A morbidly obese husband and wife have revealed how they shed a combined 123lbs in just over a year after taking up an exercise class inspired by ballet.
Atira and Patrick Charles, of Tallahassee, Florida, were self-proclaimed ‘bad vegetarians’ who gorged on drive-thru egg and cheese biscuits and pasta dinners.
The 36-year-old business professor and the 39-year-old preschool owner tipped the scales at nearly 300lbs with Atira weighing 286lbs and Patrick weighing 290lbs.
Ballet: Atira and Charles have lost a combined total of 123lbs after doing barre classes
Strength training: Patrick mainly does strength training. He originally thought it was really easy and ‘ballerina-ish’
Obsessed: Atira said she is now ‘obsessed’ with barre and has went from 286lbs to 233lbs
But in 2016, the pair decided to lose weight for their children Nyla, ten, and twins Xavier and Langston, six, so Atira started attending barre classes that January.
The mother-of-three said she felt like a ‘walrus’ at first but soon became obsessed with the strength and conditioning workout, which is inspired by ballerinas.
She said: ‘It was really intimidating because barre is usually marketed to skinny, blonde white girls with a bun.’
‘I was the heaviest person there, I was the oldest person in the class and I was the only black girl. I felt like a walrus.’
But after a few attempts she began to love the exercise and even persuaded her husband to join her for classes, which helped the couple shed a combined 123lbs in about 14 months.
Overweight: Atira said that she was the heaviest person at her class and felt like a walrus
Gorged: Atira and Patrick were self-proclaimed ‘bad vegetarians’ who gorged on drive-thru food
The only one: Atira was the only black girl in the class, which she said is usually marketed to ‘skinny, blonde white girls’
Intimidating: Atira felt intimidated by the classes but stuck with it and persuaded her husband to join
Atira, said: ‘I became obsessed with barre. I was going between four and five times a week.’
‘My husband, he mainly does strength training, and I think he thought barre was really easy and ballerina-ish.’
‘But when I persuaded him to come with me, he was sweating profusely and couldn’t believe how hard it was. It was funny to watch.’
‘Now he comes with me to barre when they have their men at barre classes every month.’
Patrick added: ‘I thought barre was a fad class where everyone just pointed their toes to the music but when I was in for a real surprise when I went to my first class.’
‘It was so intense, I was almost doubled over. There were other guys in the class and none of us could believe how much of a work out it was.’
For their kids: The couple decided to get a new, healthy lifestyle for their three children
Explore: The barre classes have given the couple something new to talk about and explore
Date nights: Now that the couple is healthier, they have started exercising as part of their date nights
Individually, Atira went from 286lbs to 233lbs and shrank from a size 20 to a size 12 while Patrick, who used to weigh 290lbs and wear a size 3XL, is now 220lbs and wears a size L.
The pair have also now started exercising as part of their date nights rather than binging on takeout and claim their healthy lifestyle has changed their relationship for the better.
Atira said: ‘Our date nights used to be all about food but now they’ve completely changed. Now it’s like, “Babe, let’s go for a walk in the park,” or “Let’s go to a class at the gym.'”
‘We look at each other more and after 20 years together it’s given us something new to talk about and something new to explore.’
Barre classes incorporate a ballet barre into a workout focused on building strength, which can even feature plies and pirouettes.
Sessions are usually choreographed to motivational music and concentrate on small, isometric movements combined with stretches to lengthen muscles.
As well as taking up barre and staying active, the pair have swapped their takeout heavy diet for a low-carb ketogenic one.
Dieting: The couple also don’t do takeout anymore but rather do a low-carb ketogenic diet
Swap: They switched their morning biscuits for spinach and eggs and pasta for low-carb dinners
Happier: Patrick said that they are also happier and that their relationship has changed for the better
More energy: Atira said that the new lifestyle has injected energy into her 20-year relationship
They switched their morning biscuits for spinach and eggs and their giant bowls of pasta for low-carb dinners of tofu and grilled vegetables.
‘A few months ago, my typical day would start at a drive-thru, I would have cheese and egg biscuits and a large sweet ice-tea,’ Atira said.’When I think back about it, that’s over 1000 calories.’
And for lunch, she would have two slices of pizza at a place near work.
‘I’ve raised my children as vegans, and the funny thing was I would come home and cook them the healthiest meals, but I would still ask Charles to bring me home something from the drive-thru. It was crazy,’ she said.
She added that the life change has injected energy into her 20-year relationship with Patrick, who she met in 1998 while attending Florida A&M University.
Patrick said: ‘It’s really changed our relationship for the better, we’re more active and we’re just happier.’
‘Going on this journey together has been great because you always have your cheerleader motivating you and giving you those compliments which keep you going.’