I Lost 90 Pounds but Didn't Get Healthy Until I Gained Back 30

When I was in fifth grade, I dislocated my hip and had to have surgery. Two years later, I had to have my other hip done because they weren't fused together. All that surgery made playing sports impossible, so I never really learned how to work out.

On top of my super-low activity level, my family ate a lot of fast food. And, in general, eating felt like a hobby to me.

During my sophomore year of high school, the Atkins diet became popular. Since I weighed around 190, my mom and I decided to do it. I lost about 15 pounds. But when I got to college, I gained it back.

When I was at school, I tried weight-loss supplements and skipping meals, but I never lost any weight.

During my junior year of college, I developed a thyroid issue. My doctor said I was pre-diabetic.

I was done trying fad diets and pills. I vowed to get up in the morning and do at least 20 minutes of exercise at the gym, six times a week.

To ease into it, I said, "I'll just go to the gym for 20 minutes and see how I feel." Trust me, there were a lot of times when I didn't work out longer than that. But just getting up and going helped set a standard for myself. (Start your weight-loss journey with Women's Health's Body Clock Diet.)

Since I didn't have a trainer, and had very little experience working out, I used the Nike Training Club app and found high-intensity interval training workouts from fitness magazines. I also discovered a Zumba class that I really liked. I went in, had fun, and danced. It was the first group workout I'd ever done.

I read up on nutrition, and it looked like eating smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day was a successful strategy for a lot of people. So I started eating six meals a day. It helped me stay on track, because waiting a long time between each meal made me want to eat more.

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Usually, I had an omelet and protein shake for breakfast, a protein bar for a snack, and chicken salad or soup for lunch. Since I love carbs, I didn't want to limit myself, but I tried to cut back where possible. I made sure that I ate quality carbohydrates, not fast food or Pop Tarts.

When I decided to lose weight, I wrote down my goals. I wanted to eat fruits, veggies, and lean protein every day and work out six times a week. I put that paper on the fridge so I would see it all the time.

I also decided not to weigh myself anymore. I knew my health depended more on my actions than my weight.

Three months later, I stepped on the scale and realized that I'd lost 34 pounds. That motivated me to keep going because my habits actually worked.

Besides going to the gym, I started running with some women who were training for a marathon. I didn't want to at first, but I decided to give it a shot. I started running from one light pole to the next, and then I'd walk. I kept that up until I could run three or four miles without stopping.

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After I lost about 50 pounds and running became easier, I started thinking about running a half-marathon. Running with women who had a goal like me kept me going.

After a year, I'd lost 90 pounds. But my health was not in a good place. Though I weighed 134 pounds, which is healthy for my height, my skin was cracking and my hair was thinning.

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After working with a trainer, I realized that my weight isn't what I should be focusing on. My health is most important. After that, I spoke to a nutritionist who said I needed to start adding more calories back into my diet. What I was doing up until that point wasn't sustainable.

Now that I'm at 165, my doctor says my thyroid is the healthiest it's been. My skin, hair, and nails are also in great shape.

When I first started going to the gym, I was a little intimidated. So I started a blog about my struggles. I decided to write about the things that I could do during a workout. I realized that I could be better every day. It helped me stay accountable, and to share what I learn through my workouts. Over time, people started writing to me about how the things I shared motivated them to get in shape.

It gives me goose bumps knowing that others are motivated by my journey and healthy habits.

Surround yourself with others who encourage and challenge you along on your fitness journey. Never say "can't" and don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something.