30lbs weight loss in 6 months: No Surgery, no pills

After a friend questioned whether Tara would be able to pull off a bikini, Tara took this as a prompt to start on her all natural , no surgery weight loss journey. At age 39, age wasn’t a factor but one of the reasons to get her health in order. Read on to learn how her journey of one Personal Trainer, no waist trainers and no pills improved her health.

Hello, my name is Tara Mabrey and I started my lifestyle change three years ago at the age of 39. I am a Math Specialist at an elementary school in Washington, D.C. I love cooking new meals, traveling the world, shopping, watching movies, and spending time with my husband. I am approaching my one-year wedding anniversary in October.

What led you to want to make a lifestyle change?

To be honest, I never looked at myself as overweight. I showed one of my girlfriends a picture of me in my new bathing suit and she said, “Um are you sure you want to wear that” and I was like of course. Not knowing how bad I actually looked in my new bikini. This is what prompted me to join the gym.

What did you do to achieve your results?

Joining the gym did not help me achieve my results, I had to diet on top of working out. The first few months at the gym doing cardio did nothing for my weight loss. I reached out to a personal trainer for guidance. He put me on a meal plan and gave me a workout routine and this is when the results were becoming evident. I worked out at the gym 5 days a week doing cardio for at least 45 minutes. I went from eating whatever I wanted to eventually cutting out sugar, bread, pasta, fried foods, processed foods, and sodas.

How long did your transformation take?

I started working out in 2014 but my transformation didn’t happen until 2015. Once I incorporated clean eating and working out, I dropped 30 pounds in 6 months. My starting weight was 200 pounds; dress size was a 14 and pants size was a 14. My current weight is 167 pounds; dress size is between a 6-8 and pants size is a 6. The hardest part was staying true to clean eating. It is a lifestyle change and once you commit to it, you will stay true to the process.

So how have things changed for you?

The main change that has happened impacted my health. I have asthma and I used to have to use my inhaler multiple times throughout the day. You can imagine as a Teacher, I would be winded walking around the classroom while teaching. Since losing my weight, I no longer use my inhaler and can run circles around my classroom.

Who or what helped you along your journey?Is there a product that helped you or anything in particular you’d recommend?

My personal trainer put me on the right path. I tried drinking protein shakes, but they weren’t for me and so I did everything on my weight loss journey naturally. No surgery, waist trainers or pills! My husband has helped me remain consistent and we workout together.

What might we catch you doing on your days off?

On my days off from the gym, you would catch me watching my favorite TV shows, or giving my friends pointers on how to eat clean, or simply spending time with my husband and sister.

What piece of advice would you give other women looking to start on their own weight loss journey?

My advice would be to be ready to make huge sacrifices. A lifestyle change is not easy and will take a lot of work. But if you are determined to see results, then the sacrifice is all worth it!