…..But it’s a beautiful ride!

Hello lovlies!
I am back from Chicago and I would say that it was a very successufl trip! I learned so much about being a Weight Watchers leader and I truly feel that I am meant to do this! I spent 3 and a half years behind the desk, weighing in members, and providing support one on one. At the time that is what I needed to do. However, through the changes in my life recently, I realized that I need to push myself. I need to step out of my comfort zone and do what is best for ME. Being a Weight Watchers leader is going to help inspire SO many people…..and insipiring them is going to inspire me. My leader helped me so much through my weight loss journey and I want to be that for someone! I was blessed to have my mom and aunt go with me and support me….but not everyone has that support. I want to be someones mom, friend, granddaughter, sister! I want to be the support that they need.

Losing weight is a journey…Its a process…and it doesnt happen over night. It has been 7 years since I started my weight loss journey and it is still difficult. I have a little talk today at a meeting to help inspire some members and someone asked me an amazing question. They asked how I changed my relationship with food and if I was okay with the fact that I can never go back to how I ate before I lost weight.

Now, before I lost weight, I was a binge eater. I would come home from school and devour chips, pretzels, and dip. I would eat at least two bowls of cereal every night before bed. And honestly eat non stop on the weekends. Food helped me feel better. I hated being the biggest girl in school, i hated not being able to wear cute clothes, and i hated disappointing my parents by not being active and involved in things. Food was my comfort. It was my drug.

When I joined weight watchers, i learned that i was addicted to food. I learned that i was a volume eater and i learned that i was also an emotional eater. I had to develop ways to stop this cycle. So, I spent hours in grocery stores and online finding recipes and snacks that had the volume but were good for me! I learned to turn to my mom or my aunt when i was feeling sad instead of turning to the food. I learned to find better coping mechanisms when i was feeling stressed. So i would read and chew gum to get my mind off of eating.

SO, to answer the question of if I miss how I used to eat before weight watchers, the answer is no. Because, tied to the way that I ate, is all of the emotions that came with it. I do not miss the excruciating pain of a best friend acting like they dont know who you are. I do not miss the embarrassment of not being able to fit in my desk. I do not miss the humiliation of having to change my clothes in front of others. I do not miss the feelings of being alone and scared.

The way I eat now brings so much JOY into my life. I am fueling my body with the nutrients it needs. The way I eat now is also tied to emotions. Feelings of confidence, empowerment, and happiness.

Don’t look at weight loss as a “diet” or a “quick fix.” It is a never ending journey….But i promise you…that it is a beautiful one!

God Bless.
xoxo – M

What I Ate!

Hello Everyone! Its time for WHAT I ATE WEDNESDAY! I hope you all enjoyed the post on HIIT! I felt like it was something really important that needed to be shared. I love finding new ways to live a healthy lifestyle..and when I do…I will tell you all! My week has been really crazy. I am starting to think that school social work is not what I want to do with my life. It is really confusing and scary when you don’t know exactly what is going to happen and exactly where you are going to end up! I truly believe my calling in life is to help overweight kids, teens, and adults. I hope that God opens up doors for me and leads me in the right direction. It is all in his hands! So….lets get started with what I ate on Wednesday!

Breakfast: I slept in a little too late, so breakfast had to be quick! I had a new granola bar I found in the store and it was so good! It actually kept me full until lunch. Now, I typically don’t like to have processed food in the mornings, but I have to leave extremely early for my internship and its sometime necessary! The ingredient list wasn’t long at all, which helps! Paired it with a banana!

Lunch: I got creative with my lunch! I mixed a can of light chunk tuna packed in water with 1/2 cup of fat free refried beans with 1/4 cup fat free cheddar and salsa! Microwaved it for about 1 minute! It was so good! Packed with protein so it kept me so full!

Dinner: We had shrimp in our house, so I went online and found a shrimp scampi recipe! It was from Eat Better America! It was so good! Basically it was whole wheat pasta, olive oil, garlic, spinach, shrimp, and tomatoes! I absolutely loved it! Shrimp is packed with protein and is so good for you!

Snack: My snack was simple! 1 container of Yoplait Greek Yogurt with 1/5 ounce of peanuts! I used the strawberry fruit on the bottom yogurt so it tasted like peanut butter and jelly! So good!

