A Taylor Swift concert proved to be the turning point for Lori Jerisha.
The 47-year-old mother of two was in Chicago to see the pop star perform last summer and recalls that “I needed a break when I was walking from the parking lot to the stadium and up the stairs. I got so tired of asking [my daughter] to wait for me.”
A combination of a sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits led to steady weight gain for Jerisha, who tipped the scales at 210 pounds in 2023.
“I knew I had to make a complete lifestyle change,” she told TODAY.com this week.
In addition to feeling physically limited and unhappy with her appearance, Jerisha suffered from high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Her weight caused acid reflux and sleep apnea, the latter of which required a CPAP machine.
Earlier in her career as a nurse, Jerisha was active, but 12 years ago, she returned to a work-from-home position for an insurance company, “I went from moving to sitting in front of a computer, typing and using digital electronic data.
Admittedly, Jerisha has never liked training. “I’ve definitely tried to exercise in the past, but I didn’t feel like breaking a sweat or going to the gym and sitting still and doing something,” she explained to TODAY.com. “I can’t swim, so that was out. I don’t like weightlifting. I don’t like running, but I always like to walk. I never found time to do it for myself.”
Faced with an empty nest last fall, Jerisha finally decided to find time for herself.
A final push and a challenging step toward better health came from her husband, Tony, who told her she couldn’t lose weight by walking. She said, “Look at me.”
In less than a year, she has lost 58 kilograms.
“I was just walking around the block. Now I run up to 3 miles, two to six times a week. I make a playlist, put on some headphones so I can still hear what’s behind me, and go,” she told TODAY.com.
Her husband is now a power-walking convert, joining Jerisha on some of her walks and losing 25 pounds himself.
As The Post previously reported, daily walks can it aids digestion, improves mood, reduces the risk of heart disease, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, and strengthens the heart.
Recent research has found that walking 5,000 steps three times a week for two years can add three years to a person’s life expectancy and reduce health care costs by up to 13%.
In addition to her walking exercises, Jerisha has changed the way, when and what she eats. With the help of a calorie-counting app, MyNetDiary, she can track how food affects her goals.
Her method is scientifically supported. Last year, a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that counting calories is the most effective way to shed unwanted pounds.
In addition to tracking calories, Jerisha also cut back on dairy products and restaurant dinners, opting for home-cooked meals with vegetables.
“I made little changes that added up and it really worked out well,” she boasted to TODAY.com.
Jerisha is proud of her body and excited to buy new clothes to complement it, “I no longer need to shop in the plus section and it’s fun to shop for dresses, skirts and clothes that show off my arms. I can shop at the same stores as my daughter.”
However, she claims that the physical effects of her weight loss are the most beneficial: “My energy has increased. I can walk up stairs without getting out of breath and carrying laundry baskets is no problem.”
While her energy is up, her cholesterol and blood pressure are down, and she no longer needs acid reflux medication. Her new goal is to be free of her CPAP machine.
Among her other ambitions? Complete a 1 mile run. “I was never able to do that, even as a kid when we had to do it in PE class. It keeps me motivated,” she shared with TODAY.com. “I look at what I’ve done, what I’ve done today and what I’m going to do tomorrow. And before I know it, here I am.”
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