Woman shares simple ‘lifestyle changes’ she made to shed 90 pounds

A woman who rose to be 230 pounds after struggling to adjust to motherhood has shared how she shed nearly 90 pounds in a year by making a few simple ‘lifestyle changes.’

Lauren Polinskey, 27, from Van Buren, Arkansas, faced a slew of mental health issues after welcoming her first child, son John, in 2018.

The stay-at-home mom said she became ‘deeply lonely’ and ‘miserable’ as she tried to manage taking care of her newborn who was diagnosed with epilepsy and would experience seizures daily, while also keeping up with her own health.

Her weight soon increased to more than 200 pounds, but when the coronavirus pandemic hit in early 2020 it proved to be the wake-up call that she needed.

Lauren decided to turn her life around and put herself first – divorcing her husband and getting on a ‘mission to be happy and healthy again.’

She then lost 87 pounds in a year – and she credits her impressive transformation with two easy upgrades – getting active and cutting out a few unhealthy foods. 

While speaking to Newsweek recently, Lauren recalled falling into a depression in the months after the birth of her son.

‘I felt so deeply lonely and like a bird in a house. I hated my life, and my outside became a reflection of my inside,’ she said.

‘My mental health hit an all-time low, so I asked for a divorce and started taking care of my own needs again after neglecting them for so long. 

‘I always put others first, but I never took the time to care for my own needs. It took being absolutely broken as a person to say, “Forget this, life is too short to be miserable.”

‘I [then made] a complete lifestyle change, inside and out. I was on a mission to be happy and healthy again.’

As for how she lost the weight, Lauren explained that the key to her success was not participating in things like ‘temporary diets’ or trying to change everything all at once, but instead, she focused on smaller, more long-term steps to improve the way that she was living.

She began by going on walks around her neighborhood and doing short, at-home workouts – and within five weeks she lost 17 pounds. 

Lauren then started keeping track of how many calories she was consuming daily and cut back her sugar and carbohydrates intake. 

She also started drinking more water and eliminated caffeine.

‘I hit a few plateaus, and at each one, I’d add in a new lifestyle change or healthy habit to get the scale rolling again,’ she continued.

‘During the first plateau, I upped my water to half a gallon. 

‘Next, I started counting calories and eating in a calorie deficit.

‘Counting calories really opened my eyes to how my weight had gotten so out of control. 

‘I was drinking 1,200 calories in coffee and hazelnut creamer alone.’

She added that she now avoids eating foods such as ‘bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, and dairy,’ and has found ‘delicious’ but ‘healthier substitutions’ for them all. 

The Arkansas-native has documented her impressive weight loss journey online, and has become a viral star along the way, earning more than 427,000 followers on her TikTok account. 

Now, she hopes that sharing her story online will inspire others to get into shape like she did. 

‘I hope other women know that they are not past their prime, and it is possible to glow up at any age and after having babies,’ she concluded. 

‘All it takes is saying “enough is enough” and realizing that self-care is extremely important.

‘Sometimes it’s hard for me to believe I’m not where I used to be. [I now] fit in a size four – and it’s a reminder that I can do anything I set my mind to. 

‘I love myself and regret neglecting my needs as much as I did. I’m proud of myself for clawing my way out of the depressed, obese hole I had been drowning in.’