Charleah Torres-Vega, a mother of four, was 18 when her own mother passed away from cancer. Her mother, described as “a happy, confident woman who was always heavyset,” left behind Torres-Vega’s siblings, who were between 7 and 12 years old at the time.
“Her death really woke me up, because she had young babies,” Torres-Vega, who had just had her own first child, told People. “I didn’t want that to be my story with my own children.”
The 46-year-old said she had been “heavy” all her life. She also said that she became aware of her weight at age 10, when a doctor called her “big-boned” but didn’t explain how to address the issue.
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She struggled to lose weight after her first pregnancy and had hypertension as a result. When she reached 235 lbs, she said, “I felt like death was threatening me because of my weight.”
She tried fad diets and fasts: “I was so desperate, I Saran Wrapped my stomach and had duct tape around it to try and sweat it out.” Portion control and high-intensity training helped her lose 30 lbs., but she repeatedly gained it back.
Despite giving up cultural favorites like rice—being from Trinidad—and incorporating more vegetables and five weekly workouts into her routine, her blood pressure remained high. She expressed her frustration, wondering, “I tried my best not to cuss. What more could I do? That was the constant theme.”
She underwent a vertical sleeve gastrectomy in 2020 to reduce her stomach size. However, she emphasized, “The surgery shrinks your stomach, but that’s just one part; there’s so much more that’s necessary in order to be successful.”
The onset of the pandemic, occurring shortly after her surgery, provided her with an unforeseen break from her hectic Boston schedule, giving her a greater focus on her personal well-being. To cultivate improved habits, she began rising for early morning workouts, occasionally even sleeping in her exercise attire.
“I realized through my mom’s death that if I’m well, if I’m happy, I’m going to be my best self for everyone else,” she recounted.
After hitting her goal weight of 160 lbs, she found her clothes no longer fit—her jeans were too big, and her shirts hung like dresses. Despite this success, the fear of regaining the weight persisted, as she was fully aware of her past struggles.
Nevertheless, starting a GLP-1 in 2022 was a crucial step in maintaining her weight. She considers it “a key tool that I depend on,” noting that it has helped her “focus on eating well and stay disciplined.” By continuing her healthy diet and exercise, she experienced no side effects, saying, “My body was so ready for this change.”
GLP-1 agonists, as explained by the Cleveland Clinic, are medications used to reduce blood sugar and encourage weight loss.
For her People magazine cover photoshoot, she specifically requested the song “Walking on Sunshine,” by Katrina and the Waves, to be the soundtrack.
“That’s exactly how I feel. I’m walking in my purpose. And now my outside matches what was inward,” she said. “I cried. It was energy and joy being released in a big way.”
As a part-time paralegal, Torres-Vega also works as a health coach. She leverages her own experience to encourage others to “reclaim their life, break cycles,” and build the mental resilience she maintained even at her heaviest weight.
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“I feel my best, and they can too. It’s not unattainable. We all deserve it,” she said. Torres-Vega said that there were times she felt she wasn’t seen or supported, as people would not even respond when she smiled at them. She, however, stated that she never stopped believing in herself. “I knew that I was worthy. I knew my strength and my purpose. I never gave up.”
Currently weighing 135 lbs, Torres-Vega has observed a change in how people interact with her, noting increased friendliness and gestures like doors being held open. “It’s hurtful, because I have always been Charleah. I have always been warm and friendly, but it wasn’t returned to me because I was heavier,” she remarked.
“I feel healthier now than I did in my 20s,” she affirmed, adding that she now believes, “This is truly where my body wants to be.”
Torres-Vega has significantly improved her health, now capable of performing exercises like a headstand and a back bend. More importantly, she notes that her weight loss has lowered her risk of developing cancer.
“I have four children who got to see their mom win,” she stated. “I’m not going to die young.”
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