Meet Kim Carter Martinez. By day, she works for a labor union in San Francisco. On weekends, you’ll often find her participating in runs or bike rides. Kim stays fit, eats well and makes healthy choices, including everything in moderation. What isn’t immediately obvious from this description is that she is literally half the woman she used to be. Here she is in a recent photo:
I don’t usually post an OOTD, but I’m just in love with my new dress from @unionfifth Union Fifth consigns designer clothes and donates part of the proceeds to charitable organizations. Even though it’s not my usual style I loved the print on this Diane Von Furstenburg dress I got from the site for less than $50. It would easily cost ten times as much in the store. What do you think? Cute, right?! #ootd #dvf #unionfifth #fashion #weightloss #diabetes #arthritis #165poundsdown #thoughtsbecomethings
Kim has lost nearly 170 pounds over two years by making big changes to her lifestyle that have led to, she hopes, long-term healthy habits. And over the past three years, she’s chronicled every step of her journey through thousands of Instagram posts.
Day 5 of staycation and I almost forgot to post a Transformation Tuesday post. 3 years and almost 170 pounds difference. #transformationtuesday #transformation #weightloss #weightlossjourney #weightlosstransformation #diabetes #arthritis #thoughtsbecomethings
This is Kim in 2013. To hear her tell it, she has struggled with weight her whole life. She was also diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, which her mother eventually died from when Kim was still in high school. “I just kind of used food as a comfort,” she says. At her heaviest, Kim weighed 344 pounds.
#diabetes #diabetic #ada #cure
Kim was also diagnosed with arthritis in her knee, which required total knee replacement surgery. Because of her weight at the time, her doctor refused to perform the procedure unless she lost at least 50 pounds. “That was the turning point,” she explains. “That’s when I knew I had to make a change.”
Next Monday the 12th is World Arthritis Day. I didn’t know about it until I saw it online. As you know, along with diabetes I live with arthritis. For many, it is a debilitating disease. For me, it is an obstacle, but one I fight like hell to overcome on a daily basis. This is a picture of my left knee. Because of my arthritis, my cartilage wore completely away in my left knee and I had to have a total knee replacement. That was one of if not the hardest things I’ve gone through in my life. Pretty soon I will have to do the same thing with my right knee. For all of my followers who have arthritis, October 12 is our day to spread awareness of our disease and to celebrate all of the accomplishments we have in spite of it. I’m going to try to do more education about arthritis, an often invisible illness through my posts. On October 12th tag your pictures #wadhigh5 to show your care for those of us with arthritis. #arthritis #chronicillness #spoonie #totalkneereplacement #ad #warrior #fighter @elilillyco
Kim wasn’t necessarily looking for MyFitnessPal, but she did notice that some of her connections in the diabetes community were hashtagging the app on their Instagram posts. It seemed like a good tool for her to carefully track and manage food intake and exercise. She didn’t yet have the confidence to join a gym, but she did follow along with Richard Simmons videos in her garage.
Action shot of me working out in the living room. Cardio and core. Tonight I definitely didn’t want to workout because I had a rough day at work and I wasn’t feeling it. I know myself though and I know I would have felt worse about myself if I didn’t do it so I sucked it up and did it. And I feel sweaty but much better. They do say exercise is a mood enhancer. I’m making it a goal to be under 200 pounds by my birthday which is January 9th. I really want to achieve it and am pushing myself to stick to my plan. It’s harder for me to stick to my food plan than it is for me to exercise. I’ll exercise any time of day just to get it in. And the Fitbit is a godsend because I would hate to disappoint it and not hit all my goals everyday. But food is a different story. Our society pushes food down our throats, and unhealthy food at that. Everyday in my office there is Chinese, sandwiches, donuts, junk galore! have to keep working on making the healthiest choices I can when in social settings. Even my husband tempts me with food and I am learning to just say no. Tonight he wanted to go out to dinner and I said no, I’m going to stick with my meal prep. And my coworkers and I went for a drink after our hard day at work and I stuck to sparkling water. I’m really good at not drinking but I have given into food when out before. Reaching 199 by 1/9 is really important to me, so I guess I’ll keep on keeping on and do the work to hopefully get there. #fitness #fit #weightloss #weightlossjourney #weightlossmotivation #diabetes #arthritis #130poundsdown #199byjanuary9 #thoughtsbecomethings
She did the hardest work with her diet. “I gave up Starbucks,” she says. “That was like an extra 300-400 calories per day. I gave up snacking. I started cooking my own food and stopped eating out three meals a day. I taught myself how to meal prep. Now I have it down to a 45-minute science.”
