Melissa lost 23 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Melissa lost 23 pounds. Her turning point came when she discovered that high blood sugar and inflammation were impacting her health. She reached out to an online weight loss coach who listened to her needs and gave her the guidance to succeed. 

Social Media:
Facebook: Melissa Spann
TikTok: @mspann11

What was your motivation? What inspired you to keep going, even when you wanted to give up? Unfortunately, my motivation was my lipid panel results. I scheduled an appointment with my PCP because I was feeling lethargic and did not want to do much. I am happy in my life and treated well, so I could not understand why I felt that way. 

To my surprise, my blood sugar levels were high, and my body was super inflamed. I knew taking pills or having to inject myself was not an option I wanted, so I asked the doctor for an alternative method. I got my blood sugar levels down with exercise but could not control the inflammation. I was determined to get the inflammation down because my body was in pain daily. 

What inspired me to keep going is the support of my husband and continuously looking in the mirror. YouTube motivational speeches were also inspiring. Here is a link to one.

How did you change your eating habits? My food weakness is rice, and I knew I had to change how much I ate daily. I ate smaller portions. I found a certified nutritionist, Terry Starks, and followed his nutritional plan. I liked his plan because it was simple: I did not have to starve myself. Also, it included foods most people include in their daily diet.

What is your workout routine? My workout routine is Cardio (circuit training, elliptical, treadmill, or walking outdoors) every day – mostly in the morning or at lunchtime (30 minutes). I alternate with weight training 2-3 days/week.

How often did you work out? 6-7 days/week

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight? My starting weight was 198 pounds, and I currently weigh 175 pounds.

What is your height? I am 5’3 “.

When did you start your journey? How long did your transformation take? I started my journey some years ago after going through therapy for Achilles rupture. I was off and on since the pandemic in 2020 but got more focused in February 2023. I started meeting with a personal trainer and still was not losing weight, just gaining muscle. I knew the problem had to be what I was eating. 

I tried Weight Watchers and several apps that targeted macronutrients and managing my carbs and the keto diet. Guess what? They did not work for me because I am horrible at tracking what I eat. So, I started surfing Facebook again on Blackwomenlosingweight. I read someone’s story, and they mentioned Terry Starks. I reached out because I had nothing to lose except losing weight, lol. I called, and he responded.

It was not until I found a certified nutritionist that I started to drop weight. I started my nutrition plan on July 4th. By following his plan and guidance, I dropped 23 lbs in 35 days, just like that. I was amazed at how my stomach went down. Many have told me that I would not lose my belly fat because of my C-section and that surgery would be my only option to get rid of the excess fat. Well, from my photos, you can see it is possible to lose your belly fat through nutrition and exercise.

It was a big decision to begin this lifestyle change to eat better on the weekend of July 4th. I thought to myself that I am always going to have a reason why I couldn’t begin a plan to eat healthier. My reasons were: I have to travel next weekend, or I have a wedding or birthday party or some athletic event to attend. It was always something. Personally, I felt that I was working too hard not to see the results, so I made the commitment to eat healthier.

Is weight loss surgery part of your journey? Weight loss surgery is not part of my journey.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far? I have learned that nutrition, exercise, consistency, and discipline are key. Also, prepping your meals makes a huge difference. It prevents you from always eating out, which I did a lot before changing my eating habits. Because my schedule is busy, I love food, love to eat, and feel like my mouth must move all the time, I used to have an excuse for why meal prepping would not work for me. Anything is possible if you believe you can. 

What advice do you have for women who want to lose weight? Trust your gut and try what you think may work because you have nothing to lose. Whatever fitness journey you are on, go 110%. You know yourself better than anyone else, so find the resources that work for you. 

I was an athlete since Middle school through college, and I let myself go after “life” happened (marriage, children, career, family, etc.). What I realized is that during my years as an athlete, I had a coach in my corner, and the workouts I did were intense. Before, I was doing stuff on my own and researching online different exercises to help with weight loss, but I realized I needed someone to tell me what to do and be there with me face-to-face. 

Also, I know that logging my meals was not sustainable. I love to eat, and I do not like cutting out the food groups. So I knew I needed someone who understood how and what I ate and the historical background behind foods eaten in my culture. So, I looked for that. 

What I am saying is do not ignore what you know about yourself. If you are on a plan and you feel you’ve messed up, it’s ok. You are human, so just pick yourself up and move on. Continue where you left off. If you want success, then go get it! If you want to be better, then be better!