stephiebam
New member
Hello everyone. My name is Stephanie and I am a 19 year old college student. I decided to change my eating habits and to lose weight at the turn of the new year for several reasons. One reason is that I have been overweight for the majority of my life and do not remember what it was like to be in shape. Another reason is that I have a boyfriend now and I want him to see me healthy. The most important reason, however, is that I do not want to be like my mother and grandfather and suffer from the negative effects of obesity. My turning point was when I looked in the mirror and saw my mother standing in front of me. I knew at that moment that things had to change.
My mother is a beautiful woman, however, she is over 300 lbs and has health problems that are caused by her obesity. Her weight has been yo-yo-ing for years. At one point she weighed 400 lbs. Then she lost 245 lbs from Jenny Craig in 1998 and kept most of it off until around 2006. After that point, the weight came back rapidly. When my mom began to gain the weight back, she made me her partner in crime when it came to eating unhealthy foods just as she had once made me her exercise partner when she was living a healthier lifestyle. Thus, my weight has been yo-yo-ing as well. My grandfather, my mother's father, also struggled with his weight and developed type II diabetes. Because he did not control his diabetes, he suffered from kidney failure and had to have both of his legs amputated. He died when I was five.
When I stood in front of that mirror at 5'9 and 250 lbs, the most I have ever weighed in my entire life, I felt sick to my stomach. I knew that if I continued to follow in my mother and grandfather's footsteps, I would end up like them.
Ever since returning back to college, I have completely changed my eating and exercise habits. I have realized that at this point in my life, no one can be blamed for my obesity, but me. I let all of my friends know what I was doing so that they would guide me in the right path if I chose to eat something unhealthy. My dad and my friends have been really supportive of me. My mom, on the other hand, changes the topic or hangs up on me whenever I say anything about weight loss. I think that hearing about it makes her realize her own failures.
My goal at this point is to lose 50 lbs by the end of the year. So far I have lost 8 lbs in two weeks by simply drinking water or milk instead of soda or juice, snacking on fruits instead of candies or chips, and eating a salad or fruit with each meal, as well as exercising three times a week. So, that I won't ever feel deprived, I have allowed myself one dessert a day as well as one sweet drink. But I try not to "spend" those allowances too often. Even when I have dessert, I split it with my friends so that I only eat enough to satisfy the taste. As a result of my lifestyle change, I feel great and am excited to lose more weight! My only hope now is that I can inspire my mom to join me.
My mother is a beautiful woman, however, she is over 300 lbs and has health problems that are caused by her obesity. Her weight has been yo-yo-ing for years. At one point she weighed 400 lbs. Then she lost 245 lbs from Jenny Craig in 1998 and kept most of it off until around 2006. After that point, the weight came back rapidly. When my mom began to gain the weight back, she made me her partner in crime when it came to eating unhealthy foods just as she had once made me her exercise partner when she was living a healthier lifestyle. Thus, my weight has been yo-yo-ing as well. My grandfather, my mother's father, also struggled with his weight and developed type II diabetes. Because he did not control his diabetes, he suffered from kidney failure and had to have both of his legs amputated. He died when I was five.
When I stood in front of that mirror at 5'9 and 250 lbs, the most I have ever weighed in my entire life, I felt sick to my stomach. I knew that if I continued to follow in my mother and grandfather's footsteps, I would end up like them.
Ever since returning back to college, I have completely changed my eating and exercise habits. I have realized that at this point in my life, no one can be blamed for my obesity, but me. I let all of my friends know what I was doing so that they would guide me in the right path if I chose to eat something unhealthy. My dad and my friends have been really supportive of me. My mom, on the other hand, changes the topic or hangs up on me whenever I say anything about weight loss. I think that hearing about it makes her realize her own failures.
My goal at this point is to lose 50 lbs by the end of the year. So far I have lost 8 lbs in two weeks by simply drinking water or milk instead of soda or juice, snacking on fruits instead of candies or chips, and eating a salad or fruit with each meal, as well as exercising three times a week. So, that I won't ever feel deprived, I have allowed myself one dessert a day as well as one sweet drink. But I try not to "spend" those allowances too often. Even when I have dessert, I split it with my friends so that I only eat enough to satisfy the taste. As a result of my lifestyle change, I feel great and am excited to lose more weight! My only hope now is that I can inspire my mom to join me.
