After having her first baby via emergency C-section, Tricia Bryan of Conyers, Georgia, thought the sharp pain she felt in her abdomen was a normal postnatal symptom.
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Thankfully, the new mom decided to listen to her instincts and see her doctor. That’s when they discovered a large pelvic cyst, which had developed due to an undetected post-surgical infection.
“Had I not listened to my body and spoken up when I did, it would have turned out really badly,” Tricia told GMA.
The mom recovered from the cyst, but the whole experience left her determined to pursue better health – not just for her sake, but also for her newborn. Tricia has always had a hard time keeping her weight in check. During her pregnancy, she gained about 100 pounds, which made managing her high blood pressure especially difficult. The thought of not being around to raise her infant son struck fear into her heart.
“There was a point where I had the thought that I have this brand new baby and I’m not going to be able to raise him,” she said. “It drove me to commit to a different kind of wellness this time around.”
So she decided to join WW after having successfully lost weight through the program in the past. Focusing on her health instead of the number of pounds she saw on the scale, Tricia transformed her lifestyle for the better – and lost 70 pounds in the process!
These days, she uses her Instagram page to document her health journey and to encourage others to get fit. Her tips are incredibly simple. She advises everyone to listen to their body and stop eating when they are full, even when there’s still food on the plate.
Her attitude toward exercise has changed quite a bit as well. She used to think of working out as “punishment” for overeating. Now, she understands that even a little movement adds up.
“Now as an adult, I realize how important that movement is, even if it’s 20 or 30 minutes a day, for sustaining our body’s health and for our cardiovascular health,” she said. “I make a commitment to myself to carve out, at the very least, 30 minutes [a day] to jump on the bike and do a ride or grab my iPad and watch a new show as I walk on the treadmill.”
As a mother, Tricia is determined to set a good example for her son. She strives to give him the healthy relationship with food that she never had!
Now that she’s changed her lifestyle, Tricia no longer has to take the blood pressure medication she relied on for 10 years. She’s also noticing her weight loss in small ways, like being able to cross her legs more easily and not feeling out of breath after slight movements.
But the biggest takeaway for Tricia has been how much a positive mindset helps with her fitness journey. She said keeping an “attitude of gratitude” will get you through the obstacles that are bound to come.
“You may struggle,” she said. “You may want to quit more than once before noon, but don’t. Remember that you are blessed to wake up today and everything else is secondary.”
Great job, mama! This is the kind of advice we can all put to good use. As they say, it starts between the ears.
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