-201 lb
Before
After
Why did you want to lose weight?
I was a bit chubby in my schooldays, but my weight didn't bother me when I started dancing. Dancing became my calling. Since dancing was helping me keep my weight somewhat under control, I weighed around 265 pounds at the time.
In 2016, I took part in a dance competition and ended up with a double ligament tear. While I was still in the hospital, the doctor told me I should give up dancing or the ligaments would keep tearing again and again. As a dance teacher, I had to give up everything and move back in with my family.
"Nothing feels better than feeling good about your own body."
I felt like such a failure for those 7 months and used food to deal with my grief. I gained 155 pounds during that time period.
My leg was better, but my self-confidence was shot. At almost 400 pounds, I didn't dare go outside. During an Overeaters Anonymous course, for those who are overweight, I broke down in tears. I realized what I had done to my body and vowing to do everything I could to undo it.
What did you want to accomplish on your journey?
I wanted to get my body back into shape and feel good in my own skin. I also wanted to build my self-esteem back up and get down to my goal weight of 200 pounds. I would sweat so much when I was even just walking and was constantly hungry. Sometimes all I thought about was giving up, but I pulled through.
How did you reach your goals?
With help from my coach, I started getting back into working out. I also counted calories with YAZIO and made sure not to eat too much fat or too many carbs. I did mostly cardio the first 2 years, up to 4 times a week. This included swimming and going for walks, and finally started power walking and jogging as much as my weight would allow.
Samir’s Tips
Avoid sugary drinks whenever possible.
Try to do cardio 5 times per week.
Set small, realistic goals.
Of course, I enjoyed the occasional pizza or something like that, as long as I stayed within my daily calorie goal. As motivation, I wrote on my mirror: "Here you see the person who is responsible for your life."
How did YAZIO help you?
With YAZIO, I developed a real feeling for quantities and knew what foods had more or fewer calories. I also had a better feel for what was good for my body and what I should eat less of. Of course, I also treated myself every once in a while, but always made sure it fit into my calorie budget. YAZIO made calorie counting a lot easier for me!
Did you have setbacks?
Yes, I think that's also completely normal. It's important to stay motivated and persevere. Sometimes things can get hard, but you have to brush yourself off and keep going. Perseverance is the motto.
What advice do you have for other users?
It's better to set smaller goals for yourself. It gives you something to strive for and it's realistic. If you set a giant goal at the beginning, it's easy to get disappointed and discouraged quickly if you don't achieve it in time.
What are your future goals?
It's been 3 years so far and I've lost 200 pounds. I'm really proud of myself for achieving this. Now, I can finally focus on building muscle and work out properly without immediately breaking a sweat. I'm excited to see where my journey will take me next.
Why do you want to tell your story?
I want to share my story to give strength and wisdom to others. I want everyone to know that nothing is impossible and you can do anything if you trust in yourself and your willpower.
