Weightloss story from Jasma D. Haskins

Quite honestly, I just wasn’t happy. I wasn’t confident and I definitely wasn’t comfortable. One day a light bulb went off and I saw myself as I really was, unhealthy and overweight. I started looking at photos in my camera roll, and couldn’t believe I had gained so much weight. At this point I had just graduated college (2013) and weighed in at 194lbs, the highest in my life. All the 2am meal runs had finally caught up with me.

So it wasn’t until that summer that I started making gradual changes. For example, instead of having a loaded bowl (with double EVERYTHING) from Chipotle 3-4 times a week, I’d go once a week. Then I started cooking more of my meals as opposed to eating out everyday. Before I knew it, I started to enjoy how the healthier home cooked meals made me feel and I had more energy. I now eat fast food MAYBE twice a month if that; I eliminated sodas, and eat things like chocolate in moderation. I remember I used to stop at Wendy’s every single night after work and order nuggets, a medium fry, a loaded baked potato, and a large sweet tea. I loved my potatoes in every form known to man, but I was fed up with feeling sluggish and lazy because of all the greasy foods I consumed.




I began working out at American Family Fitness in the mornings before work. At first, I started using the elliptical and maybe jogging on the treadmill at 3.7 mph. I knew I was putting in work, but I barely broke a sweat. Then I starting going to the classes the gym offered, which required me to go harder than what I was use to. I’d be dripping sweat by the end of the class, but what was even better was the fact that I felt refreshed. That’s when I started pushing myself harder on the machines, actually running on the treadmill, and using resistance on the elliptical that’s when working out started to become my stress reliever and my “me time.” It took me 3 years to shed 40lbs. As much as we would like for it to, results do not happen overnight. Honestly, I definitely could have achieved that goal sooner, but I wasn’t consistent and I didn’t want it bad enough.

I learned food isn’t the enemy, it’s knowing which foods to consume more or less of. It’s learning to say “No” when your friends and family want to indulge in meals/desserts that you know won’t be of any benefit to you. It wasn’t until the middle of 2016 when I really started to be consistent with my meal prepping and planning my workouts ahead of time. Meal prepping is a life saver and a game changer. If there’s one thing I’ve learned through this journey it’s if you don’t plan, you’re planning to fail. I follow quite a few fitness pages on Instagram and Tumblr that help to keep me motivated on days where all I want is my bed. I’d suggest that to anyone who may just be getting started or is having a hard time staying motivated. Find a page or two of someone who really motivates you to get up off your butt and workout; even if you don’t feel up to it.

This journey has also taught me that there is no way around hard work. I still have a journey ahead of me, but I’m so proud of the body I have built. Every single workout and healthy food choice has been worth it. I currently weigh in at 153lbs, and I am the most confident I’ve ever been…not because of the number on the scale but because I feel good on the inside…I feel healthy and I feel alive.