By Liana Jacob
MEET the former shut-in who used to feel so insecure about her weight that she never left the house and has since lost over SEVEN-STONE in just a year becoming an adventurer due to her weight lifting routine and slender physique.
Assistant property manager, Yesenia Lopez (23), came from a humble background and has always considered herself as overweight at 20st and a UK size 28.
Her weight made her feel insecure and depressed that she refrained from leaving the house and while she did exercise before, she would focus on cardio.
After two years of staying away from any scales, she weighed herself. When she stepped on the scale, she cried. This spurred her to change her unhealthy lifestyle and focus more on weight lifting rather than cardio. This helped her shrink to a svelte 12st 10Ibs and UK size 14.
Before she would consume 1,200 calories of mainly junk food, whereas now she has increased her calorie intake to 1,700 focusing on nutritional food.
“We grew up poor, without much. I always felt like an outsider and very shy because of my weight. I hated my body and the way I looked,” Yesenia said.
“I have always been overweight since I was a kid. I was extremely depressed and never really left the house. I hadn’t weighed myself for two years.
“I knew I was overweight, but I didn’t realise how overweight I really was. When I stepped on the scale and seeing two-hundred-and-eighty pounds on the screen, I cried.
“I couldn’t believe how much I had let myself go and how unhealthy I was. I actually started with Herbalife shakes.
“I didn’t exercise until six months after, as I was too intimidated. I would eat healthy and after the six months, I did cardio at the gym.
“Now I feel extremely confident. I go out all the time; I’m very social now and don’t hide. I feel so beautiful and while I would like to lose more weight, I love my body and how I feel – it’s incredible.
“I eat completely different now. I ordered out every day when I was overweight, I now cook at home and eat a ton of vegetables and protein. I also lift weights.”
With her weight loss success, Yesenia’s motivation has driven her to lose more weight, but says that the transition of changing her usual routine of diet and exercise was the toughest part.
Yesenia, from Connecticut, USA, now has a protein shake in the morning, snacks until lunch time when she prepares her meal, then snacks again until dinner time when she prepares a healthy meal for herself.
While she used to focus only on cardio before, she now dedicates 20 percent of her exercise to cardio, and the remaining 80 percent on weight lifting.
“The change of lifestyle, going from eating whatever I wanted to have to think carefully about what I need to eat has been a challenge,” Yesenia said.
“I now eat because I need to, not because I want to for enjoyment. Most people don’t even recognise me and when they do, they are in total shock. They don’t even believe it’s me, which is an incredible feeling.
“My advice would be to just do it. Stay focused and think of it as a new life for you; you have to want it for you to see results and continue with it.
“If you fall off, get back on and don’t give up. We all go through things but be strong and you can do it.”
For more information visit: https://www.instagram.com/queenx.vy/
