Weight Loss Success Story - Hope B. • Simple Nourished Living

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Hope’s Weight Loss Journey

Discover how Hope lost weight and became a fitness enthusiast taking a realistic step by step approach inspiring others to achieve their goals in the process…

Hope B. before and after weight loss comparison. — Hope B. weight loss journey – how it started and how it’s going

Tell Us A Little Bit About Your Weight Struggle
I used to be 212 lbs at my heaviest (end of 2014 – early/mid 2015). I found myself getting winded walking up a single flight of stairs and I knew I was out of shape. My breasts were so large for my frame, the straps of my bra would dig into my shoulders and I would get headaches and back aches.

I was in the Navy and was always borderline and struggled with weight being up and down. I also had found out before I got out of the military, that I was diagnosed with GERD (gastro esophageal reflux disease) or Acid Re-flux. Anything I eat can make me feel nauseated.

In 2006, my first weight loss venture was with Weight Watchers. I had lost 20 lbs and felt great about that. I eventually put the weight back on and by 2014, I was over 200 lbs to my heaviest of 212 lbs.

I had a rough marriage and I wasn’t active and ate whatever my husband at the time wanted to eat—fast food. I wasn’t thinking about calorie counting, portion sizes, being physically active, etc.

What Was Your Wake-Up Call Or “A-Ha Moment” That Caused You To Really Commit Yourself To Succeeding?
In May 2015, I was working for a sign company that was going to be having a “WALK!” challenge. Basically, all you had to do was walk a minimum distance of 10 miles a week and the person with the most miles walked would win the main prize offered.

The start date was 6-1-2015 and I figured, you know what, this may be the “PUSH” I need to finally get my health, fitness, weight and lifestyle under control. It was also the date that I gave up fast food, soda, and started being calorie restrictive, counting calories and eating small portion sizes.

I think within a month or two, I found out that I was also going to become a first time aunt, so I thought it would be beneficial to keep and maintain a healthy lifestyle for that baby that was on the way.

Every morning the month of June 2015, I was getting up by 5:15ish and heading out the door with the dog. I would walk 4 laps around my apt complex and that would equal 1 mile. I eventually got to where I could walk it in 16 minutes, or less, and then I would also walk about 8pm in the evening and get in about 2 more miles…so 3 miles a day I walked. I lost 16 lbs my first month of my journey.

I decided to keep going from there and little did I know how much of a lifestyle change it would become. Where I lived, I didn’t have a gym, so walking was the best thing and wearing a sweat band that helped with my waist getting smaller, lol.

Hope B. weight loss before and after collage. — Hope B. before and after weight loss success

How Have Your Eating Habits Changed Since Beginning Your Journey? What Did You Eat Before And What Are You Eating Now?
Before 6-1-2015, I was eating fast food a few days a week as my husband at the time didn’t want me to hassle trying to cook and felt getting take out was more convenient. I didn’t think about small portions or factor in calories. I just ate to what my hunger was telling me, but also knew how my acid reflux would act up, paying me back for the poor decisions I made that day!

I also would drink soda and that syrup is a bad deal. For about 3 months in the beginning of my journey, I was not having dinner and would only drink a glass of 2% milk to curb my hunger for the night.

I’ve incorporated now Organic foods, grains, veggies, meats, vegan/vegetarian sometimes to be an alternative some days with my GERD issues. I’ve determined that I am “flexitarian” and can go back and forth to having lean, white meat (93% lean turkey or chicken), fish, Vegan/Vegetarian options, Organic, etc.

I have fruit everyday at work—strawberries and oranges or grapes in a small portion container and a banana. Having cauliflower as a substitute for rice most times that I make a meal. The only caffeine I have is pre-workout power, coffee and sweat tea.

I eat the smallest portion possible and always eat off of a child size plate, and usually only get 1-2 scoops of something on my plate. If I go to a restaurant, I ask for a doggy bag IMMEDIATELY so I evenly portion the food to half of what the large serving is (and also cut the calories down to half!!). I’ve just been very conscience of anything I eat these days, so I won’t have to deal with my GERD too much, but it can act up on a healthy meal I eat as well. I just never know when I may feel sick to my stomach.

