Morning Y’all! I hope everyone had a great three day weekend and remembered the reason behind Memorial Day.
I am going to hopefully bring y’all some inspiration on the blog each Tuesday. Whether it be someone else who has changed their life or updates in my own transformation.
I am excited to bring you Erica. Erica and I went to college together, so I reached out to her when I saw on ‘the book’ how amazing she was doing with her new healthy lifestyle. Thankfully she agreed to answer a few questions and share with you all!
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1- Why did you start your weight loss process?
I started my weight loss process in February 2011 because I reached a weight that I said I would never get to (~303 lbs). I started to physically feel the effects of all the weight such as; shortness of breath, back pain, and low energy. I grew up as an athlete and being “bigger” was always a plus for me and I never knew getting as heavy as I was, would become life threatening. I developed sleep apnea, menstrual problems and severe allergies as a result of my weight.
2- How long did it take you to get to your maintenance weight? And how many pounds did you lose?
As of May 16, 2012, I weigh 203 lbs which is exactly 100lbs less than what I weighed February 2011. It took me a year and 3 months to reach this weight.
3- What are your best/favorite tips for those just starting their journey?
I had the Gastric Bypass surgery in December 2011, the best advice/tip I can give someone seeking weight loss surgery is to make sure they do research before deciding to have the surgery. It is not as easy as I thought it would be and you really have to be mentally prepared for a drastic change to your body and mind.
4- What was your biggest challenge or hurdle?
After surgery I developed depression because I began second guessing my decision to have the surgery and did not seek out support groups early on. If surgery is an option for you, please seek a support group to have someone who has been there to help guide you and help you with whatever questions you may have. The first few weeks after surgery, I had developed side effects of excessive vomiting and I felt like I would never be “normal” again. Eventually after 8 LONG weeks, the vomiting stopped and I started to keep food down like normal.
5- What is your favorite food that you have discovered as a result of seeking out healthier options?
SUSHI!!!!!!!!!!!! I love it and can’t get enough of it.
6- How is life different now than before, outside of diet and exercise?
Life is great! I have sooooooo much more energy for life. My sleep apnea is gone, menstrual problems are eliminated and my allergies are not bothering me as much anymore. I feel like the Erica that was always on the inside is finally visible on the outside and people are finally seeing the real me. I feel like a new person and it feels FANTASTIC!
I not only just had the weight loss surgery, but as a requirement from my physician and myself, I had to develop a work out plan. So along with the surgery, I work out 3-4 times a week for at least 30 minutes. Now that I have a lot more energy I find that I am in the gym no less than an hour. I had to reprogram my mind to get out of the “hate the gym” mind frame. When I am in the gym, I am not so much focused on losing the weight, but now I am focused on keeping it off and toning up my body. With weight loss surgery, you will develop loose skin, so toning up will help minimize the amount of loose skin you will have.
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How amazing does she look?!!??
Hope you enjoyed the first Transformation Tuesday! Next week I have a special guest as well…. stay tuned!
xoxo
inspiration and SMARTspiration
erica is a success story and SO SO SMART with her approach to health and wellness and maintaining!!
It’s perfect time to make some plans for the future and it’s time to be happy.
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