Meal prep for the week is done! It only took me 55 minutes and that is 55 minutes well spent that ensures I have healthy pre made meals throughout the week. This week I’m having egg white muffins, broccoli, green beans, kale, butternut squash, chicken breast, tilapia, ground turkey and to change it up a little bit I bought Morningstar Farms spicy black bean burgers and Mediterranean Chick Pea Burgers. I also have blueberries, raspberries and Quest Bars for dessert. #fitness #Weightloss #weightlossjourney #weightlosssuccess #weightlossinspiration #weightlosstransformation #thickfit #eatclean #cleaneating #mealprep #foodprep #diabetes #arthritis #125poundsdown
By May of 2014, Kim had lost the 50 pounds her doctor had asked for, and she got the knee replacement surgery. But she wasn’t done at 280. Far from it: “I wanted to continue losing weight and get healthier.”
I’m ready. Bye bye old new, hello bionic one. #arthritis #surgery #kneereplacement #scared
At her heaviest, Kim couldn’t fathom joining a gym. But by now, she felt much more inspired. “A lot of it was the confidence in thinking I couldn’t do it, then trying it and surprising myself,” she says. Here she is at her local crossfit gym, dominating a kettle bell.
Overhead press for the win! Just when the soreness from one workout leaves you, you get the soreness of another to put in its place. It’s ok, I’m still guided by one of my favorite sayings “Sore today, strong tomorrow.” #fitness #exercise #gym #workout #weightloss #weightlossjourney #diabetes #arthritis #165poundsdown #thoughtsbecomethings
Kim stuck with her meal-planning, too. To date, she eats the same meal almost every day: Greek yogurt for breakfast; ground turkey and broccoli for lunch; chicken breast, green beans and squash or sweet potato for dinner. For dessert, she enjoys with powdered peanut butter mixed with frozen blueberries. When she goes out to eat, she makes smart decisions, too.
I’m working on making good choices when I eat out. Tonight at a Mexican restaurant I chose fish, Swiss chard and grilled corn no butter or oil. Delicious! #healthyfood #eatclean #cleanfood #cleaneating #fitness #weightloss #weightlossjourney #weightlossmotivation #diabetes #arthritis #130poundsdown #thoughtsbecomethings
Gradually, Kim’s hard work paid off and she found she could accomplish things she had only dreamed of. She’s biked 35-mile competitive rides. She’s run a handful of foot races, including San Francisco’s famed Bay to Breakers. “For years, I couldn’t go for a walk in my neighborhood,” she says. “I can’t even describe the sense of accomplishment I have in doing these things that I couldn’t do for [the first] 38 years of my life.”
My friend Sheri captured this photo of me during today’s ride. My smile is one of joy and one of being proud of how far I’ve come. A year and a half ago I couldn’t ride a bike and today I did 35 very hilly miles while battling diabetes and arthritis. I’m feeling great! Post race high for sure. #diabetes #arthritis #tourdecure #redrider #bike #biking #cycling #fitness #weightloss #130poundsdown #thoughtsbecomethings
Today, Kim weighs 175 and is trying to maintain what she calls her “happy” size. “The changes I’ve made have saved my life,” she says. “They’re tools I know I’ll use for the rest of my life.” Here she is last year at her 40th birthday, compared with her 35th.
Transformation Tuesday. The left was my birthday a few years ago, maybe my 35th. The right was my birthday last week- I turned 40. I am the healthiest and fittest I have ever been since I was a kid. I started gaining weight in my teens after my dad died at the age of 12. When my mom died when I was 17, food was the only thing that could comfort my sadness. I ate and ate and binged and binged for 20 years until I hit that moment of enough is enough about two years ago. I’ve now lost 138 pounds and don’t use food to fill the void anymore. I’m at peace with their deaths now and find much joy in my new lifestyle. #transformationtuesday #fitness #weightloss #weightlossjourney #weightlosstransformation #diabetes #arthritis #135poundsdown #thoughtsbecomethings
Kim hopes that by being so open on Instagram and documenting her journey every step of the way, she’ll inspire others who are struggling with their weight and perhaps encourage them to be brave and open in the same way she has been. “I’d be open about my journey again,” she explains. “The support and love I’ve gotten along the way have really helped me.”
I got up early for a functional fitness workout again this morning. I even convinced my husband to come with me- it’s the first time he’s worked out with me in 3 years and he did great! #fitness #gym #exercise #weightloss #weightlossjourney #diabetes #arthritis #165poundsdown #ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛsbecomethings
Do you or a loved one have a personal Success Story you’d like to share? Let us know on our Facebook page, hit us up on Twitter or tag #MyFitnessPal on your Instagram posts. We’d love to feature it in a future blog post!
