Shenisha Armealine says walking led her to shed over 200 pounds. According to the Houston Chronicle, she had battled with her weight since she was a little child and was constantly teased by her peers.
She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and Asperger’s syndrome during her senior year at North Shore High School. The bullying just seemed to worsen and have a greater impact on her.
Armealine began using medications for her mental health, but nothing improved. She spent time in psychiatric facilities. She even considered suicide.
While at almost 400 pounds in weight (her heaviest), the Houston native also weathered Hurricane Harvey, which swept across the city in August 2017 and left a trail of devastation in its wake.
She spent nearly two weeks at NRG Stadium after traveling to two other shelters with her mother and grandma. They eventually relocated from Houston’s east side to the northwest, near Spring.
She told Good Morning America, “I lost everything I owned. My mental health was not really well, and I just I started walking.”
Armealine began modestly by resolving to walk for fifteen minutes each day; over time, this daily commitment evolved into a habit and then became her way of life.
She eventually incorporated jumping jacks, squats, and jogging into her routine and began eating better and healthier. Her weight had decreased to 375 pounds by September 2018.
Armealine subsequently designed a schedule for working out at home that included both stretches and cardio exercises.
In 2019, she shed another 75 pounds. She began working out at the gym in her apartment, using the treadmill for thirty minutes.
But after realizing that fitness was more than just physical health, she made the conscious decision to take care of her emotional and spiritual well-being.
Armealine said she lost 218 pounds over five years as a result of those small adjustments and therapy, which she said taught her new coping mechanisms.
In February 2021, she had a panniculectomy to surgically remove the excess skin that was causing her to break out in rashes due to her weight loss.
She also enrolled in the online psychology program at Grace Christian University. She told the Houston Chronicle, “I want to learn, so I can help other people. There are people who don’t see light. But I can help you see it. I know the darkness from experience.”
She credits her success to her immediate family, especially her grandmother, as well as other individuals she has met during her journey.
Armealine, now a mother and mental health advocate, uses social media to share her weight loss journey and inspire others.
She told Shoutout HTX, “My weight loss journey, becoming a mom, and sharing my life on social media has given me a way out of my own head. Nothing is ever easy especially when you’re working to change every area of your life. I come from a single parent household, and we didn’t always have what we needed. I learned how to make do with what I have, and enjoy life while doing it. There are a lot of stigmas around mental health illness/challenges, and I make it my duty to bring clarity to those who may not completely understand why some of us are different. I never got to take a traditional route in any area of my life, and for that I have been able to share my creativity in many ways.”
