62: How One TikToker’s Chronic Weight Management Journey is Inspiring Others: Angel Scheer’s Story

As humans, we thrive through connection. And when we embark on a journey to improve our metabolic health, I’m a strong believer that we need continual inspiration to guide us along the way and remind us that we’re all in this together. For me, a huge source of that inspiration has come from Angel Scheer, someone who I have followed for a long time on TikTok.

Angel has struggled with obesity and weight her entire life. And what I've observed over time since following Angel is the evolution of her approach to health—a journey marked by challenges and triumphs. Today, I'm excited to explore Angel’s story, which highlights the importance of consistency, accountability, and listening to your body when it comes to achieving sustainable health goals.

Angel’s Story

Angel has struggled with obesity and weight her whole life and has always lived in a bigger body. As she went through significant life events, including fertility treatment with her husband, her weight continued to creep up over the years. 

As she approached her 40th birthday in 2021, Angel decided it was time for a change. She started counting calories, tracking protein intake, and exercising daily with the goal of losing 50 pounds before her birthday. By early 2021, she had achieved her weight loss goal but later found herself slipping back into old habits and regaining some of the weight.

In 2022, noticing her weight creeping back up, Angel discovered Mounjaro, a medication she learned about through TikTok. Despite her initial doubts about medication for weight loss, Angel decided to try it in October 2022. She was hesitant to share this part of her journey on social media at first but later embraced it to help reduce the stigma around using medication for weight management.

Building Consistent Routines

A significant part of Angel’s health journey has been walking. When she first started, she was doing just 30 minutes a day or just trying to walk one mile. She didn’t put any pressure to walk at a certain pace or do it at a certain time. And she found that walking really helped her not just physically, but mentally too, as it helps to reduce her anxiety and stress. 

But working as a shift manager in Starbucks means she’s on her feet a lot during the day and there are often times when she really doesn’t feel like walking on the treadmill or going outside. 

So what are Angel’s top tips for continuing to take action, even when it feels hard? 

1. Pair it with something you love. For example, Angel only allows herself to watch certain shows when she’s walking on the treadmill. This is a great tip because if you’re going to love something anyway, you might as well do some form or activity with it!
2. Set longer term goals for yourself and break them down into simple steps. Angel would set monthly goals or challenges for herself such as trying to hit a certain number of miles in a month. She would then break those up into weekly goals. By having a longer term goal, you give yourself more flexibility in how you reach that goal. For example, if it’s tricky to walk 2 miles one day, you can add it on to another day that month when you’re able to walk further.
3. Talk to yourself like you’d talk to a friend. There are times when we are our worst critics and tell ourselves we’re a failure. But why is it so acceptable to put ourselves down when we would never do that with friends or anyone else? Angel tries to give herself a pep talk of what she would say to encourage a friend or uses Marco Polo to message friends that will support her when she needs it.

Looking back on her journey, Angel recognizes that the past version of herself was not in a good place to start this work. She was tired, exhausted, and simply didn’t know how to go about any of it. 

And so what would she tell that past version of herself knowing what she knows now?

1. You’re worth putting in the effort that this requires
2. It's not as hard as you think it has to be

When you're working on improving your health, you discover ways to make it enjoyable and sustainable. For instance, one of my biggest challenges was finding healthier foods that I actually liked and figuring out how to increase my protein intake as a vegetarian.

Over the years, I've asked myself, "What foods do I genuinely enjoy?" And by finding foods that work for me, I've made eating healthier much easier compared to when I used to buy random items and binge on unhealthy foods. This erratic eating pattern led to constant energy fluctuations and left me feeling exhausted. Working on your health does require effort, but it doesn't have to be overly difficult, like obsessively counting calories or doing exhausting workouts.

Non-Scale Victories

Often when people start out on their journey to improve metabolic health, they think it is the weight loss they’ll be most proud of. But there are so many other things that change along the way and Angel has experienced some amazing non-scale victories throughout her journey:

• Reduced Physical Discomfort: Angel now experiences significantly less physical pain and relies less on pain relievers like ibuprofen or Tylenol.
• Improved Menstrual Regularity: Since adopting a healthier lifestyle, Angel has noticed more regular menstrual cycles.
• Clothing Sizes: Angel is approaching a shift out of the “plus-size” clothing section - something she never thought would be possible without drastic measures.
• Supportive Conversations: Since she started weight loss medication, Angel has been having more open discussions with family and loved ones about her weight management journey and experienced a lot of unexpected support and empathy.
• Professional Performance: Colleagues and supervisors have noticed Angel's improved management skills, increased energy levels, and how much better she is able to cope with stress.

Alongside these victories, Angel shared some valuable tips for anyone embarking on a similar health and weight management journey:

• Avoid comparing your progress to others. Each person's journey is unique, and it's important to focus on your own path and achievements.
• Use measurements as a more comprehensive tool to track progress rather than the scale, which doesn't always reflect the full picture of success.
• Ultimately, you are the one responsible for your progress so you have to push yourself because no one else is going to do it for you.
• Recognize your self-worth and value. Remind yourself that you deserve to prioritize your health and well-being.
• Develop a habit of speaking kindly to yourself. Transform negative thoughts into positive affirmations to build self-confidence and resilience.

Angel's inspiring story acts as an important reminder to honor our individuality on the journey to better health. Everyone's body is unique, and factors like genetics, lifestyle, and muscle composition all play significant roles in weight loss.

Instead of comparing ourselves to others, we should focus on celebrating our own progress and be proud of our efforts. Changing how we speak to ourselves takes practice and patience, but it's a vital part of cultivating a positive mindset and sustainable approach to health.

Connect with Angel:

Instagram

TikTok