-86 lb
Before
After
This content is provided by the third-party provider YouTube. By clicking on "Show Content," you agree to us showing you content from YouTube on our webpages now and in the future. Personal data may be transmitted to third-party platforms in the process.
Why did you want to lose weight?
In 2012, I reached my heaviest weight. You don't see it right away, or you don't want to see it.
That's why I've always been unhappy. So unhappy that I didn't even want to get dressed up anymore. It wasn't until a friend of mine showed me that it's easier to lose weight than one would think that I finally gave it a try. I didn't want to have to cut out certain foods, so I began counting calories. Suddenly, the pounds just started falling off.
"I finally live life the way I always wanted to. Hold on to every small victory."
What was the trigger? Somehow, my trigger was the scale. 240 lb, for someone my size, was pretty bad, but the idea of the scale going any higher was worse. That was the kick that I needed. I didn't want to see the numbers go up anymore.
How did my life look before? When I was sad or things weren't going well, I would eat. And it was never just one piece of chocolate. Eventually, it got so bad that I forgot what it felt like to feel full. Food made me feel better for a short amount of time.
The guilty feeling aftewards didn't make things better and it became a viscious cycle. Sometimes I would eat so much that when I was thirsty, there wasn't even room for one drop. It was really quite painful.
What did you want to accomplish on your journey?
If you weigh 240 lb, you don't really enjoy life. At least, that's how I felt. I didn't want to feel ashamed anymore and I finally wanted to feel comfortable in my own skin and do something for my health.
I didn't want to miss out on being able to run and play with my future kids. My biggest goal was to reach a normal weight.
How did you reach your goals?
I began counting calories in October 2013. That's how I lost the first 33 lb and then, in January 2014, I got pregnant. It was clear to me that I couldn't let this success go to waste, so I continued to pay attention to my eating habits throughout my pregnancy. In August 2014, I came out of the pregnancy much easier than when I started.
Once we got comfortable with the new situation and breatfeeding went well, I got back at it. I used another weight-loss program for some time, but now I'm back to calorie counting.
Angelina’s Tips
Don't lose sight of your goal
Record your accomplishments in writing or with pictures
Put on old clothes and see how much bigger they are on you—it's an indescribable and fantastic feeling
Use old pictures to motivate yourself
The YAZIO app really helped me. In 2016, I got pregnant with my second child. Unfortuanatley, it was harder for me to focus on my diet this time. In December 2016, my daughter was born and in February 2017, at 216 lb, I started jogging and fell in love with it. I found the perfect exercise for me and am now looking forward to running my first half marathon.
How did YAZIO help you?
YAZIO helped me to have a better overview of my food. It took a while before I learned that again. When YAZIO says that I've reached my calorie limit for the day, I immediately stop eating. That makes me choose foods that keep me feeling full.
YAZIO helps me to develop a feel for when I'm finished eating and which foods are best for me, which I will be able to decide alone at some point. Now, I know how to integrate delicious fruits and vegetables into my meals. I'm slowly learning what it means to feel full.
Did you have setbacks?
Yes, I had them for a time. That was shortly after I tried out "cheat days". At some point, I completely fell back into my old habits and it was difficult to stick to my plan. My entire day revolved around these cheat days. I would start thinking about what particular foods I would eat on these days and then started feasting.
That costed me 6 months. It took half a year until I found my way back to my program. From that, I learned that I didn't want to be thin and I wanted to eat. I want to live a healthy life and enjoy everything in moderation without falling back into extremes.
How did I overcome these and motivate myself? I kept reminding myself how far I'd come. A lot of times, I would look at old and new pictures of myself. Most important for me was to keep trying again and again. Only those who keep trying have the opportunity to succeed.
Giving up was never an option, that wouldn't have helped in any way. I never wanted or want to go back to my old life.
I never want to feel ashamed again when I decide to have an ice cream in public. I don't want to cover up during the summer so that nobody sees my cellulite. I hated summer. Every year was torture. These days, I wear shorts and even crop tops, and it feels great!
What advice do you have for other users?
Keep your eye on the prize. My life has done a 180. I finally live life the way I always wanted to. Hold on to every small victory.
Make a note of them, take pictures, put on old clothes and see how much bigger they are on you now. It's such a great and indescribable feeling. I read this sentence once: "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." It's so true.
What are your future goals?
I will lose the last 10 to 15 lb and then I'd like to give strength training a try and sculpt my body the way I want. You can do a lot with that.
I also have two operations that I need. Being overweight and a total of 3 years of breastfeeding have really left their mark. I would also like to continue exercising and just enjoy life. Since I've lost so much weight, I'm living well, even with the arthritis I have in both knees. I never want to go back to my old life.
Why do you want to tell your story?
I know exactly how it feels to think that nothing will work. There were plenty of times that I just sat on the couch and cried. Success stories from other uses gave me the courage I needed.
I saw that others were able to do it and I wanted to, too. That's why I started with blogging on Instagram. I want to give others the motivation that I got from seeing other people's stories.
