Two women find success after New Year’s resolutions, encourage others to keep moving

Lowell woman loses 130 pounds after setting 2019 New Year Resolution; Clover woman no longer needs open heart surgery

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV) - Two women who started New Year’s resolutions in 2019 have reached their goals and are continuing their journey to live a healthier lifestyle. Now, they are sharing their stories in hopes of motivating others to not give up on 2020 resolutions.

According to U.S. News and World Report, about 80 percent of Americans who set a New Year’s resolution give up by the second week of February. LeeAnn Causby was among the 20 percent who kept moving in 2019.

Causby says it had been more than ten years since she exercised, but on January 1, 2019 she new it was time to change her lifestyle.

“I was 322 pounds, I was having knee problems, feet problems and I knew it was time,” Causby said. “And for 32 years old that’s a lot of issues.”

She found support on the Eating Weights and Plates Facebook group which was started by Keith Glenn. Glenn has been working out for more than 20 years and wanted to motivate his friends and family to live healthier lifestyles too.

“I always worked out, but once you see a friend you’re motivating get healthy, build muscles, or whatever they’re trying to do—it’s a good feeling,” Glenn said.

Causby says Glenn helped her with workouts and Glenn’s wife helped her eat healthier.

“I was a sweet tea drinker, now it’s just straight water,” Causby said. “I haven’t had sweet tea in over a year.”

She says it took her about six months before she started noticing a change in her body. Just over a year after she started her weight loss journey, she’s down 130 pounds.

“I’m the happiest I’ve been in a long time with how I’ve looked,” Causby said. “You’re going to have bad days, you might slip, you might have a piece of a cake or ice cream. Forget about it and start over the next day. There’s always a new day.”

Erica McGill also set a New Year’s resolution for herself at the beginning of 2019.

“My doctor was telling me that I was looking at maybe another open-heart surgery and possibly dialysis because my blood pressure is so uncontrollable that it was effecting my kidney function,” McGill said. “I looked at myself and said, I’m only 49 I have two awesome sons, and I want to be here. They’re 28 and 20 but I want to wait for my grandchildren.”

McGill started working out on January 4, 2019 and has lost 60 pounds since then. She says support from Keith Glenn’s Facebook group has kept her on track.

“The open heart surgery is off the table and there are no more talks of dialysis,” McGill said. “And I just feel like I have a new lease at life and it all started with learning how to eat and putting myself first.”

McGill and Causby are continuing their healthier lifestyles in 2020. They encourage those who are just starting in 2019, to keep pushing through the hard times.

“You have to put you first and you can’t think about how hard it is right now. You have to think about where will I be this time next year? Do you still want to be where you’re at now,” McGill said.

“Keep striving for your goal because it’s a bigger picture out there,” Glenn said. “It’s more than working out, it’s more than exercising, it’s a lifestyle.”