Update: Sept 2015 – “I went from a size 24/26 to a size 10. My weight loss journey started on 4/19/12. I mainly cook my food at home and do a lot of strength training and cardio!”
Weight Loss Story of the Day: Degra lost 147 pounds.
Hello my name is Degra Smith. I’ve always been overweight all my life, all through high school I struggled with being one of the biggest girls at school. My starting weight was a whooping 372 pounds. I’ve tried many diets and weight loss pills. Nothing seemed to work, which put me in a depression stage of my life which made me eat anything that made me happy. That happiness was only temporary, then I began to hate myself once my happiness from food digested in my system. I was literally on a diet roller coaster, where I would lose the weight then gain it back plus more. I always felt tired and very lazy but always wanted to eat! Many times I hated going to the doctor because I didn’t like hearing the results he gave me. I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol and was a boarder line diabetic. Everyday I looked in the mirror I was unhappy seeing what was in front of me so I decided to throw out all the vertical mirrors in the house. Everyday promises were made saying I’m going to join a gym, but all them promises were broken because I was literally embarrassed because I thought I would be the biggest person in the gym.
My turning point came when I decided to adopted a baby boy from Africa, I said to myself, how am I going to keep up with the baby if he wants to play when I’m this big. I have no motivation and I’m always tired? On April 19, 2012 my life changed! I joined Lucille Roberts Gym for Women in Kearny NJ. I haven’t look back ever since. I exercise six days a week two hours a day! I completely stop drinking sodas and juice, I prepare my own meals, eat more vegetables and fruits. Don’t get me wrong I don’t deprive myself of anything, I just eat it in moderation. Today, I no longer have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or no longer a boarder line diabetic.
My current weight is 225 and I am proud to say that I have lost 147 pounds without surgery. Hard work, patience, determination, motivation, will power has got me feeling great and wanting to go farther into my journey. It feels so good to see that I motivate my family and friends and how individuals are asking me how to get started. They just don’t know that while motivating them, they are motivating me to keep going and I never want to see that 372 pound girl that I used to be. My advice to other is to never give up. Its hard and you might have your off days but the next day is a brand new day!!! You can do it!!!!!
