She skipped the soda, and changed her life.
A New Mexico woman is feeling stronger than ever after embracing exercise and losing 125 pounds in just one year. The fitness fanatic now shuns soda — as she used to drink eight cans each day — and follows a more balanced diet to fuel her workouts and healthier lifestyle.
MAN BEGAN 220-POUND WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY BY ONLY EATING 1 TYPE OF UNSEASONED VEGETABLE
Vivian McCall weighed 273 pounds in September 2019, and knew something had to change when she struggled to get comfortable in an airplane seat during a trip to California, news agency South West News Service (SWNS) reports.
“I couldn't fit in the seat... I knew I had to do something," the 24-year-old explained.
McCall, a venture capitalist, said she turned to food for comfort following the death of her parents.
“I was grief-eating hardcore. I don’t even think I drank water,” the Ruidoso woman said. “I would skip breakfast every day and by lunch I’d be starving.”
Dining on a diet of fast food, McCall said she’d hit McDonald’s for lunch, ordering a Big ‘N Tasty hamburger with a large side of fries and a large Coke. For dinner, she’d eat an extra-large double-stuffed burrito, a taco and cinnamon balls from Taco Bell.
“For snacks, it’d be barbecue chips,” she continued. “I could eat a pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream very easily in one sitting.”
After deciding to make a change, McCall got serious about sticking to an exercise routine.
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“Now, I go to the gym six days a week with a rest day on Sunday,” she said. “I’m big into weightlifting and I do 30 minutes of cardio every day.”
“I also run three miles on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday nights outside the gym.”
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McCall also switched it up in the kitchen by quitting soda and gluten, and now follows a fasting schedule for meals.
“I have eight hours of eating, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., followed by 16 hours of fasting,” she explained. “I work out every morning at the end of my fast.”
After her morning sweat, the gym-goer will drink a fruit smoothie with mixed berries, almond milk, and protein powder around 10 a.m. For lunch, she’ll have a small snack of meat, cheese, fruit and nuts with a protein bar. Later in the day, McCall will have a cheese stick or piece of jerky, and enjoy a steak or chicken with vegetables for dinner.
The hard work has paid off, and McCall made remarkable strides almost immediately on her journey to a healthier lifestyle.
“I lost about 40 pounds every three months for the first nine months,” she recalled.
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Feeling healthy and well, McCall now has her sights set on running a half marathon in the future.
“I’m just trying to make myself better every day,” she said.