I saw this article on weight loss in Women’s Health and thought I should share it with my readers.

“I realized my life depended on losing that weight.”

By lauren dugas as told to Rachael Schultz

BEFORE: 278 pounds
AFTER: 178 pounds
I have been plus-sized my entire adult life. Even as a teenager, I was always “bigger.” I was never active. But for most of my life, my weight didn’t really bother me. I was confident and happy. I earned a bachelor’s degree and an MBA.
I dieted from time to time because I felt it was the socially acceptable thing for someone of my size to do. I did Weight Watchers in 2008 and I lost 20 pounds, but I returned to my old eating habits and gained it all back (plus more). I tracked my calories via MyFitnessPal on and off for several years. When I did that, I lost weight—but I was also starving.
Then, one morning I stepped on the scale and it read 278.5. I was devastated. I couldn’t believe I was that heavy. I knew I had to do something. I was only 32, but my life depended on losing that weight. I needed to learn better eating habits and start exercising and be a better role model to my kids.
That’s when I decided I needed help.
Since I didn’t know the first thing about healthy habits, I joined a gym called RevFit. There, I saw all these side-by-side transformation pictures from people who had taken their bootcamp classes. Women of all sizes were losing weight through this program, so I signed up.
THE MEAL PLAN WAS HARD, BUT THE WORKOUTS WERE HARDER

In the bootcamp program, you’re matched with a trainer and you exercise three times a week with a group of women. The workouts are a mix of cardio and heavy weight lifting. We were also given a meal plan that focused on lean proteins and complex carbohydrates.
When I started bootcamp on May 29, 2017, it was leg day. I couldn’t walk for a week afterward.
I cried every day in the beginning. The soreness I experienced was indescribable.
But I was losing weight. I lost 4.5 pounds my very first week, and within the first month, I had lost 15.6 pounds and 8.5 inches.
I started noticing definition in my muscles. My pants got looser. Two months in, I’d lost 25 pounds—and five and a half months in, I was 60 pounds down from my starting weight.
JOINING A WORKOUT GROUP KEPT ME MOTIVATED

I still go to 4:45 a.m. bootcamp classes three times a week. One day is designated for legs, one is for back and biceps, and one is for chest and triceps. We always work out with a partner, and we exercise for 60 minutes, alternating strength circuits with cardio moves like mountain climbers, step ups, or burpees.
THE DIET PROGRAM WAS STRICT, BUT IT WORKED

The plan was salt- and dairy-free, and I love salt and cheese. Giving both up was tough, but I was determined to see changes.
Now, I eat five times a day. For breakfast I usually have oatmeal and a protein shake. For my a.m. snack, I have a protein bar. Lunch usually consists of a low-carb tortilla, vegetables, and chicken or fish. My p.m. snack is a protein shake and berries. And dinner is usually jasmine rice, chicken or eggs, and more vegetables.

COURTESY OF LAUREN DUGAS
It’s been nine months since I started working out, and I am currently 100 pounds down from my heaviest weight—and 7.8 pounds away from my goal of 170 pounds (that’s lighter than I was in high school!).
At 32, I am the strongest I have ever been in my life. My arm muscles blow my mind. My mindset about food is completely different than it used to be—I eat for fuel now.
But I’m proudest of is the healthy choices I’m teaching my kids. Hopefully they won’t have to struggle with weight the way I did when they’re adults.
MY ADVICE FOR ANYONE LOOKING TO LOSE WEIGHT

COURTESY OF LAUREN DUGAS
Stop making excuses for yourself. You can do anything you put your mind to. Find your why, write it down, and refer back to it when you’re losing sight of that goal.
Follow Lauren’s journey on Instagram: @southern.teacher.gets.skinny.

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  1. I did Boot Camp and lost 4 stone. Sadly I developed arthritis in both knees. I also had a tumour so my mobility worsened. I still do some exercise but not high impact. I have an eating disorder so I have to be careful of dieting. I like the article though thanks for sharing.

    • I used Garcinia Cambogia during my weight loss process, and it worked very well for me.
      You do not need to diet.It regulates your appetite in a natural way.
      Just click the links at the end of my post and try it out.(Remember to click the link relevant to your country.)

  2. Hi Admin, remember that the important part about this is learning what you have about the importance of eating the right things. My problem after dieting was always that I didn’t really learn how to make it a lifetime plan so I didn’t have to diet any longer – from your post you learned that – Kudos to you!

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