Leah Hope Mancuso is no stranger to the struggles of being a “chubby kid” growing up, feeling less valuable compared to her peers. After shedding 210 pounds, she says it wasn’t about losing weight, but rather about “pursuing a smaller body but a bigger life.”
From nearly 400 pounds, her life now overflows with joy and vitality. Previously, she battled extreme migraines and fatigue daily, struggling to enjoy roller coasters and amusement park rides with her sister and nephews.
Hailing from Scottsdale, Arizona, the 35-year-old Mancuso recalls gaining 100 pounds in high school after she could drive herself to her favorite fast food joints to indulge. “Food, especially unhealthy and highly processed foods,” she says, “became a source of comfort for me and eventually turned into my way of life.”
This “way of life” persisted into early adulthood as her weight continued to climb, while her passion, energy, and happiness plummeted.
It impacted her daily activities. She had to scout restaurants in advance to ensure she could fit into chairs, and when flying, she would purchase two seats to travel comfortably.
A family trip to an amusement park with her sister became a turning point, prompting her to seek a bigger life.
“Becoming an aunt has been one of the greatest joys of my life, and I didn’t want to miss out on these experiences with my nephew, even though I knew it would be tough on my nearly 400-pound body,” Mancuso shared in an interview with Epoch Times.
It was tougher on her body than she had imagined.
“In just a few short hours at the park, I hurt my feet and back, was drenched in sweat, tormented by migraines, and couldn’t enjoy the day,” she said. “Most of the time, I sat with my head down on benches and tables, trying to fend off migraines while my sister’s family enjoyed the park’s attractions.”
It was then that she decided to embark on a weight loss journey, realizing she needed to make significant changes as that wasn’t the life she wanted.
She opted for healthier eating, more exercise each day, but now admits that while she felt motivated post-trip to the amusement park, that drive didn’t stay constant.
“Motivation is a feeling and it’s fleeting,” she said. “It’s not reliable. But regardless of whether we have motivation, we can have discipline. Discipline isn’t punishment; it’s a gift.”
Through discipline, she elevated her daily exercise routine. “The main thing I was able to stick with was walking continuously for 10 minutes each day,” she said. “That was almost all my body could handle at the time. Then, I would continue to increase my steps by pacing in place throughout the day or walking around the house.”
From there, she began hiking and playing pickleball, gaining confidence and happiness in her newly created life.
Previously relying on fast food in her diet, she soon shifted to primarily consuming minimally processed foods, incorporating more vegetables into her meals.
“My staples are eggs, chicken, cottage cheese, fruit, pork, seafood, cheese, potatoes, sourdough bread, with maple syrup and honey as sweeteners,” she said.
Her weight loss journey had its ups and downs, but her discipline and perseverance drove her progress, despite fluctuating motivation levels.
A surprise on her weight loss journey was discovering a newfound love for hiking, which came as a shock to her.
Another surprise was high-altitude ziplining. “In June 2023, I had just reached the weight limit for high-altitude ziplining, something I wanted to experience but couldn’t before losing weight,” she said. “I finally did it and fell in love with it!”
One challenge that troubled Mancuso was the slow pace of slimming down.
“The feeling of not getting results matching the effort can be frustrating,” she said. “That’s why I constantly remind myself that I’m changing my way of life, not just trying to lose weight quickly and revert to my old habits.”
For her, it’s been a learning curve, knowing when to let her body rest and recover as she continually pushes herself to be more active.
“I’ve suffered some minor injuries throughout the journey, like blisters on my feet and pulled leg muscles,” she said. “I don’t want to give up exercising; I often try to push myself, but it ends up worsening the injuries.”
During those times, she had to assess what was best for her body to keep moving forward.
One thing that helped her stabilize the highs and lows was maintaining a food diary and a health journal.
“I initially used my food diary to pay more attention to what I was eating and how food made me feel without tracking calories,” she said. “I recorded my feelings, emotions, struggles, and victories throughout the journey.”
Recording milestones and setbacks, food intake, and her feelings helped her understand what efforts were effective and which were not. She mentioned having an accountable partner also aided in paving the life she desired.
Now, after two years on her weight loss journey, how does she feel? Has she created the better life she dreamt of?
“From the beginning, I never had a goal weight; I pursued the feeling of the goal,” she said. But in this process, she shed over 210 pounds.
“I think I’ve succeeded,” she said. “I feel great, capable, and I see how vast and fulfilling my life is now!”
To celebrate her journey, after losing 190 pounds, she revisited amusement parks and roller coasters, playing ball with her sister and two nephews. She said, “I didn’t feel the burden or limitations on my body!”
Mancuso now revels in these moments of profound enjoyment.