Marial Fecke-Stoud, a 32-year-old fifth-grade teacher from Arizona, doesn’t have kids. A year ago, though, she decided that she wanted to get in shape and change her eating habits for the sake of the kids she’ll have in the future. Equally as important, if not more importantly, she wished to do it for herself. “I was thinking, ‘OK, I might have kids some day. So, let’s start now. Let’s make it as easy as possible now,'” Marial told POPSUGAR. “And part of it, too, was I was just plain tired of being overweight. I was tired of shopping in the plus-size section; I was tired of not doing all the things I wanted to be able to do with my friends and my family because I was restricted by my size.”
Marial’s initial goal in August of 2018 was to lose 100 pounds in one year, which she met by May 2019. Since then, she’s lost an additional 11 pounds. Before her weight-loss journey, Marial clocked in at 280 pounds. Now at 169, she’s focused on maintaining her results and continuing with the lifestyle she’s embraced. Two of the key factors for her weight loss have been the calorie-tracking app Lose It! and weekly exercise. Ahead, we’ve highlighted Marial’s fitness and nutrition routine, as well as her takeaways and tips for success. (If you work in a school, she has specific advice for you. Hint: Stay away from the candy in the teachers’ lounge!)