After losing 160 pounds through diet and exercise, Lisa Dove, a Vernon Hills mother of three, is sharing her weight loss story to inspire others.
“I couldn’t even tie my shoelaces. I couldn’t paint my toenails,” Dove said. “I could hardly walk. I was toddling behind the children. The wind was blowing and I had to take a break.”
As of June 2021, Dove weighed 297 pounds.
“I had three kids and everything stopped because of that. I had a demanding career and I had three kids so I didn’t have any more mom time,” she said. Told.
“My size was 26. I was three or four times that size.”
Dove also suffered from type 2 diabetes.
“I was on four different medications to control my A1C. My A1C kept rising.”
When the pandemic hit, Dove wanted to make a change. She has become more flexible with her work schedule and has started taking daily walks to get out of her house.
She also started Weight Watchers and worked diligently on her diet.
“It was a sustainable program for me because nothing was off-limits. It was more portion control. You can eat an apple pie, but you can’t eat a whole apple pie.” ” said Dove.
When gyms reopened in June, Dove decided to take the plunge and return to fitness.
She started working with a personal trainer, who pushed her out of her comfort zone.
“I’ve been a trainer for almost 10 years now, and she’s one of my favorite trips to be on,” said Stephanie Kandzielski, a personal trainer at Lifetime Fitness in Vernon Hills.
Kandzielski said she wasn’t surprised by Dove’s perseverance.
“What’s your why? What drives you to keep going on days when you don’t want to go to work? Her why was so strong. Her dedication, her determination, her discipline, she had all those tools.” I had one. It’s a matter of pulling. Get it out of your toolbox,” she said.
November is Diabetes Awareness Month.More than 37 million Americans have diabetes, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
One in five people don’t know they have it.
Dr. Romy Block, chief of endocrinology at North Shore University Health System, says type 2 is the most common.
“The pancreas, which makes the hormone insulin, doesn’t work as strongly or at 100%. Over time, the body produces less and less insulin available for use,” Dr. Block said. “It is a growing epidemic in this country and can cause many other medical conditions by affecting the heart.
“70% of diabetes problems are out of your control. 30% are in your control. And the great news is that small changes can make a big difference in sugar control and an overall healthy lifestyle.” That’s it,” Block added.
Dove is currently in remission and has reached her goal weight of approximately 140 pounds. Her fitness journey continues and her new goal is to tone her body.
“It brought me to tears because I was a miserable woman. I was a terrible person. If you say I was a terrible mother,” Dove said.
“It’s all about discipline. How easy it is to say to yourself, ‘Well, not today.’ So did I. ‘No, I can, I will, and I will.’ ” said Dove. “It was really hard at first, but the more I established a routine, the more I wanted to change the way I was doing things.”
