Rena lost 120 pounds

Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Rena lost 120 pounds.  After weathering cancer and other serious life challenges, she took a look in the mirror and decided it was time to change her life.  She took action and is now inspiring friends and family to change their lifestyles too.  Here is what she shared with us about her journey…

Age: 43
Starting Weight in 2013: 310 pounds and a size 24W
Current Weight in 2015: 190 pounds & a size 12
Height: ‘5’7 1/2″

My Advice: Love Yourself Enough To Eat, Live & Be Healthy
My Affirmations Are: “I Motivate Me” and “Fitness Focused”

My Motivation is myself because I was the only one who saw something different that no one else could be responsible for but me. I’m a lung cancer survivor, who have been thru it all. I at some point started giving up on life as well as what I looked like because I was sick. I became depressed and started shuting myself off from family, friends and the world to the point of attempted suicides. Then one day I went to put on some clothes and they didn’t fit and I hated what I saw in the mirror. So, I decided to change what I saw. It started off slow and inconsistent. I started and stop several times. Then one day I said I’ve got to change for me.

I started doing research online about fitness, healthy eating and what supplements I would take to help me. I started walking 20 minutes for about 3 days per week. Slowly, I started seeing results. Then my walking went from minutes to miles. I started walking 2 miles, 4 miles and now I’m up to 6 miles, 3 days per week if the weather is permitting. I also take Pilates once a week and workout in the gym twice a week for toning and core strengthening.

I drink cold pressed juice once a month as a system detox for 5 days. I food prep on Sundays. That consists of kale salads, garden salads with grill or baked seafood (shrimp & various fish) and baked chicken. I eat a high fiber, low fat oatmeal for breakfast or low fat greek yogurts. For snacks, I love celery with organic peanut butter or organic apples with the peanut butter. I also make several infused waters with (mint leaves, watermelon, oranges, lemon lime, cucumbers and blueberries).

I currently have set a personal challenge for myself that is a 90 Day challenge, where I cut out some carbs (no bread, potatoes and pasta), no refined sugars (candy, cakes, pies, cookies, cupcakes, sodas, juice and ice cream) and no alcohol (it’s nothing but empty calories). I’d rather eat a good healthy meal. I am on day #37 of my personal 90 Day Challenge.

I started posting on social media about my personal fitness journey and I’ve have friends and family ask how I lost my weight and for advice and help with fitness. So, I started a group on Facebook called “Fit Focus Friends”. I made the groups “private” because some of the members post pictures of themselves working out and are not as comfortable with everyone seeing there pictures. Social media can be very mean to people.