At nearly 500 pounds and battling constant pain and anxiety, Jeanine Raine knew she needed a change.

The relentless commentary from teachers, nutritionists, family, and friends about her body prevented her from fully expressing herself.

Raine told Today, “The world was kind of mean to me, so I just kind of kept to myself. But I’m a super nice and positive and upbeat person, but I always felt like my voice was quieter because I was bigger.” 

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Raine also felt anxious and shamed about her body’s limitations, asking for seatbelt extenders on airplanes and looking at photos of restaurants to see if she could fit in the chairs.

After an initial attempt to lose weight at 18, a cycle of restriction and overdoing it at the gym left her heavier than ever; by the time she graduated from college, she weighed 470 pounds.

Her career as a special education teacher was personally rewarding but physically punishing. “Kids are my passion but standing to teach lessons (was hard). I had back pain and knee problems. Everything was hurting every day.”

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The physical discomfort proved great enough to galvanize her into action, “That’s when I decided that I have to take this into my own hands.”

She consulted with her primary care doctor, whose response was discouraging at best, telling her, in his professional opinion, that she had too much weight to lose and wouldn’t be able to do so naturally.

“I get it, you know, I (was) almost 500 pounds,” says Raine. “I was eating fast food every day, multiple times a day. But I knew that if I made the changes and did what I needed to do, I believed that I could at least make some type of change.”

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Looking for actionable advice rather than a discouraging opinion, Raine sought out another provider who helped her facilitate a change in her eating habits and incorporate exercise into her daily routine.

Her new doctor taught Raine to adjust the type and intensity of her exercise and find low-cal substitutes for the foods she craved. “It was the small advice she was giving me that was just so positive and so beautiful in terms of not tearing me down and just immediately saying no.”

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To truly understand and take control of her calorie intake, Raine vowed to cook all of her meals at home. Accustomed to soda, fast food, and sugary desserts, her cravings were hard to beat.

In an effort to manage them, she swapped soda for sparkling water, ice cream for frozen yogurt bars, king-size candy bars for snack size, and a sleeve of cookies for a single serving.

In time, her cravings subsided, and she was able to prioritize foods that fuel her body. “The food that I put in my body now doesn’t make me feel sluggish. I have energy. I don’t wake up tired. I don’t have high blood pressure anymore.”

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While Raine says she had “extreme anxiety” about going to the gym, she was determined to change the way her body looked and felt.

“The first day I went to the gym, I couldn’t even do five minutes on the treadmill. My back was hurting me, but I was just like, ‘You know what? I made it. I made it to the gym.’ And I said, ‘Even if I did five minutes today, maybe tomorrow I could do seven.”

Committed to consistency, she showed up to work out every day and was able to gradually increase her output. “Eventually, the weight started coming off, and the eating got easier … Before I knew it, I was down 70 pounds.”

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In the two years since she made the choice to change, Raine has lost an astounding 210 pounds.

Raine has documented her fitness journey on TikTok and Instagram to inspire others. Among those encouraged by her transformation is Raine’s own mother, who recently lost 90 pounds by following in her daughter’s footsteps.

As her strength increased, Raine integrated other types of exercise. In addition to the treadmill, she began lifting weights and hiking and picked up a joyful tool from childhood: a jump rope.

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In her first attempt at jumping rope, she couldn’t get her body off of the ground, but with an attitude of absolute revolve, she vowed to keep at it. She steadily improved, incorporating tricks and sharing her videos with her social media community.

A post of her skipping rope has since gone viral with 43 million views and counting. When followers comment on how happy she looks, Raine says the feeling is as real as it is hard won, “In my videos, when I’m smiling and doing my tricks, it’s literally because I spent four months trying to achieve the trick.”

From incapacitated by pain to alive with joy, Raine’s progress is remarkable. Yet, when she looks back to where and who she was, it is always through the lens of compassion, “If I could give the old me a hug, I would.”