Mixing up foods and coming up with creative dishes really helps me stay on track! Have fun with your food! I try not to eat the same thing all of the time…That way my metabolism doesn’t get used to it! Also, it keeps me from getting bored and giving up! One day…Just try mixing random things together! You’ll find you come up with some really tasty things! 🙂

Live healthy and God bless xoxo M

About This Blog & How I Lost The Weight

Since I have a lot of new followers…I thought it would be a good idea to share what this blog is about and how I lost the weight again!

Hi all! My name is Maria and I am 22 years old. I am a social worker and dedicate my life to healthy living!
After my weight loss story was featured on the cover of PEOPLE magazine in August of 2013, I decided I needed to share my success with others in a different kind of way….so here’s my blog!

This blog is for all those who are trying to make
their lives healthier and who need some tips, motivation, and support!

I post things such as workouts, recipes, and weight
loss tips! I believe in healthy living and making it fun! Everyone needs a little inspiration in their life!

Here’s to making our lives happier and
healthier!

When I lost 105 pounds 6 years ago, I NEVER thought I would get my story out. I had always dreamed of it happening, but I never thought it would. There were many times I would send my story to magazines, websites, etc. and always get turned down. It got to the point where I finally gave up. I trusted that God had a plan for me, and getting my story out was not in his plan. In February, I decided that I needed to go to counseling to heal some past hurts and issues. I will post more about that soon! I needed to heal myself emotionally. When I lost the weight, I only healed myself physically. The same month I first started counseling, my mom sent my story into PEOPLE magazine. Well, the rest is history! I landed on the COVER of PEOPLE magazine! God DID have a plan! It was when I finally fixed my emotional problems and past hurts, he allowed me to share my story with the world. My story is raw. It is true. It is real.

I got so many amazing texts, emails, calls, and messages from people who saw the magazine cover and the news stories. Everyone wanted to know how I did it! What my secrets were! Everything I ate! Well, now everyone can! From a little push by a good friend, I decided it was a great idea to start a blog! I am new at this….so bare with me! I plan to post pictures, recipes, what I do in the gym, random ideas and motivational tips, and a look into my personal life of living a healthy lifestyle!

SO….HERE GOES NOTHING!

So, the question of the day….HOW DID YOU LOSE SO MUCH WEIGHT AT 15?!?! Simple answer…WEIGHT WATCHERS! Growing up, I was always overweight. I didn’t play any sports, I wasn’t active, and I LOVED to eat! I especially loved to snack. There was always a snack after school…and usually two before bed! I had a good group of friends growing up and was never bullied, which was a huge blessing. I have two older brothers who were both football players…they needed to eat a lot! So, I just fell into their eating patters. I was always the “clothes holder” going shopping with friends because I couldn’t fit into the clothes in the stores they loved. It was miserable, embarrassing, and downright AWFUL!

At 15, I was 240 pounds. Size 28. And a freshman in high-school. The best friends that I had all through growing up were involved in sports once we got into high-school…I wasn’t. Therefore…they made new friends and I was left out. It happens. Being left out is a part of life. However, being so overweight, I had no self confidence to stand up for myself and try to become involved in their lives again. I simply put up a GIANT wall and ate my pain away. The hurt was terrible. I cried everyday after school. There were moments when my mom and I had to plan out who I was going to talk to in school and where I would sit in the mornings before I needed to be in homeroom. Most times, I would just sit alone.

One night, I was sitting at my kitchen table. My mom came in the front door, walked into the kitchen, and set books on the table in front of me, and walked away. I picked up the books because I was curious where she was for an hour and I saw that they were Weight Watcher books. Now, I know my mom wasn’t pressuring me to lose weight, because she did my entire life, and eventually gave up. I didn’t like knowing that people wanted me to lose weight…it actually made me eat more! So anyway, I picked up the books, and started to look through them. That’s when I saw that Weight Watchers was based on a points system. Everything you eat has a points value and you have a daily target. You use a tracker to track your points each day. When I saw that PIZZA and FRENCH FRIES had points values…and I could still eat them if I tracked my points…I knew I needed to do it! I think my mom had a heart attack when I told her I wanted to join!

That Saturday morning, my mom and I got into the car and headed to weight watchers! We got myself all signed up (with a doctors note of course) and then it was time to face the scale! I didn’t know how much I weighed. I never weighed myself and I wouldn’t even let the doctors tell me. So, I stepped onto the scale. The receptionist was so sweet and so supportive. She made the process a lot easier. They keep the scale very private so I didn’t see what I weighed until I went into the meeting room. When I saw 240…I was shocked! I knew I was heavy, but I didn’t know I was that heavy.

