CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte attorney once at risk for serious health problems because of her weight transformed her lifestyle and now she's joining the American Heart Association to help others do the same.
Deanna Taylor said this is the best she's ever felt since she made fitness a priority in her life.
'It's just a part of my life now. It's literally a lifestyle change," Taylor said.
The 29-year-old said her life began much differently with hardly any physical activity.
"Growing up, I was always the overweight kid," Taylor said. "You know the cute little girl but chubby little girl?"
Taylor said as she got older the weight packed on and she became depressed in her 20s.
"That's when my weight really ballooned and I got up to my heaviest weight which was about 230 (pounds)," she said.
After college, she started law school and that's when a trip to the doctor's office changed her perspective.
The doctors told her she had to lose weight:
"Morbidly obese meant that as a young 20-something year old female, I was at a significant risk for hypertension, diabetes, potential heart attacks," Taylor said.
She began taking daily 30-minute walks and purchased a fitness-game console.
She saw the weight begin to drop -- a total of 85 pounds in about eight months.
Now, her normal routine is working out and helping others do the same.
"It's literally about just getting started, getting up off the couch, getting out of your normal routine," she said.
Taylor is now a certified trainer and volunteers with the American Heart Association.
She'll walk in the 20th Annual Heart Walk uptown on Sept. 20 and she's a nominee for the Heart Association's Lifestyle Change Award.
Taylor said there's no quick fix. You have to commit to long-term changes.
"It wasn't an overnight thing, but gradually I made healthier choices," she said.
If you know someone who's made changes to improve their health, you can nominate them for the lifestyle change award.
To find out more about the Greater Charlotte Heart Walk on Saturday, September 20th, ckick here: http://www.charlotteheartwalk.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1089326&lis=1&kntae1089326=2E862EE62BCD4614AFE034682FE628BC
To submit a nomination for the "Lifestyle Change Award", click here: http://www.kintera.org/atf/cf/%7B98A55988-0D89-419A-8CF1-161E7330D86E%7D/LIFESTYLE%20CHANGE%20AWARD%20NOMINATION%20FORM%20UPDATED.PDF
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