Former weight: 170 pounds
Current weight: 138 pounds
Pounds lost: 32 pounds
Height: 5 feet 5 inches
Age: 42 years
How long she’s kept it off: She started in April, reaching her current weight in August.
Personal life: Married with three kids, she is the digital strategy, content and operations leader for a major company. She lives in Decatur.
Turning point: “I got pregnant with twins in 2009. Because it was considered a high-risk pregnancy, my age plus multiples, I spent a lot of time researching optimal nutrition. ... I gained 100 pounds and gave birth to very healthy 8-and 9-pound babies,” Butler said. “After the births, I lost 75 pounds naturally while breastfeeding, but it was hard to find time to exercise as a new mother and full-time employed parent. And life was stressful. That extra 25 pounds became permanent.”
Diet plan: “I worked with Nancy Masoud with LockedIN Wellness on a nutrition plan that resulted in weight loss but was focused on eliminating inflammation, bloating and fatigue,” Butler said. “Nancy used hair analysis data to design a diet protocol for me based on supplementation ... and elimination of foods that I had sensitivities to — things I had always eaten and had no idea were causing digestive issues.”
Exercise routine: “Daily walks and yoga are my only routine exercise,” Butler said. “I hate running but really love doing squats and crunches. I believe exercise should be a reward — not a punishment — for my body, so I try to do things I really love.”
Biggest challenge: “Starting a new diet at the beginning of a pandemic,” Butler said. “It required a lot more fresh foods with more frequent grocery runs and cooking for myself — all of this while working in a new way: remote, home-schooling virtual students and managing a virtual team.”
How life has changed: “I wake up with energy. ... I have two daughters and was very cognizant during my weight loss that they were observing and taking cues from me, especially my attitude toward my body,” Butler said. “... You need to love your body before you can change it. Going into this with the attitude, ‘I love my body! It delivered three healthy babies for me! It’s where I live all day, every day, and I want it to last another 42 years!” is what I needed to believe to achieve my goal. I wanted a healthy body, not a different body.”
Share Your Success: Each week, Success Stories focuses on an individual’s unique weight-loss journey. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution does not endorse any specific weight-loss program but includes names and links for the benefit of readers who want further information. Have you lost weight successfully with a healthy lifestyle change? If you would like to share your story with our readers, please include your email address, phone number, and before and after photos (by mail or JPEG), and contact us at: Success Stories, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 223 Perimeter Center Parkway, Atlanta, GA, 30346-1301; or email reporter Michelle C. Brooks, ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.
About the Author
