Ashley Javar apparently had always been a bigger girl growing up, not thinking much about it and living with parents who didn't help matters much:
My parents loved me deeply, but they showed that love through food (mostly fast food or anything loaded with cheese and carbs), not realizing how much harm they were actually doing.
According to Ashley, she didn't worry too much about it until 5th grade when she got a rude awakening during the year-end talent show -- emphasis on the rude part:
One of my classmates was doing a rendition of "Miami" by Will Smith and was looking for girls to be his backup dancers. When I volunteered, he said, “Not to be mean but you’re too big. I’m looking for pretty girls.” I was wrecked.
She tried her best to get the weight off over the next few years, but nothing stuck -- something most can relate to. As she describes, it is a cycle of fads.
But then she got a personal wakeup call:
When I threw my back out at 24, I knew I couldn't treat my body this way anymore.
It happened when I went to pick something up off the floor—I couldn't believe that such a tiny movement could cause so much pain, but it was so bad that I had to go to the hospital.
The pain of the injury paled in comparison to the pain and embarrassment of her time in the hospital due to her weight. It continued when she got home, opening the doors for a change to happen:
After I got home from the hospital, I had to sleep downstairs because my husband was unable to help me up and down the stairs. As I laid on the couch that night, 287 pounds and reeling from pain and embarrassment, I knew I had to make a real change.
In that moment, I came up with a to-do list to completely change my lifestyle.
Using the free app My Fitness Pal, Ashley started to chip away at what she ate and how she lived her life:
It was incredibly hard at first but I stuck with it this time because failing would mean I had totally given up on myself. I also tried to be as gentle as possible with myself—I knew it would take time to retrain my mind and my relationship with food.
Before I knew it, cooking became my hobby—I learned the art of quick, easy, simple cooking so the act didn't become overwhelming.
While dieting, Ashley didn't go hit the gym as most would. But she didn't just sit around and let whatever happen, happen. She took charge and went walking, kept moving, and took in life:
I wasn't sedentary during that time—I took every opportunity to walk, window shop, and play outside with my daughter—but I didn't step foot into a gym. Still, the positive changes I saw in the mirror and compliments and encouragement I got from others kept me motivated.
Keeping the weight off has been the toughest part according to her post in Women's Health magazine. Once she reached her target weight, she had to keep it there and keep herself on track:
That's where Instagram came into play—I decided to start an account as a new way to stay accountable, stick to my healthy changes, and inspire others. I've found such a great, supportive community there and they've helped me find a new purpose. Now that I've lost the weight, I've shifted my focus to just continuing to live healthy.
In the end, it isn't just Instagram that keeps the wheels moving for Ashley. It is how she feels the lifestyle she now maintains:
I am now able to run, jump, and play with my daughter without being in constant pain. I am able to do so much more work with much less effort. I can walk up stairs no problem. A lot of people focus on how hard losing weight is—and that's true sometimes!—but I have to say that everything about my day-to-day life has become so much easier.
A fantastic outlook!
