Brandi Murray, 36, Health & Safety Manager, Chattanooga, TN
How much weight have you lost? 275 pounds
Tell us what the “old you” used to be like. I was depressed and felt trapped, as though life would never change. Even though I was depressed inside, I was always the “jokester” and making fun of my own weight. Looking back, I guess that was a self-preservation thing. After years and years of relentless bullying, I learned that the easiest way to keep people from laughing AT me was to make the joke first and have them laugh WITH me….all the while I felt like dying inside. I felt too fat to exercise and would literally circle the Walmart parking lot for 20 minutes sometimes just to get a spot closest to the door so I wouldn’t have to walk.
What prompted your weight loss? When I got pregnant with my son, after six years of trying and two miscarriages due to weight issues.
How did you lose the weight? The first step was cutting out all sodas…ALL. None of that “diet” stuff. Then I lost a good amount of weight and started exercising a little. After a failed marriage, I remarried. My husband is into fitness and health. He got me motivated and encouraged me…something I had never had. Over the last three years, we’ve dedicated ourselves to a very clean lifestyle. All organic, non-GMO, zero processed foods or artificial anything; nothing fried, and no fast-food. I was diagnosed two years ago with Celiacs Disease and last year with Multiple Sclerosis. This greatly affected my ability to exercise, but it’s all about figuring out how to modify what needs modification. No excuses.
How long did it take? Its been a 10-year process, slowed down by previous divorce, Celiacs, and an MS diagnosis. But the last three years have been the most drastic changes.
What was the hardest part? Will power; fighting through pain and the loss of people I thought were friends, because they think I’m a “freak” with my lifestyle.
Most fun part of your weight loss? Being able to wear pretty clothes that I don’t have to find in a “plus size” store, wearing high heels without becoming a lawn aerator and having energy to travel and do fun things.
Most rewarding experience? Having people actually look to me for nutritional help and advice now. Also being able to truly give hope to those who need it most, since I can relate to their struggles.
Who/what inspires you when you feel like quitting? My son Connor and my husband Scott. Our son has Aspergers and fights hard everyday for something he can’t fix…something that’s not his fault. How can I give up on something like my health that I have full control over, just because it’s hard? My husband is 14 years older than I am and he’s dedicated the last several years to being better as he approached 50 last year. He encourages me daily, drags me out for walks when I don’t feel like it, gets involved in our food prep each week and is just an absolute saint. I kissed a ton of toads in my life, but finally found my Prince.
How has this weight loss changed your life? Its given me the ability to actually enjoy life and participate in it. I don’t have to look at weight limits on amusement park rides or parasail trips without worrying about fitting into a harness. I can hike to beautiful places, sit comfortably in booths at a restaurant and easily fit into seats on airplanes.
Have any advice for others who’d like to lose weight? Find support from someone, get social and find YOUR reason for wanting to lose weight. Find something physical that you enjoy and figure out how to make it work as exercise.
Your must-have fitness equipment: Imagination. It sounds weird, a lot of us who are extremely overweight don’t have treadmills or equipment in our homes and certainly aren’t going to go into a gym early on. Make squats a game by just getting up and down off a chair 100 times, fill laundry bottles with water or sand and use them as weights, walk up and down stairs in the house 50 times … imagination works. Great running/walking shoes are the other best thing.
Favorite training song: My workout playlist is varied, but the top three include “Beautiful Girls” by Sean Kingston, “Take Me to Church” by Hozier and, of course, “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey!!
Favorite healthy food: Pho and Kim Chi Tofu
Favorite not-so-healthy food: Blue Belle Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream. What can I say, you can take the girl out of Texas, but you can’t take the Texas out of the girl. Blue Belle is Texas’ version of Penicillin – it cures anything! I only have this a few times a year, though.
Funniest /weirdest/most awkward experience during your weight loss journey: Running/walking my first 5K, because I cried like a baby at the end. Definitely didn’t expect that emotion to come. Who would’ve expected tears of JOY after finishing a 5K in 56 minutes? It was the start and was a beautiful thing.
Future goals: To keep becoming stronger and healthier. To fully run a 5k, not walk/run it and to mainly just inspire others to literally fight for their lives. I hate the saying “You only live once”— I prefer to think of it as you only die once. We choose to live everyday. The choices that were made can all be fixed and we can change and learn from past failures. Saying we’re too heavy to exercise, don’t have enough time or that we can’t afford healthy food, a gym membership are ALL EXCUSES. We have to OWN IT and change it. Once we make up our minds to do that, NOTHING is impossible.
Thank you for sharing your spectacular story, Brandi! What an absolutely 180 you’ve made and it all started with your attitude. We love sharing the tales of folks like you who accomplished so much without gimmicky nonsense. Hard work, discipline, imagination and effort. You’ve got it all, baby! Fitz and the entire team at Fitzness.com
