When Charelette Miller of Tupelo looked in the mirror in early 2022, she saw more than just her reflection.

She saw a woman desperately in need of change.

At 36 years old, Charelette was living with morbid obesity, limited mobility and a host of health challenges: diabetes, hypertension, joint pain, anxiety, depression and a family history of heart disease. 

“I had all these things fighting against me that would limit my quality of life,” she recalls.

The Turning Point

Charelette went to several doctors, “trying to figure out why I was so young but so exhausted all the time.”

Her breakthrough came when she met Dr. Will Cauthen and the North Mississippi Health Services weight loss team. “They’re amazing,” she says. “My life would not be what it is without them,” she says.

The clinic’s team helped Charelette understand the importance of mindful eating. “You would be surprised at how many calories you consume if you aren’t consciously aware,” she says. 

With their help, she learned to read nutrition labels, eat more healthily and better manage her diabetes.

Small Steps, Big Changes

Charelette’s fitness journey began modestly. “When I started, I could literally walk one lap around the track and it took me about 15 minutes,” she remembers. But she persevered, gradually building her stamina as the team cheered her on.

She lost around 30 pounds before having weight loss surgery in November 2022. Now, she’s 162 pounds lighter.

Losing that much weight is like losing an entire person, but Charelette found much, much more.

Victory Laps

Charelette’s quality of life has soared. She wakes up energized, free from the joint pain and fatigue that once held her back. 

“I’m no longer leading a sedentary lifestyle,” she says. “My anxiety has drastically decreased because I’m no longer struggling to do even the most basic things in life.”

Walking became her “saving grace”—not just physically, but mentally and spiritually. “I wake up every morning about 5 a.m. and I’m outside walking with the sunlight,” she says. “I call it me and God’s time.” 

Leaps and bounds from the 15-minute lap where she started, Charlette has now competed in multiple 5K and 10K races and will soon complete her first half-marathon. 

‘You’re Worth It’

But Charelette knows her life transformation isn’t a sprint; it’s a marathon.

“I'm still a work in progress because a weight loss journey is not just a temporary thing,” she says, “it's a lifestyle, and it's a commitment. You have to choose every day to wake up and say, ‘Hey, I'm going to fight this battle against obesity’ and realize that you're worth it.”

Charelette encourages others to do the same. “There is no greater time to prioritize yourself and take charge of your health,” she says. “You’re worth it. You’re capable and deserving of all the things that a wonderful lifestyle can afford you.”