Scharlotte lost 67 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Scharlotte lost 67 pounds. Despite being displaced by Hurricane Katrina, dealing with PCOS, working through graduate school and struggling with her weight for years, she never gave up. Today, she’s become an avid runner and competitive deadlifter. Check out her journey.

My name is Scharlotte S. I am a wife, mother and Nurse Practitioner in Spring, TX. I have struggled with my weight my entire adult life. My highest weight was 301 pounds when I was 21 years old. I underwent gastric bypass surgery at a very young age and I lost about 110 pounds back then. When you are young and don’t understand the tool that you are given, you find ways to work around it and all of the weight, short of 20 pounds, returned. After nursing school, I was diagnosed with PCOS which caused me to continue to struggle with conceiving a child and my weight.

At 29 years old, I was blessed with my little girl Journey. Shortly after, my family was displaced to Houston TX as a result of Hurricane Katrina. During that very trying time in my life I continued to to struggle with my weight. After returning to graduate school, I toped the scale at 264 pounds . I decided I could not ask my patients to watch their weight if I was not in good health. I was tired of the struggle and embarrassment.

On January 3rd 2013, I found a local park and joined a local running club called Black Girls Run! This was the best decision I’d made since moving to Texas. That Saturday, I met some amazing ladies who motivated me to come out regularly and move it. While on the trail, I met the founder of a health and wellness group Goal Digger Nation who was also a BGR sister. This was the beginning of a sisterhood like no other. The ladies of this group, BGR and my family continued to motivate and push me to set goals and crush them. GDN has a motto: I am my sisters keeper, and that’s what we do. We motivate and hold each other accountable during our health and wellness journey. Shortly after joining GDN, I was introduced to my gym family CodeFit. There I learned so much more about myself and that I can do anything I set my mind to. I also continued to run, finishing several 5k, 10k and half marathons.

I tried several diet plans from green smoothies, to paleo and ketogenic. In 2013, I started changing my eating habits with the help of my goal digging sisters. We shared recipes and cleaning options in our private group. I was introduced to paleo by my trainer. I continued eating paleo off and on for over a year. My trainer then introduced me to Ketogenic way of eating. Kept is a high fat, moderate protein and low carb way of eating. I typically consume 20 grams of carbs or less a day. This is monitored with the My Fitness Pal app. I joined a couple of Keto groups on Facebook and did lots of research on how it works. I had to especially focus what would provide me the most fuel as I continue to powerlift. One of the group leaders helped me figure out my macros and I have been going ever since. Today marks 91 days of going keto and and I owe 25 of the pounds I’ve lost to eating this way. The ketogenic way of eating has helped me tremendously to decrease my weight and it has complimented my lifting.

In 2015, I was introduced by my trainer, CHOP, to deadlifting and I’m hooked. We started training and competing shortly after. Now, I hold state records, I’m lifting 350 plus pounds and and I continue to get stronger! Over the coarse of my journey, my workouts have changed tremendously. At the beginning, I could not run a block. I had trainers here and there, but nothing as consistent as when I joined my Code Fit family. When I first started there, I was running 3 days a week and training with Chop 3 days a week. During that time, I was not consistent with my eating habits so the weight loss was slow. Today, I work out 5 days a week. On Sundays, I bench press. Wednesday I focus on legs and squats and Saturday my favorite thing, deadlifting. The other 2 days, I do HIIT exercises and accessory work. I work out between and 1 to 2 times a day.

My starting weight in 2013 was 264 pounds and my current weight is 197 pounds. I’m 5’3″. This journey was not straight and narrow. I’ve had several ups and downs, but I never gave up. Now, at 40 years old, I am in the best shape of my life and excited to see how far this journey will take me. I’m just getting started. The best advice I can give someone else:

1. Stay consistent with what works for your body. It may not work for everyone else.
2. Do not compare yourself to others.
3. Believe in your self! You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you! (Phil 4:13).
4. Get connected with like minded people who push you!

It has taken a lot for me to put me first and stay true to myself. Consistency is the key. Most importantly you have to find what you love and go for it! This weekend, I had my first deadlifting meet of the year, I not only dropped down a weight class from 221 and up to 198 weight class, I brought home 2 first place trophies. My goal for this year is to pick up 404 lbs by November.

Instagram: @living_laughing_loving_lifting