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Jan 3

At 325 Pounds, I Almost Died Giving Birth. Then, I Lost 159 Pounds and Took Back My Life. – Prevention.com

How to lose weight safely Comments Off on At 325 Pounds, I Almost Died Giving Birth. Then, I Lost 159 Pounds and Took Back My Life. – Prevention.com

On the day I delivered my fifth child, no one seemed to have answers for me. I was scared for my unborn son, scared for us both.

His umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck. My blood pressure kept crashing. His heart rate kept dropping. My insulin was through the roof and I often felt like I was going to pass out. A few times, I did.

I tend to think of myself as a resilient person, but I couldnt stop the tears from coming. I just kept asking the nurses and doctors over and over, Are you going to deliver this baby, or are you going to let him die?

I knew the delivery wasnt going to be easy; this pregnancy had been challenging since day one. But I never imagined things would get so bad.

Misti Hernandez

I was 325 pounds and pre-diabetic. When I became pregnant, I developed gestational diabetes, a type of diabetes that can develop after women conceive. So I struggled throughout my whole pregnancy with low blood sugar. There were times when I fainted and had to be hospitalized. At 36 weeks, I was admitted to the hospital because I had pre-eclampsia, a.k.a. high blood pressure that can creep up in your third trimester. I was so unhealthy at the time that childbirth could have been fatal for me and my child. And if Im being honest, while I was lying in my hospital bed, writhing in pain, I didnt know if either of us were going to make it.

And yet, after hours of panic and then only two pushes, there he was. Out came my sweet, little Agustin. Born August 5, 2016, at 1:20 p.m. at Redding Medical Center in Redding, CA.

He was so beautiful. Words cant even describe how relieved I felt. I thought seeing him alive and healthy meant that I could finally breathe.

But when I got to bed that night, I literally couldn't. Every time I closed my eyes, it felt like I couldnt get any air. I didnt sleep one wink.

The next morning, I called my doctor and was re-admitted to the hospital. They found out my blood pressure was dangerously high. Like 299 over 290 or something like that. Post-partum hypertension. Ill never forget the color on my husbands face as they wheeled me into my room: pale white. He thought he was going to lose me again. I couldnt bare it.

Nurses and doctors rushed in and out of my room, ripping my clothes off, giving me shots, feeding me pills. They kept doing everything they could to get my blood pressure down. Nothing was working. Even after 10 hours of trying, no one could figure out how to fix it. So they shipped me off to a cardiac unit to get answers, and fortunately after nine days of treatment, my numbers got back down within a safe range. I was finally cleared to go back home to my family and reunite with my newborn.

Gosh, I missed him so much. We had just gone through hell together, and it was really hard to be apart from him. Then, at home, I couldnt even breastfeed him. The radiation I was subjected to during tests on my heart was too toxic. You see, I had never been able to produce breastmilk until I had Agustin and I thought this was my chance to finally experience that connection with my baby. But when the doctors warned me against it, I was heartbroken.

Misti Hernandez

I felt like because of my health, I was failing not only Agustin but all of my kids. I was always tired, and everything hurt. I sat in front of the TV instead of playing with my kids outside. I tapped out of the Annual Family Christmas Tree Hunting every year, without fail. I couldnt go on amusement park rides because I couldnt fit.

I do everything for my kids to get into the right schools, see the right doctors. Everything. But during those early days with Agustin, I was really starting to believe that I was a bad mother. I also couldnt help but think about my own mom and how much I needed her when I was younger. I thought about those four heavy words on her death certificate: ccomplications from morbid obesity.

She died from congestive heart failure when she was 54. I nearly died during childbirth at 34.

As I left the hospital, I was reminded of the vow I made when I was younger: I was going to give my children the life that my mother couldnt give me.

I have love for my mom. I really do.

But she was a mess. And maybe that wasnt completely her fault. I think she was dealing with some mental illness.

She was a single mom on welfare, trying to raise me and my sister, Amber, in California. She didnt feed us well. We always just ate the bare minimum. You know, unhealthy stuff like ramen and those mac and cheese boxes with the yellow powder you mix with water. But because she wasnt much of a provider, and because it was hard to predict when I was going to get my next meal, I ended up developing an unhealthy relationship with food.

I remember one time when I was sick in the hospital with a bone marrow infection, and my grandma sent me boxes and boxes of chocolates. I would just have my way with them. I see now that I used food to cope with my pain and my emotions, to make up for what my mother couldnt provide.

