-75 lb
Before
After
Why did you want to lose weight?
I liked this girl and didn’t have the courage to talk to her or even sit next to her because I felt insecure about how I looked. I was bullied and embarrassed in front of the class every single day. I wanted to be healthy and wanted to get my life back and be able to live like everyone else. It’s sad to think that, in our society, people are constantly body shaming each other.
"That goal that I’ve set for myself is to gain back my self-confidence and self-esteem."
I was inspired to lose weight when I saw some “Before & After” photos online. I told myself that it seems to be an impossible goal, but I tried it anyways and it worked. One of the things that motivated me was to keep telling myself that I was going to prove to everyone else what I was capable of.
What did you want to accomplish on your journey?
My goal was to be healthy and gain back the self-confidence that I had lost. I also wanted to be able to fit into more types of clothing.
How did you reach your goals?
I managed to lose weight by sticking to a low-calorie diet for about a year. I also didn’t set any cheat days. I exercised for about 20 minutes daily and kept reminding myself that my hard work would pay off!
Velasco’s Tips
Take the time that you need
Do it for yourself
Track your exact calories and don't lie to yourself
My family also supported me. I integrated my weight-loss goal into my daily routine by paying attention to the foods that I was eating and reminding myself that there would be a huge reward in the end. I started exercising by simply jogging for about 3 minutes daily and that was it. After a few months, I was in better shape and could jog for 10 minutes, lift weights, do push-ups and do some high intensity workouts.
How did YAZIO help you?
YAZIO helped me on my journey because, when counting calories, you have to log all of the foods you eat and, surprisingly, YAZIO has it all. You can also enter custom foods and calories unlike other apps. YAZIO and calorie counting helped me on my journey because calories are really important for weight loss, and it helps you stay aware of the foods that you are eating. You also know how much exercise you should do after.
Did you have setbacks?
One of the setbacks I had was, of course, when you’re already trying your best to lose weight and people are still trying to bring you down. They don’t know how hard it is to lose weight and there are times that they still bully you and that’s difficult. One of the things I’ve learned to do is take all of that negativity and turn it into motivation to work out. I release all of the stress from it during my workout.
What advice do you have for other users?
My advice for other users who also want to achieve their goals is 1) Weight loss takes time, and 2) It’s not something magic that will happen overnight. You have to do it for yourself. You shouldn’t change yourself for other people because, if you do, 90% of the time you won’t succeed.
What are your future goals?
That goal that I’ve set for myself is to gain back my self-confidence and self-esteem. Back during high school, I didn’t have the courage to walk down the hallway because I felt like people were looking at me or talking about me.
Why do you want to tell your story?
It is really important for me to share my experience with others because I know how it feels. I want to motivate them and inspire them to know that in life, nothing is impossible when you want it.
