Angel lost 40 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Angel lost 40 pounds and lowered her body fat percentage. A few weeks ago, she found herself discouraged and wanting to give up. She took the time to compare her before photos, look up her past stats and realized that she’s made a significant amount of progress. Check out how she did it.

My name is Angel. I’m 20 years old and I’m from Kampala, Uganda. Just yesterday, I stepped onto the weighing scale. I was hungry, looking at myself in the mirror and pinching the fat around my waist and on my upper arms. I was so frustrated that I went and cried myself to sleep. “I’m such a loser” was what I thought. I’m nearly two years down the road since I started my weight loss journey and I’m still very far from my goal weight.

I’ve totally cleaned up my diet. I count my calories, exercise and started intermittent fasting. Still, the scale reads “184 pounds” “WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?” I was tired and wanted to give up.

Today, I woke up thinking that I should try to rekindle my determination, so I looked up success stories and articles that could help encourage me. I landed on an article on BodyBuilding.com, a site that I had signed up for an account on, some time back. I just randomly decided to update my profile (current weight, body  measurements, etc). I always knew that my Body Fat Percentage was about 27-30% back when I started the profile. Because my weight hadn’t changed much, I didn’t think it would be any different, but I
decided to use the site’s calculator anyway.

I was wrong. According to BodyBuilding.com, my body fat percentage is
currently 23%, even though I’m 184 pounds heavy. I’m almost 5’9″ and have a large body frame/heavy bones. My wrist circumference is 6.6 inches and my waist is currently 32 inches. I also decided to look at some old pictures, because it had been a long time since I last did.

I couldn’t believe how much I’ve changed, I had been so focused on the scale and attaining numbers that just aren’t for me. I was aiming at 155 pounds, but according to my body fat percentage, a healthier goal for me would be somewhere around 165-170 pounds.

Starting weight/Current weight
I started when I weighed about 224 pounds and currently, I weigh 184 pounds. So, far I’ve lost 40 pounds.

How did you change your eating habits?
I’ve never followed any specific diet or program, but I did cut out dairy, sugar (sodas, juice,…etc), and lowered my carb intake (especially anything processed and made from flour). I made sure my last meal was 4 hours before I went to bed and “gradually” decreased my meals per day from 5-6 to 2-3 (no snacks). For me, living on a diet of mostly fruits, vegetables and meats is a bit costly, so in the end, the diet/eating plan that worked (and is working) for me is Intermittent fasting. I use the 16:8 plan, which means I fast for 16 hours daily and only eat during an 8-hour window (which for me is between Breakfast at 6.00am and Lunch at 1.00pm). On Intermittent fasting days, I consume about 1,000-1,300 calories, but every two weeks or so I allow myself a cheat day when I don’t fast. On cheat days, I eat the foods I miss in moderation. It’s important to give yourself a break from the fasting and to drink lots of water when doing IF.

What did your workout routines look like?
I jog for 40 minutes, 3 times a week around my neighborhood, and do some toning exercises with a pair of dumbbells at home (also 3 times a week). I’m not yet a fan of running or HIIT. I’m trying to work my way there though. I do a lot of walking when I have the time, especially when I’m heading back home from town. I think those 2.5 miles do me some good.

How long did your transformation take?
I started my journey in January 2015. Honestly, I lost and gained weight back multiple times during these past 18 months because of diet changes and
inconsistency with exercise. However, the overall change to my diet
(lowering carbs, sugar and dairy) helped me gradually lose the first 32 pounds. I plateaued at 191-192 lbs for 3 months, but broke through that when I started Intermittent fasting at the beginning of this month (July). I have since lost 8 pounds more. I have 16 more pounds to go!

What inspired you when you wanted to give up?
I keep lots of pictures from other people’s success stories and constantly try to envision the body that I would like to have.

What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?
I think that the more you learn about your body, the better your weight-loss
journey will flow. Also, LOVE YOURSELF. I’ve struggled with self-hate issues since high school, when I used to cut myself. Even though there’s no longer physical abuse, mentally I’m still so negative with myself. It’s the main reason why I was always giving up and failing to recognize my progress.