After years of looking for the weight loss “quick fix,” Ginnie Wade realized there was no shortcut, just hard work. Instead of joining an expensive gym or eating pricey organic food, her journey to a healthier life started with a ten dollar DVD. Now, 55 pounds lighter, Ginnie says she’s learned a lot and “really enjoyed the journey – mostly.”
Tell me when your weight struggles began. I started to put on weight when I was working as a dog groomer in my early 20’s. I didn’t get much exercise and would go home exhausted and eat whatever I could find or stop and get fast food. Then I had my first child and gained about 60 pounds. I stayed home with her and found myself around food all day. When I was bored, I would eat.
I was able to lose most of the weight at a local gym, but not long after I got to my goal weight, I started putting the weight back on. I only changed temporary things and went right back to my old lifestyle.
What caused you to realize you needed to change? One day my sister and I went shopping for a dress and nothing fit. I couldn’t understand why. That day my sister gave me painful but needed advice, “You’re fat and you need to do something about it.” I had been hearing the same thing from my doctor. After hearing it from my sister I knew I finally needed to make some changes.
How did you lose the weight? I purchased a 9.99 fitness DVD at Walmart. Even though the DVD had been there collecting dust for a year, I brushed it off and popped it in the VCR. I started slow and did what I could, aiming for three days a week. I downloaded the MyFitnessPal app on my phone. That helped me stay on track eating real food.
Did you have any “ah ha” moments along the way? I kept looking for that special formula (diet pills, shakes, anything where I didn’t have to put in the work). I finally realized I would just have to put one foot in front of the other and take it day by day. That’s when things finally began to click.
Counting my calories was also a HUGE eye opener. After a couple weeks of eating the recommended calorie intake, it seemed my body and stomach adjusted and it wasn’t so hard.
Biggest struggle in your journey? The biggest struggle in my journey was realizing that there wasn’t an overnight magic pill. I always loved to ask people, ‘how did you do it,’ hoping there was another way. When I got over that and put the time and effort in, things got better.
Biggest Triumph? Learning how to run and doing my first 5k last year. It felt amazing to be able to realize the capabilities of this amazing gift from God, my body!
Current/future goals? My biggest goal that hasn’t changed since I started. I want to maintain this lifestyle. I plan to run my first half marathon in October with my husband and church. We are running for an orphanage in Thailand. It feels fantastic to use my gift of fitness to bless others.
Advice you’d give to other people struggling to lose weight? Just start, do what you can with what you have. Get out there, get moving and try to be more aware of what you eat.
Also Read:
Kristy Brock Lost 93 Pounds After She was Diagnosed with Celiac Disease and Started Running
Jennifer Anderson Lost 154 Pounds When She Traded a Love of Food for a Love of Running
Alan Ali Lost 140 Pounds – “My weight doesn’t define me.”