Lose 66 pounds. “I ate fast food every day and couldn’t stop.”

“My name is Felicia Kesley, and I lost 145 pounds in a year and a half,” – so begins her video story blogger from the United States. And this, by the way, is almost 66 kilograms. The girl’s story is not simple, but very revealing and motivating. We tell you from the first person what can provoke a sudden weight gain and how to repeat Felicia’s feat.

Where do extra pounds come from?

I wasn’t always fat. The weight spike happened in high school when I experienced sexual assault. I started eating away the stress and emotions that were inside of me. It was the only way I felt comfortable.

My weight changed because I changed myself. I just didn’t feel happy anymore. Despite this, I “hooked up” with my future husband. I soon became pregnant, and after my son was born, I only continued to gain weight. I quickly reached the 137 kilogram mark, which was a huge shock to me.

What to do next?

I knew I had to make a change. And not just for myself, but for my son. Surgery seemed like the only solution. But in order for me to be admitted to the surgery, I needed proof of failed attempts to lose weight by other means. Expecting failure, I joined the Weight Watches community. Had I known then how much it would change my life.

How could it help?

I started with hiking and simple exercises. It wasn’t easy for me, so I didn’t exercise very intensively. However, it was already great progress for me. Every day I forced myself and in the first week I lost 4 kg.

Of course, I had to watch my diet, but I did not go on a diet. I reduced the number of calories gradually so that it would not be a big stress for my body.

Before Weight Watches, I had no food restrictions. I ate fast food almost every day and couldn’t stop: I ordered the biggest hamburger, the biggest fries, and the biggest soda. I really didn’t think or care about what I was putting into my body. The program’s points-based system made me think about what I was eating, and it led to a complete lifestyle change.

I was also introducing strength training with weights into my workouts, and I enjoyed it so much that I got involved.
I can’t put into words the feeling when you can finally fully wrap yourself in a towel after a shower. That was a big win for me.

What other changes have taken place?

Another major lifestyle change: not feeling guilty about eating something I thought was unhealthy. In the past, on other diets, I would snap at one sweet treat and keep eating them (I had already “ruined” my diet that day – why eat healthy food anyway?). But WW has taught me that one cupcake is not what gave me 300 pounds and it won’t stop my progress – I can enjoy the treats without guilt and then get back on track.

What to eat.

I’ve found a thousand ways to make healthier versions of my favorite foods, which means I don’t get bored with my diet and I always feel satisfied.

Here’s what I usually eat during my weight loss period:

• Breakfast: protein coffee (two servings of espresso infused protein shake) with fruit or Smartcake (gluten-free, low-carb cake).
• Lunch: eggs and turkey sausage or grilled cheese with whole wheat bread.

• Dinner: pizza dough made with non-fat Greek yogurt, with light cheese and marinara sauce. Or sometimes broccoli casserole with cauliflower rice.

Most important results

Balancing life with this new regimen was difficult, but I knew I had to do everything in my power to succeed – which meant attending weekly meetings with Weight Watches.
My family doesn’t live nearby and my husband was often not home because he was in the Marines, so I had to rely on friends to watch my son while I was at the gym or at meetings.

I am so grateful for the incredible support I have had throughout this process, it means a lot to me. It’s understandable that my loved ones were worried about me because of my extra weight, and it’s the best thing to know that I made them proud.