Woman Who Gained Up To 230 Pounds Shares Simple ‘Lifestyle Changes’ She Made To Lose Nearly 90 Pounds

One woman who weighed 230 pounds after struggling to adjust to motherhood shared how she lost nearly 90 pounds in a year by making a few simple “lifestyle changes.”

Lauren Polinskey, 27, of Van Buren, Arkansas, faced a slew of mental health issues after welcoming her first child, son John, in 2018.

The stay-at-home mom said she became “deeply lonely” and “miserable” while trying to care for her newborn who was diagnosed with epilepsy and would have daily seizures, while also keeping track of her own health.

Her weight soon increased to over 200 pounds, but when the coronavirus pandemic hit in early 2020, it proved to be the wake-up call she needed.

Lauren decided to turn her life around and put herself first – she divorced her husband and went on a “mission to be happy and healthy again.”

She then lost 87 pounds in a year — and she credits her impressive transformation with two easy upgrades — getting active and cutting out a few unhealthy foods.

While talking to News week recently, Lauren recalled falling into a depression in the months following the birth of her son.

‘I felt so deeply lonely and like a bird in a house. I hated my life and my outside became a reflection of my inside,” she said.

My mental health hit rock bottom so I filed for divorce and started taking care of my own needs again after neglecting them for so long.

“I always put others first, but I never took the time to take care of my own needs. It took an absolutely broken person to say, “Forget this, life is too short to be miserable.”

‘I [then made] a complete lifestyle change, inside and out. I had a mission to be happy and healthy again.’

As for how she lost weight, Lauren explained that the key to her success wasn’t participating in things like “temporary diets” or trying to change everything all at once, but instead focusing on smaller, more long-term steps to improve. the way she lived.

She started with neighborhood walks and short home workouts — and within five weeks, she lost 17 pounds.

Lauren then started tracking how many calories she consumed daily and reduced her intake of sugar and carbohydrates.

She also started drinking more water and eliminated caffeine.

“I hit a few plateaus, and with each one I added a new lifestyle change or healthy habit to get the scale rolling again,” she continued.

“During the first plateau, I increased my water to half a liter.

‘Then I started counting calories and eating with a calorie deficit.

“Counting calories really opened my eyes to how my weight had gotten so out of control.

“I drank 1,200 calories in coffee and hazelnut creamer alone.”

She added that she now avoids foods such as “bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and dairy products” and has found “delicious” but “healthier substitutes” for all of them.

The Arkansas native has documented her impressive weight loss journey online and has become a viral star along the way, with more than 427,000 followers on her TikTok account.

Now she hopes sharing her story online will inspire others to get in shape like her.

“I hope other women know that they’re not past their prime and that it’s possible to brighten up at any age and after having babies,” she concluded.

“All it takes is saying ‘enough is enough’ and realizing that self-care is extremely important.

“Sometimes I find it hard to believe that I am not where I was. [I now] fits a size four – and it’s a reminder that I can do anything I set my mind to.

“I love myself and regret neglecting my needs as much as I did. I’m proud of myself for pushing my way out of the depressed, obese hole I was drowning in.”