Flight attendant, 30, who ballooned to 215lbs after struggling to diet while traveling reveals how she shed 85lbs with portion control and a running app - as she shows off her incredible transformation in stunning photos
- Charity Nelms, 30, from Monroe, Michigan, began struggling with her weight as a child, when she binged on unhealthy food, snacks, and soda
- At her heaviest, Charity weighed 215lbs and she says that her size began affecting her job, leaving her out of breath, tired, and miserable
- She had tried strict diets in the past but nothing worked - and her hectic travel schedule made it all the more difficult for her to get healthy
- In 2016, she reached breaking point and decided that she needed to make a change to her lifestyle, so she focused on cutting back on her portion sizes
- Charity also began using a 'Couch to 5K' app in order to get fit, and after finishing the program, she joined a local gym
- Within 18 months, the flight attendant had lost 85lbs and she now looks unrecognizable, with many strangers confusing her for a professional model
An overweight flight attendant who spent years hating her body has revealed how she lost 85 pounds by simply cutting out excess portions - only for strangers to now confuse her with a professional model.
Fitness coach and flight attendant Charity Nelms, 30, from Monroe, Michigan, struggled with her weight growing up. Eating whatever she liked, when she liked, Charity's diet consisted of chips, soda and unhealthy snacks.
She felt miserable and dysfunctional and at her heaviest, aged 24, Charity weighed 215lbs and wore size 14 clothing. Despite her desire to be healthy, Charity found it almost impossible to stick to any type of diet whilst exercise was non-existent.
Although she never received mean comments from trolls, Charity admits that she was hyper-sensitive about the way she looked and would constantly degrade herself.
Transformed: Flight attendant Charity Nelms, 30, has revealed how she shed 85lbs in just 18 months after struggling with her weight for years
Battle: Charity began struggling with her weight as a child thanks to an unhealthy diet of snacks and soda, and by the age of 24, she tipped the scales at 215lbs
New way of life: In 2016, Charity's weight had taken a serious toll on her life and job, leaving her lethargic and out of breath, so she decided it was time to make a change
Healthy: Having attempted fad diets in the past, Charity re-focused her weight loss efforts and followed a simple, easy-to-maintain plan that concentrated on portion control
Travelling around the world for her job as a flight attendant, Charity's body wasn't coping with her unhealthy lifestyle. Constantly feeling tired, out of breath, and miserable, Charity hit her breaking point in 2016 and knew she had to change once and for all.
Rather than obsess over calories, Charity decided to simply cut down on the 'out of control' portions and downloaded the 'Couch To 5K' app, which is aimed at getting inactive people into a habit of running.
When Charity had completed this, she signed up to the gym and began lifting weights. She now visits the gym five days per week, lifting weights and doing high intensity cardio.
Over the next 18 months, Charity lost 85lbs and now weighs just 130lbs. She now fits into a tiny size 0 dress and looks unrecognizable.
At the end of 2019, Charity opened her fitness business and says that people who have not seen her in the while often don't recognize her now. Some even ask her to coach them in order to achieve similar results to hers.
In the street, strangers ask Charity if she is a model due to her weight and slim figure, however she insists that these comments just make her laugh.
Despite her weight loss, Charity is keen not to cut out all treats from her diet, but just ensures everything is in moderation.
'I had a deep desire to be healthy but nothing seemed to work or stick,' said Charity. 'I felt desperate for change but always felt like I was spinning my wheels.
'I believe a healthy inside will reflect a healthy outside and a healthy outside will reflect a healthy inside. I was very unhealthy on the inside and that showed in how I treated my body and my practical habits.
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Motivation: 'I had a deep desire to be healthy but nothing seemed to work or stick,' said Charity. 'I felt desperate for change but always felt like I was spinning my wheels'
Starting point: Rather than obsess over calories, Charity decided to simply cut down on the 'out of control' portions and downloaded the 'Couch To 5K' app
Unrecognizable: Over the next 18 months, Charity lost 85lbs and now weighs just 130lbs. She fits into a tiny size 0 dress and looks like a new woman
Changes: In the street, strangers ask Charity if she is a model due to her slim figure, however she insists that these comments just make her laugh
'My thoughts were negative and I was at a point where I believed this would never change and always be my struggle.
'I had a horrible relationship with my body, with food and ultimately myself. I was always putting myself down, hating my body and frustrated.
'In 2016, I was travelling the world for work and my body wasn't keeping up. I was always tired, lethargic, out of breath and miserable inside.
'I hit a breaking point and I knew I had to get healthy but I decided I was going to do something different.
'Nothing changes if nothing changes so I dropped the quick fixes that I had previously started and then stopped throughout my whole life.
'When I started, I had no idea what I was doing, but I started getting intentional. I didn't know anything about tracking calories so I began with just cutting my portions that were way out of control.
'I also had never really worked out in a gym so I downloaded the "Couch to 5K" app and just began running because that's all I knew how to do.
'I was intimidated in the gym so it took me about eight months before I bought a workout guide and started lifting weights. It has totally transformed my life.
'It has changed my career as I now own my own business as an online fitness coach and I'm a much more secure and confident person.
'I have freedom around food, I don't struggle with my weight and I overall have a joy in life I can say I never truly felt.
Moderation: Charity has been following a balanced diet and workout plan for the past few years and has managed to maintain a healthy weight since 2016
Joy: 'I have freedom around food, I don't struggle with my weight and I overall have a joy in life I can say I never truly felt,' Charity said of her new outlook on life
'Balance is key': Charity urges other people to remember that 'getting healthy can take time' and won't just happen overnight
'When people see me now, most don't even recognize me so that's always funny.
'Those close to me know how deep my struggle was and they are proud of me.
'The best compliment is when I get asked by random people if I'm a model. That always makes me laugh, but I think it must be because of me being tall.'
Before her weight loss, Charity ate whatever she felt like eating including crisps, soda and chocolate and never tracked her food intake. Her exercise routine was non-existent.
She now typically eats a vegetable omelet for breakfast, followed by some salad with chicken for lunch and Mexican food for dinner. She works out five days a week at the gym with three-quarters of those being focused on lifting weights and the rest on cardio-based exercise.
Charity advises others looking to lose weight to understand that it's not going to be an overnight fix.
'Throwing away timelines and harsh restrictions like cutting out carbs or sugar was really important for me,' Charity.
'I learned that getting healthy can take time and is a process.
'Learning that this wasn't going to happen overnight was a huge lesson I had to learn.
'The way you lose weight is in essence the way you'll eventually maintain it, so if you hate what you're doing, it won't last. Balance is the key.'
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