Jamie Taught Zumba at Her Heaviest Weight of 269 Pounds and Lost 90 With WW

Jamie told POPSUGAR that she's struggled with her weight since childhood. "I tried every fad diet and even took prescription diet pills as a teen," she said. She'd lose some weight, but always gained it back because she wasn't following a plan that was sustainable.

She always loved working out, but had a lot to learn when it came to nutrition. In college, she developed hypothyroidism (having an underactive thyroid), which resulted in gaining a lot of weight. "I thought that once I was diagnosed and received medication, the extra weight would magically fall off, but boy was I wrong," Jamie said. It took her many years to find a program that helped her lose the weight.

In February of 2015 at age 32, just two weeks after her third child was born, Jamie joined WW (previously called Weight Watchers).

"At that time, I had a 4-year-old, a 1-year-old, and a newborn." Jamie said. "I knew if I was going to help them to be healthy and have healthy habits, then it had to start with me. I had to finally get my own health under control. I needed to be a healthy role model for my kids."

Jamie started her journey at 269 pounds in 2015. In 15 months, she was able to lose 90 pounds, and has been able to maintain that weight loss ever since. Amazing!

Jamie follows WW, and said, "I love it because it's not a diet! It's a program that is actually sustainable long term and works for me and my lifestyle." She loves that no foods are off limits. She's also gluten-free and can easily make that work with the program.

Here's an example of what Jamie eats in a day:

Breakfast: two scrambled eggs with Frank's hot sauce, smoked salmon, grapes, and coffee

Snack: one slice of gluten-free toast with avocado and Trader Joe's Everything but the Bagel Seasoning, or an Envy apple with Chocolate PB2

Lunch: kale salad with grilled shrimp, sliced almonds, and Ken's light Asian dressing, plus one bag of WW Salt and Vinegar Crisps

Dinner: "My hubby's amazing smoked chicken breast, brussels sprouts, and rice."

Dessert: Enlightened Mocha Chip Bar or a baked apple with cinnamon and stevia

Another big victory for Jamie has been becoming a WW Coach. "It's been such a blessing to me to be able to inspire and encourage others who are on this journey," she said.

She said it's been rewarding to connect with members, and she's even gotten to work on five of the WW Cruises! "On board, I get to work with members one-on-one, coach them, lead them through Zumba classes, and facilitate workshops," Jamie said. "I love hearing their stories and watch them transform over the week we are at sea."

Jamie said she loves working out and does it daily, mixing up her workouts to keep things fresh. "I rotate between Zumba, kickboxing, Pilates, yoga, walking, and strength training."

She added, "When I can't get to the gym, I love to hop on YouTube and do some of my favorite workouts like dancing with The Fitness Marshall or doing Tabata with BodyFit by Amy. She also loves being active with her kids. "We enjoy 5Ks, mud runs, and doing Cosmic Kids Yoga at home from YouTube."

"People often assume that I became a Zumba instructor after I lost the weight, but that couldn't be farther from the truth," Jamie said. She became a Zumba instructor more than seven years ago. "I taught at my highest weight and through two of my three pregnancies."

Jamie added, "If I ever felt insecure about my size, I would remind myself that my students were witnessing a woman who was actively working on her health and not letting her size hold her back."

Jamie is a big goal setter, which she thinks is so important, because eventually her journey will no longer be about losing weight. "You have to find new goals," Jamie said.

"For me, focusing on eating clean and getting stronger and fitter every day is what motivates me," Jamie said. "It's no longer about the number on the scale, but instead it's all about how great I feel and knowing that I'm taking great care of myself."

One of the biggest nonscale victories Jamie has experienced was feeling comfortable in her skin. She also loves shopping for clothes now, and said, "It's so much less stressful and I find that I'm simply looking for styles that I like, not ones that will camouflage my stomach or thighs."

Jamie has a few words of wisdom to pass on from her experience. She said, "Be kind to yourself! We can be our own worst critics." She added, "If you feel like you've blown it, just start fresh at the next meal, not next week or next month."

And don't beat yourself up if you've fallen a little off track — it just means that you're human. No one is perfect all the time. She added that there will be weeks where you'll gain weight and that's totally OK. "This is a healthy lifestyle we're working for, not a quick fix!

Jamie recommended setting small attainable goals. "It's so much easier to stay motivated if you are working on one habit at a time or shooting for five-pound losses. And those small victories add up!"

"If there's something you want, you have to go for it! If you wait until everything is perfect in life to take action, you won't accomplish much," Jamie said.