A 28-year-old woman has lost 150lbs after her middle-aged mum outshone her during a hike. Danielle from Milwaukee, Wisconsin struggled with her weight since a young age. Due to bullying Danielle became very introverted - and found comfort in food, consuming around 3,000 calories a day. At her heaviest, Danielle weighed 340lbs and struggled to find clothes that fit her larger frame. The first time Danielle tried to lose weight was in 2015, in preparation for her sister’s wedding - but after the wedding she lost her motivation. It wasn’t until a hiking trip with her mum and sister Kelsey that Danielle decided to change her life around. Danielle began a strict diet and exercise regime and over a year lost an amazing 150lbs. Five years after her sister’s wedding, Danielle tries on the very same bridesmaid’s dress she wore on that day.
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00:00 At my heaviest weight I weighed 340.8 pounds.
00:05 There were a lot of occasions where I just made fun of my weight and it definitely hits home.
00:10 I was always a shy and introvert because of that.
00:13 I lost 150 pounds in about a year.
00:16 Here's the bridesmaid's dress.
00:18 Honestly, now when I look back at these pictures I'm like, "Who is that?"
00:28 How would you describe your weight/size over the years?
00:32 I've been overweight ever since I was a kid.
00:35 I don't think it got bad until my last two years of high school.
00:39 My eating and drinking habits were very poor.
00:41 I consumed probably upwards of 3,000 calories a day.
00:46 I was bullied. I was told I should be drinking slim fast.
00:49 There were a lot of occasions where I just made fun of my weight and it definitely hits home.
00:54 I was always a shy and introvert because of that.
00:57 How did bullies treat Danielle?
00:59 Bullies treated Danielle kind of rough.
01:04 We would go shopping and she would never find anything.
01:08 She didn't really have as many options as I did.
01:12 I guess I just didn't realize how difficult it was for her or how hard it was for her to find things that flattered her.
01:18 The first substantial time when I tried losing weight was for my sister's wedding.
01:23 My other sister and I were bridesmaids and we had these very nice black dresses.
01:28 I lost a good 40 for the wedding.
01:30 But once the wedding happened, my motivation slipped.
01:36 This picture is from my graduation from my master's.
01:41 Isn't that crazy how big my arm was there?
01:45 Or my chin.
01:47 Look at your fingers. Even your fingers look bigger.
01:51 Here's the bridesmaid's dress.
01:54 See how tight it was right here?
01:58 Crazy. I swear I don't even remember you being that big.
02:02 Me neither. Honestly.
02:05 Now when I look back at these pictures I'm like, "Who is that?"
02:09 Yeah, you're not even the same person.
02:13 The turning point for me to lose weight was when I was on a trip in Kentucky with my mom and my sister.
02:19 We went hiking up this rock formation.
02:23 There was one point where I had to lift myself up with my body weight.
02:26 It took me so long to do it.
02:29 I even had to stop and take a break and let people pass me.
02:32 It was really embarrassing.
02:34 I saw my sister do it with ease.
02:36 I saw my 50-something-year-old mom do it with ease.
02:39 At that point I knew it was me.
02:43 I was very, very strict with myself.
02:46 I didn't really allow myself cheat meals for the first nine months or so.
02:50 Then I kind of loosened the reins a little bit.
02:53 When I was 340 pounds I wasn't able to exercise in the way that I am now.
02:58 I wasn't able to run.
03:00 The most I did at the gym for the first two months of my journey was 30 minutes on the elliptical and a couple dumbbell exercises for my arms.
03:09 Now though I'm able to run about three to four miles a day.
03:14 I work out five days a week.
03:18 It varies, but I'm very able-bodied in what I'm able to do now, which is very different from when I was 340 pounds.
03:24 At my heaviest weight I weighed 340.8 pounds.
03:34 I lost 150 pounds in about a year.
03:37 I'm very happy with where I am right now.
03:40 A healthy lifestyle is important to me because it allows me to live the life that I want to.
03:46 It allows me to be active.
03:49 I knew I would have excess skin. I just didn't know how much.
03:53 A lot of my excess skin is in my stomach.
03:56 As you can see, I have a lot on my thighs.
04:00 I can literally lift my thigh up and this is all excess skin.
04:06 I'd rather have five pounds of loose skin versus being morbidly obese.
04:12 I think that documenting myself on Instagram as a form of accountability has definitely helped inspire some people along the way.
04:20 I get people that message me on Instagram stating that I've motivated them.
04:24 I've helped inspire them to start their weight loss journey and that just means the absolute world to me.
04:33 I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Danielle in her bridesmaid's dress again.
04:38 Alright, here it is. Look at how huge it is.
04:45 That's how much extra we got going on here.
04:50 I really did not realize how big she was at the time and how much weight she's lost.
04:57 Has she changed since she lost the weight and how?
05:01 It's okay. I'm crying too.
05:11 I have definitely seen a change in Danielle since she's lost the weight because she is a different person now.
05:19 She's outgoing, she's free spirited, she really is a completely different person.
05:25 You think you're being this emotional, don't you?
05:29 It would have been nice to know these damn questions.
05:34 I let you know them.
05:35 You did not.
05:36 Losing 150 pounds is not an easy task to do but if you're hesitant or you're wanting to change your life but you just don't have the motivation or you don't know how to start,
05:44 all I can say is get started the next day, don't wait, get going and get moving.
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