A woman who lost 175 pounds in just over one year, has revealed she sees the loose skin she’s been left with as an ‘accomplishment’.
Jessica Beniquez, 21, from Land O’ Lakes, Florida, went from 320 pounds to 145 pounds after she started controlling her portions and combining cardio with strength training.
And while she has been left with lots of loose skin around her stomach area, she sees it as the lesser of two evils compared to being overweight.
Big loser: Jessica Beniquez, 21, from Land O’ Lakes, Florida, pictured left in 2015 and right in 2017) lost 175lbs naturally and was left with lots of loose skin around her stomach area
Belly ache: Jessica hopes to remove her excess skin via surgery in the future but is also proud of it, as it serves as a reminder of how far she’s come
Slim down: Jessica, pictured left in 2015 and right in 2017, often illustrates her incredible weight loss by posing in old clothes that are now too big for her
Guilt trip: Despite her transformation, Jessica still struggles with body confidence and tries not to feel guilty if she eats something unhealthy
‘It sucks not going to lie, it’s one of the main reasons why people don’t want to lose weight. Why? Because it’s unattractive,’ she said on Instagram, speaking about her loose skin.
She added: ‘No the skin will not shrink back, as I’ve said, I’ve been over weight my whole life and therefore the skin will always be loose IF I don’t get a skin removal but I am determined to make that a goal.
‘I don’t let my loose skin hold me back from anything. If that’s your reason as to why you don’t want to lose weight, I’m sorry but that’s ridiculous.’
A fan of illustrating her incredible transformation by posing in old clothes that are now too big for her, Jessica also revealed that her journey was not an easy one, and that she still struggles with body confidence.
‘Yes feeling guilty Is normal for me but I know how hard I workout and I know how much weight I have lost ALL ON MY OWN!
‘So the guilt needs to stop and that is what I’m working on! The scale is not my friend anymore so I’m about to get rid of it,’ she shared on the social media app.
No excuses: The 21-year-old says she’s learnt the hard way there’s ‘no magic pill’ to make you skinny overnight
Stronger: She also revealed that anyone who wants to lose weight needs to stop being ‘lazy’
Motivated: Despite being overweight her whole life, pictured left in 2015 and right in 2017, Kallie now loves working out
Playing the game: Jessica is a fan of DietBet, an online weight loss game that allows players to win money if they lose weight during a specific time period
‘Yes there are times when I want to cave and eat a brownie or a donut and THAT IS OKAY!! I don’t restrict myself of those things. I find a balance and go on with my day with eating that piece of cake.’
And while she empathizes with anyone struggling to lose weight, she says there’s ‘no magic pill that’s going to make you skinny overnight’, and anyone who says they don’t know how to lose weight is just using that as an excuse.
‘Stop being lazy and go for a walk. Go for a bike ride, DO SOMETHING,’ she wrote.
‘I’m not being mean, I’m being real because I know the struggles and I was at that point before. I would tell myself I didn’t know what to do or how to do it but one day I went for a walk and here I am’.
A fan of DietBet, the online weight loss game that allows players to win money if they lose weight during a specified time period, Jessica is now on her final quest to lose an additional 10 pounds to reach her goal weight of 135 pounds by December 21.