That was the first day of the rest of my life! I was completely changed that morning. Something just came over me and I knew good things were going to happen! My leader was incredible. My mom was by my side. I knew it would work. There were weeks of gains and weeks of binging like I used to. But I took it step by step and day by day. I never said I need to lose exactly 105 pounds. I took it 5 pounds at a time! Thinking of the end result was just too overwhelming!

SO…my advice to you…If you are ready for a change. Do it. Walk into Weight Watchers. Throw out the bad food. Start to research healthy eating. I promise it will become second nature to you and worth it! Its going to be hard. Its going to take a lot out of you. There will be tears. And there will be haters. But the end result will be wonderful. Your life will be changed.

If a normal girl like me can do it…ANYONE CAN! Feel free to ask questions in the comment box!

What I Ate Wednesday!

Hi Guys! SURPRISE! What I ate Wednesday is actually on…WEDNESDAY! I am sorry I’ve been posting it a few days later…but tonight I made a promise to myself I would get it out to you actually on Wednesday! So…lets get started!

Breakfast: Todays breakfast was so yummy! Peaches are in season now and taste AMAZING! So, I had Yoplait Greek yogurt with peach. Then I cut up a fresh peach from a local farmers market! TO DIE FOR! Then, on the way to my field location site, I had 1/2 ounce of cocoa dusted almonds! This breakfast kept me full all day long. The protein in the yogurt and almonds really help to keep you full!

Lunch: Lunch was quick and easy today…It was my first day of working with kids one on one…So I wasn’t sure of my time. So, it was an 100% whole wheat Arnold’s sandwich thin with 2 ounces of chicken breast lunch meat. I also had a Weight Watchers jalapeno cheese stick! Then I munched on some baby carrots!

Snack: After the school I go straight to the gym, so I always have an apple! Once I get home from the gym, its too early for dinner, so I NEED a snack! Today I was craving something crunchy and salty! So, I treated myself to 1 ounce of tortilla chips with salsa. I also had some diet pepsi..which I normally stay away from during the week. But, I have really been strict with my eating this week and needed a little treat!

Dinner: Well, this is something totally different for me, BUT IT WAS AMAZING! Robby’s dad is a hunter…So on Sunday, he gave me a TON of deer meat. I have never had deer, and honestly never thought about trying it. When I looked up the Weight Watcher points for it, I was shocked to see that it is a power food and REALLY low in points! My dad told me that’s because deer meat is so lean and much better than red meat! This was a deer roast, so I put it in the crock pot all day with just some onion soup mix. Then, I added in new potatoes! I also made fresh green beans from the local farmers market where I got the peaches! Seriously, this dinner was AMAZING! And I was shocked at how big the portion was! I am such a volume eater!

Snack: You all are going to be so bored with my snacks! However, cereal is and always will be my favorite! Tonight was special k red berries with almond milk…nothing new here! 🙂

I hope this helps give you all some ideas on what eating healthy looks like! It can be fun! And you can have all of the things that you love!

-Live healthy and God bless! xoxo M

Forget The Scale!

So…I have been going back and forth with posting about the dreaded scale. This is a very personal and touchy subject for me and it is hard to talk about. However, I know A LOT of people who struggle with the same feelings I do towards the scale.

When I started my Weight Watchers journey…I didn’t understand the impact that stepping on the scale once a week would have on my emotional health. When I joined Weight Watchers, I honestly felt like my life was falling apart. I had nothing to look forward to. I dreaded basically everything. I would cry before and after school everyday. Come home from school and literally eat an entire bag of potato chips and French onion dip.

The day I joined, stepping on the scale, and seeing it say 240 pounds killed me. It was embarrassing. I felt SO angry at myself and others. How did I let myself get that way?! It was a slap in the face. I was defeated. But, I knew that it was the start of my new life. I needed to lose the weight.

The first week of Weight Watchers was challenging, but fun! My mom and I discovered new recipes and yummy things to eat! The entire week I anticipated going back and stepping on the scale! I ended up losing 4 pounds my first week…Needless to say, I was thrilled! Little did I know that that scale would come to haunt me in the future.

Because I had no other joys in my life at the time, the scale became the only positive thing that I had. Every week I thought about how much I was going to lose. What I would weigh. What would happen if I gained. At the time though, I didn’t think anything of it. I looked forward to that weigh in and it kept me going and motivated. But, there were no other rewards. The scale was the only reward I had.

