Interview: Nekita Shelton Sheds 151 pounds!!

Nekita Shelton


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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.

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