Sherrie Dampeer, aged 58, began her weight reduction journey as a byproduct of wanting to chop prices and get monetary savings—a contented accident that acquired her from a measurement 26W to a measurement 14. What sparked it? Sherrie skilled a change in her employment revenue and site, permitting her to work nearer to residence. As a substitute of spending cash on transportation, she determined to stroll to work each day. What she didn’t know was that this could be the start of a completely new journey.
Her Backstory
Whereas Sherrie would describe herself as “chubby” rising up, she by no means felt moved to make modifications to her way of life. She had been warned by medical doctors over and over in regards to the potential impacts that extra weight can have on her well being and her physique however put it off as one thing she would work on, ultimately. Within the years that adopted,
Sherrie turned a caregiver to her late mom and was in a position to see firsthand how poor well being habits led to the lack of mobility and independence. This planted a seed in Sherrie’s psyche.
Initially of the pandemic, Sherrie was scared straight. She had heard via information broadcasting that the COVID-19 virus was particularly life-threatening to those that had comorbidities and or had been chubby. “I used to be scared to die [due to COVID-19]”, Sherrie shared. “That’s what helped probably the most.”
Together with her weight lastly threatening her total well being and independence, she knew she needed to kick issues into full gear.
It was lastly time to make modifications and stay as able-bodied as doable for so long as doable. Sherrie used this extra gasoline and continued her walks to work. Slowly, she seen her weight altering as a byproduct and used this as the right motivation to push on.”
Initially of her budget-friendly walks to work, Sherrie gained the eye of a neighbor who started to hitch her for walks. Sherrie was glad to be an instance to others and gladly began the custom of morning walks. “My neighbor, who labored in the identical constructing as me, turned an accountability companion. She would see me strolling, and ultimately, we’d get collectively to do neighborhood walks earlier than work and on the weekends.”
Because the walks continued, objectives grew, and the brand new objective turned 10,000 steps each day. The pair took walks that stretched farther till they prolonged throughout neighborhoods and bridges throughout New York Metropolis.
Sherrie’s Ideas, Tips, and Motivating Strikes
“I’m not good, however I attempt my greatest.” To assist her weight reduction, Sherrie turned extra aware about what she ate and made small modifications the place she might. These small modifications embrace portion management and swapping sure meals for more healthy or low-calorie alternate options. For instance, Sherrie says she enjoys espresso however is extra vigilant about how a lot creamer she makes use of as a result of she understands how sugar can play a task in weight reduction/acquire.
Meal prepping additionally helped Sherrie keep on observe along with her parts and the meals she was consuming. Having home-bought meals meant she didn’t must order takeout, which might be full of many processed components we don’t want.
Relating to motivation, Sherrie says she has used the traction from her neighbors, church members, co-workers, associates, and health teams to maintain her going. “I’m generally known as the strolling woman,” she remarks. Moreover, many members who knew Sherrie was on a weight-loss journey would generously supply their new or gently used garments in sizes that aligned along with her objectives.
She additionally makes use of her physician’s appointments as checkpoints for her progress as a result of she is aware of they’ll verify for blood strain, blood sugar ranges, and different well being markers.
With no kids of her personal, Sherriee affirms, “I need to have the ability to stay independently so long as I can.” Whereas Sherrie can be adamant that this journey was by no means in regards to the scale, she does have a basic objective of sustaining a weight under 200 lbs.
Trying Forward
Sherrie intends to proceed to make use of strolling to take care of her total well-being and weight reduction and meet her each day objective of 10K steps. When essential, she incorporates fitness center and at-home exercises into her routine. She is considered one of many well being and wellness ambassadors at her job and encourages her office-mates to step away from their desks for brief walks as usually as doable all through the day. She can be a member of the Obesity Action Coalition, which empowers and encourages folks residing with weight problems on their journeys to higher well being.
It was by no means in regards to the scale; it was all the time in regards to the high quality of life. I consider I’ve to be an energetic participant in my therapeutic.
When requested if she had any long-term objectives, she proudly acknowledged, “I need to have the ability to maintain myself and proceed to be an instance.
