It's Time for An Upgrade: How Shaletha Sanders changed the trajectory of her life

by Shaletha Sanders

Shaletha Sanders shares the moment she made the decision to upgrade her life and change the trajectory of her life through a healthy lifestyle.

The month was June and my husband surprised me with a wedding anniversary trip to Los Angeles, California. I was excited because all I dreamed of was going to L.A. I desired to see the Hollywood Star Walk of Fame and the city of Los Angeles. We were on our way to Hollywood and I was excited. My plane just landed in Los Angeles and I was ready to paint the town with my husband. We checked in our hotel, dropped our bags off, and we were off to see the city. As we walked up and down Rodeo Drive all we saw were luxury cars and stars. The majority of the individuals were well dressed, slim, and just beautiful. Some of them looked like they could be in a magazine. I entered into one of the clothing stores along Rodeo Drive and could not wait to try stuff on. I found a rack with some leopard print pants that were fabulous. I went through the pants and for some reason; I could not find my size. I saw size 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10. There were no sizes above a 10. I became frustrated because I wanted these pants and could not find my size. I just knew my size was in the back of the store. I motioned for the clerk to come over to assist me. I asked the clerk if he had a size 18/20 and he started to laugh. I asked him, what was so funny. He stated, “The biggest size we have is a size 10 and no other store on Rodeo Drive carries anything larger than a size 10.” Immediately, my heart was crushed. I was embarrassed, disappointed, and angry. I felt humiliated in front of the love of my life. Basically, I perceived that the clerk was telling me that I was too fat for any clothes on Rodeo Drive. My husband and I left the store and Rodeo Drive all together. Mentally, my trip was spoiled and I was ready to return home. 3 days later we returned home.

Once I returned home, I was determined to lose weight and feel great. It was time for an

UPGRADE! I did some research and found out that around 40% of American adults over age 20

are obese and 72% of adults over age 20 are overweight. I was part of that population and I knew

I had to do something about it. I made up in my mind that this was the beginning of the new me.

I started off at 258 pounds. Whew, I could not believe I let myself get that big. I was disgusted

with my weight and could not stand to see myself in the mirror. I was ready to change the

trajectory of my life by jumping on a healthy lifestyle.

I asked God to give me self-control, determination, and motivation. I developed a food and workout regimen. Listen, I set goals that were not too high, but achievable. I quit eating fast food and fried foods. I started baking all of my meats. I ate 3 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. I consumed at least 1 gallon of water per day. I exercised at least 30 minutes per day. I did a lot of cardio and light weights. I worked out in the morning and at night. Sunday was my day of rest. It was also my day to weigh in. As weeks went on, I lost 4 pounds, and then 6 pounds, and etc., There were some weeks that I plateaued and my weight did not change. I celebrated the small wins, so I could appreciate the bigger ones. I was happy with my results. It took 4 ½ months for me to lose 100 pounds without any surgeries or supplements. I went from a size 18/20 to a size 4. I am grateful to God for allowing me to reach my weight loss goal.

For the past 2 years, our lives were turned upside down due to the rapid spread of COVID-19.

Some of us became emotional eaters. We ate any and everything because of fear and panic. This

caused us to gain a substantial amount of weight leaving us depressed and full of anxiety. If you

are struggling with maintaining a healthy eating lifestyle, then I challenge you to consult with

your doctor and dietician to develop a weight loss program designed just for you. If I can do it,

so can you. You Got This!! Let’s Go!!