A 28-year-old woman has revealed how she lost 150lbs after her middle-aged mother outshone her on a hike – and made her realize that she needed to take drastic action to improve her health by weight loss.
Danielle from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, had struggled with her weight since a young age, and faced cruel taunts from her classmates when she was growing up, revealing that she was told to go on diets and mocked when she had to wear a leotard for gymnastics.
‘So in grade school and growing up, I was bullied a few times,’ she told Truly. ‘I was told I should be drinking Slimfast, I shouldn’t be running around – even though running around is probably what I should have been doing.
Transformed: A 28-year-old woman has revealed how she lost a staggering 150lbs, after struggling with her weight for years
Slimmed down: At her heaviest, Danielle, from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, tipped the scales at 340lbs, before finally transforming her lifestyle
Fighting fit: Danielle realized she needed to make a change when she went on a hike with her middle-aged mother and her sister, and was left trailing behind, unable to keep up
Struggles: The 28-year-old, pictured recently, faced years of bullying over her weight, and she admits that the taunts made her become incredibly introverted
‘I was told in gymnastics that I was too big to be wearing a leotard.
‘There were a lot of occasions where I kind of was made fun of for my weight and it definitely hits home.
‘I’ve been overweight ever since I was a kid. But I don’t think it got bad until my last two years of high school.’
Due to the bullying, Danielle became very introverted – and found comfort in food, which caused her to gain even more weight.
‘My eating and drinking habits were very poor. I consumed probably upwards of 3,000 calories a day,’ she shared.
For her family, watching Danielle being treated so horribly by bullies was hard to see, with her sister, Kelsey, saying: ‘Bullies treated Danielle kind of rough.’
At her heaviest, Danielle weighed 340lbs and struggled to find clothes that fit her larger frame – which affected shopping trips with her sister.
‘We would go shopping and she would never find anything,’ Kelsey said. ‘She didn’t really have as many options as I did.
Family first: Danielle, pictured left with her mom and sister before her weight loss, first tried to get fit for her sister’s wedding, but as soon as the event was over, she piled on weight again
Motivation: She says that the tipping point for her was going on a hike with her family, when she was left trailing behind, unable to catch her breath and keep up
Overcoming obstacles: Danielle was left with a lot of excess skin after her weight loss, but she says she’s never felt better about her body
A new woman! ‘She’s outgoing, she’s free spirited, she really is a completely different person,’ Kelsey said about her sibling
‘I guess I just didn’t realize how difficult it was for her, or how hard it was for her to find things that flattered her.’
The first time Danielle tried to lose weight was in 2015, in preparation for her sister’s wedding.
Danielle said: ‘I then weighed around 320lbs, I lost a good 40lbs for the wedding.
‘But once the wedding happened, my motivation slipped.’
It wasn’t until a hiking trip with her mom and sister Kelsey that Danielle decided to change her life around.
‘The turning point for me to lose weight was when I was on a trip in Kentucky with my mom and my sister, and we went hiking up this rock formation,’ she recalled.
‘There was one point where I had to lift myself up with my bodyweight and it took me so long to do it.
‘I even had to stop and take a break and let people pass me. And it was really embarrassing.
Shrinking: Danielle lost 40lbs in anticipation of her sister’s wedding, during which she was a bridesmaid (left), however her recent weight loss has seen her shrink far beyond that (right)
Get going: When she was at her heaviest, Danielle was eating 3,000 calories a day, however she dramatically reduced her intake in order to lose weight
Strict: She revealed that she kept herself on an incredibly rigorous food regimen, and didn’t allow herself to indulge in a cheat meal for nine months
Focus: ‘I didn’t really allow myself cheat meals for the first like nine months or so,’ she said
‘I saw my sister do it with ease. I saw my 50-something year-old mom do it with ease.’
Danielle began a strict diet and exercise regime and over a year lost an amazing 150lbs.
She said: ‘I was very, very strict with myself.
‘I didn’t really allow myself cheat meals for the first like nine months or so.’
Five years after her sister’s wedding, Danielle tried on the very same bridesmaid’s dress she wore on that day.
The large dress swamped her now smaller frame.
‘I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw Danielle in her bridesmaids dress again,’ Kelsey shared.
‘I really did not realize how big she was at the time and how much weight she’s lost.’
Changes: Danielle revealed that she was left with a lot of excess skin on her body, sharing, ‘A lot of my excess skin is in my stomach. I have a lot on my thighs’
Motivation: Danielle wants to spread her message of perseverance and positivity to anyone else trying to lose weight
Words of wisdom: ‘Get moving, you don’t want to prolong it. Each day that goes by that’s more time you’re preventing yourself from living your fullest life,’ she said
However, due to the amount of weight Danielle lost in a short time, she was left with a large amount of excess skin
‘A lot of my excess skin is in my stomach. I have a lot on my thighs,’ she explained.
Her sister Kelsey has seen a huge change in Danielle since her incredible transformation.
She said: ‘I have definitely seen a change in Danielle since she’s lost the weight.
‘She’s outgoing, she’s free-spirited, she really is a completely different person.’
Danielle wants to spread her message of perseverance and positivity to anyone else trying to lose weight.
She said: ‘Get moving, you don’t want to prolong it.
‘Each day that goes by that’s more time you’re preventing yourself from living your fullest life.’
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