I wanted to share a story of one incredible woman – Nanette Houston – who proves age is just a number. My business partner Justin Blum and I have had the privilege of working with Nanette at Raw Fitness in Las Vegas. At the beginning of Nanette’s fitness journey, she was diabetic and dealing with numerous physical and health issues. On her way to losing the 129 lbs, she continually hit barriers. Yet, with our guidance and her amazing attitude, she did it and continues to maintain the new healthy, strong way of life. With that said, meet Nanette…
You look amazing! If you don’t mind, tell us your starting weight and your age?
My heaviest recorded weight was 289 lbs. I have not been overweight my whole life. It was during my pregnancy in 2002 that I put on the weight. I am 46, will be 47 in August.
What motivated you to finally commit to fitness?
The driving force behind my weight loss was being tired of being unhappy with myself. And, family history of diabetes and high blood pressure scared me. Also, my son was super active and I was not able to keep up with him. This embarrassed me to no end. I knew I needed a change in my life, or I was headed down the road to destruction.
How did this fitness journey begin?
My journey started five years ago with MANY failed attempts followed by more weight gain. I have tried too many diets to list. I have tried different exercise programs to no avail. I have had a Las Vegas Athletic Club membership for 3 years but have gone less than 10 times. When I started, I wasn’t really trying. Mainly because the thought of just TRYING to lose SO MUCH weight was OVERWHELMING! I was defeated and depressed before I even started.
When did you start seeing progress?
I started walking my son to and from school instead of driving him, only because my son wanted to walk with his friends instead of ride in the car. It was half of a mile in each direction, so I was walking 2 miles a day. I didn’t change my diet at that time, I just walked my son to and from school. Soon I noticed that I was slowly shedding weight. I knew nothing about nutrition at the time, just that I should eat in moderation without too much sugar and flour. The thought of any kind of training was out of the question in my mind. Once you are SO big, it’s easier to just exist. It is totally a mental battle that always seems to be a loosing one.
When did you really get serious about buckling down and losing the weight?
About 2 years ago, I started getting more serious about shedding the weight. I had to mentally prepare myself. My motto was, “One pound at time, one day at a time.” I had to realize that failing one day didn’t mean failure. Tomorrow is a new day, so start the process again by making better choices.
Then, you faced some health scares that amped up your motivation, right? Tell us about that.
Last July, I was diagnosed with diabetes and high blood pressure. My numbers were so high that I was told to go to the ER if I felt the least bit ill. This scared the crap out of me! Around the same time, I injured my back, which resulted in two bulging discs. To this day, I deal with daily pain. But, I will not let this get the best of me.
We love your attitude. Tell us where you are now.
I have lost a total of 129lbs and I am off of insulin! I NEVER TRULY THOUGHT I WOULD LOSE THE WEIGHT!! Stumbling upon Raw Fitness was a true blessing!!! I have learned a lot about nutrition and what my body can handle. The support system is unheard of! I FEEL GREAT! I am so proud that I have done this on my own—no surgery or drugs, just pure hard work! Do my knees hurt? Yes, but I keep pushing. Do I still doubt my ability? Yes, but I am getting stronger every day.
Do you have any advice for other women struggling to lose weight?
My advice to other women my age or any age is to never give up on yourself! You are never too old or heavy to start taking care of yourself. The struggle is real…I have lived it. You can do it…one day at a time, one pound at a time. I am living proof that it can be done. No crazy fad diet, surgery or magic pill is going to do it for you. Only YOU can do it…and there is no greater gift that you can give yourself! NEVER GIVE UP!!
Thank you Nanette for sharing. This was quite journey, and I have been honored to be a part of the process towards helping you find and learn a healthy lifestyle! You are a true testament to setting your mind towards a goal, staying focused and being determined to never give up.
Nanette’s Example Meal Plan
Breakfast
3 egg whites
1/2 cup oatmeal
Multivitamin
90 min later: WORKOUT
Post Workout
Protein Shake
Carb of choice (About 25 grams)
Lunch
3 ounces chicken or 4 ounces white fish
1/4 cup brown rice
1-2 cups veggie
Snack
Protein Shake or 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt with 1/4 cup berries
Dinner
4 ounces white fish
2-3 cups veggies
1 tablespoon coconut oil
Bedtime
1 tbsp fish oil
Nanette’s Training Approach
Nanette trained consistently at the Raw Fitness bootcamp 5 to 6 days a week. These workouts consisted of a mixture of upper body and lower body exercises (mostly compound) like: suspension strap rows, renegade rows, wall sit shoulder presses, mountain climber body drags, dragon push-ups, heavy bag slaps and knees, Bosu atomic pushups, box step-ups, walking lunges, squatted steering wheels, sprints, jump squats, jump lunges, etc. Each workout was about one hour. Workouts changed every day to shock the body!
