Barbara Welch sent us this truly inspirational story of how DailyBurn’s Challenges and the DailyBurn community helped motivate her to lose 52 lbs in 5 months, going from a size 20 to a size 14.
We’re inspired by Barbara’s story, and we’re thankful that she’s allowed us to share it here. If you’re feeling motivated, add Barbara as one of your DailyBurn Motivators!
- Andy
Before - Size 20
When I was growing up I loved fashion, I did some modeling which consisted of Pageants and Runway, I am 5’10 and was always very thin. I eventually got married. After a few years of marriage I had my first and only child. Fast forward 10 yrs… I had now packed on 110 lbs. I loved McDonalds, coke and fried foods and sat on the couch. As a result of my being overweight my health suffered. I went from to doctor to doctor trying to find the reason for why I felt so bad all the time but would always be told to lose weight. I was severely depressed and very unhappy with myself and with my life. I was lazy, sick all the time, and wanted to stay in the house. I could not walk up the stairs at work without feeling I would have a heart attack. Not many people knew that I was miserable inside. I was depressed and lonely from isolating myself due to my embarrassment. I entered weight loss challenges, even the Biggest Loser but never got chosen. People kept telling me you are not big enough for that. Well, to me it is not about how much weight you have to lose according to someone else’s standards, but how the weight you have on you affects your own body, mind and spirit. It literally can be paralyzing and by that I mean, it keeps you from living your life the way you want.
After - Size 14 - July 2009
I entered the Channel 6 GET FIT Competition but was not chosen. I saw that Channel 6 had an on-line challenge and jumped on board. I am not a woman that has been overweight her whole life. I know what it is like to be in shape, to get the looks, to walk that walk. So what is it?? I would always read success stories and they would say “one day it just clicked”! I kept wondering how I could want something so bad but it would never “click” for me. But when you decide to do it for yourself and NO ONE else it will click. When you decide that you are worth a damn and only you can change yourself, it will click.
On February 11th 2009 it clicked for me, I finally got it. I said to myself, “I do not want to live like this any longer.” I am not going to do it for my husband, for my daughter, or for my friends. I will do this for me! When I joined the on-line challenge which was available through DailyBurn, they had all the tools that anyone could use to keep on track with your goals. What kept my attention the most was the calculator on days left of the competition, and the indicator of what place you are in based on percentage of weight lost. Each day more people would join and when it told what place you were in, it gave you more incentive to keep pushing harder. For a few months I stayed in first place. There was another girl very close behind me and as days passed I kept pressing hard to stay in first. For me, that was the best part of the website. But above that there were always people giving advice, motivation, and support. There is someone always available if you need help with the website and they are extremely helpful.
There are many motivators in my life and DailyBurn plays a big role. I completely changed my eating habits. I started working out 4-5 days a week. The weight started dropping off and 5 months later I am 52 pounds lighter and went from a size 20 to a 14. I was always in shape up until 10+ years ago. But I have to say that getting back in shape now has given me a new appreciation for myself. It has been so long since I loved myself and I can truly say that I completely love myself and I am very happy with my body. Not to say that I am accepting my body for what it is now, I still have much more to lose but the fact that I have come this far strictly by eating healthy and working out makes me feel so proud of myself. DailyBurn will continue to be a part of my progress as I will keep entering my weight so I can see how great I am doing. I love looking in the mirror now seeing the changes in my body. Through my weight loss journey, I hope to be an inspiration to woman and men just like me. Losing weight is so attainable when you truly have the desire to change yourself. The most important things we say in life are the words we say to ourselves. I am no longer depressed, the issues I had with my health are gone. I never wanted to believe that being overweight is the reason why I felt so bad but sometimes that is just what it is. There are many people to prove that fact. I am very active now and all the people around me see the change. It has brought out a side of me that many people have not seen and the ones who know me very well are seeing it again. I am completely confident with myself and I can hold my head up high and I am proud of what I have done so far. I am not finished yet. I still have a bit to go and am excited everyday to see any changes that occur.
Half the battle is the battle we fight inside our own mind. Losing weight is all about choices, but we make it hard by not wanting to change the way we think and act when really it’s very simple. I do not have before “body” photos as I was too disgusted with myself to post any pictures. I have taken them now and when I lose all my fat I will then post photos of now and then. I am truly happy now because I have taken control of my life. YOU CAN DO IT TOO!
Nice work Barbara! If you want to join a big challenge and make some big changes, be on the lookout for our DailyBurn CEO Fitness Challenge that starts on August 17. More details are coming soon!
