By Lisa Mitchell-Bennett
Like many of us, Christina Villarreal had a rough 2020, which started with the loss of her father, followed by her own struggle with COVID-19.
“I remember the days I felt like I couldn’t breathe and wasn’t sure I would make it. It felt like it was wreaking havoc on my body and I wasn’t sure I would recover! But I did, and was given a second chance at life. I decided I had to make it a better life!”
Villarreal has struggled with her weight and managing her diabetes for many years.
“I’m overweight and diabetic so I knew my risk of not recovering was high. I had weight loss surgery a decade ago, but the surgery is just a tool and you still need to do the work to lose and maintain the loss. Until this year I’ve not really understood that this requires a full lifestyle transformation that includes regular exercise and eating nutritious food, not just less food.”
When Villarreal’s doctor told her that the virus might have long term effects on her liver, heart and pancreas, she started paying more attention to her glucose (sugar) levels and other symptoms of diabetes. She had noticed her HbA1c (a measure of diabetes control) had shot up and was worried this was a sign her pancreas was permanently damaged by COVID-19.
“Honestly, I’ve struggled so much with my weight and health my whole life. At one point I weighed over 300 pounds. My goal back then was just to live long enough to see my daughter turn 18! I realize now that she and I both deserve more than that!”
Recovering from COVID-19 was a wake-up call and when her daughter, a senior in high school, wanted to lose some weight for her senior picture, Villarreal decided to go all in with her. They both started seeing a nutritionist, but admit that what has really made the difference is their new habit of walking every day.
“We’ve made healthy changes to what we eat for sure. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have a piece of cake once in a while. I also make sure to eat nutritious foods that fuel my body so I can exercise and feel energetic.”
Villarreal and her daughter started walking. They invited the priest and friend from the local parish to walk with them.
“We live in West Brownsville and I knew about the Belden Trail, so I thought we should try to walk it because it’s nice and safe. At first, I was so winded I could barely make it a couple of blocks. But we just kept with it every day and eventually pushed ourselves to walking 2 miles. Then we got the crazy idea to start jogging. At first, I couldn’t even jog a block, and now I enjoy walking and jogging every other block and regularly cover over 3 miles!”
“We started to see and feel a change!”
And something else happened. Villarreal and her daughter really enjoyed the time together, the outdoors, the birds, even the neighbors’ dogs.
“We talked about our day, we laughed and joked about the stray dogs, we kept each other accountable. She was more disciplined with the food, and I pushed her to exercise with me. This has definitely gotten us through the pandemic!”
Villarreal says that working from home has been challenging for her health.
“I’m grateful to have work, but I am definitely working more and moving less. I would just wake up and get on my computer, then find myself still sitting there 12-13 hours later. There was no start or end to the workday and the kitchen was right there so I’d just snack all day long.”
Villarreal adds that having the routine of a long walk every day has helped her physically and mentally.
“We either go early in the morning before we start school and work, or we take a break together in the afternoon. Either way it boosts my energy and has clearly had a positive effect on my health!”
Villarreal has gained more control of her diabetes (her HbA1c lowered from 8.3 to 6.2 in just a few months) and has lost clothes sizes and weight.
“I am still overweight but I haven’t weighed this little since I was 12 years old! My goal is not to lose for looks, rather for health. And we’re eating things we never thought we would try, and they are actually pretty good! It’s the balance of both—30-45 minutes of exercise every day and making small but healthy changes to what we eat.”
Villarreal says this has been a great way for her and her daughter to bond before she heads off to college next fall.
“My goal was for my daughter to learn about healthy living before she goes away to college and the added benefit is that it has brought us closer and helped me be healthier too! I have more energy and I now I plan to live to see my grandkids turn 18 and beyond! I’ve been given this second chance at life and I’m making it better, because Tu Salud ¡Si Cuenta!” (Your Health Matters!)
