Teresa lost 100 pounds

Featured Success Story: Teresa lost 100 pounds.  She credits calorie counting, participating in monthly weight loss and health challenges (like ours) and an online support group.  Here is what she shared with us about going from 293 lbs to 193 lbs.

Hi! My name is Teresa Applewhite-Sharpe!  My motivation to lose weight was to prove to myself that I can live a healthier lifestyle. I changed my eating habits by keeping my meals between 1,300 and 1,400 calories per day. I concentrated more on portion control and by doing monthly challenges such as salad, smoothies and vegan meals. Otherwise, I ate meat it would only be grilled or baked chicken, fish, tuna and turkey. I challenged myself to drink at least eight glasses of water a day.

My workout routines consisted of working out five to six times a week and sometimes seven days a week. I did most of my workouts at a local high school track. I started out only walking, but now I jog, run the bleachers, do boot camps, do obstacle courses and run in 5ks & 10ks. I also attend Zumba classes, Aqua Zumba classes and other group exercise classes!

My starting weight was 293 pounds. I was at my heaviest and didn’t like it at all. My self-esteem was low, I didn’t have much energy and I didn’t know how to get started with a healthier lifestyle until I took the advice of a great workout buddy name Cynthia Neal who added me to her wonderful weight loss challenge group. Our weight loss challenge group is my go to support team! I can honestly say that this group has motivated me to go beyond my capabilities with my weight loss success so I can’t do anything but to give back to this group and help others along the way. My current weight is 193 pounds. that’s right, I’ve lost 100 pounds! I started in March 2013 to July 2014. My transformation took me 16 months.

I now have so much energy and I bring the fire and the POW with me to every workout! Everyone knows me now by greeting me with the word POW!  Now, I workout four to five times a week to keep the weight off. My new goal now is to say goodbye to 193 lbs. and work hard to reach 180 lbs. then who knows what’s next! My advice to others who wants to lose weight is to set your goals, write them down, change your eating habits, drink plenty of water, ask for help when needed, own your own journey, take it one day at a time and Go Hard to accomplish your goals! I am currently working towards getting certified to become a Group Exercise Instructor because I want to help as many people as I can to live a healthier lifestyle by losing weight.