6′ Laura Micetich aka The Iron Giantess Lost An Incredible 114lbs In 12 Months!
Laura Micetich is a 25 year old teacher from Tennessee, who let secret binging and a sedentary lifestyle balloon her bodyweight up to over 300lbs. Standing at 6 feet tall, and now over 300lbs, Laura admits that she cut an intimidating figure to the children in her class.
Laura, wanting to set a good example to her students, decided to get fit and lose the weight and change her life in the process. What started with the thought of weight loss surgery, quickly turned into a love of weight lifting and healthy eating.
“The Iron Giantess” now has an Instagram following of over 175,000 people, who follow along with her weight loss journey. Laura lost 114 pounds, to complete one of the most amazing weight loss transformations on social media. Weight which she has kept off since and uses her Instagram to teach others how they can get fit too.
Follow Laura Micetich On Her Social Media Here:
Instagram: @theirongiantess
Facebook: FB.com/TheIronGiantess
Laura blames her secret eating for a big part of her weight gain. Her father was a Doctor who cooked healthy meals for the family, but it was the extra snacking and hidden meals that caused her weight to creep up.
‘I would go to the fridge and find something I needed – it was a bit of addiction. It wasn’t emotional eating, it was just something I did.’
At the beginning, Laura thought she has gained so much weight that she figured surgery would be the best option for someone her size.
“I started researching gastric bypass surgery, but my super-high BMI, of 41.5, would have made surgery very risky. To try to whittle my weight down to a safer range, I downloaded Jillian Michaels’ weight-tracking app and sweated to her YouTube videos, as well as to some Zumba ones I had discovered online.”
Being over 300lbs and a 6 foot tall “Giantess“, exercising wasn’t easy at first and it took a lot of dedication and will power for Laura to get going and stick with it at the start of her journey.
‘At first, I could barely get through half a video, but as I became stronger, I could go for longer. I also noticed I had fewer aches and pains. In the spring of 2014, while completing a second degree, I began taking advantage of the campus gym. By May, not only had I stopped dreading those workouts, but I was down more than 20 pounds. I decided to nix the surgery and continue pushing hard toward my goal.”
Laura also went with a back to basics approach with her diet, focusing on eating healthy, rather than limiting herself and turning nutrition into a chore.
“I went back to my healthy-eating roots. Rather than restricting myself to tiny meals, I started noshing on smart fare that I could eat a lot of, like sashimi-grade tuna and broccolini. The result: I loved my new routine and how it made my body feel. Now I’m at a weight that’s right for me 190 pounds.”
The reason Laura started was partially down to her profession, teaching, and wanting to set a good example for the children in her class.
‘The turning point was after I had graduated and just came out of a four year relationship. I was going into a teaching degree and wanted to be a good role model the kids. I am a teacher and my size was the first thing the kids picked up on. It wasn’t them being mean spirited, kids just have no problem being honest.’
At 6 foot tall, Laura goes by the “The Iron Giantess” online, as she was given this nickname in her younger days.
“As a kid, people always called me giant, in a positive way, so when I started lifting weights, I embraced the moniker. It was a symbol to me of taking what I already was and making it strong.”
Gaining an incredible following of over 175,000 people, Laura didn’t always want the attention that a popular Instagram account can bring.
‘At first I prayed no one would find my account as I am not really a social media girl. But documenting my journey played a huge role of getting me fit as there was community to support and encourage me and vice versa.’
Laura continues to impress the world with her continued successful journey, and enjoys the process of weightlifting and staying healthy. Enjoying the gym, she is focused on getting stronger and feeling good.
“Sometimes I’m there for an hour and a half, sometimes I’m there for three. I spent the last year lifting heavy and managed to get my squat and deadlift to three plates.”
Laura Micetich Top 4 Weight Loss Tips From Health.com
Instagram it! After I lost my first 40 pounds, I created an Instagram account to track my fitness. As my number of followers grew, so did my motivation. Being part of a community kept me accountable.
Score free fitness. There are a lot of weight-loss programs that cost big bucks, but there are also plenty of reputable online resources that give you the same benefits for free. One of my faves: Blogilates by Cassey Ho.
Buy a band. When I’m unable to get to the gym, I turn to my resistance band; it’s an easy and portable way to add in strength training on the go.
Mind the menu. I love eating out, but restaurants offer too many temptations. To keep from consuming calorie bombs in the moment, I choose a healthy option from the menu ahead of time.
Source: health.com
Laura Micetich Before: 6′, 304 lb, size 26
Laura Micetich After: 6′, 190 lb, size 10
Laura Micetich Sample Diet Plan:
Laura Micetich Sample Weekly Workout Routine:
Laura Micetich Sample Meals From Instagram:
Dinner tonight: lean steak, sweet potato, broccoli, and a little healthy guacamole (white onion, tomato, avocado)
Two eggs. Half cup of egg whites. Mushrooms. Spinach. Basil. Thyme. Garlic.
Apple donuts
Got beef? Let’s taco bout it! 🌮 Yesterday’s dinner fixings. “Taco bowls” are a go-to for me. Some type of protein, some lettuce, some avocado, some salsa. All in a bowl. We’re good to go!
But healthy tacos are totally possible! Thinly cut chicken breast (some plain, some rubbed with barbecue and Sriracha) baked in the oven at 350 for about 20 minutes
Let cool. Then shred or chop
Rudi’s gluten free wraps (These are optional – you can also just throw your ingredients in a bowl. I quarter them and heat for 20 seconds in the microwave to make them more flexible/manageable)
Any fixings you want. (Salsa, olives, sour cream, cheese, jalapeño, etc.) Choose your fixings based on your goals and eat guilt free!
Ground turkey, red onion, and broccoli with Mrs. Dash’s Jalapeño on brown rice.
Egg and egg whites with some spinach and spring greens and some cayenne. Easy peezy egg yolk squeezy.
Pan wilted spinach kale mix with shallots and chicken breast
No magic. Just ground turkey, sweet onion, and shiitake mushrooms with paprika cooked in a pan and thrown over a bed of arugula and kale. Big salads are so easy, so simple, and so delicious. 🍽
🍽Apple cider vinegar salad and a ground turkey and onion meatloaf with sweet potatoes.
