Like many of us, I've struggled with weight issues my entire life.
And, like many of us, I went through cycles of losing weight only to gain it back. I was tired of the same old, same old.
I had a wake-up call in the summer of 2012 that made me realize it's not just about losing weight. It's about changing your lifestyle.
A visit to the doctor revealed my blood pressure was 150/100 (that's dangerously high) and I was placed on high blood pressure medication.
I was scared, embarrassed and angry with myself.
While being on high blood pressure doesn't always seem like a doomsday diagnosis in our society, it was to me. High blood pressure brings the very real risks of heart attacks and strokes. I didn't want to live my life in that shadow.
I decided that I had to begin a lifelong journey toward health and fitness, and that started with me falling completely in love with myself at that exact moment (I was a size 24 at the beginning of my journey). Loving myself enough to make good decisions gave me the fuel to take the first step on my journey.
I also had to find the blessing in my burden. Once I realized that it is actually a blessing to have a burden that I have the power to work on everyday, I was pumped to get on the right track. Just think of all the people who battle issues they have no control over. I became grateful that I had a problem that I could tackle with some hard work.
So, I started researching food to help lower blood pressure, most of which were lower in carbohydrates. Food like kale, spaghetti squash and flaxseed became main staples of my lifestyle.
Overwhelming reaction to Jessica Larche’s fitness journey
I paced myself in going to the gym at first, working out once or twice a week. Now I've worked myself up to jogging, working with a personal trainer once a week and taking some high-powered cardio classes like "Body Combat" at One Life Fitness!
The biggest achievement of my journey: being healthy enough for my doctor to take me off high blood pressure meds!
Over the last two years on this journey, I've lost roughly 70 pounds! Do the math: 52 weeks in a year X 2 years = 104 weeks / 70 pounds = 0.673 a week. At first, losing 0.673 pounds a week may seem small, but when you add it up over time, it equals big results.
I'm now a comfortable size 14 (which is the average size of a woman in America).
I chose to share my story because of all the positive viewer e-mails I've received since they began to notice the results of my journey. I hope sharing my story helps you. Just be patient with yourself, appreciate who you are in this very moment and make good decisions every day.
We can all do this!!!
Want to know what I've been eating along the journey? Check out some of my favorite recipes for low carb brownies and my homemade cauliflower rice and spaghetti squash dishes!
