{"id":48844,"date":"2015-01-20T12:42:12","date_gmt":"2015-01-20T17:42:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fitzness.com\/blog\/?p=48844"},"modified":"2015-02-27T16:59:14","modified_gmt":"2015-02-27T21:59:14","slug":"amazing-weight-loss-deedra-kerby","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fitzness.com\/blog\/amazing-weight-loss-deedra-kerby\/","title":{"rendered":"Amazing Weight Loss: How Deedra Kerby Dropped 100 Pounds"},"content":{"rendered":"

Deedra Kerby, 47, Melbourne, FL, Artist<\/strong><\/p>\n

How much weight have you lost?<\/strong> 100 Pounds.<\/p>\n

\"unnamed<\/a>Tell us what the \u201cold you\u201d used to be like:\u00a0<\/strong>I\u00a0was always a happy fat person. \u00a0I was not a dieter. I actually tried to have weight loss surgery and was disqualified because I had no history of dieting. \u00a0\u00a0I am tall 5’9, and for a lot of years I carried my weight well. \u00a0The 10-15 pounds I would gain each year eventually caught up with me. \u00a0I was 300 pounds at my heaviest. \u00a0When I turned 38, I started having issues from my weight. \u00a0Then the real struggle started for me and I have spent the last nine years battling this problem.<\/p>\n

What prompted your weight loss? \u00a0<\/strong>I have three key reasons that it stuck this time. I had a friend that started losing weight and she was encouraging me to get started. \u00a0I got a Fitbit for Christmas. \u00a0My past success, although very brief, was enough to make me want to be thin again.<\/p>\n

How did you lose the weight?\u00a0<\/strong>Eating healthy, exercise, and emotional support. \u00a0I started walking 10K steps a day with my Fitbit. \u00a0I signed up for a marathon that gave me a long term goal. \u00a0After the marathon, I hired a weight trainer. \u00a0I spent time reprogramming \u00a0my brain by reading books on food. \u00a0I had to start \u00a0from the bottom when it came to understanding nutrition. \u00a0I created a Facebook group called OWLS where I shared my soul. \u00a0I treated my weight loss like a job.<\/p>\n

\"deedra<\/a>How long did it take?\u00a0<\/strong>12 months of hard work. \u00a0I feel like I have spent nine years in the battle though. \u00a0It all finally came together for me. \u00a0I have had 12 great months and I went from 300 to 199 pounds. I had two other weight loss tries and hopefully this time it sticks.<\/p>\n

What was the hardest part?\u00a0<\/strong>The hardest part for me is getting over the food addiction. \u00a0I still struggle with cravings. I so want to be finished with the poor eating, but I just don’t see it ever happening. I have way more good days than bad days now. I have accepted that my brain will never forget some tastes and there are times I have to give into them. The hard part of the cycle is never giving up. I have three rules for cheat days now.<\/p>\n

Sticking to those rules and getting right back on course hopefully will keep me from going completely off the deep end. \u00a0My three rules are:\u00a0 Doing it with my husband (never alone). \u00a0 Only buy enough for that day.\u00a0 All leftovers go in the trash.<\/p>\n

Most fun part of your weight loss?\u00a0<\/strong>The people in my life are the most rewarding. Losing weight forced me to get outside and I met many of my neighbors. My neighborhood has been phenomenal. I never in my life expected to have so much support. One neighbor actually came and coached me during my marathon. I would go through this all again just so I could experience the love and outreach.<\/p>\n

Most rewarding experience?<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Doing this with my husband. \u00a0Losing weight has grown and strengthened my marriage. We have been married 26 years and my husband tells me it’s like having a new wife. He praises me constantly. He is my reward. The praise I get from him is incredibly satisfying. It feels soooo good.<\/p>\n

Who\/what inspires you when you feel like quitting?\u00a0<\/strong>All the goals I set for myself. \u00a0I am training for a Tough Mudder now. I don’t ever want to live my healthy life without goals. The goals are key to my success. I really like my trainer too. It’s taking this journey to a whole new place for me. I am inspired by his mind and his belief system. All I wanted for so long was to be thin. Now I am starting to see that being strong feels better than thin. I feel very inspired by this and I can’t wait to see how this year goes.<\/p>\n

How has this weight loss changed your life?\u00a0<\/strong>Everything has changed. Top to bottom nothing is the same. Weight loss is freedom. I am not embarrassed any more when I go places. The way I feel inside and outside is totally different. The confidence I have is priceless. I love the strength I have. I can do anything. Cutting my toenails, squatting down on the floor to play with my grand-kids, how fast I can move from point A to point B. EVERY space in my life is different. I love it.<\/p>\n

Have any advice for others who\u2019d like to lose weight?\u00a0<\/strong>My advice is try to be an expert in all things weight loss. Take the best of the low carb people and add that to your life, the best of the vegan people, the best of the paleo people etc. \u00a0I tried to box myself into a type of person. Now I feel like no one group has the answers and you can take something from everyone and have balance.<\/p>\n

Your must-have fitness equipment.\u00a0<\/strong>Without question a FITBIT. \u00a0\u00a0Everyone in the world, kid, adult, all people should have one. I feel that strongly about it. If you can afford it, hire a coach or trainer. I didn’t for a long time. I wish I had done so sooner. A good trainer will coach you and guide your path. It makes my job so much easier. I stopped losing weight in October. Even with marathon training I didn’t lose any weight. When I finally hired a trainer, he added 700 calories a day to my diet. He took my ridiculous long workouts down to one hour a day. I started losing weight again and I am so happy.<\/p>\n

\"unnamed\"<\/a>Favorite training song:\u00a0<\/strong>Overcomer by Mandisa. Mandisa has been open about her weight loss struggles and you can hear it in her songs. Love her.<\/p>\n

Favorite healthy food:\u00a0<\/strong>Watermelon. I consider myself a Cheagan (cheating vegan). I love all fruits and vegetables.<\/p>\n

Favorite not-so-healthy food<\/strong>: Bacon. It has a hold on me.<\/p>\n

Funniest \/weirdest\/most awkward experience during your weight loss journey.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0I am 47 and I have a 47 year old bladder. Training for the marathon would sometimes strand me out in the middle of nowhere without a bathroom in sight. I asked a few runners what do you do when you have to go to the bathroom. Time after time people would say, I just go (woods, pee down their legs, pee in depends). <\/a>That has been the most awkward for me. Learning to pee while running, standing up, i<\/a>n a depends under garment. Once I did though, it really freed me up to run anywhere.<\/p>\n

Future goals: <\/strong>To complete the Tough Mudder in November.<\/p>\n