From Obese to Athlete: Sarah Mitchell’s 150-Pound Weight Loss Story

The Start

Weight loss isn’t just dropping pounds—it’s fighting through all the crap life throws at you and coming out stronger. Sarah Mitchell’s story blows my mind every time I think about it. She’s this 35-year-old mom of two from Chicago who used to weigh 320 pounds. Yeah, you read that right. She was dealing with high blood pressure, sleep apnea, barely able to breathe at night, and so tired she could hardly move. Walking up stairs? Forget it. Playing with her kids? She’d be winded in seconds. People judged her, stared, and she’d end up eating her feelings—pizza, ice cream, whatever—only to feel worse after.

“I was trapped,” she told me once. “Stress, eating, hating myself—it was this awful loop I couldn’t break.”

The Moment Everything Changed

Then one day, she’s at the doctor for a checkup, and boom—prediabetes. The doc didn’t sugarcoat it: “You’re on a fast track to diabetes and maybe worse if you don’t fix this.” That hit her hard. She’s got kids who need her, a life she wants to live. “I didn’t want to just disappear on them,” she said. “I had to show them what fighting looks like.”

So, she decided enough was enough. No more excuses.

Starting Small—Real Small

Sarah didn’t go crazy with some fad diet or gym membership she’d ditch in a week. She kept it simple. Cut out the junk—bye-bye McDonald’s, hello cooking some chicken and veggies at home. She stopped piling food on her plate like it was Thanksgiving every day and actually paid attention to when she was full. She started walking, just 15 minutes around the block, huffing and puffing at first. And she swapped soda for water, which sounds boring but helped her feel less bloated.

“I wasn’t trying to be skinny overnight,” she said. “I just wanted to not hate myself every morning.”

The Hard Parts

It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. She’d lose a few pounds, then nothing—stuck for weeks. Some days, she’d stare at the scale and think, “Why bother?” Her head was her worst enemy, whispering she’d fail again. But she kept going. She got a dietitian to figure out what actually worked for her, not some random internet plan. A trainer helped her move without breaking. Her family cheered her on, and she found people online who got it—strangers who became her lifeline.

Falling in Love with Moving

The more she moved, the more she loved it. Walking turned into jogging, then running. A year in, she ran a 5K—crossed that finish line sweaty and grinning like a kid. “I couldn’t believe it was me,” she said. She didn’t stop there—half-marathons, then a full freaking marathon two years later. Running wasn’t just about weight anymore; it was her thing, her freedom.

Where She Landed

Two and a half years of grinding, and Sarah dropped 150 pounds. But it’s not just that. Her health problems? Gone. Her confidence? Through the roof. She’s a different person—stronger, happier, alive. Now she’s a fitness coach, helping other people who feel stuck like she did. “I don’t even know that old me anymore,” she says, and you can hear the pride in her voice.

What I Learned from Her

Sarah’s story sticks with me because it’s real. Here’s what I took from it:

Start small—little wins build up.

Do what works for you, not what some influencer swears by.

Your brain’s gonna fight you—push through anyway.

Find your people—they’ll keep you going.

Celebrate the stuff that’s not on the scale, like feeling good for once.

The End

Sarah Mitchell proves you can change your life if you just start. Doesn’t matter how heavy you are or how hopeless it feels—she did it, and now she’s out there running marathons and lifting others up. If you’re stuck, maybe her story’s the kick you need. Take that first step, even if it’s tiny. You’ve got this.