Lisa Dove shares her weight loss transformation story to inspire others after the Vernon Hills mother of three lost 160 pounds through diet and exercise.
“I couldn’t tie my shoes. I couldn’t paint my toenails,” Dove said. “I could barely walk. I was swaying behind my children. I was getting tired and had to take a break.”
In June 2021, the price of a pigeon was 297 pounds.
“I had three children, and that stopped everything. I had three children, and there was no time for my mother anymore,” she said.
“I was a size 26. I was a size 3 to 4X.”
Dove also had type 2 diabetes.
“I was taking four different medications to try to control my A1C level. It kept going up.”
When the pandemic hit, Dove knew she wanted to make a difference. She had more flexibility in her work schedule and began walking daily to get out of the house.
She also started Weight Watchers and has been diligent about her diet.
“It was a sustainable program for me because nothing was off limits. It was more portion control. You can have apple pie, but you can’t have the whole apple pie,” Dove said.
When gyms reopened in June, Dove decided to take a big step and get back into shape.
She started working with a personal trainer who took her out of her comfort zone.
“I’ve been a trainer for almost ten years. It’s been one of my favorite journeys to be a part of,” said Stephanie Kandzierski, personal trainer at Lifetime Fitness in Vernon Hills.
Kandzierski says she was not surprised by Dove’s perseverance.
“What is the reason? What is the fuel that keeps you going on days when you don’t want to show up? Her reason was so powerful. Her dedication, her determination, her self-discipline, she had all of these tools. It’s a matter of pulling them out of your toolbox,” she said.
November is Diabetes Awareness Month. More than 37 million Americans suffer from diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
One in five people does not know they have it.
Type 2 is the most common, says Dr. Romy Block, chief of endocrinology at NorthShore University Health System.
“The pancreas, which makes the hormone insulin, is not working as strongly or at 100 percent. Over time, it produces less and less insulin that your body can use,” Dr. Block said. “It’s a growing epidemic in this country and it can cause a lot of other medical conditions by affecting your heart.
“70% of the diabetes problem is out of your control,” Block added. “30% of it is within your control, and the good news is that small changes can make really big differences in your sugar control and your overall healthy lifestyle.”
Dove is now in remission and has a target weight of approximately 140 pounds. Her fitness journey continues, and her new goal is toning.
“It almost brought tears to my eyes because I was a miserable woman. I was a terrible person. If you’ll excuse me I was a terrible mother,” Dove said.
“It’s about discipline. How easy it is to convince yourself not to do it. Not today.” “That’s how I was. ‘No, I can, I do and I will,’ said Dove. ‘At first it was really hard, but the more I developed my routine, the more I wanted to change the way I did things.’
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