Transformation of the Day: Xavia lost 51 pounds. This proud army wife found herself diagnosed with osteoarthritis, PCOS, endometriosis and fighting emotional eating and bad eating habits. With the support of her husband and local running groups, she’s changed her life around and found a love for fitness. Check out her story.
My name is Xavia T. I am 5’8″ and I reached a maximum weight of about 330 pounds. I was smiling and funny on the outside, but I was lonely and depressed on the inside. I turned to food to ease my sorrows, but it only made things worse. I used to binge on fast food and would cry afterwards out of embarrassment over how much I ate. My love of fast food was costing me my self-esteem, my health and it almost ended my marriage. I had to do something about this. I tried and failed many times, tried different diets and would give up the moment the scale stopped going down. It didn’t take much to trigger my emotional eating and I was also a constant snacker who consumed almost anything but water. I could also drink anyone I knew under the table.
I found myself at risk of not being able to have children, on several medications, and diagnosed with early osteoarthritis in both knees. It was then that I’d finally had enough and made a vow to myself to change for my health, for my future and for me.
As of right now, I am working harder than ever to reach my goal weight of 200 pounds. I started my journey around October 2015 and it’s been about a 6 month journey with a loss of 51 pounds and counting. I did not have weight loss surgery. I did this with pure diet and exercise.
I try to drink about 8 glasses of water daily. I severely limit my fast food intake to about once a week or bi-weekly. I don’t have any soda, chips, or candy in my house. I have also been maintaining an juicing/vegetarian lifestyle with an occasional treat. I also barely drink alcohol these days.
I exercise 5-7 days a week for about 2 hours. I always do a 1 hour power walk 5-7 days a week. I practice yoga 1-3 times a week for strength, flexibility, and relaxation. I do Zumba/toning once a week, step class once a week, spinning class 1-3 times a week, and I weight train 1-3 times a week. I strive for 2 cardio intensive workouts per day. I always like to switch up my workouts so my body doesn’t get bored. I’ve also done aqua aerobics, but the pools aren’t open yet for me to pick that back up, but I did that once a week since it’s a perfect alternative for people with arthritis. I also plan to get back into running. I used to participate with my Black Girls Run group in my home state of GA, before my husband entered the military and we moved. I lost a bunch of weight running with those ladies. I also gained so many friends and supporters who cheered me on throughout our runs, no matter how slow I ran.
My original support group was a Savannah based group called We Run Too, before Black Girls Run officially came to Savannah. Both groups were very good to me and taught me how to be a runner and that being a runner isn’t based on a certain size. They taught me to never stop moving and to always do my best on a run and I’ve achieved several medals from the various runs that I participated in and I owe them greatly for being so inspiring and for believing in me.
I also work out at home with my husband. He’s a martial artist and is also my trainer. He has introduced me to kickboxing and we practice many workouts he has created in our backyard. He is also my training partner on my gym days and my biggest supporter. He’s been the one responsible for helping create my eating plans, holding me accountable for my choices during this journey, and for pushing me past my comfort zones during workouts.
I had to really dig deep within myself to believe that this time would be different from the other attempts. I failed so many times that I once thought that it was too late for me to change. I thought about just giving up and accepting my fate, but my will to live was stronger than my self doubt and I have been pushing forward ever since. I know that I will stumble along the way, but I now know that I do not have to stay down. I can get up and keep moving forward.
My advice to women is that it is never too late to get healthy and in shape. I tried and failed for over 10 years before I finally started to get it right. Every failure is a lesson that not only helps you become better, but these are lessons you can pass on to others, so that they may be able to avoid some of the mistakes that you’ve made. You are your best motivator. You can have others rally behind you, but until you believe in yourself, you will never realize your full potential. You will suffer, you will make sacrifices, you will hit roadblocks and you will be tempted, but that is where your faith comes in. Remember why you are on the journey. Visualize how you see yourself at the end of the journey. Think about all that you’ve accomplished thus far and why you cannot give up now. Let your faith be your light and allow the light in you to shine and show you the way towards a better life. Believe in you.
I also want to share about the issues I experienced related to having children due to polycystic ovarian syndrome as well as endometriosis. Both conditions are made worse the more overweight you are. I have undergone two surgeries thus far and my left ovary is severely damaged. I have been made to accept the fact that I may not be able to have kids as a result of my last surgery. Before I took my health seriously, my first surgery had me bedridden for 3 weeks. Since I’ve changed my life, my last surgery was barley painful and I was getting around by day two. By day 5, I had managed to do almost 3 miles of cardio and I weight trained that day as well. That’s a huge difference. I know there are other women with my conditions and I want them to remain optimistic and keep the faith. The doctor’s answer is not the final answer. I have faith that God will deliver me through this storm and bless us to have a family when He says that it’s time. In the meantime, I am continuing to work hard on my fitness and health, to make myself the best I can be. There’s nothing that I cannot do as long as God is behind me and that’s a true testimony. Blessings to you all!
You can follow my weight loss journey on Instagram: @curlybleu_fitness
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