Welcome to a new edition of Carol's Corner. After we dispense with my picture portion stay tuned for a real treat. I will be showcasing the weight loss journey of Darlena Kay Skinner, who lost a whopping 195 pounds.

This dress is another of my favorites. I love everything about it from the color's and pattern to the style and cut of it. Catherine Warner won the captioning contest with,” Blue Belle”. Can't wait till Thursday when I finally get a new manicure. As you can see by these pictures I am way overdue.

 

 

 

All my accessories are royal blue, white, or a combination of both, including my royal blue shoes. My ring is Blue Lapis. The three piece jewelry set is one I made and love. I also am wearing a really nice ankle bracelet that has pearl like beads with crystals between each bead. It matches well with my watch.

I used a trio of mini clasp covers. Clasp covers are a must with my FitBit bands. Not wearing them is too much of an accident waiting to happen. They insure you won't lose your FitBit if it accidentally comes apart.

 

This watch is a staple in my wardrobe and it took me many months of searching to find it. I have a tiny wrist and not all watches fit me. This actually came from Walmart with a matching bracelet for a really inexpensive price. Once you took out the extra link it fit me pretty good.

So now on to the amazing weight loss story of Darlena Kay Skinner. She is a member of the Leslie Sansone Facebook group. When I saw one of her posts I asked her if she would share her story, so here it is. I will post her before picture and one after picture and after her story, I will post the other after picture she sent me. Then you will truly be amazed.

 

 

 

So here is Darlena.

My weight loss journey started back in May of 2011. I weighed 315 pounds at the time. My eye doctor did an x-ray on my eyes because I was having vision problems, and he told me by the way the veins looked in my eyes I had a lot of health issues, and that I needed to see a doctor. My first thought was diabetes. But there was also a lot of heart disease and cancer as well as diabetes in my family history, so I was really scared. I wanted to lose some weight before I went to see my doctor. So that very week I started my diet. I cut out all junk foods and soda, and ate nothing but baked or grilled chicken or turkey breast. I don't eat any fried foods or potatoes or flour. I eat most veggies and fruits. All my foods are healthy. If I eat spaghetti I use squash or zucchini for noodles and ground lean turkey burger. I eat a lot of salads too. My drinks are 99% water and green tea or coconut water. My milk products are unsweetened cashew or almond milk. I watched my carbs and calorie intake. After two months of eating healthy and exercising I lost 40 pounds. I walk every day for at least 60 minutes a day and 30 minutes on the treadmill. When I went to the doctor I was a pre- diabetic and had high blood pressure and high chloresterol. I was put on both blood pressure and chloresterol medicines. She said since I lost 40 pounds in two months and was still losing and eating right, I would not have to be put on insulin for diabetes. She wanted to see me back in three months to check my progress. So I watched my eating and ate nothing but healthy foods like veggies and fruits and cut out all bread. When I went back after three months I had lost another 30 pounds. I was so excited that I had lost 70 pounds in five months, and my doctor said I was doing really good. My goal weight was to weigh 120 pounds. After four and a half years I finally got to my goal weight. I kept seeing my doctor on a regular basis and no longer take blood pressure or chloresterol meds and my diabetes is under control. So with determination, motivation, eating healthy and exercising every day, I am a happier person and more importantly my health is good. I still want to lose about 10 more pounds and I WILL get there. I am very motivated and determined. I couldn't have done it without the support of my husband who follows the eating healthy and exercising plans with me and the weight loss I am in. I now weight 120 pounds. I never want to see 315 pounds again. I keep a picture to remind me and keep me motivated. With a lot of determination, motivation and support we all can reach our goals. Best of wishes to everyone who is in this weight loss journey and healthier lifestyle. Darlena

Now I saved the best picture for last guys. Prepare to be amazed.

 

Is that an incredible transformation or what? Thank you Darlena for sharing it with us. So never give up on your dreams. We all can be successful but it won't happen overnight. It took Darlena four and a half years. So find your inspiration and realize all your weight loss, health and fitness goals. And above all, never ever give up. Till next time, God Bless!