Misti Hernandez

On top of that, I didnt have the best self-image when it came to my body. In my mind I was always the fat one," which is crazy to me because when I look back at pictures now, I wasnt that big of a kid. I was definitely bigger than my sister, though, who was always really skinny. Kids used call me all sorts of awful names, and I just got used to it. So what did it matter if I stuffed my face with chocolates? I was the "fat sister."

Things changed once I met my now-husband, Santiago. We moved 10 hours south to Oxnard, and I was finally free.

Free to create a new life and a safe home. I could eat what I wanted, when I wanted, and how I wanted. Pizza. Burgers. A whole lot of Mexican food. I was so happy. And years later we felt good enough to move back to Anderson. Before Agustin was born, we had four amazing children: Santiago Jr., Alfredo, Olivia, and Benjamin.

With each pregnancy, I gained a bunch of weight that I never really managed to shave off. I tried going to a weight loss doctor one time and he had me on all of these pills and shots. I tried starving myself on a 500-calorie diet. My weight would yo-yo, and my doctor would shame me every time I didnt lose enough pounds.

So I just kept eating. And I wasnt physically active at all. I was so focused on taking care of my kids and working 24-hour weekend shifts at a local group home to earn money for my family; I thought I didnt have any more energy to exercise. But the bigger I became, the more I hated myself. I got to a point where I wasnt enjoying life anymore. I wouldnt say that I was depressed, but I just stopped caring. I was just surviving, and I felt like life wasnt going to get any better.

Until I nearly died giving birth.

I decided on that day in 2016 that things had to get better because I had five kids to live for. I had so much to live for. And I knew the changes I had to make were going to be some of my hardest, but I had nothing to lose but my life.

When I was released from the cardiac unit, the doctors told me I needed to be on bed rest for a while. I nodded OK." But in my head, all I could think was hell no.

As soon as I got home, I wrapped Agustin on my chest and started walking.

It was absolutely awful.

Everything hurt: my ankles, my feet, my back. Everything. It was so hard to breathe, and my chest was on fire. The whole time I was worried that my blood pressure would spike again, and Id be back in the ER. But Im telling you, I was so determined. And I guess I had a little help. Now I dont believe in heaven or hell, but during those first few walks, I talked to my mom, wherever she was. I told her that I wasnt going to end up like her and I wasn't going to give up on myself anymore.

So I walked every day. If I felt tempted to sit and watch TV, Id take a walk. If I felt like putting something in my mouth, I would take a walk. And at first, I started small. First it was down the block. Then it got easier and I could walk a mile down the street. It got to the point where I was walking four to eight miles a day. Id put Agustin in the stroller and walk or jog around the park (about two miles), a couple times a day.

I even started cutting carbs throughout the week and only drank water. (Man, I cant tell you how hard it was to give up Diet Coke.) By the time 2017 arrived, I lost 50 pounds from cutting carbs and walking. I was starting to feel better.

And Id love to tell you that every year after that, things just kept getting better and I lost all of this weight from taking long strolls. But there were lots of moments when I felt like throwing in the towel. One day, I fell and injured my knee. Doctors refused to do surgery because of my weight, so I was in a wheelchair for a while and unable to exercise. In 2018, doctors discovered I also had polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which can make it difficult for anyone to lose weightlet alone someone recovering from a fall. But then I tried the ketogenic diet and lost 20 pounds within a month. Within 3 months, my blood pressure and blood sugar were back to normal and I got off all of my meds. Ive been living the keto life ever since.

Once I got my eating under control, I turned again to fitness. But this time, I wanted to build muscle. What I didnt realize at the time was that a good gym can be really hard to get.

Finding a place where you feel safe and welcome is not easy when youre new to fitness and dont have that perfect, cookie-cutter gym body. Every time I walked into a gym, I felt like I was bothering people. It was intimidating and uncomfortable. I thought I would never find my spot.

Then I walked into Anytime Fitness and everyone there was smiling, friendly. People of all shapes, sizes, colors, and fitness levels. Everyday, normal people. I started to let my guard down, especially once I met the now-manager Joseph Verdejo. When he sat me down and talked to me about my goals and what I wanted for my life, I felt like he really cared about what I had to say. I signed up for a membership that day.

Misti Hernandez

And I signed my sister, too (#sorrynotsorry, Amber!). I didnt want to undertake my fitness journey alone. But I quickly realized that wasnt going to be a problem. In the beginning, Joseph put me in group classes with Tracy O'Callaghan who worked with women ages 50 and up. I was 37 and Im not going to lie: I was afraid that I wasnt going to keep up with them. But I was instantly hooked despite having my butt kicked. I realized I loved having a coach and a community that was going to push me harder than I could push myself. I immediately upgraded my membership for unlimited classes.

