(HOUSTON) — A Houston woman says the secret to her success in losing over 200 pounds was simply walking.
Shenisha Armealine, 27, said she began walking in 2017, while at her heaviest weight of over 400 pounds.
At the time, Armealine said she was not only at her heaviest weight, she had also just survived Hurricane Harvey, which swept through Houston in August 2017, leaving a trail of devastation in its path.
“I lost everything I owned,” Armealine told “Good Morning America.” “My mental health was not really well, and I just I started walking.”
Armealine said she started small by committing to walking 15 minutes every day.
Slowly, Armealine said her daily commitment developed into a habit and then into a lifestyle.
She added jogging into her exercise routine and started to eat better too.
With those incremental changes — in addition to therapy, which she credits with helping her learn new coping skills — Armealine said she lost 218 pounds over five years.
“My life has a new perspective,” she said. “This is not just weight loss or weight gain. This is motivation.”
Armealine, now a college sophomore, shares her weight loss journey on Instagram and TikTok, where she inspires others.
“Once you realize who you are and you can love yourself, once you can believe in yourself and love who God created you to be the, the sky’s like literally the limit,” she said. “There is nothing you can’t do.”
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