Who: Lindsay Dummitt
Occupation: Nurse
City: Ajax, Ont.
Age: 39
By The Numbers: 320 pounds at my heaviest, currently at 228 pounds, for a total weight loss of 92 pounds.
The Weight Gain: Growing up was hard. I was always heavier than everyone else and the biggest kid in my family.
My parents sent me to a dietitian, cooked healthy food and monitored everything I ate. I had a food diary as a teenager and had to follow a diet weekly. In high school, I joined Weight Watchers and cut out fats and carbohydrates.
As an adult, I tried every diet out there, and then finally had a Lap-Band put in at my heaviest weight. It worked and was in place until just after I gave birth to my twins. I had to have it removed due to complications of the band growing into the stomach tissue. It was extremely painful and very unhealthy. I was unhealthy.
"As far as fitness goes, I swam occasionally and we skied as a family on weekends, but that about summed it up."
Final Straw: One day I was chasing my kids around the backyard, out of breath and sweating. My eldest son said to me, "Mommy, why are you so tired? You get tired so fast, we just started playing." I cried and felt like a failure as a mom, as a woman, as a person.
My husband said, "We love you so much, we are worried for you and we want you around for a long time. When are you going to love yourself as much as we love you?"
That's when it clicked for me... I wanted to love me, I wanted to see my kids grow up and I wanted to be happy.
Story continues below.
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The Plan of Attack: I started exercising at home because I was embarrassed to go to the gym. I ordered the "21 Day Fix" program, bought the shakes and followed the food container system. It was easy and simple and it fit into my very busy schedule.
I did three rounds and lost about 21 pounds.
We made a family decision to join Life Time Athletic in Ajax, Ont., as it seemed like the perfect place and environment for everyone.
I asked one of the trainers to show me how to use the TRX system and he was more than happy to help. That's the day my journey really began. He became my trainer and took me under his wing. He guided me into healthy food choices, gave me macros to follow and gave me workouts suited to my body's abilities. I started seeing results immediately and kept going!
The Exercise Factor: As far as fitness goes, I swam occasionally and we skied as a family on weekends, but that about summed it up.
Currently I have a trainer at Life Time once or twice a week, I do kickboxing and boxing four hours a week and a cardio day!
I go to the gym five days a week depending on my work schedule.
"Weight loss will forever be an ongoing battle for me. I still am not where I would like to be, but I will get there"
The Food Element: I started eating all food groups following my macros and keeping my calories in and around 2,100 per day.
As the weight loss slowed down, I adjusted my calories down accordingly. After about eight months or so, I hit a major weight loss plateau and my trainer at Life Time suggested I try "carb cycling" — eating more and less carbs on certain days of the week for muscle growth and weight loss.
The hardest adjustment has been the planning, pre-planning and preparing my own foods and meals while preparing other meals and food for my three kids and husband. It's hard when you love food and sugary treats.
The Current Day-to-Day: My days are busy: between work and kids and home, there aren't too many hours left in the day. I now know that I deserve time for me and I make sure that time is spent at the gym.
Weight loss will forever be an ongoing battle for me. I still am not where I would like to be, but I will get there. I have the tools, the skills and the support of my family and my Life Time family.
My advice for others who struggle with weight the way that I have is to not give up on yourself. You are worth it, you deserve a long, healthy, happy life. It gets hard sometimes but in the end is it really any harder than the emotional roller coaster and health issues of being overweight? You have to decide, then make a change and stick to it.
Do you have a weight loss story to share? Send us an email at CanadaLiving@huffingtonpost.com to be featured on our Lost It series.
Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.