Miriam Blanco, a 33-year-old mother of four, claims she was dumped by her ex-boyfriend for being “too fat.”
“I had an ex that would always tell me no one wants to end up with someone fat and that I was lucky he was even sticking around. I remember that stuck with me for a long time — sometimes it still gets to me. After he left, I was a depressed single mother of two,” Blanco told the Daily Mail.
“I hated how I looked. I had very low self-esteem. I used to tell my husband if he left me for another woman I wouldn’t be angry because I knew he could do better than me,” she explained of her poor self-worth, even after she had gotten married to her current husband.
The pharmacy technician, from Houston, Texas, managed to turn her insecurity into motivation to lose weight, dropping from 218 pounds to 150. But it wasn’t only her insecurity that prompted her to make a change.
In 2015, Blanco was in a car accident that left her with severe back pain, and doctors limited her options to surgery or relying on pain medication — neither of which she wanted.
Instead, her husband, a navy veteran, suggested she try strengthening exercises for her back to alleviate some of the pain.
The pharmacy technician, from Houston, Texas, managed to turn her insecurity into motivation to lose weight, dropping from 218 pounds to 150. But it wasn’t only her insecurity that prompted her to make a change.
In 2015, Blanco was in a car accident that left her with severe back pain, and doctors limited her options to surgery or relying on pain medication — neither of which she wanted.
Instead, her husband, a navy veteran, suggested she try strengthening exercises for her back to alleviate some of the pain.
Now, the healthy mom works out daily, even after working 12-hour shifts, and makes sure she hits her “protein, carbs and fats” each day.
“If it’s something you like, you will try anything to get it, and that’s exactly what I do.”
When she first started on her journey, she admitted she was intimidated by the gym.
“My husband said everyone is here for the same reason as you are. Everyone wants to be a better version of themselves,” she said, the Daily Mail reported.
She persevered, and now cites “dedication” as the reason for her incredible physique. It’s also the advice she gives to others who want to lose weight.
“There is no magic pill, there’s no magic anything that will make you lose weight. It’s called ‘working out’ for a reason. Hard work and dedication get you to where you want.
“Stop listening to others and get your s— together, and work your a– off… You are doing it for you, not for others.”
Blanco does manage to treat herself, allowing one “sugary snack each evening.”
Now that she’s living a healthier lifestyle, Blanco says she’s also confident that her own kids are eating healthier too. And outside of her family, her weight loss has also managed to touch other people’s lives.
“I actually get a lot of positive messages from men. They actually tell me that they show their wives my picture to show them, ‘Hey, she can do it, you can too.’ Which I like a lot, because they tell me all the time it’s about time we see a real woman out here, not afraid of showing stretch marks. It’s how a real woman looks. So, it makes me feel good to read their messages.”
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