Monique lost 70 pounds 

Transformation of the Day: Monique lost 70 pounds with intermittent fasting, keto, and exercise. Her children are her motivation for changing her life. Although she sometimes fell off track, she always got right back up and kept moving forward. 

What is your motivation?
My motivation was and still is my children. If something happens to me, what’s going to happen to them. I fell off track plenty of times but got right back up. Sometimes it took a while to get up and back to it fully. 

When did you start your weight loss journey?
My journey started in April 2018. I started with keto. I was only eating 50 grams of carbs a day. I was also intermittent fasting – 18:6 (fast for 18 hours with a 6-hour eating window). I don’t eat after 6 pm. I do this Monday- Friday. On Saturdays, I eat what I want and as much as I want. (baked macaroni, pizza, spaghetti, cake, chips, etc.) I don’t deprive myself, so I usually already know what I want to eat come Saturday. 

I will make a full course meal (usually soul food I was craving) along with maybe a cake and Kool-Aid. On Sundays, I consume nothing but water and a cleansing/detox mixture that I drink throughout the day to cleanse everything from the week (especially on Saturday). For my cleanse, I use a good detox tea (no particular brand) with some chamomile and mint leaves in it. It really gets you. I make a gallon of it and sip it all day on Sunday. (it’s easy on your stomach) 

Tell us about your workout routine.
In the beginning, I didn’t exercise. After a few months, I would do an hour of cardio and an hour of weight training three times a week at the gym. I would also work out at home with the Max 30 Beachbody workout DVDs. 

That was then. Now I just do weight training. I lift heavy at the gym. Then, at home, I use my body weight and heavy objects. I noticed that my body is starting to tone quicker by doing this.

What is your starting weight? What is your current weight?
My starting weight was 320 pounds, and my current weight is 250 pounds. I had a lot of falls along the way. However, I went full force nonstop and stuck to everything. In February of this year, I weighed 279 pounds. (I wasn’t going back to the 300s). 

What is your height?
I’m 5’5″.

Is weight loss surgery part of your journey?
No surgeries. My weight loss is all-natural. 

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned?
The biggest lesson is patience. Trust your body and the process! Nothing happens overnight. 

What advice would you like to share with women who want to lose weight?
Do what’s best for you on your journey and listen to your body. Also, there is no such thing as a cheat day. If you want it, eat it. Just don’t go overboard! Or you could always do what I do (indulge on Saturdays).

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