An overweight woman sought help from a nutritionist after being tired of “feeling invisible” because of her massive weight of 375 pounds (approx. 170 kg). After following her nutritionist’s advice for two years, she lost a whopping 150 pounds (approx. 68 kg), making her transformation not only extraordinary but also inspiring.
She had no energy to carry her massive weight. “I was just tired of being tired,” she said. “It makes me sad to even say that. I have never actually admitted to anyone how heavy I had been.”
So, Wood went to her family doctor for help, who in turn referred her to a nutritionist. The nutritionist helped her to set up appropriate portion sizes, advised her on how to reduce calorie intake, and provided advice on healthy eating habits.
She started tracking her food and beverage intake using an app on her phone, then went on to track her daily macros.
“I follow balanced macros, which for me means that I try to ensure I am getting 35 percent of my calories from carbs, 25 percent of my calories from fat, and 40 percent of my calories from protein,” she said.
Her breakfast would usually include a serving of eggs or overnight oats, followed by a protein shake for her morning snack.
Lunch could include something like turkey meatballs with spaghetti squash, chicken Caesar salad with low-fat Greek yogurt dressing, or chili. To curb her hunger, she might help herself to some crackers and cheese, yogurt with some fruit, or a pepperoni stick and apple for her afternoon snack.
Dinner would consist of lean protein and vegetables.
Wood didn’t start exercising until she lost about 60 or 70 pounds (approx. 27–32 kg). By this stage, she took the next step by hiring a personal trainer to help her.
“She was able to show me lots of different bodyweight exercises, teach me proper form for different exercises, and overall just gave me so much more confidence in going to the gym,” Wood said.
Though Wood was committed to burning the calories, she'd still “go out for drinks with friends or have a grilled cheese for lunch,” so long as it wasn’t every day.
“I can indulge within reason without throwing my goals completely off track. For me personally, I would rather take longer to get to my goal weight (losing at a slower speed) but still enjoy life than miss out on a lot of my life to quickly get to my goal,” she explained.
In just two years of her weight loss journey, Wood lost 150 pounds.
Wood said that her motivation came from setting small goals such as looking at losing 5 pounds (approx. 2 kg) first instead of 200 pounds (approx. 91 kg).
Wood urged those who want to lose weight to “be kind to yourself.”
“No one is perfect. You will have days where you want to give up, where you get off track, or where you struggle—that’s normal! Just don’t give up. Grant yourself grace and get back on track with your next meal or next workout,” she said.
“Also, don’t compare yourself with others,“ she said. ”Every single person is different, so you can’t expect that you can do the exact same things as someone else and get the exact same results. Weight loss is such a personal journey and it’s different for everyone. So learn from others, but know that you are on your own journey, and while it might not happen as fast as it will for others, it will happen if you focus on consistency with your diet and exercise!”
She further added: “If you can, seek some professional help, there are therapists out there trained to deal with exactly this. Follow accounts that are going through what you are going through or that motivate you. Ruthlessly unfollow accounts that do the opposite.”
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