Page 56 - South Mississippi Living - January, 2018

HEALTHY LIVING gastric sleeve Reaching Goal
WEIGHT LOSS
South Mississippi teacher improves health, discovers running
story by Kelsey Sunderman-Foster Wphotos courtesy of Randi Pope
ith the New Year comes new beginnings, and most would agree there’s nothing quite like a fresh start. For 34-year- old Randi Pope, a teacher at
D’Iberville Middle School, the journey to improve her health began in 2014.
“I’ve always been a very goal-oriented person, and when I set my mind on something I obtain it,” Pope said. “I am willing to put in the work and effort it takes to reach those goals, but there was one goal I was never able to reach: weight loss.”
As an athlete in high school and college, Pope went to the gym on a daily basis but continued to struggle with her weight. “Back then, my lowest weight was 159 pounds and even as an athlete I was bigger than I needed to be. Once I reached my thirties, that number skyrocketed to a whopping 264 pounds,” she said. “I knew I needed to make a change.”
Pope tried a variety of methods to lose weight, including fad diets and lifestyles that promised to shed the pounds. At best these methods worked temporarily, but the effects weren’t long-term.
The weight began to negatively affect Pope’s life, especially her self esteem. “I wore black pants, solid shirts, and tennis shoes everywhere,” she said. “I always had my hair in a ponytail and never wore makeup; after all, who even noticed I existed? Don’t get me wrong, I was happy with who I was, but not what I looked like.”
56 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • January 2018
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POPE has lost 120 pounds and has kept it off for two years.