Michelle lost 73 pounds

Update 2017: Michelle has lost 100 pounds. Check out her updated before and after.

I never post to boast! I post to INSPIRE to ENCOURAGE to MOTIVATE you if I can! I use to be YOU! I am that real person! I’ve tried taking the the pills, the weight loss shakes, using the waist trainers…. you name it and I’ve tried it! I had to realize that NOTHING works but WORK! You have to have a made up mind! You have to be sick and tired of being sick and tired! My weight loss was/is ALL NATURAL! I am not perfect. I am still a work in progress. I am not ashamed. Do it for YOU!

Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Michelle lost 73 pounds. Her motivation was that she was sick and tired of being sick and tired. She was also told by her doctor that she was borderline for diabetes. With a strong family history of the disease, she knew that she needed a new, healthy lifestyle. Doing her own research was key to her transformation. Here is what she shared with us about the steps she took to change her life.

Found this old pic and decided to do a side by side! This is such an emotional journey for me! I can’t stop crying! I’m so grateful words can’t even explain right now! It’s been an up and down journey and it is far from being over. This is all natural weight loss. Just determination, persistence, and healthier food choices!  I’m not where I wanna be but thank God I’m not where I use to be! #ForEverGrateful

My motivation was sick and tired of being sick and tired! Diabetes and high blood pressure runs on both sides of my family and I didn’t want that if I could prevent it! My cousin is 42 years old and on 25 different medications. It hurts my heart being that we are the same age! My heaviest weight was 278 pounds and my current weight is 205-210 pounds. My height: 5’6″

What inspired me: In 2011, I went to the doctor and he told me that I was borderline diabetes. I called my mom. She’s a diabetic and said to me that there was no such thing as borderline, that I’m either a diabetic or not. From that moment I decided to take charge of my life! I refuse to claim illness if I can prevent it from happening, when all I have to do is eat right and exercise!

I started eating more veggies, beans, protein shakes and all the things that I could find that were meatless. I stopped eating all meat of any kind and started limiting my dairy completely.

I workout anywhere from 5-7 days at week, even if it’s really light like lifting dumbbells at home or doing the Walk Away the Pounds DVD or other home workout DVDs.  I do cardio and weight training.

How long did it take: I started this journey in the beginning of 2010 and wasn’t serious. I lost some weight and gained it back. In 2012, I lost some major weight, 104 pounds, utilizing all natural weightloss pills and working out 6-7 days a week! However I gained over 70 of those pounds back. In March 2015, I started doing researching making lifestyle changes, watching documentaries and going cold turkey with no meat. I went from 246 lbs to now 205 lbs. Now, I’m continuously losing because I’ve made lifestyle changes and decided not to do any quick fixes.

I’ve incorporated healthier eating habits into my lifestyle and I stay away from junk food. I’m  not depriving myself of anything. After watching many documentaries, I’m able to stay focused on what I should and shouldn’t be eating from a health perspective. Documentaries I’ve watched: Forks Over Knives, Fast Sick and Nearly Dead 1 & 2, Vegucated, FedUp and many more. I can go in and on with this list, LOL.

The best advice I can give is to just start and whatever you do don’t wait on others. Be your own motivation! For years I’ve waited on others and all it did was made me gain extra pounds. Do your research, watch documentaries, educate yourselves.

Instagram: @tiredofstartingova