fasting using the 16:8 method.

I began to eat clean. I cut out occasional alcoholic drinks, soda, junk food, juice, potato chips, sweets, bread, fried food, and fast food. All of that had to go. I replaced these foods fruits, vegetables, and lean meats that were baked or broiled. I drank a gallon of water a day, and sparkling water when I had cravings.

My workout routine started out at 2 miles a day until I was able to reach 3-5 miles a day by either running for 1 mile and walking 3 miles around my neighborhood. On the days when I couldn’t get outside and walk, I used my treadmill.

Next, I added to my workout routine by using YouTube exercise videos, battling ropes, jumping ropes, and weights. Some of the exercises I did include tire flips, jumping jacks, crunches, sumo squats, squats, push-ups, lunges, donkey kicks, and fire hydrants. I work out at least 6 days twice a day for at least 1 hour.

I have been on my journey since January. Even though I still have ways to go, I can honestly say I’m glad that my transformation doesn’t look like 9 months ago.

What I’ve learned is that not everyone is gonna celebrate me, and some people may not be happy for me. I discovered that by taking charge of my life and losing pounds, I had to lose some people who were not benefiting me. The biggest lesson of all was learning how to love me… all of Me.

I also learned that every day is not gonna be a good day, but no matter what you have to keep going. Keep going even if you make a mistake.

My advice to others who are just starting out on their journey or thinking about starting: Find your WHY. That is important. Next, start by doing what you need to do to be a better you. Whatever you choose, stick with it until you form a habit. If you have a bad day or a bad meal, don’t beat yourself up. Hit the reset button and start over.

Most importantly, never overwhelm yourself with trying to do it all at once. We all know that Rome wasn’t built in a day. Our bodies are not like Amazon Prime. We want to get the body we desire in 2 days, but that’s not realistic.

I wish you all well, and I hope my story inspires someone.

Instagram: @Getting_FitDiva38