TRUMBULL, Conn. (WTNH) — Annamarie Rivera lost nearly 200 pounds on a back to basics approach, and is now inspiring others to do the same. On most days you’ll find her in the gym, focused on a personal mission.

“If I was upset, I was eating,” said Rivera. “If I was angry, I was eating.”

She topped at more than 400 pounds, and now is just over 200 after eating healthy and exercising. It started with making a u-turn into a Planet Fitness.

“I don’t know what made me do that. It wasn’t planned. It wasn’t something I had thought about. I literally just pulled into the gym and said, ‘today I’m going to change my life,'” the Trumbull woman said.

Back then, her health was in jeopardy.

“My immune system was completely shot,” Rivera said. “I had such stomach issues that it actually caused a severe acid problem.”

Her story was recently featured nationally in Women’s Health Magazine.

“You have to have your mind made up. Weight Loss is 100-percent mental,” she said.

“It’s an excellent way to control chronic medical disease,” said her doctor, family practitioner Dr. Corey Jaquez.

He says a healthy weight is also a prescription for pain control.

“You are not putting as much wear and tear on joints and on the actual skeleton, your neck, your back and your legs,” said Dr. Jaquez.

With thousands following her on social media sites, Rivera shares all kinds of details.

“Processed foods is something I had to stop. It’s a rare occasion I have soda. I drink almost two gallons of water a day,” she said. “You have to be consistent. I’m here at least five to six times a week, so you truly have to be consistent and you have to want it.”

Rivera does not deprive herself of things she wants to eat, and has a cheat meal every week or two. She wants to lose 15 to 20 more pounds.

You can follow her on Instagram, @WeightlossWithAnnaMarie.