Tiffany Neves loses 131lbs in one year after the death of her grandfather

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Tiffany Neves, 26, from San Antonio, Texas, weighed 288lbs when she started her weight loss journey last year
After her grandfather died in 2014, she vowed get healthy in his honor
One year later, Tiffany, who is 5'8", weighs 157lbs and is happier than ever
Tiffany stuck to her weight loss plan - even after the tragic death of her father this July

Published: 09:49 EST, 30 September 2015 | Updated: 12:54 EST, 30 September 2015

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An obese woman was inspired to lose 131lbs in just one year after the death of her beloved grandfather who desperately wanted nothing more than for her to be healthy and happy.

Tiffany Neves, 26, from San Antonio, Texas, started her weight loss journey last year, weighing in at 288lbs. After her grandfather passed away, Tiffany spent a week binge drinking before she vowed to change her life his honor. Now, Tiffany, who is 5'8", weighs 157lbs and says she has at last found true happiness.

'Above all, my mental and emotional well-being has changed the most,' she told Yahoo Health. 'Tiffany, just a year ago, saw no hope, no future. She didn’t make plans and she had very low self-esteem. Tiffany, today, has hope, dreams, and self-worth.'

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Unbelievable transformation: Tiffany Neves, 26, from San Antonio, Texas, weighed 288lbs (left) in 2014. One year later, she is down to a healthy 157lbs (right)

Finally fit: Tiffany lost 131lbs in one year after the death of her beloved grandfather, who always wanted to see her get healthy and happy

Tiffany's parents divorced when she was in elementary school and her mother worked as an overnight nurse, leaving her and her brother to make their own meals. They would often choose to make macaroni and cheese, microwavable snacks and fast food, and Tiffany quickly became overweight.

As a child, Tiffany was also encouraged by her father to finish all of the food on her plate, and she carried that habit with her for years as her weight continued to spiral out of control.

Eventually she reached 288lbs, and Tiffany recalled being depressed and filled with negative thoughts about her appearance.

'The only thing I wanted to do then was drink and sit around in my own self-loathing and self-pity - nothing else,' she said. 'I was so upset by what others could accomplish, yet wouldn’t do anything to push myself to do the same.'

When Tiffany's grandfather died in August of last year, she hit her breaking point. Before he died he tried everything to help her lose weight, including offering to pay her for every pound she lost, because he wanted to see her healthy and happy.

Getting healthy: After her grandfather died, Tiffany joined a gym and started working out four to five times a week

Newfound energy: Tiffany said losing 131lbs makes working 16-hour shifts easier because she no longer has to worry about her ankles swelling

'Time isn’t on our side, I realized,' she explained. 'He passed away without seeing me healthy and happy. I needed to change that, now for myself. So when my friend started a weight-loss competition, I hit the ground running.'

Before she started losing weight, Tiffany would skip breakfast and instead indulge in two huge meals. So, as part of the lifestyle changes she was making, she started eating five small meals a day and gave up fast food and soda.

Tiffany also joined a gym and started going four to five times a week, focusing first on cardio exercises before she started incorporating weight-lifting exercises.

To keep herself motivated, she would watch videos of other people's weight loss transformations on YouTube.

Tiffany managed to stick to her new diet and exercise plan while traveling and throughout the holiday, however, in January she learned that her father was on life support in the intensive care unit.

Before and after: Tiffany snapped a picture of herself wearing her old sweatshirt (left) 29 weeks after she started losing weight (right)

Honoring her family: When her father passed away in July, Tiffany said she saw it as a test of strength and continue to live her life to the fullest

She admitted that in the face of tragedy she wanted to stop exercising and turn to food for comfort, but she was determined not revert back to her old ways.

Tiffany started making healthy meals to take with her to the hospital, and after spending time with her father, she would head to the gym. After he died in July due to liver complications, however, she admitted that she questioned why she was struggling with so much adversity.

But, instead of wallowing in sadness, she said she started to see the deaths of two of the most important men in her life as a test of strength, which helped her to crawl out of the darkness she was facing.

'Since I have lost most of my weight, I feel free! I have never seen the world as I see it now - there are beautiful things and people everywhere,' she said. 'There are so many opportunities and things to be done.'

Tiffany noted that in addition to her emotional and mental well-being changing for the better, her asthma is almost completely gone and she no longer has trouble working a 16-hour shift on her feet.

Proud to pose: Tiffany said that her diet and exercise has remained mostly the same since she lost the weight, however, she has incorporated more weight-lifting into her program

Better choices: Instead of the fast food she used to crave, Tiffany now loads up on lean protein, fruit and vegetables

She said she is also thrilled that she no long has to shop in plus-size clothing stories or worry that she won't fit into seats at amusement parks or on airplanes.

Tiffany said that her routine has stayed mostly the same since she has lost the weight, although, she has incorporated more weight-lifting into her workouts.

At this point, she allows herself to indulge from time to time, but she notes that she now finds herself craving chicken and steak instead of cheesy sides and mashed potatoes.

'There have been some days when working out seemed worse than getting run over by an 18-wheeler. Whenever that happens, I pull out my old, bigger clothes and put them on,' she said. 'Or I take a selfie and set it next to an old one of me.'

Tiffany admitted that she used to speak negatively about her healthy meals or her workouts, but she realized that 'mindset is everything'.

'Don’t be down on something that is helping you! Look at it positively and then nothing can stop you!' she said.