Margo lost 45 pounds

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Margo lost 45 pounds.  This proud mom of 2 decided to take her life back from depression, bad relationships, anxiety and emotional eating to achieve greater health and reach her weight release goals.  Here is what she shared about her victory…

Hello, My name is Margo Mealing and I am a 41 year old mother of two. I have been on my weight loss journey for years. I would start then stop when I saw results or when life threw challenges at me. I am a emotional eater, so I eat when I am sad and eat when I am happy. Whatever I am feeling, I eat through it. I went through a divorce that left me feeling depressed and years after my divorce I was in a relationship that drained the life out of me and left me feeling defeated, as if I was nothing. I actually allowed a person determine how I felt about myself. I was on blood pressure medicine (3 pills) and medication for anxiety attacks.

I took a look at myself this year and said you have to live for your kids. God has a plan for your life and you are better than this. I decided that at 5’5″ and 260 pounds in April of this year I was going to work on me and so that’s when I started by joining the gym and eating better. I would do 45 minutes on the elliptical at least 4 days a week it was extremely hard because I wanted instant results but I felt so much better when I worked out. I changed my eating habits also. I have cut back on carbohydrates and started drinking water. A typical daily eating plan for me is a boiled egg and turkey bacon for breakfast, a protein shake, lunch a salad with vinaigrette dressing and for dinner chicken and vegetables.

In August of this year, I had a health scare when my mammogram showed a nodule and calcification in the same breast. Now this was scary because my maternal aunt died at 41 of breast cancer and my paternal aunt had her breast removed so I had to have two separate biopsies and wait for the results. I was fine, but that put a stop to my weight loss because I had gotten depressed and couldn’t see any positive, only negative. So, I gained a few pounds but quickly got back on track. I am now up to 65 minutes on the elliptical doing between 5.5 and 6 miles, 5 to 6 days a week. I allow myself one cheat meal or snack one day a week.

My advice is just start, even if it’s just walking 30 minutes or eating better just start somewhere. I would also advise others to do something they enjoy as exercise, like Zumba, cycling, walking…heck pole dancing! Even if you get off course just get back on don’t be too hard on yourself. People say get a workout buddy, but when I did that if they didn’t go I wouldn’t go and then they would stop altogether, so I have learned to go alone. I know that I can count on me! Plan, plan, plan! Make sure you plan your meals daily or you are setting yourself up for failure! Lastly, keep people around who motivate you and don’t sabotage you.

I am so happy with my life right now. I feel better, I look better and my health is great! I am in a great relationship with someone who builds me up instead of tearing me down. I am on a journey, I have a goal and I will not stop not even when I achieve it. I just enlisted the help of a personal trainer and that begins this week. I still have 35 pounds to lose and lots of toning to do, but I am loving the skin that I am in. I began my weight loss at 260 pounds and I now weigh 215 pounds! That is the lowest my weight has been in over 10 years! You guys inspire me. BWLW is an awesome vessel for women who need that extra push that extra motivation. I thank God for people like you. Thank you all for reading my story! Good luck and God bless.