Racquel lost 160 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Racquel lost 160 pounds. Her motivation was to overcome PCOS and insulin resistance to become a mother. She figured out what eating habits work for her, had gastric bypass surgery, and addressed her food addiction.

What was your motivation? What inspired you to keep going, even when you wanted to give up?
My motivation was to be healthier and have children. I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and insulin resistance. Those two conditions plus the weight caused me 14 years of infertility. There were many times when I would say, “Oh well, guess I will never have children.” I tried to forget that after 14 years, my husband and I still were not parents. However, in my heart, I knew that wasn’t what I really wanted. I was tired of crying every night and watching friends and family get blessed with multiple children while I couldn’t conceive. I wanted to be a mom. I had to fight for what I know I wanted in my heart.

Is weight loss surgery part of your journey?
Yes, because I struggled so much to lose weight because of the PCOS and insulin resistance. I had Gastric Bypass surgery in June 2020. I’m so glad I did because right after surgery, I found out that my hormone levels were corrected. Before surgery, I was also pre-diabetic due to insulin resistance. That is all gone now. My hormones are balanced, and I have a chance to finally have a family.

How did you change your eating habits?
I am currently on a Paleo-style diet. I completely cut out all processed carb and sugars. Instead, I stick to eating lean proteins such as chicken, seafood, and turkey. I also don’t eat processed meats (including deli meat, hot dogs, sausages, etc.). I also eat fresh vegetables and fruits and snack on nuts and seeds. 

What did your workout routine consist of? How often did you work out?
When I first started, I would just run/ walk a mile. As I lost weight and gained strength, I began to run 2-3 miles a day. I also did strength training, HITT, and Yoga. I currently work out four times a week. Every day I strive to do something different to keep things mixed up. 

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
My highest weight was 320 pounds. My surgery weight was 295 pounds, and my current weight is 160 pounds.

What is your height?
I’m 5’4″.

When did you start your journey? How long did your transformation take?
The truth of the matter is I have been trying to lose weight pretty much my whole life. At 12 years old, I was very overweight and didn’t know about my health issues. I didn’t know I had PCOS until 23. That’s when I made it my mission to fight to get healthy. 

It took lots of research to figure out what kind of diet a person with my condition should eat, but the problem was carb addiction. However, once I had weight loss surgery, I was able to break that addiction and lose weight. I started the process for bypass surgery in June 2019 and had my surgery in June 2020.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?
The biggest lesson I learned is that (for me) sticking to a healthy, low carb or low sugar diet is how I must live. I know that this might sound scary to some people, but I had to figure out what works for me if I truly wanted to be healthy, happy, and have children one day. I had to give up what was holding me back, and that was unhealthy food. 

What advice do you have for women who want to lose weight?
I would say be honest with yourself when it comes to your eating habits. So many people aren’t honest with what they put in their mouths. If you have a food or carb addiction, get the help you need, seek professional help to find ways to overcome food addiction. So many women don’t even know about eating disorder therapists, or they don’t think that overeating applies as an ED, but it does. I had it myself.