What Is The Difference In Your Fitness Before You Started And Now?
I was very out of shape and knew it when I had to climb the stairs at work everyday. When I started my journey, walking was my go-to for fitness. There was no gym where I was, and I couldn’t afford to go to one. I also had the Wii Active/Wii fit so sometimes I would do workouts on there too.

I started to document my fitness on my Instagram page and the past 4-1/2 years of my journey is documented there. I’m so glad I did that and I would share photos every few days or weeks of my progress. I was losing up to about 10lbs a month.

I moved home to Texas in November 2015, and I had a gym directly across from my apartment, so I would be up at 5am to be in the gym by 5:15am and do at least 30 mins with weighted sets. This was a huge plus for me and helped me get toned on what I had lost the past 5 months.

A year later in December 2016, I started doing BeachBody on demand and my whole world changed! I had ANY AND ALL workouts that I ever needed at the touch of a finger in my living room. Been doing that for 3+ yrs now and haven’t been to the complex gym hardly since because I am so spoiled having my own equipment in my living room ready to go within 10 minutes!

My living room has become by gym, and I have the BOD (beachbody on demand app) on my phone. I am in a BOD group on Facebook with other people that have been on a journey similar to mine, and I love seeing their progresses and I share a #TBT now and then. I’ve gotten the arms I have ALWAYS wanted by lifting at least 2-3 days a week with my BOD programs.

I’m up at 5:20am and hit the floor by 5:30am. So that is a convenience that I enjoy and don’t have to waste time walking over to the gym. I also do an ab workout in the evenings.

Hope's weight loss journey showing before and after progress. — Hope successfully maintaining her weight loss

What Has Been The Biggest Change/Payoff For You So Far?
Becoming routinely obsessed with fitness and getting my life and health back. I’ve also developed arms and shoulders that I have never had before! I’ve become an inspiration and motivation for other people that are in my social media feed and that makes me feel pretty good, that I’ve been able to help others get their health and fitness on track.

I’ve lost SO MUCH in my body frame and seen my chest shrink the smallest size I have ever been in my life. My chest is so saggy though, any sports bra I get, HAS to have underwire support or it won’t work at all!! lol

I am able to do any exercise with ease these days and recently partook in a 1,000 burpee challenge in the month of December at my job. I ended up winning the challenge with 1,751 burpees completed, and they were done everyday except Christmas day.

How Much Weight Have You Lost? How Long Did It Take You To Lose It?
From 212 lbs to my LOWEST of 126 lbs = 86 pounds!

It took me 1-1/2 years to hit my goal weight of 135 pounds and then the next few months, I was able to drop lower to 126, my lowest recorded weight in Summer 2017. I’m about 10 lbs heavier than I was then, but have been maintaining this for 3 year now. I’m fluxing between 135-138 weekly and weigh in regularly each Wed & Sat morning after I wake up so I can keep up on my maintenance.

Some Advice and/or Words of Wisdom I’d Like To Share
Never forget who you are, or where you came from. Anyone with a lifestyle change journey, wellness journey, fitness journey, weight loss journey… we all should remember where we started and were there once upon a time. Mostly when we may see someone new that is working on getting their life changed for the better.

There will be some sort of epiphany that may happen which may make you want to change your life. It may not be the same for all persons, but for me, I was gonna be an aunt and I wanted to move home to Texas from San Diego at the time of my decision to change my lifestyle.

Results won’t happen overnight and will take time and patience to achieve. Progress comes little by little. Set realistic goals that you can achieve, such as I will work to lose 2-3 lbs this week or I will workout for at least 30 minutes, 3-5 times a week and gradually increase as my strength increases. Such simple goals will motivate you to have a bigger, realistic goal and dream in the future.

My transformation posts and fitness posts will always aim to be positive and motivational for others. I want to inspire a person to get a fire in their heart that I got almost 5 years ago.