Lori Jerisha had a pinnacle year in 2023. She officially became an empty nester, and she lost 58 pounds. At her heaviest, Jerisha weighed more than 210 pounds and was having difficulty fitting into clothes and keeping up with her husband and kids on family vacations. Her physical appearance wasn’t one she recognized in photos either. In an interview with Today.com, Jerisha revealed how she took charge and lost the weight by making two simple changes.
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As a nurse, she went from “moving around” and being on her feet a lot to “sitting in front of a computer” while working for an insurance company. Jerisha blames her weight gain and poor health habits on having a stationary job and being “tied to my desk.”
A doctor eventually put Jerisha on blood pressure medication and began closely monitoring her cholesterol levels, which were also high. Simultaneously, Jerisha had to start using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine for sleep apnea.
“I knew I needed to make a complete change in lifestyle,” she told TODAY.com. “My health was really starting to creep up on me.”
Admittedly, Jerisha isn’t someone who appreciates gym equipment or a good sweat session. In her Today.com interview, the mom said she doesn’t like lifting weights or running, and was never taught how to swim. And she’d rather not “go to a gym and sit stationary and do something,” she added. But walking, now that was something she could get behind.
“I always enjoyed walking, I just never really took the time to do it for myself,” the 47-year-old said.
The final nudge came from her husband, who said walking isn’t a weight-loss solution, to which Jerisha responded, “‘Watch me.’”
“I used to just walk around the block,” she said. But now, Jerisha walks anywhere from six to 15 miles per week. “I make a playlist, I put one earbud in so I can still hear what’s behind me, and I go.”
“My energy has increased. I can walk up the stairs without being short of breath, and carrying the laundry baskets is not a problem,” she continued. Additionally, Jerisha has been able to stop her blood pressure and acid reflux medication.
As for her diet, Jerisha said she “made little changes that piled up,” like cutting back on takeout and practicing portion control. She cut out cheese and mayonnaise, instead leaning on whole grains and grilled chicken to fill her up. If she grabs lunch or dinner at Chipotle, she no longer asks for cheese or sour cream.
“It doesn’t taste any different,” she said of her new and improved order.
Jerisha is also learning to embrace meatless recipes and vegetables she once never considered eating. More recently, she’s gotten into Brussels sprouts: “They’re not as bad as I thought.”
If her sweet tooth kicks in, Jerisha will opt for Greek yogurt with crunchy toppings. In the past, Jerisha said she would have reached for a bowl of ice cream. “That satisfies my sweet tooth, and it’s portion control,” she explained.
However, that doesn’t mean Jerisha has entirely absolved herself from sweets. On days she’s craving a candy bar, she’ll log into the calorie-counting app MyNetDiary to see where she can make up for it later in the day.
Another trick that’s helped is removing food from her office to reduce snacking out of boredom. These small dietary changes made all the difference in Jershia’s weight-loss journey.
“Those were the things that I really tried to start on,” she gleaned. “It’s minor things and little changes. You don’t miss them.”
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A year later, Jerisha is down 58 pounds.
The change in her weight also means Jerisha has been able to treat herself to a new wardrobe. Consequently, it has altered Jerisha's overall clothing shopping experience.
“I don’t have to shop in the plus section anymore, and it’s fun to buy dresses, skirts and clothes that show my arms. I can shop at the same stores as my daughter,” she reflected.
Her next goal? To no longer need the CPAP machine and run one mile. “I have never been able to accomplish that even as a kid when we had to do that in PE class. That keeps me motivated,” she told Today.com.
“I look at what I’ve done, what I did today and what I’m going to do tomorrow. And before I noticed, here’s where I am,” she beamed.
