Britttney started her journey in August 2019 and lost 80 pounds within the first year (a perfect pace for sustainable results). She took to her treadmill daily and also adopted a healthier approach to eating. Read on to learn how Brittney got in her best shape training from home; proving you don’t have to be a gym rat to win at weight loss.
Tell us about your self and why you decided to make a change
I am a wife and mother of two, currently living in New Jersey. I have a full-time job as a Quality Assurance Analyst. I’m a huge goofball, always joking and laughing. I love spending time with my family and exploring new places.
I was overweight pretty much my entire life, from high school to age 33 when I decided to do something about it. I still am not sure why I chose a random day in August 2019 to start my journey. I never really made a serious effort to lose weight. I literally could not even picture myself smaller. I had no confidence that I could even do it. But that day I weighed myself and said I really need to just try and put forth serious effort. I didn’t know if I would succeed or stick to it, I just knew it was time to be serious about my health.
So how did you get started on your journey?
We had a treadmill in our kitchen (we lived in a tiny apartment then) that was pretty much a coat rack. I took those coats off and started using that treadmill every night. My Son was 6 and my daughter was 1 at the time and my husband worked the night shift. I would put on a show for my kids and power walk on the treadmill for 45 minutes to an hour, five or six times a week.
I eventually transitioned to a walk/run and then to running a few miles a day. On days I didn’t feel like using the treadmill I would do workouts I found on YouTube. After I lost 80 pounds I decided I wanted to have a more toned appearance and started lifting weights.
My entire weight loss journey was with home workouts until recently (July 2021) I decided I wanted to build up my legs with a trainer and lift heavier. I like the gym, but I enjoy home workouts more.
When it came to your diet, how did you approach it?
As far as my diet, I really didn’t know what I was doing. I just knew I was eating too much junk and not enough vegetables.
I stopped drinking juice and soda, only drinking water and occasionally zero calorie drinks. I never really drank much alcohol, so that was easy to limit.
For my meals, at first I continued to eat the same stuff just reducing the portion sizes. Eventually my diet began to get cleaner- eating more fruits and vegetables and less fast food, processed foods and junk food. I used my Fitbit app to track everything I ate, so I was basically calorie counting.
I learned calorie deficit is the real key to weight loss. I also learned you can still have your favorite foods in moderation. The longer I continued my journey the more I learned about eating healthy. I now track my macros and meal prep most of the time. I have cheat days once or twice a week.
Where are you at now?
My starting weight was 250 pounds, although I’m sure I was up to 260 pounds at one point. I wore size 18 pants and a 2x shirt. My current weight is 165 pounds. I am a size 8 pants and small shirt. My height is 5’7.
How long did your transformation take?
I started my journey in August 2019 and lost 80 pounds within the first year.
Did you face any challenges along the way? And how did you overcome them?
It all seems hard at first. I wasn’t used to working out or tracking my calories or restricting how much food I ate or denying myself sweets, my weakness. But once I saw what I was doing was working, I was actually losing weight, I was motivated to continue. It really is a process. It doesn’t happen overnight. The longer you stick to it the better you become. It really is a lifestyle change.
One tip that helped me in the beginning was never go more than two days without working out. The longer you let time go by the less likely you will continue. As far as eating, I’m still learning. I will say if you have a day that you don’t eat as well as you would have liked to, so what, it’s not over, keep going. It doesn’t have to be perfect to work.
Were there days you felt like quitting?
For me, no there was never a day I actually wanted to give up completely. I had days I didn’t feel like working out or eating healthy and I didn’t. But I never gave up. I put it behind me and kept going.
How have things changed for you in general?
I feel like a different person sometimes. I was overweight for so long, eating whatever I wanted. Now not shopping in the plus size section is surreal to me. I never imagined I would fit a size small.
I also run races, which I love! I plan on running a half marathon in April 2022 and a full Marathon October 2022. I am literally in the best shape I have ever been in my life at age 35. I would also say my confidence is through the roof now. I always thought I was beautiful but I was not happy about my weight and I think my confidence suffered because of that.
Who or what helped you along your journey?
I never used any specific products or workouts; I just did things I liked doing and found healthier options of foods I liked to eat. I did a lot of workouts from Youtube channels called Popsugar fitness and Mr and Mrs Muscle. I honestly don’t think you need anything special. If you are in a calorie deficit you will lose weight. I will say creating my Instagram and following other people that are passionate about fitness helped me to stay motivated and pushed me to be the best I can be. So I do suggest finding a fitness community whether it be online, at a gym or wherever.
What might we catch you doing on your days off?
On my days off I usually spend it with family, exploring a new place with the kids or just hanging out at home. I will definitely be having a cheat meal!
Give a sis some advice
My advice would be to never give up. Just because you have a bad day, you didn’t exercise or you ate horribly, that is no excuse to give up. You will have those days all throughout your journey but the longer you are on it the less frequent they are. So, keep pushing and keep trying to do better. Also, there is never a perfect time to start, just do it, now!
Follow Brittney’s journey here > (@brittney.jab_
