Val McLeod, 54, in her after photo weighing 227 pounds. Taken in January 2014. Photo contributed by Val McLeod.
Val McLeod, 23, in her before photo at 597 pounds taken in March 1993. Photo contributed by Val McLeod
By Michelle C. Brooks
Article originally appeared on February 19, 2016 in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Val McLeod, 54, of Ellenwood, lost 370 pounds
Former weight: 597 pounds
Current weight: 227 pounds
Pounds lost: 370 pounds
Height: 6 feet
Age: 54 years
How long she’s kept it off: “I started losing weight in the late 1980s. I’m still on the path to my ultimate goal,” said McLeod, who reached her current weight in December.
Personal life: “I am single and live in Ellenwood,” she said. “I am an independent management consultant, professional speaker and author.” (www.ConversationswithV.net). In 2013, she published “EmpoWord!: Build A Life Of Success With Powerful, Positive Language” (www.EmpoWord.us.)
Turning point: “I attempted to have gastric bypass surgery in 1989, but I had respiratory failure during the procedure, which resulted in me being on life support for three days,” she said. Before surgery, she had to be weighed. “I was too heavy for any of the hospital scales. Without asking me how I felt about it, the decision was made to take me outside to the loading dock to weigh me on the freight scale — I wanted to die! The hospital staff talked about me like I was not there or was an object. … Shame, criticism, condemnation and fear do not inspire, but this experience was my turning point — the moment when the course of my life had to change. I begged God for another chance. He granted my request, and for the first time I faced the realization that I truly wanted to get the weight off, for good — for me.”
Diet plan: “I had no idea what healthy eating was, so I went to a licensed nutritionist. For the first time, I learned about food groups and reasonable portions,” she said. “I attribute the lion’s share of my weight loss to Weight Watchers, but over the years, I’ve evolved to my own eating plan.” She starts with protein cereal or oatmeal, then peanut butter on bread followed by a yogurt snack. Lunch is a spinach salad, and dinner is vegetables with salmon.
Exercise routine: “I try to exercise at least five times a week,” she said. “I walk four miles daily. Initially, I could barely walk a block without becoming winded and totally exhausted, but as I persevered, I progressed.” She also lifts weights.
Biggest challenge: “There were days when I’d feel excited and optimistic. Then there were days when the task before me would seem daunting and depressing,” she said. “I learned to quit quitting. … Even if I strayed from my eating plan, I refused to beat myself up about it.”
How life has changed: “My life has changed in every imaginable way,” she said. “I know that my future is so much brighter because my overall health and fitness is so much better. I am totally focused on … fulfilling my greatest potential.” In January, she was featured in People magazine.
Be an inspiration: If you’ve made positive changes in your diet and/or fitness routine and are happy with the results, please share your success with us. Include your email address, a daytime phone number, and before and after photos (by mail or JPEG). Write: Success Stories, c/o Patty Murphy, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 223 Perimeter Center Parkway, Atlanta, GA, 30346-1301; or email Michelle C. Brooks, ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com