More Than Just Weight Loss: Woman Shares Journey to Health

About this sponsorship: In honor of the 60th anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary's historic ascent of Mount Everest, Patch and Grape-Nuts are teaming up to highlight those who inspire people around them to climb their own mountains.

Facing the Challenge

Hayley Martin has gone from a size 26 to a size 14 since July of last year.

But even though her shrinkage is what people immediately see and certainly what they comment on first, her biggest challenge is not about losing the weight.

"One of of the biggest challenges is getting people to understand this is more than just weight loss," Martin said. "I see so many people that have followed me on Facebook and my blog and total strangers at the gym that tell me they wish they could lose weight like me. Honestly, the weight loss was an added bonus to my entire lifestyle change."

In order to succeed on the scale, Martin said that she needed to change mentally and understand that the goal is an entire lifestyle change—even as she balances time between work, searching for a new home, the gym and caring for her husband and daughter.

"It's chaotic, but I'm making it work," she continued. "It's always a challenge, but at this point, I'm willing to overcome that challenge one day at a time."

She now has a blog and Facebook page, "Transforming Flab to Fab," to encourage others.

Finding the Inspiration

Martin had always struggled with weight, with yo-yo diets that were ultimately a cycle of losing and then gaining.

But last summer, her then-4-year-old daughter called her fat. And she saw a picture that "became a reality check."

"I was miserable, absloutely miserable," Martin shared. "I hated my clothes because nothing fit me. No one carried size 28s, and if they did, they surely weren't very trendy."

Once she began losing a bit of the weight, she started seeing a different person. And she created her Facebook page to begin connecting with other people seeking a change—and some of these total strangers became part of her motivation.

"I also took a lot of inspiration from the people who I know and love," Martin added. "I've told them how much they mean to me."

And getting healthy is improving life not just for herself but for her daughter, Arabella, as well, who now has a "much cooler mom," Martin said.

Reaching the Goal

Sixty pounds lighter than her heaviest weight, Martin has a way to go—she wants to lose at least 40 more pounds—but she is happy with her progress.

Still, "what's more important is the non-scale victories," Martin stressed. "I'm able to run the bases with my daughter at softball without collapsing. That wasn't going to happen last summer. I'd barely make it to first base. Today, I can walk in a store and feel confident in my options, not praying the sizes are big enough. I have choices. I forgot how amazing that feels."

She rewards herself at different milestones and hopes to reach 100 pounds lost by this summer, when she will buy a new bathing suit. When she reaches 150 to 170 pounds gone, she wants to run a Disney marathon.

As for what's next for Martin: "(To) keep on changing my life one day at a time," she said. "I couldn't be happier with what I've accomplished, and I'm excited for what I will continue to do. It's never going to end. There will always be a new goal somewhere down the line. Something to drive me to be a better person. I love who I am today, and I can't wait to see the woman I become."

Read more: Transforming Flab to Fab: One Woman's Weight Loss Journey

Hayley Martin Blogs on Patch

Transforming Flab to Fab on Facebook

Transforming Flab to Fab Blog

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