The simple changes that helped this mom lose 222 pounds

Weight-Loss Win is an original Yahoo series that shares the inspiring stories of people who have shed pounds healthfully.

Roxanne Crozier is 30 years old, 5 feet 8, and now weighs 138 pounds. In 2016, after a health scare she thought was related to her weight, Crozier decided to pursue a healthier lifestyle. This is her weight loss story.

The Turning Point

My weight was an issue for my whole life. I was overweight as a toddler and stayed that way until I took charge of my health at 28. I never really tried to lose weight before despite suffering negative consequences. I was teased about my size and felt ostracized because of it. I was often picked last for teams and missed out on a lot of things.

At the beginning of 2016, I had a strange rash that Dr. Google told me was a sign of prediabetes. I felt like I had to finally do something about my weight for the sake of my health. I downloaded MyFitnessPal that day and started tracking my food the next day. Interestingly, the rash ended up being eczema that only flares up in the winter.

The Changes

Before deciding to lose weight, I was eating fast food daily. I was commuting at the time and would usually get McDonald’s for breakfast and Wendy’s or Sonic on the way home. And I’d still eat dinner when I got home, plus a second helping.

I decided to count my calories as an approach to weight loss. I ate healthy foods and used portion control via a food scale and measuring cups and spoons. I ate a lot of vegetables, a wide variety of proteins, fruits, and went with low-calorie/sugar-free/fat-free versions of everything I could find. I didn’t watch carbs, sugar or anything, but tried to keep added sugar to a minimum except the occasional cheat meal.

For exercise, I started by walking down my driveway and back. I had a knee injury the previous year that left my kneecap permanently dislocated, and at my heaviest weight of 360 pounds I could barely walk. As I lost weight, I would walk farther. Eventually I started incorporating machines at the gym.

I felt great. I never realized I was capable of losing weight like that. The weight loss itself was what kept me going. I noticed my mobility improving as I lost pounds, so it became my mission to gain full mobility back.

The After

After the weight loss, my confidence and self-esteem soared, as I had never really had much of either before. I became less of a recluse and gained a better outlook on life. Everyone was supportive. If it had been awhile since I’d seen someone, they wouldn’t even recognize me.

At my heaviest, I couldn’t do very much with my kids and we stayed home a lot. Now we’re always going somewhere and doing something, and whenever the weather is nice, we’re outside!

I thought it would be a lot harder than it was. I’m not saying it was easy; I just spent all my life thinking I couldn’t lose weight because I assumed it was next to impossible to do so.

The Maintenance

I exercise three days a week, usually by walking, jogging, or running, followed by machines or resistance training at the gym. My eating got a little questionable there for a bit, but now that I’ve switched to low carb, I feel like I’ve regained control of it.

I wouldn’t have made it this far without my food scale or MyFitnessPal! It made it easy to keep track of what I was eating. I had my diary open to the public for a long time which definitely held me accountable. A few times, I logged various things I used to eat and was astounded to realize I used to average 6,000 to 7,000 calories a day.

The thought of going back to how I was before keeps me from quitting. Also, I want to be able to provide my children — 5-year-old twins — with a healthy example they will hopefully choose to follow as they grow older.

The Struggles

I was struggling with daily bingeing and overeating for a while. I never really found a solid way to overcome it, but it’s been several days since the last time I struggled, so all the daily affirmations must be beginning to click. Taking on low-carb eating has added some excitement in a way, and has helped me stay committed to my goals.

Advice

Take it one day at a time, and start with small changes. Take the stairs. Park at the far edge of parking lot. Replace one unhealthy drink per day with water, and slowly build on that. All of these small habits eventually lead to huge changes.

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.

Have a weight-loss win to share? We want to hear it! Tell us at [email protected].

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