Ten years ago, Laura Somers of Chicago, Illinois weighed nearly 900 pounds at 39 years of age. By that point, she had gotten so big that she was having trouble performing the most basic of tasks, with even getting up out of a chair being a major challenge for her.

Laura soon started experiencing heart problems, and after spending one week in the hospital, she was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy.

Laura’s situation had gotten so dire that doctors gave her two choices: lose weight or die.

“I only had 15 percent usage of my heart on my left side,” Laura explained. “I was scared to death. It was a sobering moment. The doctor had told me the cardiomyopathy was like when they see it in people who are drinkers or do drugs. I do neither.”

Doctors were able to remove 100 pounds of fluid from her body that was being retained because of her heart issues, but Laura knew she had a lot more work ahead of her if she wanted to live.

Laura started by embarking on a low-sodium diet and taking short walks around her house, and she was able to lose an impressive 365 pounds between 2009 and 2016. However, it was then that she hit a weight-loss plateau that left her realizing she had to make more changes.

“I was just stuck. I could not go over that plateau,” she said, adding that it was this that had her turning to social media for help. Laura happens to be a super-fan of the Marvel movies and she follows all of the actors from the films on social media. Her favorite is Sebastian Stan, who plays Bucky Barnes and works out with trainer Don Saladino. One day, Don asked fans to ask him questions online, which prompted Laura to chime in.

“He answered me. He said, ‘Whoa really? You did this?’” Laura said of Don’s reaction to her previous weight-loss. The two began correspondingly regularly, and Don eventually agreed to help Laura get even healthier and lose more weight. He put her on a diet that eliminated white flour and sugar and added in lean proteins and tons of veggies.

“She had to eliminate all the crap,” he said. “Her life was on the line.”

In addition, Don also gave Laura a 30-day walking challenge that increased her stamina. Two years later, Laura now walks 18,000 steps a day!

“When I started her on the treadmill she couldn’t walk a minute in one shot. In only about a month, there was a lot of progress,” Don explained.

Since Don lives across the country, he trains her online, but he recently surprised her in person with a special treadmill that is decked out in Captain America colors.

Since she started working with Don, Laura has lost an additional 175 pounds, and she now weighs in at 376. Her goal is to lose an additional 176 pounds so that she can get down to 200.

“Mentally and physically, I am stronger than I think I am. That’s the biggest thing for me,” she said.

Laura also has three tips for anyone who wants to do what she’s done:

1. Find a supportive friend or trainer to help motivate you.
2. Don’t diet; change your lifestyle. It’s all about creating new healthy habits.
3. Celebrate non-scale victories too. Laura no longer needs a CPAP machine to sleep at night and she can easily climb stairs and walk for miles. She can even drive again now that she can fit behind the wheel, granting her even more freedom!

“It is all those little things,” Laura said. “I have a lot more confidence. I am lucky that I have this support team behind me. I owe Don my life. If I wouldn’t have found him to help me I don’t know where I would go.”

God bless Don for taking the time to help this woman! We wish Laura the best of luck with her fitness journey in the years to come!