A mother-of-four who was dumped by her ex for being 'too fat' has revealed how finding true love inspired her to get healthy and lose an impressive 70lbs.
Pharmacy technician Miriam Blanco, 33, from Houston, Texas, used to have very low self-esteem and hated how she looked.
At 218lbs and size 14, Miriam had an ex-partner who told her that no one wanted to 'end up with someone fat' and that she was 'lucky' he stuck around but over time, their relationship eventually broke down and Miriam threw herself into raising her two eldest children.
Transformed: Mother-of-four Miriam Blanco, 33, has revealed how she lost 70lbs and embraced a healthy life - after being dumped by her ex for being 'too fat'
Moving on: The pharmacy technician, from Texas, found love again with her now-husband Jordan, 38 (pictured together in 2015) and he helped her to regain her confidence
Motivation: Although Jordan told Miriam that she would be beautiful at any size, she still struggled with body confidence - and so he helped her to embrace a love of working out
Miriam then met her current husband, Jordan, 38, who made clear that he loved her for who she was regardless of her weight. Despite this, Miriam struggled to feel good enough and she would often tell him she'd understand if he left her for someone else.
She spent a lot of time wishing that she was thinner, but never found the motivation to do anything about it - until September 2015 when Miriam was involved in a car accident that left her suffering from back pain for months on end.
Despite visiting a chiropractor for six months, Miriam's condition failed to improve, and she was eventually diagnosed with a herniated disc.
She was offered a surgery that had a 50/50 chance of relieving the pain she was in.
Not wanting to risk the procedure or rely on pain relief medication, Jordan, who is a navy veteran, suggested that Miriam do some strength exercises to strengthen her back to see if she noticed any relief.
Miriam soon fell in love with working out and healthy eating and, to her surprise, she found that the weight melted away. Now, Miriam is a super svelte 150lbs and a size 4 to 6, and she has no back pain.
The busy mom is in the best shape of her life and says there are no excuses to achieving weight loss goals. She still works out everyday despite sometimes working 12 hour shifts as well as looking after the home – but people are surprised to learn that she still enjoys burgers, chips and pizza as a treat.
'I remember years ago always covering myself up. I know I've said it before but I felt like everyone could see my saggy skin and stretch marks. I felt ugly on the inside and out,' said Miriam.
Together: When Miriam's ex broke up with her, he left her to raise their two kids alone, however she has now found a loving support system in Jordan, with whom she also has two children
Tipping point: In September 2015, Miriam was in a car accident that left her with a painful back injury that doctors told her had a small chance of being fixed by surgery
Alternative: Instead of relying on a surgery or pain medication to fix her back, Miriam decided to start exercising to try and build up her strength - and fell in love with working out
'I had an ex that would always tell me no one wants to end up with someone fat and that I was lucky he was even sticking around. I remember that stuck with me for along time - sometimes it still gets to me. After he left, I was a depressed single mother of two.
'For years all I was doing was wishing. I would wish to be skinnier, have more money, longer legs, to look like this girl or that girl. I never did anything about it.
'I hated how I looked. I had very low self-esteem. I used to tell my husband if he left me for another woman I wouldn't be angry because I knew he could do better than me.
'My journey to weight loss started all because of a car accident I had. I was driving down the street from my house when out of nowhere I got t-boned. A truck hit me on my side of my truck. The truck wasn't too bad, but the next couple of days I noticed I was a bit stiff.
'The pain in my back got worse and worse as days went by. Finally, I went to see a specialist for surgery and he told me that I was too young for this. He said that if I was his sister, he wouldn't want the surgery to be done.
'At the time my girls were young. My two youngest were about two and four. Relying on pain meds was not an option. My husband always worked out, he always loved working out and knew about eating healthy and bodybuilding. He told me let's try and strengthen my back.
'We signed me up to a gym. I was a bit self-conscious because everyone at the gym was beautiful to me. My husband said everyone is here for the same reason as you are. Everyone wants to be a better version of themselves and that's how it all started for me.
Balance: Miriam, pictured while pregnant, says she has finally found a workout and diet routine that works for her, insisting that she still allows herself to indulge in pizza and fast food
Go get 'em! 'There is no magic pill, there's no magic anything that will make you lose weight. It's called working out for a reason,' she said
Struggles: Miriam admits that she still struggles with her confidence sometimes - but she looks and feels better than she ever has
'I'm a full-time mother and I work out. There are days I work a twelve-hour shift and I still push myself to work out. If it's something you like, you will try anything to get it and that's exactly what I do.
'Everyone asks what's my diet like. They are surprised when I tell them I still eat normal things. I eat pizza, burgers, fries, and pancakes.
'I make sure I hit my protein, carbs and fats. There is no magic pill, there's no magic anything that will make you lose weight. It's called working out for a reason. Hard work and dedication get you to where you want.
'If there was a magic pill we would all be in the greatest shape.'
Remarkably Miriam manages to stay in shape whilst looking after her four children, Jazelle, 14, Alani, 13, Keira, nine, and Monroe, seven – but she says she sometimes still sees the old her when she looks in the mirror which can be difficult to overcome.
A typical breakfast for Miriam now consists of a protein shake made with oats, a lunch of beef or chicken with rice and a similar meal for dinner – but she allows herself a sugary snack each evening and doesn't deny herself treats.
'Losing weight has changed my life a lot. It's given me knowledge on making sure my kids also eat healthy, so they don't have health issues when they get older,' she said.
'People's reactions are always motivating to read. I love reading the messages. I get messages from all over the world. So, I love reading everything and stories people tell me how I motivated them.
Positives: 'Losing weight has changed my life a lot. It's given me knowledge on making sure my kids also eat healthy, so they don't have health issues when they get older,' she said
Inspiration: Miriam started sharing her weight loss journey on Instagram in the hopes of motivating other women who are struggling with body confidence issues
'I love seeing everyone's transformations. It makes me want to try harder and work harder. I've always wanted to be the face for mothers all around the world and show them having stretch marks can still be sexy. That's the reason why I keep working hard.
'I actually get a lot of positive messages from men. They actually tell me that they show their wives my picture to show them, 'Hey, she can do it, you can too'.
'Which I like a lot because they tell me all the time it's about time we see a real woman out here not afraid of showing stretch marks it's how a real woman looks. So, it makes me feel good to read their messages.
'I still struggle with how I look and feel about myself. I still see the fifteen-stone-eight-pound mum. I know I don't look like that obviously, but I still see it. So now that I have the training on my body I'm working on training my brain to not think negatively about myself.
'The most important advice I'll give someone who's looking to start is if you want this bad you'll do anything to get it.
'That means there will be days people around you will be eating all this junk food. They do not care what you're doing because all they care about is them eating.
'Some people will tell you that you're wasting your time going to the gym and eating all that junk.
'Stop listening to others and get your s*** together and work your ass off and stop giving a s*** what anyone else has to say. You are doing it for you not for others.'
