Be the Best You

 
As a nurse the growing trend of obese patients I see is immense. Obese is used to describe a person whose BMI is greater than 30.  It troubles me because they face a lot of health risks and emotional needs. How I would love to help them but there is much I could do. It is all dependent on them, they hold the keys to their health. More than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) are obese. Overweight and obesity are known risk factors for: diabetes, heart disease, stroke, hypertension, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and other breathing problems, some forms of cancer (uterine, breast, colorectal, kidney, and gallbladder). This post is not about obesity but to help those who need encouragement and a wake up call. You can do it, you just have to put in the work.

             Before: July 2011                                                            After: July 2012

Obesity is also associated with: high blood cholesterol, complications of pregnancy, menstrual irregularities, psychological disorders such as depression, increased surgical risk. People might say well you don’t know my circumstance you are skinny, I may not know but my sister has dealt with this issue and she is working on it to make it better. She can tell you how many times I talked to her about health risks and she would not listen to me. It wasn’t till she decided to change for herself that she saw improvements. I am so proud of her. I decided to do a photo shoot to show the transformation. She also has a great sense of fashion. I shop in her closet for accessories because my closet is bare on that.

Romans 12:1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.


How she did it?  She started the challenge in September 2011 then kicked it up a notch in February
1. With God’s help,  she committed to completing a 40 day fast.

•  During the fast she gave up all carbs and developed a healthy eating habit.
• This is good but you have to be very careful because your body will start to break muscle to make up  for loss of carbohydrate. She said it was her faith that allowed her not to give up. After the fast, she began putting carbs back in her diet a little bit at a time.

2.Discipline

• There were many times she could have quit, but she was disciplined. At times we would go out to eat, but she was disciplined to stick with her diet.

3. Lifestyle change

• She had to empty her pantry and throw away the junk food. She also learned to eat foods that were healthy and work hard to keep the weight off.

4.Exercise

• After the fast and adding some carbs. She started with walking and gradually moved to jogging.  She now runs 2 miles 3 times a week and Bikram Yoga twice a week.

Dress:Francesca Collection (similar); Shoes:Charlotte Russe (here)

FYI: She has lost over 55lbs. She has dropped 8 clothing size. She is healthy and at the prime of her life. You can do it, be healthy so you can live long and save your self from complications. With God''s help you can achieve anything you set your mind to.