RLRF: What mindset did you have to begin your weight loss journey knowing that it would not be easy?
Dawn Ali: I believed that I was going to die, if I did not change. That gave me the burning desire I needed to become successful, and that burning desire forced me to make a decision. Do it, or die. Therefore, I did it.
RLRF: How did you start on your weight loss path?
Dawn Ali: At the age of 45, I woke up homeless, living in a rundown motel. The kind of place you see in the scary movies where you do not want to be after sundown, lol. Anyway, I woke up one morning and noticed my feet and ankles were swollen. After doing some research, I learned that I was having kidney and heart issues. My journey began then.
RLRF: How did you know what you needed to do? Did you seek professional assistance?
Dawn Ali: I did not seek a professional because I did not have the money for it. However, from my reading I learned that my problem was more than likely too much daily sodium intake. Therefore, I started my journey to not lose weight, but get healthier. I started making what I believe was wiser choices with my food purchases, such as: buying frozen dinners for the microwave because I did not have a stove, that were low sodium. I started eating more fruits and vegetables. I also started buying foods that were whole grain, such as brown rice, 100% whole wheat bread, and whole grain cereal.
RLRF: Did you have any obstacles along the way that you came across and how did you overcome them?
Dawn Ali: I finally had to get out of denial that I needed to lose weight. I wanted to get healthier, but I did not want to release the excess fat. The excess fat is the stored up toxins aka poison, that was causing the health issues in the first place. So I was trying to get healthier, but not doing the full lifestyle change that it takes to release the weight. In other words, I wanted to keep doing what I had been doing, but adding a few minor changes, such as low sodium frozen meals. I was not “all-in” which is what it takes. Once I became “all-in”, I released 70 pounds finally.
RLRF: Did you have a support system throughout your weight loss process?
Dawn Ali: No, not at all. I did not have anyone else who wanted to be on my journey with me at that time. In fact, I stopped my social life, and stayed to myself as much as possible so that I could spend time working on myself inside and out as much as possible. I did not want or need the distractions, and others tempting me to eat like them.
RLRF: How did you feel as you began to shed the weight?
Dawn Ali: I felt amazingly empowered. My confidence increased, and I began to feel like I could accomplish anything.
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