A woman who was once too overweight to sit in a chair gained new-found confidence after she dropped over 150 pounds.
Danielle Hoshia, 26, who had been obese since childhood, lived to eat and would often spend two hours over lunch on a deit that was from from healthy.
But Danielle decided ‘enough was enough’ at 21 stone when she realised she was too big to sit in an ordinary chair and doctors revealed she had high cholesterol was pre-diabetic.
Tax accountant Danielle, from Hoboken, New Jersey, said: “I was obese my whole life from when I was a kid. In college, I gained a lot of weight in a short amount of time.
“If I went for breakfast I’d spend two hours there. I never cared about calories. The dining hall was buffet style. I’d wake up and eat bacon, eggs, and toast, but three times the normal portion.
“I didn’t know how much I was eating. Once I started tracking what I ate, I realized what I was putting into my body. I was so overweight I couldn’t sit in a chair.”
Danielle, who at her heaviest weighed in at 295 pounds, made a New Year resolution and downloaded a fitness app.
She said: “I went to the doctor and was told it’s not about my appearance anymore, but my health. I had pre-diabetes and I was at risk for high cholesterol.
“It was a New Year’s Resolution. I downloaded My Fitness Pal and had to stick to certain calories and find healthy foods. I pretty much ate the same things I was already eating, just much less.
“I’d wake up and eat oatmeal with banana and go to the gym for a few hours. At lunch, I’d have this huge eight egg white omelet.
“Now, I limit myself to two high calorie meals and do intermittent fasting. I like to eat a lot, so I have breakfast and dinner and fast from around 8am to 6pm.
“I also carb cycle, having one high carb day for every two low carb days.”
Danielle also got into exercise. She started off slowly and built up her routine as she became fitter.
She added: “In the beginning, I physically couldn’t do anything. I started out slow. I knew I’d have to be easy on myself.
“I slowly started using the elliptical. I would go on for 45-60 minutes everyday for about three months. After that, I’d lost 50 or so pounds.
“I then downloaded the Couch to 5k the app. I completed the app in two to three months and I was able to run a 5k in 30 minutes.
“After I broke the 200 pound mark, I reached out to my friend and asked if she could teach me how to strength train.
“After I got into lifting, we started getting ready for races. First we did a 5k. Then we did an 8k, a 10k, before finally completing a half marathon.”
Danielle now weighs under 135 lbs and is brimming with confidence.
She said: “I was super insecure prior to losing weight and really just kept to myself. But right now, I’m focusing on my career.”