Kettlebells. HIIT. Strength training. It was all hard as hell, but I wanted to do it. And then Joseph paired me up with a personal trainer, Calvin Stahl, who is absolutely amazing. In 2016 he was battling brain cancer. So even though hes much younger than me and were both very different people, we both understood what its like to fight for your life. He still keeps me motivated.

Misti Hernandez

At some point, I started coming to the gym every daysometimes two or three times a dayeven though there were moments when I felt guilty about being away from my kids. (You know, that old story.) I had to remind myself that I was doing this for all of us.

I set little goals for myself. Lets lose 10 pounds. Now lets lose 50. And I was surprised to find that I just kept crushing them and crushing them. Today, Im proud to say that Ive lost 159 pounds since starting my journey; that I have a passionate love/hate relationship with kettlebells (Im working on getting my booty back); and my focus is not about losing weight anymore. One of my next major goals is to be able to master pushups by my 40th birthday.

Misti Hernandez

Now, I have so much energy. Im a proud soccer mom who is able to shuttle my son Benjamin to all his games and practices. My daughter, Olivia, is a Girl Scout, and I love being her troops co-leader. Im even making plans to pivot my career and become a personal trainer. My dream is to show women that if I can do it, they can do it.

Honestly, the radical changes in my life are almost unbelievable, and I know part of the reason I was able to stick with this journey is because of the deep relationships Ive formed at the gym. I mean, all of the women in these classes are like sisters. Before and after workouts, we counsel each other on our marital problems or kids, we go out for dinner and drinks. Every single one of these women is so inspirational. Theyve helped me tremendously with my confidence.

Misti Hernandez

For a while, I wouldnt be caught dead wearing a cut-off shirt. I didnt want you to see the saggy skin hanging from my arms. I was so ashamed of it. I still kind of am. But my gym sisters, they are always telling me: Misti, look how strong youve become. Look at everything youve accomplished. It took a little prodding, but now Im not afraid to wear a tank top at the gym anymore.

When Anytime Fitness chose me as one of their National Success Story winners for my weight loss transformation, I was floored.

I couldn't comprehend why they would choose me, one of four winners out of 4 million members. The company flew me out to their headquarters in Minnesota for a ceremony. They gave me a trophy, $1,000, and I had to give a speech. Before I left for Woodbury, the Anytime crew filmed me in the gym to tell my story. And when they played it on the big screen at HQ, I started crying.

I just couldnt believe the woman I saw in that video. Like, Who is that? I didnt realize how amazing my story was. When youre living through hardships, you dont really see the whole picture, you know? I was so inspired by myself that night.

Heck, I still watch that video on YouTube. Like, all the time. And Im not afraid to talk at the screen either. Like, This lady is so friggin awesome. And my kids are like, Mom, thats you!"

I know this all probably sounds conceited, but you have to understand: Its still really hard for me to look at my body and understand that thats me. The body dysmorphia that you experience after losing so much weight is incredibly strange. I have to keep reminding myself that Im still the same Misti.

I still curse like a sailor.

I still have a big heart.

And Im still the woman wholl tell you that your outfit looks bonkersthat is, only if you ask me. (I like to tell it as it is. No sugar coating!)

And in some ways, I still have the same brain. The same thoughts. That same dark voice that says Im uglythat Im not worthy. I have hated myself for so many years. Its not something that I can just switch off by working out more or changing my diet.

So every day I have to look into my eyes in the mirror and give myself a pep talk. Remind myself of my why, tell myself I am worthy of happiness, and that I've got this! Ive got Olivia OBriens song Love Myself on repeat, by the way. That usually gets me going in the morning.

But on the days when it feels particularly hard to love myself like Olivia, I know Ive got people in my life who lift me up. Like my family, my girls at the gymand the boy who nearly killed me.

Agustin.

Hes three now and he struggles with autism. For him, that means words can be difficult. But every day, Agustin says this one phrase to me. One that makes me tear up sometimes. Hell grab my arms and play with them like they are silly putty. Then I look into his big brown eyes and he says, Mommy, youre beautiful.

Every single day he says this.

And I just melt. Because not only is he filled with such unconditional love, but he is my reminder of the day I decided to save my own life.

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At 325 Pounds, I Almost Died Giving Birth. Then, I Lost 159 Pounds and Took Back My Life. - Prevention.com

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