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.

Story continues

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.

Related: Kelly’s 71-Pound Weight Loss: ‘You Get to Choose to Start Over Any Time You’d Like’

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.

Related: Marisa’s 75-Pound Weight Loss: ‘Do Not Lose Weight for Anyone but Yourself’

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.



Weight-Loss Win is authored by Andie Mitchell, who underwent a transformative 135-pound weight loss of her own. Have a success story to share? We want to hear it. Tell us at YHTrueStories@yahoo.com.

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