Dropping Six Dress Sizes: Elaine Kay

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Motherhood and a full-time job didn’t keep Elaine Kay from her weight loss goals. See how she dropped six dress sizes with basic lifestyle changes.

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By Jasmine Wiggins

As she sat on the couch, 47-year-old Elaine Kay had an epiphany. With the remote in hand, her mind drifted to what she would eat next. A bag of chips, some chip dip? She snapped back to reality. “What am I doing?” she thought, “I'm lethargic, this isn’t me—this isn’t my lifestyle!” 

As a working mother, Elaine was always busy. “I thought if I took time to myself I was being selfish,” she says. “Women need to give ourselves permission to take some time to do some healthy activities. It’s just so hard—it’s not our nature.”

Fed up with years of increasing weight, Elaine headed to a local gym and, with the help of a trainer, overhauled her diet, exercise, and lifestyle habits. She lost six dress sizes and 50 pounds and gained limitless confidence.

With her newfound energy, she left her unsatisfying job in finance and found a job with the American Heart Association as an event coordinator, where her high energy was satisfied. “I like that I now work for an organization that helps women change their lives,” Elaine said.

She also helped start a new group— the Iowa Outdoor Women’s Association, or I.O.W.A.—to encourage women to get active.

“My lifestyle change has opened so many doors and has provided more opportunities for activities and meeting new people,” Elaine said.