When I didn’t lose….it honestly felt like the end of the world. I would have good weeks and gain weight! It shocked me and really killed me inside. I managed to make sure I stayed on track…because I wanted to see that minus sign SO badly. I was determined and it paid off….I lost 105 pounds and changed my life…But, once I lost the weight…that’s when things began to get complicated.

It took me a year to lose the weight. I never missed a weigh in. So, I stepped on the scale once a week for a year. Then, I became a lifetime member. You are only required to weigh in once a month as a lifetime member, but I of course told myself I NEEDED to weigh in once a week. For 6 years… I was a prisoner of the scale. No one knew, except me, the impact of weighing in had on my mood, personality, and what I would do in my spare time. If I would have another loss, I would be SO HAPPY! Go out to eat, go shopping, call people to hang out. If I had a gain….No eating out. No shopping. I would be MISERABLE. Seeing that minus sign was honestly like a drug to me. I needed to get my fix once a week…and if I didn’t see a minus sign…I would punish myself and not enjoy my life.

It wasn’t until this January that I realized how bad it had gotten. I had started lifting weights. I used to only do cardio and light lifting. I really loved the weight lifting and I could see my body changing before my eyes! I felt great! But then, the scale wasn’t cooperating. I was slowly starting to see gains….Every week. Therefore, I made my diet stricter and lifted heavier. But..the scale kept going up and up. Finally, when I reached gaining 10 pounds…I had a nervous breakdown. My relationship with Robby was terrible. I never wanted to go out to dinner or get happy hour. Or, if we did go out to dinner, I would run to the bathroom after and check to see if my stomach was still flat and if I could see my abs. I was miserable at family functions because I wasn’t allowing myself the treats. I would spend HOURS looking at fitness girls on instagram wishing I looked like them and telling myself that they probably don’t gain weight or get bloated when they eat out. I was OBSESSING. I just wanted to keep losing weight. I was trapped. Through many fights and tears, Robby mentioned I should go talk to a counselor. At first I was embarrassed that he would mention something like that! I was fine! I didn’t need to talk to someone! But, the more I thought about it…I knew I needed to get help.

A good family friend of mine gave me the name of a women who she said was amazing and could really help me….. I finished up counseling in July…and I honestly felt free! From going and talking with her, I realized how much the scale ruined me. I learned that when I was losing weight, there should have been other rewards besides just seeing the minus sign on the scale. We should have had other weekly plans to look forward to so I wasn’t so focused on the scale. I also learned the importance of muscle. Little did I know that I was just gaining 10 pounds of muscle! I wasn’t gaining fat. A lot of fitness people look for weight gains as a sign of progress! (because they eat all of the correct food).

So…. The scale is important to track weight loss or even muscle gain. However, it CANNOT be the ONLY thing that you look at. Take measurements! You will see them shrinking even if the scale isn’t moving! Tell yourself it is just a number…because it is!! It doesn’t define you! It doesn’t make you who you are! DONT BECOME TRAPPED LIKE I DID! Your body fluctuates ALL day long! Girls…you will most likely gain on that dreaded week! Also, DO NOT KEEP A SCALE IN YOUR HOUSE! That is the worst thing you can do! If you have a week where you gain weight…accept it…move on…and realize that your body is just sometimes stubborn. It doesn’t want you to lose weight. Just keep eating healthy and working out and you WILL see the results! Also, make sure you have a hobby that you like to do while losing weight. I ONLY had weight watchers. I didn’t do ANYTHING else! I should have rode horses, scrapbooked, or went fishing to keep my mind off of it and to realize that THERE IS MORE TO LIFE THAN THE SCALE!

If you are into lifting weights, which I highly recommend, learn the difference between muscle and fat. It is a MYTH that muscle weighs more than fat. They weigh the SAME! One pound of muscle is the same as one pound of fat. HOWEVER, muscle is much more dense than fat! Meaning that it takes up less space! Also, muscle helps to burn fat, so the more muscle you have on you, the less fat you will have! SO, when I was gaining those 10 pounds, it was all muscle! I was still lean and I wasn’t going up in pant sizes. I was just toning up and getting rid of the excess fat I had! I know it was pure muscle gain because my diet was very good. All healthy foods and within my weight watcher points. Don’t assume that if you are lifting weights…but your diet is way off track that you are gaining muscle!!

