This Heart Attack Survivor Lost 108 Pounds Through WW, Jogging, and YouTube Workouts

Updated on July 31, 2019 at 11:30 AM

Kate Adams

Kate Adams's body has been through a lot. When she was 27, she suffered from two transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) — brief warning signs of a stroke — as well as a tear in one of her carotid arteries. It wasn't until she was 36 and had just given birth to her fourth child that she experienced a spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) heart attack, which she later found out was caused by underlying fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD), a condition which affects the structure of artery walls and something she'd had all along.

Kate's doctor from Vanderbilt, cardiologist Esther S.H. Kim, MD, explained that a SCAD heart attack happens either when the innermost layers of the artery wall become detached or there's bleeding in between the wall and layers. It's like a bruise in the artery wall, which causes the artery to close and a clot to form. A SCAD heart attack differs from other heart attacks in that it's not triggered by built-up plaque. SCAD heart attack patients also don't have traditional cardiac risk factors like hypertension. Kate's was specifically caused by FMD — which 90 percent of the time affects women, Dr. Kim said. It's important to note that a large proportion of female SCAD patients have showed signs of FMD, though research on the relation between the two is scarce and still ongoing.

At her heaviest, Kate was 289 pounds. She spent three months going to cardiac rehabilitation three times per week, and prior to her weight-loss journey, she didn't really follow a strict workout regimen or stick to a well-balanced diet. But Kate knew she wanted to make a change. "It kind of dawned on me that pretty much all I was doing was working and then coming home and lying down. I was just sore and tired, and it wasn't the life I wanted for myself," the 38-year-old from Kentucky told POPSUGAR. "I wanted to be the healthiest, happiest version of me for myself and my family. So that's what got me started, focusing on what I can do to feel good instead of on fear and what I can't do."

Kate lost her first 40 pounds following a plant-based diet from November 2017 to February 2018. She found more success when she started WW at the end of April 2018. Since then, with the right nutrition that isn't too limiting along with daily workouts, she shed an additional 68 pounds. That makes 108 pounds in less than two years. Ahead, we've detailed exactly what Kate's fitness routine, meals, and mindset look like now. She has more energy, feels healthier overall, and is hoping to help other women who've experienced SCAD heart attacks push past any limitations and fear they might have to find that inner warrior.

Limitations and What Kate Does to Work Out

Now, Kate works out every day for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. She typically jogs or walks at least a mile and then goes to YouTube for strength training. Some of her favorite channels are HASFit and (yes!) Class FitSugar. She'll follow along to Blogilates as well when she wants to do more Pilates-based routines. She follows NEAT goals (nonexercise activity thermogenesis) daily and tries to move every hour, which helps her stay active during her desk job.

Kate didn't start out jogging. Instead, she'd walk for at least 10 minutes, and once she felt comfortable getting her heart rate up, she began upping her speed. The general guideline for SCAD heart attack survivors — and it's different depending on the underlying condition you might have — is to avoid sharp increases in heart rate (so no HIIT, for example). Because of that, Kate will warm up for at least five minutes if she's jogging that day and will always cool down. She also has to make modifications to her strength workouts (she'll do wall push-ups instead of ones on the floor, for instance) and won't use anything above 10 pounds for weights.

Dr. Kim told POPSUGAR, "All of the recommendations that SCAD patients get are based on sort of common sense. We certainly wouldn't want to put someone who has fragile arteries into a situation where they're going to have abrupt increases in their heart rate or abrupt increases in their blood pressure." Doing the elliptical, walking, jogging, and lighter weights with more reps (instead of heavy weights with fewer reps) is fine, Dr. Kim explained. The key is listening to your body, monitoring for chest pain, and not straining too hard, which Kate said she does.

Kate's Diet and What She Eats in a Day

Dr. Kim said that, generally, she recommends her SCAD patients follow a heart-healthy diet. After Kate lost her first 40 pounds with a plant-based diet, she realized that going vegan wasn't for her. "I couldn't get the balance right, and I was tired all the time and hungry all the time," she said.

Kate then started using the WW app to track her meals and focus on counting colors over calories. It's helped her learn to be a "conscious eater," and within a few weeks, she noticed that it was easier to make better choices daily. "If the kids are going to have pizza, then I'll make myself fish in the air fryer and some steamed veggies instead of eating what they're eating," Kate said.

She typically has a lot of veggies and fruit paired with lean protein and whole grains, but she doesn't cut out large food groups. She also has treats (cupcakes!) about once a week. Here's what a typical day might look like:

Breakfast (post-workout): Eggs, either hard-boiled or fried, with two pieces of whole grain toast topped with avocado butter and Everything Bagel Seasoning or smashed avocado.
Snack: Banana
Lunch: Salad with grilled chicken; sunflower seeds, an egg, and another form of protein; or black bean soup.
Snack: Piece of fruit with a handful of almonds.
Dinner: Lean protein like lean pork chops, grilled chicken, or salmon along with a "whole heck of a lot of veggies" like asparagus. She'll also use her air fryer.
Snack: Fruit or Greek yogurt

Kate's Nonscale Victories

Kate said that she had a six-month plateau and just recently started losing weight again. "But I've kept going because I do it for more reasons than just losing weight," she said. "I sleep better, I have more energy, and my mood is better." Building muscle for the first time in her life, she told us, has been a lot of fun. Another big motivator for her is finally being able to keep up with her four kids and "to be the kind of mom that my parents were. I can go outside and play in the pool and play soccer. I rollerblade with my girls. I can do so much more than when I was overweight and not physically fit."

Looking Ahead and What Kate Wants Heart Attack Survivors to Know

Kate's goal is to lose 20 more pounds, but it's more than that. She wants to continue challenging herself — she's going to run a 5K in the Fall — and help women who've gone through similar heart conditions find confidence. Half of the people that belong to her Facebook page, Healthy Hens, were cardiac patients at some point. "I want them to move beyond that and focus on just feeling good and doing what they can do for themselves," she said.

It's common for SCAD heart attack survivors to develop anxiety and depression, Dr. Kim said. "Women have lost control. They no longer know who they are in terms of their bodies and their health, and so a lot of them are very fearful and don't want to do anything to cause another one," she told POPSUGAR. Kate, though, wants these women to try to shift their perspective. "The only thing that I've kind of figured out for myself is how to learn to live with the fear," Kate concluded. "It's impossible to survive something traumatic, whether that's cancer or heart disease or whatever, and to be 'fearless.' So I try to focus on fearing less instead of being fearless."

For more information on SCAD, visit heart.org or scadalliance.org.