Remember, happiness will never be defined by the size of your body. After all, there is no one who can be more beautiful than a person who is confident in his or her own skin.
However, in celebration of body positivity, one should not deny the truth that obesity and too much weight are dangerous to one’s health. Do you see a lot of advertisements for different online weight loss programs?
According to Stanford Health Care, obesity is a serious chronic disease that puts a person at risk of various life-threatening diseases. People who are obese have a greater risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and as well as bone and joint disease.
More than 2 billion adults and children from different parts of the world suffer from health problems because of too much weight as mentioned by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation based at the University of Washington in Seattle.
In the year 2015 alone, 4 million people died from diseases that stemmed from their weight. 60% of these people are obese while 40% are overweight.
Fortunately, obesity and being overweight are not lost causes. Because among the string of chronic diseases in the world, these weight issues are very treatable. Taking how one’s body works into consideration, in addition to discipline and commitment, one can go from having too much weight to being physically healthy and fit.
Take the case of Sarah Bentley, a beautiful woman who used to weigh 280 lbs and realized that it was about time to take care of her health. Her inspiring weight loss journey inspired her husband and her family to make a conscious effort of being physically fit as well. Overweight or not, her story will surely inspire you!
Sarah Bentley and her husband Dave used to be avid customers of eating at fast-food and restaurants. From bagels, sugary drinks, chicken fingers, burgers, pizza, chicken wings, Chinese foods, and even gallons of ice cream, Sarah and Dave used to stuff themselves with such food every night.
Their unbalanced diet and as well as lack of exercise led Sarah to weigh around 280 lbs. and Dave 347 lbs. Although Sarah enjoys eating out with her cherished husband, she knew that things had to change for the better.
“I was tired,” The 31-year-old Sarah shared in an interview. “I was always sitting at home or watching TV. Dave and I are very outgoing, happy people on the outside, but we were super uncomfortable in our skin.”
It was in the year 2014 of January that Sarah decided to take a firm stand and change for the healthier. At the same time, a friend of hers shared about Advocare, a health and wellness company selling dietary supplements, and so she decided to try it out.
“I was sick and tired of being sick and tired, and I just had a mindset switch,” Sarah added.
And so she tried one of those online weight loss programs called Advocare’s 2040 Jumpstart, and immediately saw results. She started trading her junk food and greasy meals for clean and unprocessed food such as egg white scrambles with avocado, vegetables, chicken salads, and cauliflower rice stir-fries.
“I learned how to properly meal prep and eat and fuel my body,” Sarah explained. “It was the energy, in the way that I felt, that’s why I decided to continue on.”
At first, Dave knowing there are so many online weight loss programs out there was having second thoughts about Advocare, but after seeing his wife’s inspiring transformation, Dave decided to try it out himself.
“Her energy level, the way that she was eating and carrying herself; literally she inspired me to start.” Dave shared how Sarah inspired him to change.
Soon enough, it was not only Dave who was infected with Sarah’s desire to have a healthy weight. Her parents, Debbie and Steve Hoffman, soon followed. Debbie weighed 299 lbs and has developed rheumatoid arthritis while Steve weighed 410 lbs and and is warned with pre-diabetes.
“She’s got all this energy, and in three months she was down 50 lbs.,” Sarah’s mother, Debbie, explained what motivated her to lose excess weight. “I just thought, ‘My God, she’s onto something. I have to do this.’“
Debbie and Dave both boarded the program four months after Sarah and a few months later, Steve finally hopped in as well. Now, Sarah has lost 110 lbs, Dave is down to 137 lbs, Debbie has lost 119 lbs, and Steve has shed 121 lbs. To sum it up, the Bentleys and the Hoffmans are now 487 lbs lighter in total.
“I got back the quality of life I never thought with rheumatoid arthritis that I would ever have again,” Debbie shared. “I feel fantastic. I really do.”
Both the Bentleys and the Hoffmans now engage in physically active activities. Dave and Sarah are into CrossFit and enjoy hiking together with their two bundles of joys. While Steve and Debbie remodeled their home in Buffalo, walk 5 miles a day, and take long bike rides as their daily exercise.
For Debbie, their decision to eat clean and burn their excess weight not only made them feel better about themselves, it also strengthened their bond as a family.
“It seems to have really brought us even closer together as a family. We do so much together now.” Debbie happily said.
Being fat is not the worse thing that could happen to anyone. And there is nothing wrong in celebrating one’s body. However, it is also one’s responsibility to take care of their health. This 2019, may Sarah and her family’s weight loss journey, inspire you to eat clean and sweat it out for a healthier version of yourself!
There are so many online weight loss programs you can find today, it’s always a smart thing to do to consult with your primary physician and do an extensive background check before choosing one. Watch their inspiring video on PEOPLE and learn more about their beautiful weight loss journey!