PASCO, Washington – A thirty-four-year-old woman, Sarah Purvis, shares her journey of losing a hundred pounds from gaining weight from Graves’ disease and postpartum depression. She did a workout and meal plan designed by Beachbody 21. She reveals her diet and shared tips on achieving her fit body with her dedication to this program.
Purvis suffered from Graves’ disease in 2011, gaining weight as a side-effect from her treatments. This disease is an immune system disorder that causes the overproduction of the thyroid hormone. Her weight rose to 264lbs, which was her heaviest so far.
She decided to, finally, follow a low-carb and less sugar Atkins diet. She also dedicated a few days per week to go to the gym and take cardio classes. After a year of following her food-restricted diet, her weight went down to 185lbs. She was happy to see those changes but don’t see herself sticking to its eating restrictions for the long-term.
In 2016, her mother died while she was pregnant, which caused her extreme emotional pain. She ate junk foods and stopped exercising, stacking 70lbs to her weight. After her daughter was born, she was diagnosed with postpartum depression, making her desperate to feel better mentally and physically.
In 2017, she started working out from home using a Beachbody Program called the 21 Day Fix. It gives the convenience of working out from home, especially for work at home moms that want to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
The program gave her a meal plan that provides a colour-coded container list, teaching her portion control. It gives an approved list of food that comes from different food groups that won’t deprive your body or your appetite to have a wholesome, healthy, and fueling meal. The meal plan is simple and easy to manage that she won’t have to count her calories or carbs, and she was able to keep maintaining it for three years already.
She shared a sample meal plan that she eats in her day. For her breakfast she prepares, Shakeology with almond milk, half a banana, and spinach, and a slice of Dave’s Killer Bread toasted with coconut oil.
She prepares for lunch salad with lots of veggies, healthy fat (like feta cheese or avocado), chicken, a healthier dressing (either store-bought or homemade), and sweet potato on the side. She also sets an apple with almond butter or hummus and veggies for her snack.
Finally, for dinner and dessert, she prepares chicken sausage, a veggie, quinoa, or brown rice in a stir fry, frozen grapes, or Greek yogurt with berries and a few sprinkled dark chocolate chips.
She maintained her diet with the workout program’s Beachbody library that combines weightlifting, cardio, and core work training. She lost a hundred pounds in one year, following the program’s diet and workout, and she claimed to have been in the best shape of her life.
Following a meal plan and a workout program would take some effort and consistency. While Purvis takes some time to attend to her physical needs, she also balances it with taking care of her mental health by listening to personal development podcasts, reading books, and journaling. Maintaining a support group or accountability person also helped her to be consistent and boost her mental health.
Her mindset was to not compare her progress with other people and focusing more on her development, realizing that her best competition is herself only. She now feels more energized and confident by her new lifestyle. Her lifestyle serves as an inspiration for others to keep their bodies and minds healthy and strong, ready to face life’s ups and downs.
