Marella lost 40 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Marella lost 40 pounds. She was tired of repeating her weight release journey over and over again. Initially, she committed to 30 days of Keto, and now it has become a lifestyle. She also learned the power of strength training.

What was your motivation? What inspired you to keep going, even when you wanted to give up?
When I started this weight loss journey, I really wasn’t sure what would happen. The one thing I did know was that I was tired of looking at myself getting bigger and bigger over the years. I have tried to lose weight so many times, but I just didn’t stick with it. 

This time I told myself I would try Keto for 30 days to see what would happen. I didn’t know much about it, so I started researching it and gave it a try. It wasn’t easy because my house was full of carbs at first. However, the more I learned about Keto, the better I became at navigating how I ate and what I cooked for myself and my family. 

I kept my journey to myself at first because I didn’t want to fail again in front of my family. Also, I honestly didn’t trust myself to stick with it. However, one thing that kept me inspired was the results! The scale numbers started dropping, and that motivated me to keep going. I lost about 10 pounds in the first month! 

Once I started losing weight and noticed that my face was slimming, I decided to keep going. I wondered, “What would my body look like six months from now?”

How did you change your eating habits?
I changed my eating by cutting out carbs and sugar. Initially, I didn’t understand how important it was to read food ingredients. After I joined the @Mellbfit Keto Challenge, I gained one of the most important lessons I learned: Everything that says “keto-friendly” isn’t. A lot of what we consume contains some form of sugar. 

I also cooked more. I was already cooking at home 4 to 5 nights a week, but once I started living a keto lifestyle, I increased my cooking because it was easier to control the ingredients of my meals and the meals I made for my family. 

What did your workout routine consist of? How often did you work out? As I learned the importance of strength training, my workout routine changed. I was a cardio person, but I’ve learned how important it is to build muscle during this process. Looking back, the strength training plus nutrition seemed to reshape my body. 

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
On August 7, 2021, my starting weight was 248 pounds. Today, my current weight is 208 pounds. My weight goal is 180 pounds.

Is weight loss surgery part of your journey?
I considered weight loss surgery many times when I weighed 248 pounds (the heaviest I’d ever been). Seeing myself that close to 250lbs made me feel desperate not to be that big. But, despite how I felt, I just didn’t think I needed to go the surgery route. 

Instead, I was convinced that there was a better way for me than surgery, and I set out to find it. In my view, each person should decide what is best for their body. I wanted my weight and my body to change, but using a way that made sense for me—changing how I ate made sense and delivered motivating results.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?
The biggest lessons I’ve learned so far are that I have control over what I do and that consistency is important. Even when I don’t eat Keto strictly, I can regroup and get back to it. I’ve learned to trust myself and commit to myself because I’m worth the effort. 

What advice do you have for women who want to lose weight?/

My advice to anyone wanting to lose weight is to make yourself a priority and just start. Find whatever works for you and go from there. It won’t be easy, but you are certainly worth it.

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