Unwanted weight gain and obesity are serious issues today. Now more than ever, people are struggling with health issues related to their excessive weight and are searching for ways to rid themselves of those extra pounds.
Mylitta Butter figured out a way to successfully get it off and keep it off, and she wrote a book about her journey that is helping so many. This is my conversation with her.
Gaining a large amount of weight can be life-altering. Give us the backstory before your weight gain.
Most people won’t ever know what it feels like to be trapped in your own body. To struggle with a mountain that seems too hard and impossible to climb. To carry an astronomical amount of weight and not know where to start on getting back to a feeling of control. My weight loss journey started years ago and took many years and lots of tears before I finally took control of my health and started losing weight.
I wasn’t always overweight. While in high school, I weighed 145 lbs. and was an athlete. I played basketball, volleyball, ran track, was a cheerleader, and in my senior year was voted homecoming queen. My struggle with my weight started years after walking across that graduation stage and into the pressures of adulthood. Little did my high school friends know that their classmate would one day be facing health problems related to a combination of unhealthy choices and a sedentary lifestyle.
I worked multiple jobs and the stress of being a young adult with a vast amount of responsibilities got to me. And I turned to my drug of choice, food. The adventures of hanging out and partying with friends and family caught up with me. And all those days of drinking, celebrating, being stressed out on the job, eating excessively, not working out, and being inactive, turned into over a 150-pound weight gain in a span of just a few years. I had more than doubled my weight.
Whenever I was stressed, I ate. Whenever I was happy, I ate. Food was always in abundance in my family. Get-togethers, which were often, involved large amounts and varieties of foods. Fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, candy yams, and desserts led to the beginning of my battle with my weight because during that time I easily went over 200 lbs. After starting college and taking on new responsibilities, my weight got out of control and put me on a dangerous path.
As you started to gain more, when did you realize it was becoming a problem?
Thinking back to that point in my life, facing the reality of reaching a weight I thought I would never see was eye-opening. And I could feel every one of those pounds in my back, in both my knees and especially in my oversized chest. I had trouble sleeping at night, breathing, and constant migraines from the pressure of carrying the weight.
Even though it was hard and took some soul searching, I admitted to myself that I was out of control. I remember the day when I knew it was a problem. I was standing in my kitchen eating a sandwich and a bag of chips, all while prepping and preparing another meal. Yet, I couldn’t stop myself from eating. I was cooking dinner that I would eat in less than an hour. That week is when I realized I was 304 pounds.
How did your family, friends, and co-workers respond to you as you gained weight?
It’s funny you asked that because I remember to avoid the onlookers, I slowly became a closet eater at work and would sit in my car and have lunch. Mainly, I was embarrassed about the large amounts of food I was devouring each day. Most days, it wasn’t one but two fast food combo meals or a footlong sub with double meat, two bags of chips, and 5 cookies. And of course, a large soda to wash it down.
I also remember how I stopped taking pictures with my family. Or if I did, I normally hid in the back to cover my body. Because unlike me, most of all my family was tall and thin. I even stopped wanting to go out with friends and felt ashamed around my family that I had let myself get so out of control and unhealthy. And over those years, the eating behaviors we had all grown accustomed to, did not have the same effect on their bodies as mine. As siblings, because of their love for me, they never said anything thinking it would hurt my feelings.
How did your life change as a result of gaining weight?
When I went to the doctor for a routine checkup, at my heaviest weight, I got the shock of my life. I received the wake-up call I needed to take back my power and get control of my life. It wasn’t seeing the 304 lbs. on their scale and it wasn’t the results from my bloodwork about having high blood pressure and high cholesterol. But what got my attention was when I heard my doctor say, “You are borderline type 2 diabetic and if you don’t do something soon you are asking for a host of additional problems.” I froze. I knew people who had diabetes and had to have their foot or leg amputated. And I could not picture myself without my feet or legs. Nor did I want to keep going on the same unhealthy path I was on because I felt like I didn’t know who I was anymore whenever I looked in the mirror. I had lost myself in all the weight. I was emotionally and physically drained.
Describe that feeling when you initially lost some weight? What is your secret?
Everything starts and ends in the mind, and figuring out how to make this time different than any other time is a key step in the journey. I had lost weight before but something was different inside of me, and it made my path to success one that I believed I could achieve. Mainly because I was doing it for me. Unlike before, this time wasn’t for my spouse, or to fit in a particular size, or because I was going to an event and wanted to impress someone. I made the commitment to myself that my health was worth fighting for.