So, what happened after counseling? I haven’t stepped on a scale since FEBRUARY!!! And I have never felt better! I keep track of my weight by how my clothes feel! If my jeans feel a little snug… I know I should probably tone it down on the treats for the weekend. If they feel a little loose…Well I know I can have an extra cookie! Once you are at a weight that is good with you, stay there. There is no need to experiment to try to be “smaller.” I know that my body is comfortable around 135-140 pounds. I am a size 6-8 depending on the store. I have big hips and a big butt and I don’t want to be any smaller now. I used to think…well, a lot of my friends are a size 4, so I want to be a size 4! Well guess what, when I got there….I couldn’t even eat one cookie! That is NO WAY to live. What are your priorities?? Mine isn’t to be a size 4. It was. And when it was I didn’t enjoy my life. I couldn’t have a piece of my moms famous pies. I couldn’t have a few beers with my boyfriend during Penguin games. Now, my priority is to ENJOY life. To be the healthiest and happiest version of myself. To have a great career. To get married and raise a family….and guess what….I am going to do all of those things WITHOUT a scale.

-PLEASE comment or reach out to me if you are struggling with this same problem!
-Live healthy and many blessings!
– XOXO M

What I Ate Wednesday….Even though it’s Friday!

Hi guys! So, I am SO SORRY that I haven’t posted all week. It was my first week in field experience, which kept me pretty busy. I was also sick which didn’t help AT ALL! As promised on my Facebook page, I am still going to share with you “What I Ate Wednesday!”

Breakfast: I was able to take my breakfast to my field placement site with me which was nice! So, I took a Yoplait Greek Cherry Yogurt with 1/2 ounce of cocoa dusted almonds!

Lunch: My lunch was simple…and since I wasn’t feeling well, nothing really tasted good! I knew I needed to have something with protein and a carb. So I had a chicken breast sandwhich on an Arnold’s 100% whole wheat sandwich thin! It was so so yummy! It hit the spot since I was sick!

Snack: When I got home from field, I was so hungry. So, I had 1/2 of an Arnold’s 100% whole wheat sandwich thin with 1 TBSP of naturally more peanut butter (you can find it at walmart)

Dinner: Again, since I was sick, carbs were the only thing that tasted good! So, I had 1/2 cup of brown rice with 1/2 cup of fat free refried beans and 3 ounces of chicken breast with salsa! It was SO SO good! And it was so easy to literally just throw everything together! I had the chicken breast already cooked so everything was just microwaved. Typically on Sundays, I will bake 5-6 chicken breasts that I can eat throughout the week!

Snack: I LOVE cereal…A little too much. But, since I love it, I always have it 🙂 So, my snack was 1 cup of special k red berries with 1 cup of almond milk. Its sooo good and perfect for an easy snack!

If you guys have ANY questions about any of the food I ate feel free to ask! This week has been stressful and I haven’t been to the gym once! I knew that if I went to the gym sick, it would put me behind even more! So, I let my body heal and get better and I will be back in action come Monday!

Look for a new post soon….Do you guys have anything you want me to post about??
-God Bless xoxo M

Planning Ahead!

Hi everyone! I am SO sorry I haven’t posted in a few days. My boyfriend did the Tough Mudder race this weekend so I wasn’t home at all! A lot of people are asking my to make a post about how I plan out my meals in my day and by the week. Ever since I joined Weight Watchers 6 years ago, planning became a huge part of my life. It is so easy to tell yourself you are going to start eating healthy and working out….But if you don’t have a plan lined up, the chances are that you will never start!

I follow Weight Watcher points. So, I always plan a day in advance. Sunday I will write out my daily points for Monday. Monday I will plan out my daily points for Tuesday…and so on! Typically, on Saturday or Sunday I will go through all of my recipes and pick 2-3 that I will make during the week. That way I pretty much have an idea about what dinners I will have and it makes it a lot easier to plan out breakfast, lunch, and snacks. I love to plan at least a day in advance because that way, when I wake up, I don’t have to think about what I want to eat. I just look at my tracker! If I had to wake up every morning not knowing what I was going to eat, I would probably go through drive through’s and eat out!

I know that this Friday I will be going to my Robby’s nephews football game! Robby and I are going to have to leave around 4:00 because it is pretty far away from us. That means that dinner time will be at the game! So, I used my extra 49 weight watcher points already. My weeks run from Saturday-Friday which means that I don’t get those extra 49 points until next Saturday. So, at the football game, I really need to stick to my daily points allowance! I plan on packing a dinner for Robby and I and snacks for later! That way, we don’t even have to go to the concession stand and be tempted!

