Simply Elevate September 2014 | Page 31

Inspiration Life can’t “weight” Story By & Model: Uraina Storey Photos By: Danta Simonsen Makeup artist: Sam Phafong If this girl can do it, you can too! In January 2012 I stepped on the scale and it read 354. I couldn’t believe that I was less than 50 pounds away from hitting a whopping 400 pounds! I was shocked, disgusted and most of all disappointed with myself. That was the day I decided my journey to weight loss begins now! I researched different diets (low carb, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig), I even considered gastric bypass but I decided to go with weight watchers since it had worked in the past. Although I was able to lose about 20 pounds, that program was short lived. But there was one thing that I incorporated in January that did last, ZUMBA! I fell in love with Zumba almost immediately. I was dancing, having a great time AND losing weight. So I kept it up. I introduced myself to the instructor and told her that she’d be seeing more of me (this was my way of making me accountable). I began meeting people on this same journey and I enjoyed going to the gym, I enjoyed seeing people’s success and most of all I loved the way I felt when I completed a workout; accomplished, successful, fierce. I was more aware what I ate but I wasn’t truly aware of how much I was eating, all I really knew was salads were good for me and so was subway, lol, I laugh because it’s funny to know that I was so naive to all the options the world has to offer (but this is something a lot of people are guilty of). I steered clear of fried foods, pastas, potatoes and I tried my best to limits sweets (this was my biggest challenge). www.simplyelevate.com 31