The first thing I did was created a weight loss vision board. This helped me to see myself at the finish line of reaching my goal. I also started celebrating big and small wins, and journaling, and I slowly began to change my relationship with food. Then, instead of living to eat, I ate to live and stopped looking at food as good or bad, but instead remembered two keywords: moderation and diversity. As long as I ate moderate portions of a diverse range of foods, I could continue being healthy and maintaining an ideal weight.
I want to share a story about ideal weight or what can happen when we set an unrealistic goal.
When I first lost weight, I went too low on the scale. Lost about 30 pounds more than I should have. I went back to my high school weight to be exact. At the time, it was easy to do because I became obsessed with all the comments from family and friends telling me how great I looked.
Losing the weight was one thing, maintaining it was another. Back then, I didn’t factor in my age, stage, and lifestyle. After a short while, I realized what it took me to stay that size long-term wasn’t going to make me happy or be where my body felt its best. So, I let my body dictate where it would be the happiest and where I could maintain it without starving myself or doing excessive exercises. And I have to say, I am happier and feel healthier now that I’ve gained back some of the weight. I consider myself a “healthy thick chick” because I have curves and I celebrate them every chance I get. Because I have finally accepted that being healthy is not a size, it’s a lifestyle made up of a host of daily decisions.
I think sometimes we can be hard on ourselves and don’t cut ourselves any slack. Setting out on the road to getting healthy is not easy. Having realistic expectations and being kind to ourselves along the way can make the journey go smoother. That’s one of the key reasons why I was able to lose weight.
You were so successful with the weight loss that you wrote a book to help others lose. Tell us about it.
Yes, my book is called Slim Down Level Up: Weight Loss Tips From a Healthy Thick Chick. It is about my weight loss journey and the tips and tools I used to succeed. It’s also about my trials and tribulations and how falling down is not failing, and it’s okay to start over again. I share three specific 6-Week Slim Down Level Up programs with meal plans and eating out examples, as well as, a variety of intermittent fasting charts showing various ways of switching up when you eat and how it plays a huge role in losing weight and burning fat. And most importantly, my book shares that the main key to losing weight is getting to the “why” of the weight gain before we can conquer the “how” to lose it, and keep it off.
How important is a person’s mindset when tackling weight loss?
“My book is titled Slim Down Level Up for a reason. The leveling up part is about upgrading your self-love, self-care, and self-worth. I have a saying―to be truly healthy you must first be kind to your mind because our thoughts become our actions. If we are mad at ourselves for gaining weight or are thinking negative thoughts, it can affect our bodies and how we treat them. And for many years, my actions had me eating my pain. That was until I realized I needed to love and forgive myself for the weight gain. Best tip, before starting on any weight loss journey, learn to love your curves right where they are and where you want them to be. It can be the key to being successful long-term.
What words of encouragement can you give to those struggling to lose?
You may feel you’ve lost the fight but I’m here to tell you, down is not out. You can start again. And no matter how many times you have tried to lose but were unsuccessful, make this time different than other times. Start by forgiving and allowing yourself some grace. The battle can be won; one meal, one day, and one pound at a time. You got this sis!
You are working on a swimwear line. Tell us about that.
Yes! After years of frustration in not finding swimwear that accentuated and celebrated my ever-changing curves, I decided to design one.
I’m super excited to offer women an option in swimwear that will allow them to love their swimwear as much as their gym wear. To be able to “Swim Your Confidence.” It’s called MyLegkini® Swimwear. Our soon-to-be-released, patented luxury BikiniLeggings® has been a dream of mine for several years. It is specifically designed to slim a woman’s hips, waist, legs, and thighs. These are often forgotten problem areas for women in swimwear. Not anymore. This summer, women will take back their confidence at the beach and pool, all while feeling comfortable, covered, and sexy.
What have you learned about yourself through the process that has made you the woman you are today?
I’ve learned when I put my heart into something, I can and will persevere. I reminded myself what perseverance means―persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.
Whether it’s losing a lot of weight or starting a swimwear line, I’ve learned that delay is not denied. It may take more time, it may feel difficult on certain days and you may feel like giving up, but if you keep pushing, keep believing in yourself, and follow-through, there is a spot for you at the finish line. My faith and my determination to fall forward and never give up are what have made me the woman I am today.
What’s next for you?
I have my swimwear line launching this summer. You can sign up to receive exclusive photos and launch specials at My Legkini | Swimwear – Swim Your Confidence.
You can catch up with Mylitta Butler by clicking these links:
Instagram │ Facebook │ Website │Get Your Copy of the Book: Slim Down Level Up Book
Photography by: MIGUELGLOBAL
Writer, Debbie Stokes is a contributing writer. You can follow her on Instagram @iamdebbiestokes
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