by Jasmine Smith
Last year Detricia Woods-Meadows was at her highest weight ever and in pain from arthritis and a torn meniscus. After years of making excuses about why working out wasn’t for her, she decided it was time for a change.
The 51-year-old was used to walking every day to work, but like most people, the pandemic caused a shift to her daily routine. Instead of getting her daily dose of exercise on her way to work, she began sitting around at home. “My mom who is in her 70s was walking more than me,” she says, adding that a knee surgery set her back even further.
“I had recently learned that two people I knew growing up had passed away. One was complications of diabetes and the other one was heart disease, and we were the same age,” Woods-Meadows tells TODAY.
Walking toward better health
Determined to not be in the same position, Woods-Meadows committed to walking every single day.
In June 2022, when she joined the group, she was walking about 5,000 steps a day and slowly increasing her step goal by 500 steps every two to three weeks.
After seeing testimonies from other group members who had met their weight loss and health goals, she realized she could do it, too.
An unexpected health scare
Although she already had the motivation she needed, she was even more determined when she found out she was prediabetic.
“I was scared to tears, and I knew that letting myself go further was not an option,” Woods-Meadows shares. The diagnosis was the push she needed to make lifestyle changes and get healthier without medication.
“I immediately bumped up my step goal to 10,000 steps a day and aimed to increase my goal by five hundred to one thousand steps each month,” she adds.
But she didn’t just stop there. She also focused on portion control and increased her water intake. “I don’t like the word diet. … My motto is I can have it, (but) I can’t have it all,” she tells TODAY. “My work had only begun, and I was excited to see where the journey would take me.”
The journey took her to heights she couldn’t imagine. “I’ve lost 65 pounds as of today, and I have about 20 pounds to go until I reach my first goal,” she shares.
Because of this, Woods-Meadows is no longer prediabetic and her bloodwork has been back to normal since November.
She’s also up to 13,000 steps a day and has been walking every single day for over 200 days. The key to her consistency is to get up and move every day no matter what.
“It is hard sometimes… but then I have to remember why I am doing this and I’m doing this for me — I’m taking care of myself, nobody else is going do it,” Woods-Meadows shares.
She’s glad to have the START TODAY community to turn to for support. “The Start TODAY family is the most motivating, encouraging family. … You get to be yourself and you get to be vulnerable,” Woods-Meadows says.
Her advice to others
If you want to make lifestyle changes and don’t know where to start, Woods-Meadows offers this advice:
- Schedule a physical with your doctor. “My first tip is to see your doctor and schedule that physical so that they can see if any underlining issues are going on,” says Woods-Meadows. She also encourages people to talk with their doctor before starting a new exercise routine. “You do not want to do something that could hurt you in the long run,” she adds.
- Make small, realistic goals. “I’ve never been this consistent with anything. Now I’m motivated every day, I have a goal every day,” she adds.
- Be kind to yourself. “Don’t compare yourself to anyone else. … This is your journey, this is your life, this is your health. … You have the reins,” she says.
