Starbucks barista from Centereach drops 177 lbs., inspired by son

It seems Trish Poggi has found her groove.

She lost her mom when she was 3 and had weight issues throughout her childhood and adult life, losing and gaining weight in double-digit and triple-digit ranges, mostly associated with each of her three pregnancies.

“I ‘lost’ myself while being a mom, a wife, a housekeeper, chef and all that comes with life,” says Poggi, whose weight hit 300 pounds in 2013.

But one day while watching her son play hockey, a sport in which he excelled, Poggi had an epiphany. “I thought if this kid ever made it big, I didn’t want the camera to pan to this obese mother in the audience and hear them say, ‘Athletic kid, but look at that mother.’ It was a turning point for me. I stopped eating fried food and fast food and stopped shoveling in food to feed my emotions,” says Poggi.

At the same time she started walking in her neighborhood, using home workout videos and eventually joined a gym. She lost 97 pounds in one year.

“I’ve grown so much, both mentally and spiritually, since losing this weight. The hard work, discipline, dedication and focus is what takes you to longevity. I journal every morning for an hour and pray. I get myself mentally prepared for the day. It all gives me focus,” says Poggi.

She adds that she knows this weight loss will stick this time because her thought process and attitude have all changed.

“I’ve done so much self-work . . . This is the best I’ve ever felt. You can’t buy this feeling.”

Poggi preps her weekly meals on Mondays. She has a protein shake after her morning workout. Breakfast can be three to four egg whites scrambled with a green vegetable plus a sweet potato and coffee. Lunch is usually grilled chicken and vegetables. Dinner can be browned ground turkey with Mrs. Dash seasoning or grilled chicken or steak and plenty of vegetables. She drinks a gallon of water daily. Snacks are rice cakes with almond butter, Greek yogurt or almonds.

Poggi works out every weekday for two hours starting at 5 a.m. She does cardio (on a StairMaster, an elliptical or a treadmill) and strength training, alternating between upper body, legs and arms, but always including exercises for her core. She completed a mini-triathlon and a Spartan Race (a timed obstacle race of varying distance and difficulty) and is training for another one, the Rugged Maniac, in the fall.

“Trust the process. You can have a million people telling you what to do. If you’re not pushing yourself, it doesn’t matter. I’ve learned to turn any obstacle that comes my way into fuel to push me harder.”