Name: Yvette Donde
Age: 33
Occupation: Medical and Social Services Interpreter
Hometown: Tacoma, Washington
Start Weight: 386 pounds
End Weight: 220 pounds
Time Running: 3 years
They say the grass is greener on the other side. That’s what drew me to the U.S. when I moved with my now-ex fiancé from Mexico City to Tacoma, Washington. I didn’t know anything about the place; my fiancé and I were naïve and young, making the decision to come with nothing to the Pacific Northwest. He ended up going back to Mexico, while I stayed.
By 2015, I homeless without many connections. All I worried about was finding a job and eating what I could, which was mostly fast food because it was all I could afford. Thankfully, I found work and stable housing later that year.
At the time, I was 389 pounds, a size 28, and a 3XL. I noticed that walking a block was becoming difficult, and it was almost impossible to find clothes my size. I smoked a pack a day. This needed to change.
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Then, my parents scheduled a family trip to Machu Picchu. I was so afraid I wouldn’t be able to hike, so I started hiking in the Pacific Northwest to get in better shape. A mile was extremely tough for me, but I had friends who pushed me every weekend to go with them. After losing 15 pounds, I was able to enjoy that trip to Machu Picchu more than if I had done nothing.
When I returned, my friends and I decided to do a Color Run 5K together. My first though was that this would be insane, because I was out of shape. I was so pleased when everyone was very encouraging.
After that Color Run 5K, I fell in love with the running community. It was supportive without knowing me, even though I walked most, if not all, of these races I did early on. That spirit was amazing.
The first time I attempted to run, I told myself I would run continuously for 30 seconds. I think I got to 15 seconds, and was gasping and coughing after that. But I set a goal to be able to run for 30 seconds nonstop. Once I was able to do that, I went to a minute, then five minutes, then 10, a mile, two miles, and within a year, I ran—RAN—a 5K.
From there, I learned about other distances people raced. In 2016, I lost 150 pounds through running and changing my eating habits. So, I signed up for a 10K that year. At that race, there was also a half marathon option. Those people, I thought, were insane, so I had to try it. Then I did my first half and saw runners finishing twice what I had done. I had to see if I could do that.
Clearly, I was hooked on longer distances. I loved the training, the grind, the cries, and the process it takes to get to race day.
Running wasn’t the only thing that led me to lose 189 pounds in less than two years. Before I made these major changes in my life, I ate what my dad called a “see-food diet”—if I saw it, I ate it.
As running goals became prevalent in my life, I made changes to help me meet them. I started by eliminating foods that made me feel like I couldn’t run to my highest potential. I also tried to eat fewer processed foods, since I learned that’s what other runners did. I really got into reading and learning about nutrition.
This is an area of progress for me. I am currently working with a running and nutritional coach and have learned so much. I am starting to understand how everything is connected—not just nutrition and exercise but also mental health, which is an important component for the well-being of anyone out there. A strong mind equals to a strong body.
Having dropped so much weight, I feel amazing. I can run because I want to. I don’t have to worry about hurting after 30 seconds or a minute of running. I still plan to lose more weight, but I am not as self-conscious about myself and what people think of me. Before, being heavy and tall (6' 0") made it impossible to hide.
I’ve always been a positive person, but I, secretly, always wanted to be different in a way. Now, I am myself, just with a different body that I’ve been working on for the past five years.
Not only has running changed me physically, it’s given me an amazing community and support system. Being an immigrant as an adult, it’s hard to create real connections and friends. There’s nothing more intimate than running three hours with someone. It’s a unique type of friendship that I cherish.
For anyone who wants to go on a similar journey, my advice is to take it one step at a time. You have nothing to lose. It doesn’t matter how many time you fail, get up the next day and run for 30 seconds. Maybe the day after you’ll try a minute. Each step is an achievement.
And one thing I wish I knew when I started was that people around you are willing to help. The running community is filled with strangers who want to encourage you and help you. You can find support anywhere, especially when it comes to running groups and friends.
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This is a message I want many people to see, but especially Latinos living here in the U.S. We aren’t always portrayed in media and often feel excluded from conversations about running. We are a hard-working, loving community. I want to a create a Latino group in running so that everyone can know that running can be, and is, for anyone.
To do that, we need more faces like mine represented here and everywhere.
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Weight Loss Transformation Yvette Donde — Run to Lose Weight - runnersworld.com
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