Danielle Terrelonge puts the ‘well’ in wellness, losing over 100lb
Published:Wednesday | September 29, 2021 | 2:41 AMKrysta Anderson/Staff Reporter
Weight loss. It’s two of the most daunting yet refreshing words ever to grace the English language. Those who make it an integral part of their vocabulary sometimes battle with the plethora of workout programmes and diet options available, remaining inconsistent in the process. Or they’re enlightened by the decisions and daily choices made to achieve their mental and physical goals. For marketing consultant Danielle Terrelonge, it took changing a mindset to undertake a health and fitness journey, which saw her losing over 100 pounds and keeping it off.
The managing director of DRT Communications explained that she was never one to pick what was comfortable or easy. “I’ve learned that the comfortable choices we make are not the ones that are going to take us where we ultimately want to be. I don’t want the comfort of a slice of cake; what I really want is a healthy diagnosis,” she told Lifestyle.
In 2018, she found herself gaining weight at a rapid rate. At 5’2”, she was over 200 pounds and counting. She even confessed that body issues and shopping horrors overshadowed her adoration for the beach. “Shopping was always an emotional event as rarely could I find things that I felt good in,” she said.
DIAGNOSED WITH DIABETES
So she took matters into her own hands and embarked on a life-changing health and fitness journey after steering down the barrel of health complications after she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. “I saw every decision I’d ever made flash before my eyes; every piece of cake, pastry and fried food. I saw not eating for a whole day being so consumed by work and then being so famished I ate anything. And that’s when I said, ‘Enough, Danielle! This time you have to do it; your literal life is on the line’.”
Noting that she could achieve nothing without a healthy mind and body, she set plans in place to be diabetes free by her 40th birthday. She learnt along the way that most, if not all, plans and programmes will work, but they are simply tools at one’s disposal. Change, she notes, comes from shifting your mindset. So, how exactly did she manage to achieve this significant goal of being 100 pounds lighter and maintain that weight loss? The IPEC-trained life coach, who focuses on changing mindsets for optimal health and wellness, said it is all about the approach.
She began the journey by doing a bariatric surgery (gastric sleeve), noting that while the surgery did provide a boost, it wouldn’t be enough. So, she started working out more frequently and consistently. Maintaining a five-day per week routine, she hired gym trainer Stokely Rose. “Personal training with Stokely is the best! I gave him my whole life. He knew how to push me when I was being lazy or when I needed a real break. I tried to learn to run, but I sucked at it,” she said with a laugh. Rose helped her a great deal with endurance, while incorporating a lot of weight training in the workouts. He declared that Terrelonge is a cool client of his who works hard at accomplishing her weight goals.
A major part of her morning routine included waking up at 5 a.m. every day. She takes that time as a mental check-in to pray, meditate and/or plan for the productive day ahead.
Describing her love for sugar as paramount, she followed the guide of her nutritionist and now eats based on what not only tastes good but is good for her. And she drinks a healthy dose of water to keep hydrated throughout the day. “I’ll always choose cake if you leave it up to me or what I feel for. But now I’ve learned about food and learned about exercise and learned about creating new habits that better serve me,” she revealed, adding, “I’m not perfect at it, but I try over and over.”