A woman shows off her incredible weight loss transformation after embarking on her ‘revenge body journey’ after her long-term relationship ended in heartbreak.
Josie Varela, from Los Angeles, California, USA, has lost over 160 lbs (72.5kg) in total and has never felt so confident and happy.
After her partner of four years ended the relationship over her weight, she decided to put herself first and completely change her life.
Josie said: “My heartbreak was my motivation. Every time I wanted to give up, I would remind myself of every time my ex humiliated me and that would motivate me even more.”
At her heaviest, Josie weighed 320 lbs (145.1kg) and has battled with her weight her entire life.
She has experienced bullying from a young age and was even treated poorly by her own boyfriend because of her size.
She decided to use the experience as her motivation to turn her life around and lost over 160 lbs (72.5kg) in the space of just two years.
In the beginning, Josie joined the gym but felt that she didn’t know what she was doing, and so she hired a personal trainer which helped her to gain confidence in her workouts.
She started going to the gym six days a week, focusing on both strength training and cardio, and on her rest days she would go on a hike or a long walk by the beach near her home.
Josie was also still able to enjoy foods that she enjoyed, but in moderation and made her diet flexible.
She explained: “I still ate foods that I loved but in moderation.
“One thing I did quit doing was having fast food every single day which helped me so much.”
Josie would track her calories and spend time cooking fresh meals at home as opposed to having fast food every day.
Josie claims that the highlight of her journey was finding herself and gaining confidence and strength.
She is now focusing on growing her online coaching programme which she intends to use to help other women on their fitness journeys – www.dropitwithjosie.com.
She said: “My journey started as ‘from the girl he didn’t want to the girl he can never have’, but later down the line I realised that it was never about him, it was about me and finding myself and my true happiness.
“My overall goal was to lose 100 lbs, and I ended up losing over 160 lbs. It took me around two years and I lost it naturally, no surgeries, no supplements, no medications.”
“My ex-partner cheated on me, took advantage of me financially, once he didn’t need me anymore he left me with a broken heart.
“This led me to do something for myself. After years of doing things for others, it was time to put myself first.
“Hiring a personal trainer was a scary investment at first but then I thought to myself, if I can spend money on an ex that didn’t love me why can’t I spend that money on myself.
“My personal trainer helped me tremendously as well as my parents, which were my support system.”
Josie added: “The best part of my journey was finding myself. I lost myself for many years. When I began my weight-loss journey I didn’t realise I was also beginning my self-love journey.
“I fell in love with taking care of myself, I fell in love with my solidarity. I gained strength and self-confidence.
“My new goal is also to grow my online coaching program for women who are just starting their fitness journey.
“To whoever is embarking on a fitness journey I want to tell them sometimes you will feel stuck, lost, or discouraged. You have to keep pushing through.
After her weight loss journey, Josie praises the importance of patience, trusting the process and not giving up on yourself.