Verlonda lost 86 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Verlonda lost 86 pounds. After overcoming an eating disorder, brought on by being physically and mentally abused as a child, she weighed almost 300 lbs. With time, she learned that the fads that promise quick results don’t work. For this mother of 3, discipline, nutrition and faith was the perfect combination to get results. Check out her powerful story.

What was your motivation? What inspired you to keep going when you wanted
to give up?
After twelve years of physical and mental abuse from my mother, I went on to become Bulimic at 16 years old. The effects of this eating disorder nearly killed me and I knew I needed to stop. I eventually grew out of it by the time I was 21. Once I did, I ended up weighing a whopping 287 pounds.

I was depressed and miserable. I tried diet pills, Herbalife, excessive exercise, and anything else that promised me unreasonable results. It didn’t work for me. Eventually, I looked to God. He’s always been my resource to success. I decided to stop reaching for quick results, and made the choice to endure the journey of healthy eating and good old fashioned discipline. It worked. On the days I
wanted to give up, I prayed more and tried harder.

How did you change your eating habits?
I went to see a nutritionist. She took my weight and put me on a healthy eating plan. I was allotted a certain amount of carbs, fats and protein per day. I gave up fried foods, processed foods and processed sugars. I also had to give up chocolate and unhealthy snacks. Portion control was my best friend.

What did your workout routine look like?
In the summer, I rode my bike. Initially, I was only able to ride for a mile, but I discliplined myself to ride up to ten miles. Once I lost the weight, I joined the gym and began to lift heavy. Lifting heavy weights increased my metabolism and the remaining weight I needed to lose literally just fell off. I worked out Monday through Friday.

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
My starting weight was 287 pounds. Currently, I weigh 201 pounds. I’m 5 feet, 7 inches tall.

When did you start your journey? How long did your transformation take?
April 2017. My journey took 10 months. Before you ask… No, I didn’t have any kind of surgery. The only time I’ve ever been cut open was to bring my children into this world. I used good old fashion discipline to lose the weight.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?
It’s silly to believe that a person can spend years gaining weight and seconds losing it. I believed in society’s false visions of reality. I thought a pill could help me. I believed in magic drinks and shakes. If those things did work for me, they worked for a season. When I stopped the pills and got rid of the drinks and shakes, all the weight I lost was gained back. I learned that sheer discipline is cheaper, and more lasting than any weight loss company’s promises.

What advice do you have for other women who want to lose weight?
You can do anything you put your mind to. Discipline went from being my worst enemy to my best friend. Learning discipline and achieving victory in one area of my life has strengthened my life in other areas. The mind is everything. What you think, you become.  #BeEncouraged

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I remember the very first time I found out I was gonna be a mother. I felt unworthy, under qualified, and unfit for the position. I was born into a broken home to two broken parents. My dad walked out on us to play in the NBA, and my mother was abusive in so many horrifying ways that I was taken from her and placed with child services. I spent my youth moving from house-to house-to house being mistreated, abused, and unwanted. I was so damaged from it all that I felt like I should’ve been the last person in the world to be someone’s mother. But, you know sometimes God will use the very thing that you feel disqualifies you, to bless you. I walked into motherhood a nervous, 314 pound wreck. I was unhealthy physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, financially, just losing all across the board lol. But then I realized that my past expierences wasn’t my entire story, they were just scenes in my life. There was more to be written about me and I had the pen to write it. They say we’re born looking like our parents, but we die looking like our decisions. So I made the decision to move forward in faith and to get healthy mentally, physically, spitiruatually…It wasnt easy. Many times I felt like I couldn’t do it and wanted to give up, but I refused to allow how I felt to abort what I was called to do. So here I am 7 years into marriage and motherhood: Mom of 3, a 5 time best selling author, a soon to be Doctor, and get this….I’m a Poster mom with a platform of 79 thousand people who are encouraged and inspired everyday by stories like these. So, friends, regardless of what the scene of your life currently looks like, keep pushing…there’s more to be written of you. I’m convinced that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that will be revealed when God gets finished writing your story. The best is yet to come. #BeEncouraged #TransformationTuesday #Motherhood #Marriage #FirstBorn

A post shared by Jackson Family Values (@godivachocolate__) on Apr 16, 2019 at 8:51am PDT