Chastity Davis is a 4’11 mother of three who weighed 365 pounds at her heaviest. When she was pregnant with her third daughter, Chastity finally decided that it was time for her to make a change in her life, as her extra weight was making her far more uncomfortable than the average pregnant woman.

“I was piling on the weight,” Chastity explained. “Just eating all the time. It was ridiculous. I was in a very terrible state, but I didn’t know that I was.”

Chastity was only 34 years-old, yet doing even the simplest of daily tasks had become difficult for her. Despite her excess weight, Chastity was lucky in that her blood pressure and cholesterol were normal and she showed no signs of pre-diabetes. However, after the birth of her baby, Chastity began experiencing a shortness of breath. When doctors examined her, they found that she was suffering from serious health issues.

Things got so bad that her heart stopped at one point.

“My heart had stopped for about three seconds,” Chastity said. The cardiologist told her that she was lucky to be alive, saying, “In the cardiology world, three seconds is a long time. You only need one second to be out of here permanently.”

Chastity underwent heart catheterization and gastric sleeve surgery, which helped her quickly lose 65 pounds, but she did not want to stop there. Though she was down to 300 pounds, Chastity was still morbidly obese.

Chastity started working out twice a day every single day and eating healthy with a diet full of lean protein, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. She joined a group called GirlTrek, which helps black women and girls live healthier lifestyles, and she found a group of friends to walk with. These days, she still walks five to six miles a day!

Over the past seven years, Chastity has lost a staggering 242 pounds! Look at her now!

Chastity’s three simple rules to losing weight are to add more water to your diet, focus on one small goal at a time, and incorporate more fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains into meals.

“Just because I lost weight doesn’t mean I never eat anything bad,” Chastity explained. “The difference now is that we have a home cooked meal every single day.”

Chastity added that she is happier now than ever!

“Life is so much greater when you are healthier,” she said. “I just feel great about myself. I handle situations different. I have learned so much.”