Stacy Wright’s healthy makeover

FOR over 27 years, Stacy Wright was significantly overweight. Driven by the desire to fit the ideal body image by trying many fad diets, she failed and always regained the weight. It was not until she was diagnosed with high blood pressure, and mandated to take medication at 28 years old, that Wright decided to focus on becoming healthy.

“I am motivator, supporter, and healthy lifestyle advocate to women,” Wright can say now. “Out of concern for my own health and the need for more health education in Jamaica, I obtained my master’s in public health and became a certified health education specialist. My goal is to provide others with the knowledge and skills to gain control over their health and to recognise that becoming healthy is a lifelong journey.”

Wright, 39, has boasted a 100 pound weight loss, maintained for the most part for nine years now, and has written a new book — The Healthy Makeover: How I Changed my habits, Lost Weight and How You Can Too”.

The book, which is available on Amazon, details her 20-plus year battle with obesity, low self-esteem, as well as being diagnosed with hypertension at a young age. The book also details tips to help others lose weight and sample recipes.

Wright says her turnaround point, as detailed in her weight loss story, was something that took her a long time to recognise and accept.

“I was always overweight, even from when I was a little girl but I was healthy (based on blood tests) and rarely sick. I hated going to the doctor because I knew they would always comment on my weight and the need to lose a few pounds. I always knew I needed to lose weight, but doctors never understood how difficult it was for me,” she shared.

She said it wasn’t until she moved to Japan in 2008 that she knew how out of control her weight had become.

“I was 260 pounds. I was ashamed I had gotten to that size, but not overly concerned. I lost weight before; I knew I could lose it again. The weight started coming off within the first few months of living in Japan, but did not last too long as I gained it back after I adjusted to the environment and food. I was so fixated on my weight and size for so long I never once considered my overall health. By 2009 into 2010, I was suffering from panic attacks that increased in frequency and intensity over time. I did not know the root cause and became increasingly stressed with figuring out the source of the problem.”

In addition to this, she said there were other contributing stressors such as feeling alone in a country where she felt misunderstood due to the language and cultural barriers, and… “In addition to the stress of deciding between dissolving or repairing my marriage from someone who betrayed my trust, compounded with suffering from the internal conflict of listening to myself, family and friends and the needs of my husband… the stress of everything affected my blood pressure,” she said.

“The doctors in Japan told me to watch my blood pressure, as at every visit it was abnormal high. I needed a break and made the decision to come home to Jamaica for summer vacation after being away for two years. Within one day of being home, I knew something was wrong. I went to the nearest doctor and he said my blood pressure was unreasonably high and I needed to be medicated immediately. I was a little over 205 pounds at the time.”

She said being told that she would need to take medication for her hypertension for the rest of her life motivated her to action, as “I decided that I did not want to be a slave to these medications in order to maintain my health”.

“Therefore, I took my medications has instructed and incorporated healthier food groups and daily exercise. Eventually, I managed to lower my medications over the years and I’m down to the lowest dosages possible and about to be weaned off completely.”

About her resilience, she shared, “The struggle I went through was very traumatising and not something I want to go through again. The changes I made were not just about getting a desired weight result but about the necessity of changing my lifestyle and becoming healthy.”

Wright wants other women to take note of her experience, and shares the journey on www.thehealthymakeover.com. She also wants them to understand that losing weight is not impossible.

“It is about figuring out what works for you and your health goals and needs. What works for you may not work for me and vice versa. Nevertheless, what did work for me was focusing on my habits and overall health. I never thought I would lose weight, it felt like an impossible goal that would always escape me. At one point, I gave up and accepted that I would always be overweight and be forever known as the ‘fat friend’ or the ‘fat one’. Changing habits is not easy and takes patience and time. I did not lose weight quickly; it was a slow and steady process.”

She admitted that the most difficult part of weight-loss journey was changing her mindset and improving the way she viewed herself.

“Being overweight for most of my life I had low self-esteem and those negative thoughts I had about myself didn’t magically disappear with my weight. I had to slowly replace certain thoughts and it is still a struggle even now but I’m in a much better place than before.”

She said she wrote the book to help herself heal and release emotions she had buried for years.

“I have always loved to read — you can pick up a book and re-read it multiple times and continuously learn and understand. Writing this book was cathartic. I want others to know that they are not alone and that I hope it encourages, inspires and motivates someone to take their health seriously, no matter their age or health status.”

She added: “This book does not promote dieting but focuses on the importance of unlearning old habits — unhealthy habits — and relearning and replacing them with healthier ones. If you can, do not wait until after something happens before you decided to take control of your health. My health and weight loss journey was slow, but I feel very successful and proud of how far I have come. I have made mistakes and still make mistakes, but I have not given up on myself.”

And while many people would be shy about sharing their story, Wright said her driving factor for making the change was eliminating the amount of medication that she had to take.

“As the weight started coming off I realised my new habits were very effective based on the results from my doctor’s appointments every three to six months. I was losing weight consistently and my blood pressure was well controlled. Other motivating factors were the improvement in my self-confidence, being able to shop for clothes without worrying if something would fit, and not living in fear or worried about going to do certain activities (eg going the gym) because I may break a piece of equipment because of my weight. Overall going outside and not being judged and criticised because of my weight,” she said.