A Taylor Swift concert turned out to be the tipping point for Lori Jerisha.
The 47-year-old mother of two was in Chicago to see the pop star perform last summer and recalls “needing a break when I was walking from the parking lot to the stadium and up the stairs. I got so tired of asking [my daughter] to wait for me.”
A combination of a sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits led to steady weight gain for Jerisha, who tipped the scales at 210 pounds in 2023.
“I knew I needed to make a complete change in lifestyle,” she told TODAY.com this week.
In addition to feeling physically limited and dissatisfied with her appearance, Jerisha suffered from high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Her weight caused acid reflux and sleep apnea, the latter of which required a CPAP machine.
Earlier in her nursing career, Jerisha was active, but 12 years ago, she pivoted to a work-from-home position for an insurance company. “I went from moving around to sitting in front of a computer, typing and using digital electronic records.”
Admittedly, Jerisha has never loved working out. “I’ve definitely tried to exercise in the past, but I didn’t like sweating or having to go to a gym and sit stationary and do something,” she explained to TODAY.com. “I don’t know how to swim, so that was out. I don’t like lifting weights. I don’t like running, but I always enjoyed walking. I just never really took the time to do it for myself.”
Faced with an empty nest last fall, Jerisha finally decided to take the time for herself.
A final push and a defiant step towards better health came from her husband, Tony, who told her she couldn’t lose weight by walking. She told him, “Watch me.”
In less than a year, she has lost 58 pounds.
“I used to just walk around the block. Now I get up to 3 miles in, two to six times a week. I make a playlist, I put one earbud in so I can still hear what’s behind me, and I go,” she gushed to TODAY.com.
Her husband is now a convert to the power of the stroll, joining Jerisha on some of her walks and losing 25 pounds himself.
As The Post previously reported, daily walks can aid digestion, boost mood, reduce the risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure and cholesterol and strengthen the heart.
Recent research found that walking 5,000 steps three times a week for two years could add three years to a person’s life expectancy and decrease their healthcare costs by up to 13%.
In addition to her regular walking workouts, Jerisha has changed how, when and what she eats. With the help of a calorie-counting app, MyNetDiary, she can track how food affects her goals.
Her method is scientifically supported. Last year, a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found calorie counting to be the most effective way to shed unwanted pounds.
In addition to tracking calories, Jerisha also cut back on dairy products and restaurant dinners, opting for veggie-forward home-cooked meals.
“I made little changes that piled up, and it really worked out well,” she boasted to TODAY.com.
Jerisha is proud of her body and thrilled to shop for new clothes to complement it, “I don’t have to shop in the plus section anymore, and it’s fun to buy dresses, skirts, and clothes that show my arms. I can shop at the same stores as my daughter.”
Yet, she maintains that the physical effects of her weight loss are the most rewarding: “My energy has increased. I can walk up the stairs without being short of breath, and carrying the laundry baskets is not a problem.”
While her energy has increased, her cholesterol and blood pressure have decreased, and she no longer needs medication for acid reflux. Her new goal is to be free of her CPAP machine.
Among her other ambitions? Complete a 1-mile jog. “I have never been able to accomplish that, even as a kid when we had to do that in PE class. That keeps me motivated,” she shared with TODAY.com. “I look at what I’ve done, what I did today, and what I’m going to do tomorrow. And before I noticed, here’s where I am.”
