Kelly Nocero Lost 100 Pounds: ‘Once I Made Up My Mind to Lose the Weight, There Was No Stopping Me’
Weight-Loss Win is an original Yahoo series that shares the inspiring stories of people who have shed pounds healthfully.
Kelly Nocero is 44 and currently weighs 154 pounds. In 2014, she decided to get healthy and be a positive role model for her nursing patients. This is the story of her weight-loss journey.
The Turning Point
In my mid-30s, I began to gain weight. I would diet and start losing weight, but then I would always gain it all back and then some. Slowly as I got older, it seemed like everything I ate made me gain weight.
I can remember the exact moment that served as a turning point for me. I was in Myrtle Beach, S.C., on vacation in July 2014 with my sister and her family. I put on my bathing suit and looked and felt like a whale. I was at my heaviest, and I was embarrassed for allowing myself to gain so much. I knew at that moment that I needed to lose weight.
The Changes
Once I made up my mind to lose the weight, there was no stopping me. I went to see my primary-care physician before I started, to make sure that I was healthy enough to begin an exercise program. Once I was cleared to do so, I began my journey. I knew that this was not a diet but a lifestyle change. I did not follow a specific plan. Instead, I ate whatever I wanted, while decreasing my portion sizes and counting calories (I started at 1800 calories a day). I went to the gym three to four times per week and used circuit training machines.
As I began to lose the weight, my confidence grew. I was feeling healthier and happier. Seeing the weight come off and the numbers on the scale go down was enough motivation for me to want to keep going.
As a nurse, I work with obese patients who want to lose weight without the help of surgery. They kept me from giving up. I wanted to be a role model to them, and I wanted them to see that it is possible to lose weight when you put in the work. As I started to lose, the pain in my knees and back lessened, and as time went on, exercise became easier for me until I was able to climb up two sets of stairs without losing my breath.
The After
Once the weight started coming off, my life changed dramatically. I no longer felt so ashamed of the way I looked, and I did not hate myself when I looked in the mirror. Before, I hated buying clothes because everything I tried on made me feel fat. And while my checkbook may not like it, I now like to go shopping.
The Maintenance
Today, I go to Curves, a fitness center for women, three to four times a week. I do not count calories, but I make sure my portions sizes are small. I weigh myself daily, and if I go up or down a few pounds, I do not freak out about it. I just want to make sure that I do not start to gain more than that — and that what I’m doing is still working for me.
My own weight loss inspires me. I am still shocked that I was able to lose 100 pounds without surgery. I want to be a role model for my patients to show them that what they are trying to do is possible.
The Struggles
My biggest vice was always Pepsi. That is one thing that, to this day, I still have a hard time giving up. There are times when I may still drink one a day, and generally I find that if I am craving a Pepsi, I should drink it so that I don’t later crack and reach for three or four.
Advice
Just do it. Start by decreasing your portion sizes, making sure that you count calories and keep a journal of what you eat. It is astonishing when you see on paper how many calories you can eat in a day. You can start out slow and ease into exercise. Consider taking a walk for five or 10 minutes a day. I truly believe that you will not lose unless you exercise. Don’t expect the weight to come off quickly, because it likely wasn’t put on quickly. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Do not consider this a diet; it is a lifestyle change.
Need more inspiration? Read about our other weight-loss winners!
Weight-Loss Win is authored by Andie Mitchell, who underwent a transformative, 135-pound weight loss of her own.
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Taso Vitsas Lost 50 Pounds: ‘I Did Not Want to Live How I Had Been Living Anymore’
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