Shameka lost 52 pounds

Shameka lost 52 pounds. She was battling high blood pressure and pre-diabetes. She decided to join the Weight Watchers program and make fitness a priority because she wants to be an active and healthy mom for her young son. 

What inspired you to keep going, even when you wanted to give up?
My inspiration was my son. He’s three years old, and I didn’t want to have my weight or health hinder me from being active with him. 

How did you change your eating habits?
I joined Weight Watchers (WW) in early February 2020 because I was battling high blood pressure, and I was also pre-diabetic. A coworker of mine joined WW and had success with the program. I also had a very straightforward conversation with my primary care physician about how I needed to lose weight to improve my health. From there, I decided to join and have continued to be on the program ever since. 

I followed Weight Watchers‘ point system and first worked on eating better before incorporating exercise. I cut out drinking soda and juice. I drink a gallon of water every day and have one cheat meal every week. I focus on eating moderately and mindfully. I also create a menu every week at home to focus on cooking more and making meals at home as much as possible. 

My diet consists of low carb, high protein foods. I eat a lot of protein in the morning to sustain until lunchtime. For breakfast, I drink a protein shake, eat two eggs and a banana. I eat tuna with mini saltine crackers (or bread) with grapes or another fruit (clementines) for lunch. For a snack, I’ll have a Light and Fit Strawberry yogurt, which is packed with protein. For dinner, it varies depending on what I decide to cook for my family. 

What did your workout routine consist of?
I work out every day for 30-40 minutes at home in my gym downstairs. I started by walking outside during the summer and increased my walking workouts by one mile each month. I eventually worked up to walking four miles every day by August 2020. Once I felt confident enough, I started doing workouts from YouTube from Leslie Sansone. Now, I’m focused on strength training to tone my body. 

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
My starting weight was 232 pounds, and I’m now down to 180. I hit my goal in early November 2020. I have reached my weight goal, and now I’m working on maintaining it. 

What is your height?
My height is 5’5″. 

Is weight loss surgery part of your journey?
Surgery is not a part of my weight loss journey. My goal was to naturally lose the weight on my own without feeling deprived of eating foods that I liked (eating them sparingly and in moderation). 

What advice would you like to share with women who want to lose weight?
Focus on why you want to lose weight and find a source of motivation. Also, start slowly and work your way towards your goal. Set realistic goals for yourself, and don’t feel like this journey is a race. (For example, my goal was to get down to 200 by June 2020. I made that goal by early June 2020.) It took me close to 9 months to lose 52 pounds, so your journey may look different from someone else’s. 

Even when you have rough days, still push through. Know that it’s okay to struggle within your journey, but seek out support (weight loss groups, friends who are losing weight, etc.) when you feel like it’s too much. 

Know that only you can change your situation and no matter what anyone says, always stay focused. This is your journey, and don’t let anyone derail you from your goal. 

Your weight loss journey does not depend solely on the number on the scale, so don’t just focus on that. Be patient with yourself. 

Focus more on your diet first, and then exercise. Once you have established good eating habits, you are set and can then focus on exercise. 

Instagram: @world_of_curls86