Outgrowing her jeans was the last straw for Sarah

Sarah Barrentine remembers a time back in March 2020 where she felt she was growing out of her jeans and needed to move up a size. A trip to Old Navy was in order, and off she went, only to be disappointed by the fact they didn’t have any of the size jeans she was needing. The disappointment continued when an employee told her that Old Navy’s plus size clothes were only sold online – Sarah felt defeated.

“I knew I was overweight, as I had been all my life, but I’d hit my breaking point at my highest weight of 270 pounds, so I decided right there in the store that I was going to make a change and lose the weight once and for all,” she recollects.

Sarah’s initial goal was to hit the 200 pound mark, but since her journey towards a new life started, it has become so much more than simply losing weight. 

It Became About Training and Nutrition

Twenty-one year old Sarah began her journey online, starting with a 30-day challenge she found on Pinterest. She eventually moved on to Orangetheory, a science-backed, technology-tracked coach-inspired group workout designed to produce results from the inside out.

“I did that for several months, and then added a personal trainer once a week,” Sarah says.

“Now I’m at the gym almost every day, and I still work with a trainer between one to two times a week; I also have been really focusing on lifting weights and HIIT.”

When it came to nutrition, at first Sarah ate, in her words, ‘whatever’ (i.e. McDonald’s) but simply controlled her portions. Her next step after that was using MyFitnessPal to track her macros and she’s now learned to incorporate lots of healthy proteins into her meals. 

She’s Hooked On A Feeling

One of the best things Sarah loves about living a healthier lifestyle, and having lost the weight she was wanting to lose, is heading out to the shops and trying on clothes. 

“I feel so much better than I did at 270 pounds,” she recounts. 

“I don’t hate going into a shopping centre and trying on clothes anymore; I used to never take pictures of myself because I hated the way I looked.”

“I ran my first 5km back in October, which is something I never would have ever attempted before. I’m now planning on running a Spartan race, and competing in a powerlifting competition next year!”