A grandma lost 55 pounds with an iPhone app her granddaughter showed her; she no longer needs any weight-loss medication and is getting plenty of attention from younger guys because of her newfound fitness.
Retiree and fitness enthusiast Joan MacDonald, 73, of Ontario, Canada, had a lifelong battle with her weight despite being quite active. After undergoing knee replacement surgery, she could hardly walk up the stairs.
Credits: MDWfeatures/ Koan MacDonald
She gained a lot of weight to the point where she was 198 pounds and a size 22 due to using food to cope with stress during a tense period in her marriage. Joan’s health issues need several prescription drugs, including hypertension, cholesterol, and heartburn.
Michelle, Joan’s 48-year-old daughter, was worried about her mother’s weight gain, high blood pressure, and worsening arthritis, so she urged her to participate in Michelle’s yearly transformation programme.
Joan made drastic changes to her diet and exercise routine in January 2017. Joan lost a healthy 71 pounds and went down to a size 16 with the support of her daughter and son-in-law, who coached her. I was overweight more frequently than not for many decades,” Joan said.
Credits: MDWfeatures/ Koan MacDonald
I was taking medicine for heart disease, high cholesterol, and heartburn. My arthritic pain was excruciating. My recent replacement knee gave me so much trouble that I had difficulty walking up and down the stairs and hadn’t gone to the gym in months.
My daughter was worried about me and invited me to participate in her yearly fitness and nutrition programme. If I’m being sincere, she ordered me to sign up for it.
Joan said she initially felt’ overwhelmed’ since everything was online, and she needed an iPhone and knowledge of applications. At times I was ready to throw up the towel and cry, but fortunately, I was too dang stubborn to give up, she said. My daughter and son-in-law patiently showed me how to operate my phone repeatedly, which took everyone pulling together.
Taking my time and not rushing things this time significantly affected my success. I tried Weight Watchers and even Counterweighted with a lot of success, but the weight always returned, so you can take my word for it when I say, “I had lost a lot of weight previously.”
Michelle created an Instagram account for Joan where she could document her fitness progress and get praise from admirers, many of whom were younger guys who were taken with her body. With losing weight, Joan’s health has dramatically improved, and she can now hip thrust over 198 pounds, which is the same as her prior weight.
The more I go down this path of physical health, the more my quality of life in old age will increase. I appreciated it very much, and she expressed gratitude. I’ve never felt more confident in myself than I do right now, and it has helped tremendously that so many young men and women have been so complimentary.
When we first met Joan, she ate two pieces of toast with jam and coffee in the morning, a sandwich and fruit salad for lunch, meat and vegetables and dessert for dinner, and candies, chocolates, or nuts for snacks. She has switched to a better diet, eating egg whites, cheese, meat, veggies, bread, half a bagel in the morning, and a smoothie made with coconut milk, protein powder, fruit, and ice in the afternoon.
After losing weight and inches, she found herself eating more than before. “I was on a meal plan set up by Michelle with ‘X’ amount of calories, largely protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats, and as the weight and inches dropped down, my consumption of food went up,” she said. I practised daily cardio and went to the gym four or five times weekly to follow her regularly rotating fitness plan.
The transformation in Joan’s appearance has done wonders for her self-esteem, and it has not gone unnoticed by her husband. She said, “People at my gym would approach and compliment me on the improvements they observed in me, and it transformed how I felt about myself.” My husband complimented me on how nice I looked; they were all very pleased with me.
I’ve found it much simpler to avoid eating fast food, and I plan to maintain my fitness routine indefinitely since there is always space for development and growth. “I have more muscle definition now than I had when I originally dropped the weight, and people are really nice and somewhat astonished that I have kept it off this long,” the man said.
If you’re at a loss, I’d recommend starting with a little dietary and activity shift and gradually building on that over time. Be patient; progress won’t happen overnight, but don’t give up. Those who like a more significant challenge should join a gym and, if feasible, hire a certified trainer who is also knowledgeable about healthy eating habits.