A Taylor Swift concert turned out to be the turning point for Lori Jerisha.
The 47-year-old mother of two was in Chicago last summer to see the pop star perform and remembers “needing a break as I walked from the parking lot to the stadium and up the stairs. I got so tired of asking [my daughter] waiting for me.”
A combination of a sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits led to steady weight gain for Jerisha, who tipped the scales at 210 pounds in 2023.
“I knew I had to make a complete lifestyle change,” she told TODAY.com this week.
Jerisha not only felt physically limited and dissatisfied with her appearance, but also suffered from high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Her weight caused acid reflux and sleep apnea, which required a CPAP machine.
Earlier in her nursing career, Jerisha was active, but twelve years ago she switched to a work-from-home job for an insurance company: “I went from walking around to sitting in front of a computer, typing and using digital electronic data.”
Admittedly, Jerisha has never been into sports. “I’ve definitely tried exercising in the past, but I didn’t like sweating or having to go to a gym and sit still and do something,” she explained to TODAY.com. “I can’t swim, so that was out. I don’t like lifting weights. I don’t like running, but I’ve always loved running. I just never really took the time to do it for myself.”
Faced with an empty nest last fall, Jerisha finally decided to take time for herself.
A final push and a challenging step toward better health came from her husband, Tony, who told her she couldn’t lose weight by walking. She said to him, “Look at me.”
In less than a year, she has lost 58 pounds.
“I used to just walk around the block. Now I ride about five kilometers two to six times a week. I make a playlist, I put an earbud in so I can still hear what’s going on behind me, and I go,” she told TODAY.com.
Her husband is now converted to the power of walking, joining Jerisha on some of her hikes and having lost 25 pounds himself.
As The Post previously reported, daily walks are possible helps digestion, improves mood, reduces the risk of heart disease, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol and strengthens the heart.
Recent research has shown that walking 5,000 steps three times a week for three years can extend a person’s life expectancy by three years and reduce healthcare costs by up to 13%.
In addition to her running workouts, Jerisha has changed how, when and what she eats. With the help of a calorie counting app, MyNetDiary, she can track how food affects her goals.
Her method is scientifically substantiated. Last year, a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that counting calories is the most effective way to shed unwanted pounds.
In addition to tracking calories, Jerisha also cuts back on dairy products and restaurant dinners and opts for vegetarian, home-cooked meals.
“I made small changes that added up, and it worked really well,” she boasted to TODAY.com.
Jerisha is proud of her body and loves buying new clothes that match it. “I don’t have to shop in the plus section anymore and it’s nice to buy dresses, skirts and clothes that show my arms. I can shop in the same stores as my daughter.”
Still, she claims that the physical effects of her weight loss are the most rewarding: “My energy has increased. I can walk up the stairs without getting short of breath and carrying the laundry baskets is no problem.”
Although her energy has increased, her cholesterol and blood pressure have decreased and she no longer requires medication for acid reflux. Her new goal is to be free from her CPAP machine.
Among her other ambitions? Complete a 1 mile jog. “I’ve never been able to do that, not even as a child when we had to do that in gym class. That keeps me motivated,” she told TODAY.com. “I look at what I’ve done, what I’ve done today and what I’m going to do tomorrow. And before I noticed it, here I am.”
