Melissa Powers is a wife, mom, local realtor and native to Clarksville, TN. She has always grown up with weight issues – but her breaking point was when her daughter was 2 y/o. Melissa decided to take her daughter to a local indoor play place where there was a jungle gym that adults could go in. Melissa heard her daughter crying and went in to confide in her and got stuck in the process. She was traumatized by that moment of hearing her little daughter’s cry and not being able to do anything. That was the moment Melissa knew she not only needed to lose weight for her health issues but also for her daughter. Melissa has stopped counting at her heaviest of 340 lbs.– she has had a lot of health risks including her heart. She could not walk up a flight of stairs without being complete out of breath or even show a house to her clients..
To know her story, Women Fitness thought of catching up with Melissa Powers.
1. What was the exact time when you realized that you needed to lose weight?
I have always grown up with weight issues. I stopped counting at my heaviest of 340 lbs. I could not walk up a flight of stairs without being completely out of breath and I could not even show houses to my clients.
My breaking point was when I took my 2-year-old daughter to a local indoor play place where there was a jungle gym that adults could go in. I heard my daughter crying and went in to confide in her and got stuck in the process. I was traumatized by that moment of hearing my daughter’s cry and not being able to do anything. That was the moment I knew I wanted to get healthy so I could see my daughter grow up and live a fun and healthy life with her.
2. How has your weight loss journey been? What were the milestones that you had to overcome?
My weight loss journey has been a constant struggle. One of my hardest battles was completely changing my diet. Oh the milestones –for starters, I had to overcome my crazy cravings for sweets, pop and fast food. On a regular basis, I consumed so many unhealthy foods and I thought about food all day. I constantly was going to social events and had to fight the urge to eat and learn how to choose the right foods.
When it came to fitness, I was so angry at myself for becoming severely overweight that I took that anger and turned it into motivation. My first TITLE Boxing Power Hour class I could barely finish. While I was exhausted, tired, and sore I was surprisingly rejuvenated and energized. The first two weeks were extremely rough and took an emotional, mental and physical toll on my body. There were so many things in life I could not do when I weighed over 340 lbs. However, after I got through those first initial weeks, I learned to push forward and I am so happy I did!
3. What was your fitness regime like during this period?
TITLE Boxing Club has influenced my life in more ways than one. It has been a large tool in my weight loss; it is a stress reliever, and a confidence booster. Boxing offers a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) total-body workout with cardio, strength training, calorie burning and stress reducing benefits.
HIIT is an enhanced form of interval training, or periods of short intense anaerobic exercise with less-intense recovery periods, which provides increased physical conditioning and fat burn compared to traditional cardiovascular exercise. I work out at TITLE Boxing Club classes 4-5 times a week and I weight train a minimum of three days a week.
4. On a typical day, what is your diet like?
On a typical day, I eat 5-6 times and space my meals out per every 2.5 hours. Most importantly, I drink a minimum of a gallon of water a day. Breakfast is my largest meal of the day, and then 2.5 hours later I have a protein shake or protein snack. Lunch is typically a salad or protein/fat and then mid-afternoon I usually eat almonds. Dinner is always a protein and some sort of a veggie. Lastly, before bed I eat cottage cheese or drink a protein shake.
5. Who/What do you consider the greatest motivation behind your healthy weight loss journey?
My daughter Kaylee is and always has been my biggest motivation! I was never able to enjoy life with her, so being able to stay energized and be active and engaged in her life is the most rewarding feeling.
6. How do you plan to maintain your healthy weight & body?
I plan to be constantly aware of my portions sizes for what I eat and maintain a consistent exercise plan of working out a minimum 3x a week, even when I’m extremely busy. This is why I love being able to come in to the club and not have to “plan” my workout. The TITLE Boxing Club trainers lead us in a group setting; direct us throughout the warm-up of 8 rounds and instruct a range of core workouts.
Another way I plan to maintain my healthy weight and body is by having a clear mind and taking the time to enjoy my life. Through TITLE Boxing Club, I can focus on hitting the bag and keeping track of my breathing. Throughout my cardio workout I have no time to even consider other thoughts, so I leave with my mind clear and free, with all the mental anguish built throughout the day released. This is important to me as I am self employed as a Realtor, so a nice way to put my electronics down for one hour a day.
Stay Tuned for more such inspiring #realweightlossstories!
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