Lauren Polinskey, hailing from Van Buren, Arkansas, opened up about her weight struggle in the midst of adapting to motherhood. Following the birth of her first child, John, in 2018, Lauren faced profound mental health issues compounded by her son’s diagnosis of epilepsy, which led to daily seizures. Juggling her son’s care alongside her own well-being, Lauren experienced overwhelming loneliness and misery.
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Lauren, who is 27 years old, faced the challenges of motherhood and saw her weight rise to 230 pounds. However, she has successfully transformed her lifestyle and managed to lose almost 90 pounds within a year by making some simple changes.
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When the pandemic struck in early 2020, it served as a wake-up call for Lauren, who weighed over 200 pounds at the time. Determined to prioritize her well-being, she made the decision to prioritize herself, leading to significant changes in her life. She divorced her husband and embarked on a mission to regain happiness and good health. Within a year, she managed to lose an impressive 87 pounds, attributing her remarkable transformation to adopting an active lifestyle and eliminating certain unhealthy foods from her diet.
After the birth of her son, Lauren experienced a period of depression.
In an interview with Newsweek, Lauren candidly expressed her emotional state, saying, “I felt profoundly lonely, like a trapped bird in a house. I despised my life, and my outward appearance mirrored my inner turmoil.” She reached a point of extreme mental distress, prompting her to seek a divorce and prioritize her own well-being once more, having neglected it for too long. Lauren had always prioritized others before herself, but this turning point made her realize the importance of self-care. It took hitting rock bottom to proclaim, “Enough of this, life is too short to be miserable.” From that moment on, she embarked on a transformative journey, both internally and externally, with the goal of rediscovering happiness and achieving good health.
When it comes to her weight loss journey, Lauren emphasized that her success stemmed from avoiding temporary diets or attempting drastic changes all at once. Instead, she adopted a different approach, focusing on smaller, more sustainable steps to enhance her overall lifestyle. By prioritizing long-term improvements, she found the key to her transformation.
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To monitor her progress, Lauren diligently monitored her daily calorie intake and made adjustments by reducing her consumption of sugar and carbs. Additionally, she made a conscious effort to increase her water intake while eliminating caffeine from her diet.
Reflecting on her journey, she shared, “I encountered a few plateaus along the way, and with each one, I introduced a new healthy habit or lifestyle change to reignite my progress on the scale.” When facing her first plateau, she decided to increase her water intake to half a gallon. Later, she began counting calories and eating in a calorie deficit. The process of counting calories provided her with a newfound awareness of how her weight had spiraled out of control.
Highlighting her realization, Lauren disclosed, “I used to consume a staggering 1,200 calories just from coffee and hazelnut creamer.” Since then, she has made significant changes to her dietary habits, consciously avoiding foods like bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, and dairy.
Back at her place, she has discovered delectable and healthier alternatives. Documenting her remarkable weight loss journey on the internet, the proud native of Arkansas has gained substantial attention and has amassed over 400K followers on TikTok. Her intention in sharing her story is to motivate and inspire others to achieve their own transformations and embrace a healthier lifestyle, just as she did.
Through a combination of walking around her neighborhood and engaging in brief at-home workout sessions, Lauren managed to shed 17 pounds in just five weeks. Her dedication to incorporating physical activity into her daily routine yielded significant results in a relatively short period of time.
In her concluding remarks, Lauren expressed her desire for women to recognize that they are not limited by their age or the experience of motherhood. She believes that anyone can undergo a remarkable transformation and “glow up” at any stage of life.
It starts with acknowledging the importance of self-care and reaching a point where one declares, “Enough is enough.” Looking back, Lauren sometimes finds it difficult to believe she has come so far from where she once was.
Now fitting into a size four, she sees it as a constant reminder of her ability to accomplish anything she sets her mind to. She has learned to love herself and regrets the neglect she previously subjected herself to. With immense pride, she acknowledges clawing her way out of the depths of depression and obesity, reclaiming her life in the process.
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