Mary lost 291 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Mary lost 291 pounds. Suffering from Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and joint disease, her mobility was limited. She started her wellness journey to improve her mobility and physical, mental, and emotional heath.

Social Media:
Instagram: @journey_to_snatched_ @resilient _health_Remedies_
TikTok: @journeytosnatched
YouTube: Snuggly to Snatched Weightloss 
Facebook: snugglytosnatched_weightloss_ 

What was your motivation? What inspired you to keep going, even when you wanted to give up? 
My motivation was always seeing me as a better version of myself physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

My bubbly, jolly, and sunflower personality inspired me to keep going, though I had days of wanting to give up. Who I was on the inside and what I enjoyed doing didn’t fit my external self. I’m just a ball of jovial, energetic joy. Being heavier, I wasn’t always able to let that side of my personality shine bright like a diamond.

Is weight loss surgery part of your journey?
Yes, I had the VSG Surgery on August 10, 2010. [vertical gastric sleeve]

How did you change your eating habits? 
I changed my eating habits not just for weight loss but also because my physical mobility was affected. I’m a disabled woman. I suffer from Osteoarthritis (OA) and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). My mobility was limited, and I was given up on by the doctors, who basically declared me “wheelchair-bound” because my bones were degenerating. I was already using my crutches, walker, and canes to move around.  

I stopped eating dairy, certain meats, carbs, and sugar. This specific plan came about after I came to the point where I felt being wheelchair-bound was going to be my life. For a short while, I actually entertained the life I was being assigned. 

I realized I didn’t desire this life for myself, and that’s when the light came on. I did much research and self-study on myself. Let me tell you, after a few trials and falls, I discovered that removing certain foods from my diet was a WIN for my disability as well as a WIN for achieving weight loss. I not only promote disability awareness but also weight loss support through live mentoring. 

What is your workout routine?
I didn’t have any specific workout routine, being that I was physically unable to perform any workouts without experiencing pain on a scale of 10 out of 10. I did some water exercises, and that’s about it. Today, I’ve improved my workouts, but I still have to be careful with the ones I do because of my degenerative joint disease and inflammation. 

How often did you work out?
Whenever my body allowed me to do some type of low-impact workout, I did it 2-3 times a week. There were times I was only able to work out twice a month.

What was your starting weight? 
My starting weight was approximately 484 pounds, possibly higher. 

What is your current weight?
I got down to 193 pounds as my lowest weight. Due to not having guided workouts like I needed to, I crept back to 206 pounds.

What is your height?
My height is 5’2″. 

When did you start your journey?
My journey started many years before with up and down weight loss, but it was in Spring 2010 (leading up to August 2010) that I had the VSG surgery. [gastric sleeve]

How long did your transformation take? 
I’ve had different transformation journeys, but this part of my journey has taken 13 years and counting. 

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?
The biggest lesson I learned so far is that being honest with myself is the best win ever. Once I achieved that, that’s the biggest, most valued learned lesson ever. Understanding this will allow any goals or intentions you set to be accomplished.  

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

My advice for women who want to lose weight is to be patient with yourself and don’t worry about losing weight (as ill feeling or some type of punishment). Make a game of it, keeping it fun. As this is happening, the weight can come off effortlessly. Before you know it, you’re halfway to your goal if you haven’t already achieved it.

Another piece of advice that I tell many ladies or even men is not to be a scale stalker every day. Leave that scale alone, or break up with it, lol. A scale isn’t needed to know if you’ve lost weight. You will know by how you’re feeling energy-wise, moving freely, and recognizing more non-scale victories.