Lobke Meulemeester had always struggled with her weight, but she
really began putting on extra pounds after her mother died in October
2013.
“I stopped caring about myself and my diet and health,”
Meulemeester, 35, tells PEOPLE. “That why in January 2015 I reached my
highest weight of 233 lbs.”
The U.K.-based professional translator
says she didn’t think twice about eating unhealthy foods, and her diet
consisted of bread with butter, cookies, chips, pizza and chocolate.
She knew she had to make a change when doing day-to-day tasks became difficult.
“I
couldn’t walk a small distance without having back pain,” says
Meulemeester. “Going up the stairs got me out of breath. Doing up shoe
laces was impossible unless I would hold my breath due to my big growing
stomach.”
In March 2015, Meulemeester joined Weight Watchers and
bought a Fitbit to track her activity. She started out going for walks,
and eventually started taking Zumba classes. She also completely
overhauled her diet.
“I learned to control my food, made wiser
choices, and ate more fruit and vegetables, but still had the occasional
treat worked into my plan,” she says. “That way I never felt as if I
was missing out on something.”
Meulemeester shared her progress on Instagram and credits encouragement from her followers with helping her stay on track.
“I
really couldn’t have done it without the support of these people,” says
Meulemeester, who now has 85.7k followers. “I have tried so many times
to lose weight, but never succeeded like I have now. There have been
many days when I felt like giving up but the support I have received has
been so immense that it’s kept me going.”
She has now dropped 72
lbs. and still follows a Weight Watchers plan to stay on track. Along
the way, Meulemeester has found a new appreciation for herself and her
body.
“I have found more respect for myself, and I no longer beat myself up for how I look,” she says. “I like what I see in the mirror, and I am so proud of myself for accomplishing what I have so far. I enjoy clothes
shopping, I am no longer paranoid when I walk on the streets thinking
everyone is looking at me. I feel happier within myself and I am
enjoying life again
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