How Savannah Ortiz Lost 100 Pounds After Receiving A Huge Wake-Up Call!
Sometimes, it takes a life changing situation for someone to start taking control of their own life and scare them into making changes.
For Savannah Ortiz, this was seeing her mother hospitalised for over three months because of diabetes related medical problems. The damage to her body made Savannah realise that she needed to start taking better care of her own.
Below, Savannah opened up to PopSugar and revealed her typical daily weight loss diet, how she lost the weight and how she stays disciplined on days she feels unmotivated.
Be Sure To Follow Savannah On Her Instagram Here: @FitXSavvy
Savannah’s mother got brought into the hospital with complications from diabetes, when she was in her senior year of high school. She had to spend over 3 months in hospital as her health deteriorated and they weren’t sure if she was going to make it.
“She had toes amputated off her right foot and, shortly after, kidney failure. She was basically on her death bed and all I could do was sit there and watch.”
It was at this moment, sitting watching her mother in pain, that she knew she had to make a change in her own life.
“At 18, I was killing my body from the inside out and my body was working a lot harder than it should be for a person of my age. I didn’t want life to continue to pass me by and I didn’t want to wait till my health was in jeopardy for me to have a wake-up call.”
She saw the road she was heading down, with the fast food and junk meals and wanted to make a change that help keep her healthy for the longterm.
“I might not have had diabetes yet, but if I didn’t change something, I was not far from where she was. I just didn’t know where to start.”
“I was done feeling depressed and sad. I would smile all the time but was never truly happy. I wanted to love what I saw in the mirror, not constantly hate it.”
Savannah was tired of being bullied, feeling sad and unhealthy and like her life was passing her by because of her size.
“You’re known as the big one, the fat girl, the girl with the cute face but too big, the “she’s cool as a friend” one. That was me. I got made fun of, I got called fat – still to this day I remember the people who called me names because of my weight. It’s crazy how you can forget what someone says but never how they made you feel.
Savannah started by simply eating less, cutting out unhealthy, process foods and started replacing a meal with a Herbalife shake.
Savannah Ortiz Typical Day Of Eating:
Breakfast: “Herbalife shake in the morning, along with my tea and aloe for a metabolism boost. It is easiest for me to shake in the morning because I’m on the go at 5 a.m. — and I’m not the biggest fan of breakfast.”
Morning Snack: “Greek yogurt — yogurt is my favourite thing to eat.”
Lunch: “High-protein, so some type of meat and a vegetable to go along with it.”
Afternoon Snack: “Vegetables or string cheese. I’ll alternate between carrots or cucumbers. You can eat a lot of either and the calories still stay low. So those two are usually my go-to options.”
Dinner: “I end with high-protein, as well, with a vegetable again, and sometimes I like to add whole-grain rice. Or I’ll end the night with a big salad. It just depends what the day has been like.”
As well as getting her diet in check, she started cardio with a quirky method, which helped her stay motivated.
She was a huge fan of Kevin Durant, the inspirational basketball player, who’d number is 35, so she walked on the treadmill with the speed at 3.5 and the incline at 3.5.
“I would walk for a good two hours until the game was over just to be able to watch him play.”
After 6 months of clean eating and cardio, she progressed in the gym to lifting weights and bodyweight exercises. The strength training has helped shape her body and give her new found confidence.
Savannah started off at 243 pounds and has successfully lost over 100 pounds and is closing in on her ‘goal’ weight. Though it’s not completely about the scale as she has focused on her mindset throughout the journey as well.
“I have been able to see it now and build my mental health as much as my physical. Now I’m pursing my dreams head on, even applying to modelling agencies after all theses years that people told me to.”
How did Savannah stay motivated to continue on her weight loss journey, even when she didn’t want to?
“I have discipline. Motivation comes in spurts. I have moments I’m motivated because I never want to go back to my ‘old life.’ Sad, depressed, and alone isn’t a way to live. I guess at times fear is the motivation.”
“I find motivation in being the best me possible. It’s almost like a game of what’s next, how far can I push myself?”
Savannah’s new level of confidence helps give her the dedication and discipline to expect the best from herself.
She said, “I use discipline throughout the week to remind myself to eat right and get to the gym.”
The mindset she adopts now is one of gratitude and loving her body. After seeing her mother have several parts amputated and a loss of mobility, she sees it as a privilege to eat healthy and train hard!
“I have legs to run and arms to lift, so why take that for granted, when some people would be thankful to go? It’s all about the mindset you use to look at a situation, and I feel the need to always look at the positive.”
As far as weight loss tips go, Savannah recommends that you keep a balance even while trying to lose weight.
“Enjoy each stage of your weight-loss journey. You have to remember you are still living life while losing weight. Don’t miss out on opportunities just because you are on a ‘diet.’ You can still lose the weight but you can never get the memory you could have made back.”
“Focus on your mental health throughout your journey just as much as your physical. Remind yourself you are good enough at any shape or size. Focus on being healthy in every sense of the word. You are good enough NOW — weight is not nor will it ever be the judge of that.”
Savannah wrote this inspirational message on her Instagram to everybody trying to lose weight and get healthy
“Truth is losing weight is freaking hard… but being over weight is just as hard! You’re just on two different sides of the spectrum. Before I started losing weight I use to dream of one day being smaller but every dream needs a plan and that’s exactly what I made. Find something that motivates you and keeps you accountable, that’s a major factor in making a change.
No matter what it is; motivational quotes, smaller clothes, vacation dates or even a fitnessgram. You can’t make a change until you are truly committed and ready. I promise you it won’t be easy, you will cry, you will fail, and you will want to give up but with all that I PROMISE you it will be worth it when you succeed. So start with something small and increase your goals. Don’t expect results to happen the next day and most importantly believe in yourself.”
