I lost more than 6st with my ‘Nozempic' diet after a humiliating night drinking with my boss
HEADING to bars five days a week led to Debbie Lurvey to pile on the pounds.
She knew she had to make a change after an incident at her manager's home left her feeling "horrified".
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Debbie 55, weighed more than 17 stone at her heaviest.
Her frequent bar visits would see her consume large portions of bar food like nachos and hamburgers, as well as alcoholic beverages.
But her wake up call came in March 2019 after getting drunk at her manager's house and blacking out.
After waking up there feeling "embarrassed and mortified", she embarked on a weight loss journey which would see her lose more than six stone.
Debbie got sober and joined a course - No BS Weightloss - after seeing a Facebook advertisement and overhauled her diet.
Today, she wears a size four and weighs approximately 10.5 stone — an incredible 100-pound loss achieved over two years.
Debbie, a life coach from Lake Havasu City, said: "I had so many moments that should have been a wakeup call to me, waking up with black eyes and everything.
"But something about my children being disappointed in me wanted me to change," she said. "I didn't want to lose my relationship with my children.
"Now I feel content," she added. "I feel loved and grateful."
Debbie said she has tried "every gimmick in the book" to try and lose weight.
I lost half a stone eating cold chips
The morning after blacking out at her manager's house, she discovered her relationship with one daughter was strained following a feeling of "disgust" from her, having already lost connection with another daughter due to her drinking.
Now, she's back in touch with all of her children.
"I walked into a client's office and said, 'I need help,'" Debbie recalled.
"Then I did a Facebook Live video and told everyone I needed help."
That same day, she attended her first recovery meeting, marking the beginning of her sobriety journey.
Diet overhaul
Debbie says she already started changing her eating habits, noting she lost 25lbs before she stopped drinking.
Now, she eats mindfully, focusing on protein, vegetables, and moderate portions.
She said: "If I was hungry, I ate. If I was satisfied, not full, I stopped eating.
"During that time I learned so much not just about what my body needs, but what my mind needs.
"I learned that I could think new thoughts and I could learn to like myself."
Her transformation inspired her husband Kevin, a retired deliver driver, also in Lake Havasu City, to quit drinking and lose four stone after witnessing her success.
The transformation that she made was from simple little things. No rocket science behind it
Kevin Lurvey
Debbie has two biological daughters from a previous marriage, ages 25 and 34, and one 25-year-old stepdaughter with Kevin.
"It's been completely amazing," Kevin said of his wife's change.
"The transformation that she made was from simple little things. No rocket science behind it.
He added: "She's an amazing woman. She has peace now."
"Following in her steps and listening and seeing how she did things, it rubbed off on me."
Today, Debbie co-hosts a podcast called 'April and Debbie Dish: The Truth on Weight Loss,' where she shares her experiences to inspire others.
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"Don't look at 'I have a hundred pounds to lose' or 'I want to be a year without alcohol,'" she explained.
"Look at the first pound, the first day and believe that you can do that one step."
"You haven't failed until you quit," Debbie added. "Don't quit."
"Understanding why you want to lose weight is important."
Debbie now works as a life coach with an advanced certification in weight loss, helping others achieve what once seemed impossible to her.
Despite being about 10 pounds above her goal weight, she maintains a healthy perspective.
"I don't consider it a regain," she explained. "It's just an awareness that I need to listen to my body better. It is not a failure."
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