Mackenzie Walker's story is a testament to the power of determination and the impact one person can have on thousands of others. Once a self-described "weird girl" who used humor to mask her insecurities, Mackenzie transformed her life through dedication to diet and exercise. Her journey, documented on Instagram, has garnered a massive following, and her story has been featured in People magazine and on major television networks.
From Self-Deprecating Humor to a Turning Point
In Grade 6, Mackenzie weighed 185 pounds. By Grade 7, her weight had increased to 200 pounds. Mackenzie described herself as the typical weird girl because she was shy and awkward. To cope with her insecurities, she became the class clown, using her weight as the punchline. "I wasn’t very popular, so I would make fun of myself to try to make friends,” she said. “I had a lot of fat on my face so I could pull it back and make a bunch of different chins. The double chins would make people laugh, so I just rolled with it.”
However, by Grade 8, weighing 223 lbs, Mackenzie realized that she had to change her life. She tried numerous diets and even exercised but “nothing seemed to work for me." She was depressed and wondered if she would die of a heart attack or just not wake up one morning. "I started to become really self-conscious and have a lot of bad thoughts,” she said. “At that point I was OK if I just died.” She felt like an alien and that everyone around her was different.
The summer before high school marked a turning point. The night before her father, Scott, was scheduled to undergo gastric bypass surgery, Mackenzie resolved to change. “I said to my dad, ‘This is it. I am doing this one last time. Please don’t let me quit. I don’t want to be the only one in this family who’s obese.'"
The Journey Begins: Diet, Exercise, and Instagram
Mackenzie began running at night and soon saw the weight start to come off. She also started documenting her progress on Instagram, sharing her experiences and offering advice. She also wrote an ebook called The Journey Down a Road Less Travelled, which detailed her struggle with weight. She sold enough copies to take her father to Disney World for his 50th birthday. And then she started to coach people through Instagram.
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Mackenzie's approach to weight loss involved a combination of diet and exercise. Mackenzie drinks one gallon of water each day and relies on High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) for exercise, along with lifting weights. She also focuses on eating lean meats and Greek yogurt for protein and chooses healthy carbs like oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and rice cakes. She eats almonds and nut butters for fat and said her one cheat food is diet soda.
By December, she had lost 45 lbs. and was thrilled with the success. As she continued to lose weight, Mackenzie shared her journey with her followers, providing motivation and inspiration. Her dedication and openness resonated with many, and her Instagram following grew rapidly.
Addressing the Aftermath: Excess Skin and Tummy Tuck Surgery
As Mackenzie lost more and more weight, she noticed another problem. She was 140 lbs. but all the skin in her stomach just hung. It hung so much it started to cause problems for her back and made it tough to work out. Despite her success, Mackenzie was left with excess skin, a common issue for individuals who experience significant weight loss. This excess skin caused physical discomfort and made it difficult for her to continue her workouts.
Doctors said she was too young for a tummy tuck. Eventually, she contacted Dr. Anthony Youn, a plastic surgeon in Troy, Mich., who’s often seen on CNN. Youn agreed to meet Mackenzie but made it clear he rarely does surgery on patients under 18 years old. He said cosmetic surgery should really be restricted to adults given its serious nature, and most teens wouldn’t benefit from it anyways.
Dr. Youn recognized Mackenzie's maturity and commitment to her health. "Mackenzie is a very mature person who lost a large amount of weight by diet and exercise, and I strongly believe that she didn’t need to live the rest of her life with all that extra skin hanging from her abdomen. It also helps that her father is so supportive.”
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The surgery was set and was going to be filmed by a CNN camera crew but Mackenzie needed $9,000 to pay for it. So, she turned to her faithful followers on Instagram, created a GoFundMe account and soon had the money. With the support of her online community, Mackenzie underwent a tummy tuck to remove the excess skin. "You don’t know how much you use your abs until you can’t use them anymore. Even just shifting yourself or sitting up was really tough,” she said.
Media Attention and Continued Inspiration
Mackenzie's story began to attract widespread media attention. She was featured in People magazine and interviewed on Good Morning America, Inside Edition, People Now, Extra, and Entertainment Tonight. The Windsor teen's weight loss story captivated audiences, and she became an inspiration to many.
Walker has spent the last year healing from the surgery, getting back to the gym and focusing on helping her clients. MacKenzie Walker, 16, is shown at the Fit4Less gym in Windsor on Wednesday, July 27, 2016. Surgery she had to get rid of extra skin after she lost 89 pounds was filmed by CNN. She also appears in the July 25 edition of People magazine. It was really very humbling to think I went from someone who was a loner, to having the possibility of being in a magazine that was going to be seen by people all over the world. It was really crazy.”
Parallels to Others' Journeys and Key Principles
Mackenzie's story shares common threads with other individuals who have successfully lost significant weight. Gillian Faith, who once weighed 220 pounds, lost 110 pounds through diet and exercise. Alex Perrineau, who weighed 310 pounds, lost 142 pounds by changing her eating habits and incorporating walking and running into her routine.
Several key principles emerge from these weight loss journeys:
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- Addressing the Root Cause: Understanding why weight gain occurred in the first place is crucial for long-term success.
- Making Gradual Changes: Transitioning to portioned meals and smaller serving sizes can be an effective strategy.
- Incorporating Physical Activity: Starting with walking and gradually increasing the intensity of exercise is beneficial.
- Seeking Inspiration and Support: Connecting with others who have similar goals can provide motivation and encouragement.
Future Aspirations and Reflections
Walker is now passionate about bodybuilding and hopes to compete. Although she’s brilliant at marketing herself, she has set her sights on a career in criminology. Mackenzie hopes to compete in bodybuilding competitions and is considering a career in criminology. She also looks forward to prom, where she plans to wear a tight, curve-hugging black dress, a far cry from the plus-size dress she hated at her Grade 8 graduation.
When Walker looks back at photos of herself taken three years ago, she feels sad. She had double chins and was the class clown. MacKenzie Walker before her weight loss. Photo by MacKenzie Walker /Windsor Star“In New York, they had photos of me and I see that fake smile that says, ‘I’m just a joke,'” she said. “When I look at those pictures of me I wish I could tell that sad person in the photos that things are going to change and this is where you will end up.”