Mom loses 126 pounds to be healthier for her son: ‘I wanted him to see a fit mom’
Wellness Wins is an original Yahoo series that shares the inspiring stories of people who have shed pounds healthfully.
Jessica Mull is 5’3” tall, and currently weighs 126 pounds. In 2015, after her weight caused severe health issues, she lost half her body weight for the sake of her health and her son.
The Turning Point
I can remember overeating beginning around third grade. The private school I went to before I switched to public school had a “credit card” for lunch. There were no limits and we ordered whatever we wanted. My brother and I even had eating contests. When my parents found out what we were doing they put a stop to it. Either way, that was the beginning of the roller coaster. My entire life has been a battle when it comes to weight. I was never happy in my own skin. I was always trying to lose weight. I even got to a point where I stopped eating in 11th grade. Thankfully, I had awesome friends who made adults aware. Name a diet, I tried it. And I lost weight each time, but I never kept it off. It was a continuous roller coaster that I thought would never end.
One morning, in November 2015, I woke up and I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t put pressure on my feet. I ended up having severe plantar fasciitis. My doctor told me that I really needed to lose weight. I knew it was time for a change. I had gotten lost in my own despair and made excuses about what had happened to me and my life in the past few years. I wasn’t even living. I was a shell of a person. And this wasn’t me. But at that point, I had no idea how unhealthy I truly was. All I knew was that I needed to get healthy for my son, my husband, my family — and most of all, for myself.
The Changes
After my “aha“ moment, I contacted a girl who I had spoken with the week before about trying the Isagenix system. I told her I was sure I would return it. I told her to not post or tag me in anything because I knew I was going to fail. Maybe not right away, but my typical process was to lose the weight, hit my goal and then gain it all back. So, I followed the simple and convenient plan of two shakes a day, two snacks and a healthy meal between 400 and 600 calories.
There are multiple ways to cleanse with Isagenix using their botanical beverage called Cleanse for Life, which provides a nutritionally-supported cleanse. I especially enjoy the two-day cleanse, as I get amazing energy and results from it. My hematologist wanted to see how my body would react first. After the first month he was so ecstatic, he said to go for it. So, I started to incorporate 48-hour deep cleansing twice a month.
I actually couldn't work out the first four months of my journey because I was going to physical therapy and healing. When I was finally given the green light to work out, a few things were going on. I was going through a mindset program called Healthy Mind and Body. They asked a fitness question: What is something you have never done before and want to try? It was the season of 5K races and that's all I saw on Facebook. I was never a runner and a friend suggested I do Couch to 5K. During the next few months, I gradually got to running three or more miles a day, and I ran my first 5K that fall. I also incorporated spin at CycleBar and other fitness classes. Even more recently, I received my first certification as a Pound Fitness Instructor.
When I started my journey, my son Jacob was 2.5 years old. I read that a toddler’s memory starts to form around 3 years old. I looked at myself in the mirror and I said, “What am I doing to myself, but more importantly, how selfish am I?" It took everything I had to have my miracle baby. What kind of life could I give my son? Not the one I wanted to. My “why“ was simple — I wanted him to see a fit mom. And now he does. He is six years old now, and when he sees pictures, he can’t believe that was me.
Each day of this journey was different from the other. I felt on top of the world. Not only was I physically changing but mentally as well.
The After
Every single thing about my life has changed for the better. I am unstoppable. I don’t set limits anymore. The only limits in my past were the ones I set for myself. I was so tired of people telling me I couldn’t do things because of my health challenges or because I was on Coumadin [a medication to treat and prevent blood clots] or just because of my weight. My mindset shift was a huge change for me and is the reason I am able to keep the weight off. Every diet out there claims they have maintenance programs, but Isagenix helped to teach me how to live a healthy lifestyle with the proper mindset.
My relationships with my family and friends got so much better as a result of my mental transformation. I now surround myself with positive, likeminded individuals. My community and the tribes I have become part of — there is no measurement of how amazing they are.
My life changes daily and new things constantly come up. Just because I lost half my body weight doesn’t mean I don’t struggle. My journey isn’t over. Keeping the weight off requires a lifelong commitment to living a healthy lifestyle. I’m so glad I have made that commitment.
Many times lately, I have helped others become the healthiest version of themselves. I come from a family of doctors and nurses. I didn’t go into the medical field because blood makes me queasy. And somehow, I found my own niche in the health and wellness industry.
The Maintenance
I work out about four to five times a week and constantly try to be the best version of myself. I recently ran my first classic 10-mile Tough Mudder. That was mentally and physically amazing and one of the hardest things I have ever done. Trust me, I had every excuse in the book not to do it, but I crushed it!
A normal day for me looks like this. I start with my Ionix Supreme in the morning, then I have a protein shake. Then I have a snack like hummus and cucumbers or avocado chicken salad. Then I have another shake, another snack and then a healthy meal between 400-600 calories. One of my favorite meals is Suzie’s 60-second quinoa. I use half the bag, mix with ground chicken or turkey, and add some coconut aminos and some roasted veggies.
The Struggles
Falling off. If you fall off, you have to just get right back on. For me, my relationship with food can be challenging. The smaller I get, the more mental challenges I face. We all wish we could be those people that eat anything they want and stay skinny. But that is not my reality and I have had to accept that.
Advice
Find your why. Make it solid and strong. Hold onto it like if you let go you would die. Because life is going to happen. It will always be a roller coaster. But your why will keep you motivated and focused. Lastly, surround yourself with positive, like-minded people who only want the best for you.
Need more inspiration? Read about our other wellness winners!
Wellness Wins is authored by Andie Mitchell, who underwent a transformative, 135-pound weight loss of her own.
Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.
