Prior to becoming sober in May 2018, Erin Laraia struggled with alcohol and drug abuse for years, since age 21 through 25. “In a weird way, I felt like I had control over something,” Laraia explained, telling POPSUGAR that, when she got sober, she proceeded to feel many things in her life were out of her control, which was a “real hardship” for her. Her weight-loss journey that started that fall, though, grounded her in a different sense of control and gave her a specific goal to continue bettering herself as a person inside and out.
At the beginning of her sobriety, Laraia went to outpatient rehab and did continued care until February of 2019. In the past, she’s tried many different methods of weight loss from WW (formerly Weight Watchers) to supplements such as Hydroxycut, which were not sustainable. “There really is no quick fix that will yield long-term results,” she said. “It is truly a lifestyle change, and that means changing the way you think, talk to yourself, and your everyday routine.”
Now 28, Laraia has lost 90 pounds in fewer than two years. Most importantly, though, “weight loss gave me something every day to work for,” Laraia said. Ahead, check out more on how she stays active, nourishes her body, and balances her weight-loss and sobriety journeys, both of which she’s seeing healthy results from.