Our next Before & After story comes from Amanda Fraijo-Tobin, who blogs about life after losing 130 pounds on her blog Friday Love Song, which is part of our POPSUGAR Select Fitness network. Below, she shares how she lost the weight and how she keeps it off.
Amanda: Before
Growing up, I wasn't severely overweight - sure, I had a pudgy stage, but a lot of people did! My weight wasn't something I thought much about being a kid (as it shouldn't be). My parents had good intentions, like most, but we certainly did not grow up eating very healthy. Snacks, soda, meals prepared without nutritional aspects considered. Soda became a very bad habit for me, especially as I got into my teens and didn't have anyone stopping me from drinking so many.
Fast-forward to high school - like most high school girls, I thought I was fat. Even though, in retrospect, I clearly wasn't. I didn't let it consume my life, though I was a little on the chubby side (so I thought) and I was OK with that. Looking back, I think senior year is when the trouble began for me. Stress, changes in my life, poor eating, and not exercising (hello, gym-class-not-required-after-ninth-grade!) led me to pack on some weight. Again, I already felt like a "fat girl," so I kept going with the mind-set of "This is me - this is who I am." I was married young, had my first child at 20, and of course, packed on more weight. Divorced, remarried, and two more babies later - more weight.
My weight wasn't something I paid attention to. I never weighed myself. The only time anyone took my weight was maybe once or twice a year when I had a doctor's visit - and even then, I didn't think much about it. This is me - this is who I am . . .
Amanda: Before
My husband is a type 2 diabetic. He had already been on tons of medications for several years to control his blood sugar and other problems associated with the disease. He got to the point of having to add insulin injections to his enormous list of meds. His doctor kept urging him to consider weight-loss surgery, telling him that, if he lost some weight, there was a possibility he may be able to stop taking some of his medications. This seemed like a great solution to my husband - I, on the other hand, disagreed. I told him repeatedly, this wasn't the solution. If you don't break bad habits that got you to a certain point, you could not possibly make a real change.
Insert lightbulb moment. Pot calling kettle black. Even though it wasn't something I monitored, I was surely at the heaviest point of my life. I was waking up to get my son to school and collapsing on the couch for a nap once he was off. I was having random pains in my foot. I felt gross. I knew I needed to start making changes. I needed to make changes for myself, but also for my husband, for my kids. I needed to be a better example. This wasn't about vanity. This was about life, making a better life for myself and my family.
I knew this wasn't going to be easy. I had packed on the weight over the course of 10 years. I knew it was going to take some time to take it back off. I knew there would be times I would feel like quitting. But from the start, I adopted a "Today I will do what I can" kind of attitude. This went for exercise as well as eating habits. I knew all my bad eating habits were not going to disappear overnight. Slowly but surely, I made mental lists of things I was doing that were awful for my body and thought of ways to change them. Drink more water, read labels of items I was eating, etc. I had been having such severe pains in my heel that some days I could not even walk on it. Some days, I may not get through an entire workout like I wanted to - that's OK. Today I will do what I can.
Amanda: After
I chose not to be vocal about my weight-loss journey from the start. I didn't mention it to friends. My husband and my father were about the only people who knew what I was trying to accomplish. There were many days of whining on my part to my husband about aches and pains from making my body do things it wasn't used to doing. I admit I have no idea for sure what my starting weight was. I have a general idea based on the last time I had been weighed at the doctors - but my journey began about six months, and what I'm guessing, may even be more pounds later. I did not start out with a goal weight in mind. I didn't want one. I wanted to be healthier. Period. Healthy is not pounds on a scale. This is not a short fix; this is a change I will continue to make for the rest of my life.
How Did I Do It?
This is common sense, things we have heard a million times again and again. Change the way you eat. Exercise. Repeat. It's amazing to me when people want to know my "secret." I have no secret. And I find it even funnier when people feel let down by my answer. There is no magic pill. I have not dieted. I have not counted calories. I knew from the start that was not the way I wanted to live my life. This is a lifestyle change. Know that it's going to be challenging, but have faith that you can make the changes you want to.
Amanda: After
About two years later now and around 125 to 135 pounds down, here I am. Still chugging along. Still making it part of my life to make better decisions for my own as well as my family's health. Honestly, I still feel a little silly writing this. I have had people tell me that they think I am an inspiration, which blows my mind. But I am here to tell you: if I can do this, you can do this. All it takes is a true commitment. Am I a superfit person? No, of course not. But every day, I strive to be a little better. I am a real person who did this. I am a mom to three children with a full-time job, a husband, two dogs, and a million other things going on. It takes work. It takes time. But you can do this. Start today, one small change at a time. This is me - this is who I am. Today I will do what I can. Will you?
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