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Nekita Shelton
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Cee: What inspired you to start your weight loss journey?
Nekita: Well, all
my life I have had problems with my weight. Although I was content, my mother
tried several weight loss programs to aid with my weight loss efforts. It
wasn’t until I was 24 years old, and experienced a series of three main events,
that inspired my weight loss journey.
- In August 2008 I was scheduled for a routine physical
with my doctor where it was revealed that I had high blood pressure. At
that point my doctor showed me some tough love and told me if I didn’t
lose weight, high blood pressure could possibly cause a series of health
problems later down the road.
- My Husband and I planned to fly to Orlando for his
annual step show competition but, as we boarded the plane to take our
seats, I found that I could not fit in the designated seating provided by
the air line. In fear of having to purchase another seat, there was a
nice elderly lady that kindly lifted her arm rest to provide me more
space. I was incredibly embarrassed and knew a change had to be made.
- It was our daughter’s first trip to Six Flags where she
was tall enough to ride the kiddie roller coaster, so we were all excited
and ready to get on with her only to discover Mommy could not fit. With
everyone all seated and the line full, I was asked to exit left due to my
size. My 54 year old mother at the time had to ride with my daughter.
It was at
that point that I felt Enough was Enough. I decided I wanted to make a change
not only for myself but for my family as well.
Cee: How
did you lose the weight and how much weight did you lose? (ex. exercises, food
choices)
Nekita: September 8, 2008 I decided to join
Weight Watchers for the third time around starting at a weight of 288 pounds,
but this time it was a different feeling. I had the feeling of “THIS IS IT, ITS
MY TIME.” I was determined to give it
another try. Within just a few weeks I saw the scale moving in the right
direction and decided to just start walking. At the time, I wasn’t a big fan of
working out and sweating out my perm lol, but once I started to exercise
combined with eating right, the weight just poured off which formed my passion
for fitness. Today I am 137 pounds losing a total of 151 pounds.
Cee: I've heard a lot about reaching a plateau in weight
loss. Was that ever an issue for you and if so how did you overcome it?
Nekita: Oh I know all about the “PLATEAU” stage and believe me when
that time comes your determination is tested to the max. There were times where
I would just cry to my trainers because I felt like I was giving 150% of myself
to my workouts and my diet. It would take the scale weeks and what felt like
years to move. Finally, my trainer explained to me how the body works and went
through my food journal with me to assess exactly what I was eating and identified
the grey areas where I could switch things up. I was so accustomed to eating
the exact same things because they were working. But by switching it up and
adding a few extra workouts per day, I was able to push through my plateau. Plateaus for me
happened more than once so I would constantly try to shock my body by changing
up my diet and workouts.
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| Nekita Shelton |
Cee: Was there a mental component that accompanied the
physical work of losing weight?
Nekita: Through
out the last 3 years of this journey I have come to realize weight loss is 80%
mental and 20% physical. Part of the reason I think I was successful in my
weight loss this time is because I was mentally ready. Many people think that
your body has to be in shape to achieve physical goals, but when your mind is
wrapped around your future goals the process becomes much easier. For example:
I remember my first time attempting to run on the treadmill at the time I was
236 pounds. My body was telling me this hurts, I will never make it, but once I
changed my thoughts to “I Can and I will” I had ran for 15 minutes straight
before I knew it.
Weight
loss is one the hardest things I have ever done in my entire life and changing
my negative thoughts into positive thoughts was truly the #1 reason I was
successful. Once I started thinking positive, I actually started to believe in
myself.
Cee: What were the most challenging
and rewarding things about your journey?
Nekita: I would
say the most challenging thing about this journey would have to be the initial feeling
of food deprivation lol. I was so accustomed to consuming about a pound of food
a day which is 3500 calories and decreasing to about 1800-2000 made me feel
like I was going to die lol. My problem was never consuming large meals,
however I was and still can be a huge SNACKER, so it took me about 2 months to
adjust and control my snacking habits.
The most
rewarding thing about this journey would be my passion for fitness, inspiring
others, and the amount of growth I have seen within myself. Not only has this
process transformed me on the outside but it has transformed me as a person on the
inside as well. I always thought being “the big girl” was cool and just as I
thought I was happy, going through this, made me realize I was not. I always
cracked the first fat joke in fear of someone else getting to it first. Now, I
don’t have to down myself to be respected. I can just be me. This process has
literally made me feel like I can do and accomplish whatever I want to do.
Never in a million years did I think that God would have this planned for my
life. He is using me in so many ways to be a inspiration to others. I hope to
motivate all the women who are sitting in my shoes three years ago to do and
feel just as amazing as I do.
Cee: What tips would you give those who aspire to loose
weight and keep the weight off?
Nekita: Well I
would advise a few things which I had to learn through Trial and Error:
-Do not
punish yourself for having one bad day. Many people think that because they
have one slip up they should continue to eat bad for the remainder of the day.
If you find yourself falling off of your plan, dust yourself off and start fresh
the next day.
-Treat
yourself! The more you deprive yourself of the things you love the more it will
be a temptation for you to OVER eat the things you love.
-Find a
workout that you enjoy. If you love what you are doing, you will work harder at
achieving your goals because you are actually enjoying it.
-Most
importantly don’t give up on yourself. Don’t rush the process. Try and think of
it as a life style change rather than a Diet!
Cee: Toss Up: If you could be anything in the world
what would it be and why?
Nekita: Inspiring
and motivating people like me is my new passion. If I could be anything today,
I would be a life coach/personal trainer specializing in weight loss and
obesity. I would love to work with women of all ages not just in the gym, but
also aiding with getting their lives back and living life to the fullest.
Cee: Where
can people find you for more on your weight loss journey?
Nekita: You can
find me on Facebook my name is Nekita Shelton. I hope to form a website as well
as write a book on my weight loss journey, more information to come.
Thank you
