Tiffany lost 80 pounds

Update August 2020: Tiffany lost 80 pounds, but when she started to take the Depo Shot for birth control, she regained 60 pounds. She changed her mindset, ate healthy food, and retrained her body to love movement. Now she is 10 lbs away from her lowest weight.

What is your current weight?
I currently weigh 223 pounds! My highest weight was over 300 pounds.

How have you maintained your weight loss/continued to lose weight?
After losing 85 pounds naturally in 2016, I was featured by Black Women Losing Weight in 2017! I did very well maintaining my weight loss until the end of 2018. I started taking the Depo Shot as a form of birth control. By early 2019, I gained 60 pounds back. I had to restart my weight loss journey pretty much. 

I am happy to announce that I am back on track and just 10 pounds away from my lowest weight to date. I’ve maintained my weight loss by changing my mindset and implementing real-life solutions to “diet culture.” 

Of the lessons you’ve learned on your journey, which one stands out the most?
This time around, I truly learned how various drugs could control and manipulate your body. After losing a significant amount of weight TWICE, I’ve learned to be patient with myself, giving grace to my missteps and loving of my body through every change that it encounters!

Would you like to offer any new or different advice to women who want to lose weight?
My favorite motto will always be, “Change your mindset. Change your life!” Recognizing that weight loss is 100% a mental battle as you unlearn old habits, learn about quality foods, and retrain your body to love movement. It’s ok to stumble, just keep going! @beautiffullyme

April 19, 2017 – Transformation of the Day: Tiffany lost 80 pounds. With her 30th birthday approaching, she decided to get into the best shape of her life. Her main inspiration was the women in her life who were succeeding at releasing the weight, including her mother who lost 100 pounds. Check out what this blogger/vlogger did to lose the weight.

What was your motivation? What inspired you when you wanted to give up?
There honestly was a list of motivational factors that made me decide to get serious about my weight. I was turning 30 and wanting to be in the best shape of my life. July 10, 2016 is when I decided that I would take my journey seriously. I was inspired by the awesome women in my circle who were succeeding with their own weight loss efforts. I watched these women, who had the same struggles as me, winning and it was amazing to see.

My mother is my biggest inspiration. She lost over 100 pounds on her journey. My friend Che met every weight loss goal she set, and the wonderful women of the Che Inspires Weight Loss Group on Faceboook were all supportive and inspirational.

How did you change your eating habits?
I drastically changed my eating habits. I went from eating 1-2 huge meals a day, filled with take-out/drive thru food, to 6-7 small meals/snacks a day. My meals included: Boiled eggs, cheese slices, omelets, pretzels, protein shakes (CaramelPremier Protein changed my life. SO GOOD), tuna salad, etc. I stayed under 1500 calories and I drank a gallon of water each day. To be realistic with my goals, I allowed myself a cheat meal on Saturdays. I took Zumba class on Saturday morning and ate my cheat meal, with NO GUILT, on Saturday too. MyFitnessPal completely and totally took the guess work and frustration out of counting calories. It also allowed me to link my FitBit to it so I could see exactly what my day looked like from a health standpoint.

What did your workout routines look like?
My workout goal was to be active 3 days a week. I would walk/run for 30 minutes using the free “Walking for Weight Loss” app once a week, which was typically Sunday or Monday. I took my whole family with me to make it fun.  I also would dance at home with my favorite music once a week for about 30 minutes, typically on Wednesday or Thursday. Then I would join an hour long  Zumba class once a week on Saturday. I’ve never really worked out before, so spreading my active days out made the process less overwhelming. I set my FitBit up with the goal of 5K steps daily and consistently hit that goal.

Being active doesn’t always mean going to the gym. Things like parking your car at the back of the parking lot, racing your child down the street, cleaning and organizing your storage shed are all part of being active. Just move!

Starting weight/Current weight
My heaviest weight was 300 pounds. However when I “started over” on July 10th I weighed 279. I currently fluctuate between 220 and 225 pounds. My height is 5’9″.

How long did your transformation take?
Overall 8 months total. Between the months of July 10th – August 28th, I lost 21 pounds. That was my goal time frame as I was going to Punta Cana for my 30th birthday. On vacation, I lost 10 pounds by simply following my weekly routine and walking throughout the Dominican Republic. Since returning, I have continued to lose weight. I’m no longer looking to lose weight, but rather to maintain my healthier lifestyle and tone more.

What advice do you have for other people who want to lose weight?
You can do it! Celebrate every small accomplishment because every good decision or healthy means you are one step closer to your goal. During the process, don’t forget to live and enjoy life. Setting unrealistic expectations is more harmful to your journey. Rather, conquer one step at a time until you have it down. It takes just 21 days to form a good habits!

I hope my story can inspire another woman who wants to make a change.

Instagram: @beautiffullyme
Facebook: beautiffullyme