Accepting one's own body type is great, but choosing a lifestyle that might make you obese is not. Overweight can lead to a number of health problems. Such was the case of Ashleigh Butcher from New Zealand, who was told by a doctor that she might get a heart attack, diabetes or even die because of overweight.
Butcher visited the doctor five to six years ago and weighed 368 pounds (167 kilograms) then. After bringing in some change in her diet and routine, the 26-year-old was able to shed around 175 pounds (80 kilograms) in a matter of a few years.
Butcher told news.com.au: "His [Doctor's] words gave me one very big shock and I sat down and had to think about what I was doing to myself at that point in time."
However, weight loss process wasn't easy for her. The doctor's statement scared her so much that she googled all possible diets and weight loss procedures available. She said: "I tried everything that I thought would be a quick fix — weight watchers, juice diets, Atkins."
She tried out all for a year but couldn't make much headway. In some cases, she would lose some weight but it would go straight back on after a few days.
So, she went to her doctor again and she was offered medical alternatives, including diet pills. "Personally I didn't want to go down that path," said Butcher.
So, she tried out something else. She gave away her habit of eating only two large fast food meal – once at 2 pm and another at 10 pm. She used to skip breakfast. Determined to bring down her weight, Butcher changed her routine and started the day with a meal replacement shake. Within three weeks, she lost 22 pounds (10 kilograms). She also started walking 30 minutes every morning and 30 minutes every night. In six months, she lost 33 pounds (15 kilograms).
She also joined a gym and has been going there for two years now. "I have had a trainer ever since I started. For me, having a trainer is so important ... if it wasn't for them I don't think I would have been able to keep going," she said. Her trainer added a healthy eating routine to her regimen and she eventually stopped eating fast food.
"I don't do the meal replacement shakes anymore, I just eat real food," she told news.com.au. "For breakfast, I have oats or egg whites. For morning tea I'll have a small tin of tuna and 10 almonds. Then for lunch, I'll have 200g of chicken with half a cup of broccoli. My afternoon snack is a scoop of protein powder with some almond milk and 10 almonds. Dinner is 200g of chicken or fish with 300g of green vegetables."
She barely consumes sugar but drinks orange juice or a couple of pieces of dark chocolates sometimes.
