![\"Julie](\"https:\/\/www.dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Julie-Wilson-beforeafter.jpg\")
<\/a>More from Julie in her own words –<\/p>\nWhat habits specifically led you to gain weight?<\/strong>\u00a0I always ate very fast and my portions were out of control. I didn\u2019t know how to eat \u201cone\u201d of anything. While I have always loved vegetables, they were few and far between. I remember coming home after middle school and eating a box of macaroni and cheese for a snack along with two hot dogs. Then, I would eat dinner.<\/span><\/p>\n I was an athlete in middle school and high school, playing basketball, soccer, and throwing shot put – so I justified my eating. In high school, I got a job at McDonald\u2019s where I worked for 5 years and gained 80 lbs.<\/p>\n What caused you to realize you needed to change?<\/strong>\u00a0On December 12, 2026, I looked at my newborn daughter and promised her I would be an example for her. I had to do this for good.<\/p>\n How did you lose the weight?<\/strong> I started by tracking my food on My Fitness Pal. As time went on, I realized I needed to change the types of food I was eating. I ate smaller portions, drank more water, and started exercising.<\/p>\n What diet and exercise methods did you employ?<\/strong> I started my journey differently than my previous attempts. I vowed to keep my faith in God and trust him for strength. I tracked my food, pushed the baby in the stroller, did Taebo videos at home, and found a love for running. After losing 80 pounds, I joined a gym.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Did you have any “ah ha” moments?<\/strong> Two years after holding my loss of 80 pounds, I realized that my fears in my life, socially and physically all centered on my belief in myself. I was so fearful about new situations, making phone calls, interacting with others, and attempting big goals.\u00a0I’ve learned how to live a life of freedom.<\/p>\n Biggest struggle in your journey?<\/strong>\u00a0It’s been four years since the beginning of my journey and I still have so many daily battles with food. The biggest struggle for me is eating on the weekend. I have learned how to get back on track when I fall off, and that has helped me stay focused on the journey.<\/p>\n Biggest triumphs?<\/strong> I completed my first full marathon on October 18,2026! I ran the entire race with a time of 5 hours and 37 minutes. At one time, I couldn\u2019t even run a quarter of a mile, but that day I ran 26.2 miles.<\/p>\n Current\/future goals?<\/strong>\u00a0I do plan to run my first Spartan race with teammates from my obstacle course racing team – The Cornfed Spartans. It’s a group made up of 3,000 people across the world.<\/p>\n When I started my journey, Austin Andrews from The Biggest Loser<\/em> (Season 11) was one of my biggest inspirations. Years later, we connected on Twitter. Now I work for Ken and Austin Andrews at RetrofitMinistries.com<\/a><\/strong> overseeing challenges while helping others find hope and lose weight.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Also Read:<\/strong><\/p>\n Greta Funk Lost Over 50 Pounds With Running and Portion Control<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Kim Heinz Lost 60 Pounds – I Just Got Tired of Feeling Bad About Myself<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Eli Sapharti Lost 105 Pounds – From Fat Boy to Fit Man<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Julie Wilson lost and gained the same pounds for years. Finally, she decided to take a new approach. One night she made a quiet vow to her young daughter, asked for strength from God and then took baby steps toward … Continue reading