Weight-Loss Win is an original Yahoo Health series that shares the inspiring stories of people who have shed pounds healthfully.
Today, Caitlin Adams is 26, 5’9”, and weighs 146 pounds. In 2011, she weighed 253 pounds. This is the story of her weight-loss journey.
The Turning Point
Back
in the summer of 2011, I was living in a house with four other girls in
a small college town in North Texas. At this time, I weighed around 253
pounds — a weight that classified me as obese. I had just flunked out
of college because I was suffering from crippling depression. I was also
$3,000 behind on my rent. This, for me, was rock bottom. I had to make
the hard decision to move out of that house and in with my mother, with
whom I hadn’t lived full-time in 13 years. The thought of losing my
independence after living on my own for four years was awful. I didn’t
know it then, but it turned out to be the best thing I could have done
for myself.
Living
with my mom and stepfather was definitely an adjustment. The first
month was the most eye-opening experience for me because I witnessed my
mother struggle with her own problems with obesity. She suffered from
numerous physical ailments that stemmed from her obesity, including
damaged knees that required surgery, severe headaches, fatty liver,
Barrett’s esophagus, and extreme GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease),
among other things. I watched my mom go to bed and wake up every day in
pain. I realized then that if I didn’t change, in 20 years I would be
waking up and going to bed every day in some kind of pain, unable to
fully live my life. I decided enough was enough.
In
the past, when I had tried just about anything and everything to lose
the weight (including starving myself), I was doing it purely for looks.
I was doing it because I wanted to be skinny and beautiful and desired.
I wanted to impress and be admired by other people. This time, though,
it was about my health. It was about being healthy and strong and it was
about perseverance. So in September of 2011, I spent a month doing
extensive research on healthy eating and exercise. I threw away all the
junk food in the house. And on Oct. 26, 2011, my journey began.
The Changes
My
initial goal was to lose 100 pounds, which would put me at 153 pounds.
Starting off, I committed to going to the gym for at least 30 minutes a
day, six days a week. I started with just brisk walking to give my
joints time to adjust from being completely sedentary to being active. I
then started doing jogging/walking intervals anywhere from 30 minutes
to an hour. On days when my knees hurt, I used the elliptical machine. I
also incorporated strength training using free weights and resistance
bands three days a week.
For
my diet, I simply ate as little processed food as possible. I opted for
fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats, and
completely cut out soda. Instead, I drank water, tea, and coffee. I used
MyFitnessPal to track my food intake and exercise every day. It was an
awesome tool to help me stay aware of what I was putting into my body
and keep me accountable and motivated.
Some
days were definitely more challenging than others — I had to literally
peel myself off of the couch and tie my running shoes on in a fuzzy blur
because I was so tired. Some days my cravings were so strong that I
would have to leave the apartment and go for a walk to keep myself from
opening that bag of M&Ms or Oreos, which were the kinds of things my
parents kept in the house for their own consumption.
After
a year and three months, I had lost 107 pounds, bringing me to 146
pounds — 7 pounds below my initial goal. I went from wearing size 22
jeans to a size 10, and wearing 1- and 2-XL shirts to mediums. I was
able to shop in normal clothing stores and buy more than just leggings
and 2-XL T-shirts. People who hadn’t seen me in years didn’t recognize
me at all. I felt the happiest and healthiest I had ever felt in my
entire life.
Caitlin before and after her weight loss. (Photo courtesy of Caitlin Adams)
The After
I
spent most of my adult life thinking that I would never be able to
achieve my health goals. I had even almost let myself succumb to my
“destiny” of being obese and accepted my fate of never getting to fully
live out my dreams. But then I realized I couldn’t let that happen.
Changing
my life and losing weight has helped me to discover a passion for
fitness and food. I decided to go back to school to study nutrition. I
hope to one day work with teens and young adults who struggle with
obesity and help change their lives through healthy eating and fitness.
The Challenges
In
our culture, food and temptation are everywhere, and trying to maintain
my healthy lifestyle has been, by far, the most difficult part of this
journey. I never thought I’d say that, but it’s true. Losing is hard,
but maintaining requires perseverance. Every day is a new day, and I
wake up with every intention to make healthy choices. I’ve started doing
group classes at my gym, which helps keep things fresh and fun when it
comes to exercise. I also keep healthy meals and snacks prepped and
ready in my house so when things get really busy, I can grab them and go
and avoid feeling like I have to settle for something unhealthy in a
pinch.
Advice
The
No. 1 piece of advice I can give to anyone out there looking to get
healthy is to do it for YOU. Do not do it for anyone else. Not your
significant other, friends, family, co-workers. Only you. This journey
is about your health and your future, and doing this for you will be the
most rewarding aspect of all of it. At the same time, it’s so important
to surround yourself with supportive and empowering people. A strong
support system is crucial in times when you feel weak or unmotivated.
Lastly,
don’t buy into the multibillion-dollar industry that is the weight-loss
industry. You don’t need special pills, shakes, wraps, or powders to
achieve your weight-loss goals. A healthy, balanced diet, consistent
exercise, plenty of sleep and water, and good, old-fashioned hard work
is all you need to get healthy.
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