A Soda Addict Loses More Than 100 Pounds in a Year! Here’s How She Did It and How You Can Be Proactive

5 years ago | Obesity

By Joy Stephenson-Laws, J.D., Founder

I absolutely love stories such as the following:

A 24-year-old woman in New Mexico named Vivian McCall lost an incredible amount of weight in just one year. She lost 125 pounds! McCall focused on ditching her most offensive habits - one of them being eight cans of soda a day!

Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), such as soda, may do a lot more harm besides weight gain.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), SSBs are leading sources of added sugars in the American diet, which may increase the risk of developing a variety of issues, including diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, heart disease, kidney diseases and more.

Diets high in refined sugar may also be harmful to your brain and cause depression. Some reports say soda may even deplete your intake of vitamins and minerals.

McCall was also a big fast food eater. She would also sometimes finish a pint of ice cream in one sitting, and her poor eating habits had an emotional connection. She suffered the devastating loss of her parents.

“I was grief-eating hardcore. I don’t even think I drank water,” she said, according to one report discussing her weight loss journey.

“I would skip breakfast every day and by lunch I’d be starving.”

Enough was enough.

When she had difficulty fitting into an airplane seat, McCall knew that she needed to make some changes. At one point, she was 273 pounds.

But she got proactive.

McCall started making working out a priority, incorporating both cardio and weightlifting into her routine. In addition to giving up soda, she cut out gluten and even practices intermittent fasting. Staples in her new, healthy diet include fruit smoothies with mixed berries, almond milk and protein powder. Lean proteins and vegetables also make regular appearances.

She said she lost about 40 pounds every three months for the first nine months into her weight loss journey.

I’m sharing this story, because it’s so inspiring. And I think many of us could use some inspiration, or should I say “fitspiration,” while gyms remain closed and we continue to fight COVID-19.

Along with this pandemic, there is an obesity epidemic in America. And if you are obese, you are more likely to get COVID-19. You may even have a more difficult time recovering from it.

Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that more than 40 percent of American adults are obese. On top of this, obesity affects one in five children and adolescents in the United States.

McCall definitely fell into the obese category, but she turned it around by being proactive. If someone who drank eight cans of soda a day and practically lived off of fast food can lose weight, anyone can with hard work and determination.

I know gyms are closed, but you can still get moving by doing workouts in your home or going outside for a hike or bike ride. I personally love picking up my jump rope as well as playing with my hula hoop.

Know your nutrients.

Along with working out and eating healthily, it is also very important to know which nutrients may assist in your weight loss efforts.

For example, studies with rats have shown that a low magnesium level can slow down growth of lean body mass (muscle and bone building) and promote an increase in body fat. Some healthcare professionals also believe that people with low magnesium tend to have high blood sugar.

To read more about nutrients that may help you in your weight loss journey, check out this pH Labs blog.

Finally, to ensure that you are nutritionally balanced and that you can move ahead full-steam with your weight loss goals it is imperative to get a comprehensive nutrient test. Eating a variety of nutrient-dense foods helps, but it does not guarantee that your body is absorbing adequate nutrients from the foods you eat to remain healthy and help you lose weight. If you discover you have nutrient deficiencies and imbalances, work with a competent healthcare professional to tweak your diet and possibly take good quality supplements.

Also read here to learn how to fuel your body properly for workouts.

Enjoy your healthy life!

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice. Please consult with your doctor or another competent healthcare practitioner to get specific medical advice for your situation.

The pH professional health care team includes recognized experts from a variety of health care and related disciplines, including physicians, attorneys, nutritionists, nurses and certified fitness instructors. This team also includes the members of the pH Medical Advisory Board, which constantly monitors all pH programs, products and services. To learn more about the pH Medical Advisory Board, click here.