It's hard to argue with results. And that's what Ramie (@Ramie_isGorgeous on Instagram), a young lady on a mission, gives you. She was a self-proclaimed "pretty for a big girl" but it wasn't until her 22nd birthday that she decided to do something and get serious about her health. BlackDoctor.org sat down with Ramie to explain just how she did it.
BDO: What was the defining moment that made you finally want to lose weight and be healthier?
Ramie: All my life I had been overweight and probably one of the most confident "big girls" you'd ever meet, but for some reason when my 22nd birthday came along I wasn't "feeling myself" like I normally would. My clothes weren't laying right on my body, nothing seemed to fit right and I was totally in denial about moving up to 26 pant size. So I guess it's safe to say I was finally tired... It took me about a month after my birthday to finally start getting the ball rolling but I went out and bought a scale and I remember stepping on and it read 342 and I was totally disgusted with myself and knew I needed to make a change or eventually I would end dying from the only disease I could cure without a Dr. and refused to lose my life to obesity!
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BDO: What were some of the hurdles you had to face to living healthier?
Ramie: Even though I did this for myself my biggest hurdle was learning not to care so much about irrelevant peoples opinion. When you start losing weight and youcan finally see changes in your body it's addictive, you love the confidence, you love how you feel, you love your energy, and the compliments are a plus as well, but with the love also comes the hate. Although in the beginning everyone will be your biggest cheerleader, but not everyone will be as happy for you once they see how far you've come and how hard you're going. My mom warned me that the people I start my journey with might not end my journey with me, and she was so right. Not everyone can take you going from the friend that watches the drinks or holds the purses while you're out, so when the tables turn they don't like that, and it hurts. Why can't we just all be beautiful together and celebrate each other's beauty together?
BDO: When you started losing weight, was there anything you were afraid to eat?
Ramie: Chinese food... I used to LOVE Chinese food so much, and then when I embarked on this journey, I told myself I would not eat that ever again. I wasn't addicted to it but I REALLY enjoyed it, but mentally I can't bring myself to eat it anymore. I still remember the taste and how much I liked it but I just STAY AWAY!!!! My guilty pleasure would have to be brownies lol. Like a lot of women, I LOVE chocolate, and there's just something about a (homemade) brownie that is just EVERYTHING. But what I can say is now if I have the desire for a brownie and I decide to reward myself with it, I don't need a big one, I don't even need a whole one, I just need enough to satisfy the craving and I'm good.
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BDO: When did you feel you started really making progress in losing weight?
Ramie: I didn't feel I made progress until I made it out of the 200's. That doesn't mean I didn't celebrate where I had come, I just couldn't get too comfortable. Too many times I had started a "diet" lost a little weight and felt like now I can reward myself with a "cheat day", and then a cheat day turned into a cheat week, and a cheat week into a cheat month. I was in middle school the last time I can remember not being in the 200's. So with that thought in my mind that kept me going!
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BDO: Since losing weight, did your relationships change?
Ramie: Yes they have, especially with those who knew me previously. I don't think people understand how different you feel when have this new found confidence. I've always been confident and comfortable in my skin, but now I love what I see when I look in the mirror. Before I loved my face, and I loved how I felt with clothes on, but now when I'm home alone I appreciate what I see more because I worked for it, and I'm still working. I feel that now that I appreciate myself more, there's a certain way people in general respect me or approach me because I have raised my respect for myself by taking control of my life. If there is a guy who tries to deal with me now, but he knew me when I was bigger, I won't take him seriously because my heart is still the same, physically I've done a 360 but if you never took the time to get to know that side of me then don't try now.
BDO: What would you tell someone if they were trying to lose weight?
Ramie: There are 3 steps-Step 1) Get tired. When you get tired of your situation, or when you get fed up nothing will stop you. I got tired of being "pretty for a big girl", I got tired of not being able to shop where ever I wanted, I got tired of my hips touching the sides on the bathtub when I sat in it. I knew there was more for me, I knew I deserved to be healthy, so I went after it.
Step 2) Tell someone what you're doing. Find someone you can trust and tell them, tell someone because that person will hold you accountable. I started telling the internet with my before and after pics, and that allowed the universe to hold me accountable. Was it scary?? Yes very, but it was those uncomfortable moments that gave me the courage to keep going. I knew there were people that expected me to stop after a while, and probably gain it all back, and I knew there people who were just watching me do it so that one day they could possibly have the courage to do the same. And when I realized that, I thought to myself, "Who I am to let them down, because I was once them, searching for an inspiration or motivation from someone?"
Step 3) Encourage yourself! NEVER feel defeated, I remember the first time I did the stair master, I lasted less than a minute, it was about 30 seconds, if that, but I told myself I would make it to 5 minutes. So for like a week straight I would get on the stair master and I'd challenge myself to go longer than the day before. And I'd talk myself through it and I'd say, "If you can just get through one minute, I know you can get to a minute and thirty", and my head would be down and I'd just be focusing on bringing my foot up the next step and I would keep encouraging myself. And once I finally made it to that 5 minute mark I proved to myself that I could do it! And that motivated me to keep going, because I could do ANYTHING as long as my will was stronger than my skill!
For more info on Ramie Reed and her incredible journey, see below:
Facebook: Get Gorgeous with Ramie
Instagram @Ramie_isgorgeous
Email: [email protected]