As you can see, planning is a lot of work, and it takes time! But, sitting down for 5 minutes a night is definitely worth it in order to live a healthy life and lose that weight! YOU ARE WORTH IT!

Comment below if you guys have ANY questions! Have fun with planning!
-xoxo M

WhAt I aTe WeDnEsDaY!

So..as promised, I am going to share with you guys EVERYTHING I ate today! So many people struggle with coming up with food ideas when they are trying to lose weight or just eat healthy! It takes a lot of experimenting! I still struggle with it…sometimes NOTHING looks good in my fridge or pantry. Its about being creative and listening to your cravings! So….here is “what I ate Wednesday!”

Breakfast: 1/2 of an Arnold 100% whole wheat sandwich thin toasted…with an egg fried up (cooking spray in pan;break yolk)…with a slice of reduced fat cheese and tomatoes! I always like to pair carbs and protein together for breakfast! It helps to give me the energy I need and it keeps me full all day long!

Snack: I needed a quick and easy snack today….I was really busy with running errands….So, I sliced up a Fuji apple and dipped the slices into 1 TBSP natural peanut butter. Such a treat!!
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m5/mariaa77/apple.jpg?t=1377137904

Lunch: Lunch was quick and easy today! Chicken breast baked in the oven with a little bit of Cajun chicken seasoning. A side of broccoli. and of course a little bit of ketchup! I LOVE ketchup and have to watch how much I eat. But, I will never give it up! I tried not eating it for a month and ended up gaining weight because I would pick at more food because I was missing having it! Crazy, I know…but having it works best for me! All in moderation!
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m5/mariaa77/chicken.jpg?t=1377137905

Dinner: I was meeting an old Weight Watcher friend tonight for dinner at Panera Bread. You have to be careful there! A lot of the things on the menu are TERRIBLE for you!! However, they have a HIDDEN menu with AMAZING options! Tonight I had the Power Mediterranean chicken salad. It has spinach, lettuce, grilled chicken, tomatoes, and a hard boiled egg. Dressing was olive oil and lemon juice on the side! So good and it felt like I was eating something bad!

Snack: I LOVE to have a snack at night after dinner. It is something I will always do! Now, when I was overweight the portion would be HUGE! Almost 3 bowels of cereal. Now, I make sure I measure everything out! I had a good amount of points left over tonight so I was able to have a higher point snack. I had 1 cup of Raisin Bran with Flax seeds and 1 cup of skim milk!
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m5/mariaa77/cereal.jpg?t=1377137904

I hope this gave you some insight into what my days look like! typically its breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks! Sometimes I can fit in 3 snacks! I track my food by using Weight Watchers points plus values. Everyone has a different points plus value depending on height, weight, age, and gender.

What were some of the things you guys ate or tried today that you really enjoy having?!

-God bless and live healthy!
– M xoxo

Another great blog!

Hey everyone! Want another awesome blog about weight loss and healthy living?? Check out Mama Is Losing It! She just posted some great before and after pictures I think all of you would like to see! She is such an inspiration! http://mamaislosingit.com/

How I Lost the Weight – In a Nutshell

So, the question of the day….HOW DID YOU LOSE SO MUCH WEIGHT AT 15?!?! Simple answer…WEIGHT WATCHERS! Growing up, I was always overweight. I didn’t play any sports, I wasn’t active, and I LOVED to eat! I especially loved to snack. There was always a snack after school…and usually two before bed! I had a good group of friends growing up and was never bullied, which was a huge blessing. I have two older brothers who were both football players…they needed to eat a lot! So, I just fell into their eating patters. I was always the “clothes holder” going shopping with friends because I couldn’t fit into the clothes in the stores they loved. It was miserable, embarrassing, and downright AWFUL!

At 15, I was 240 pounds. Size 28. And a freshman in high-school. The best friends that I had all through growing up were involved in sports once we got into high-school…I wasn’t. Therefore…they made new friends and I was left out. It happens. Being left out is a part of life. However, being so overweight, I had no self confidence to stand up for myself and try to become involved in their lives again. I simply put up a GIANT wall and ate my pain away. The hurt was terrible. I cried everyday after school. There were moments when my mom and I had to plan out who I was going to talk to in school and where I would sit in the mornings before I needed to be in homeroom. Most times, I would just sit alone.

One night, I was sitting at my kitchen table. My mom came in the front door, walked into the kitchen, and set books on the table in front of me, and walked away. I picked up the books because I was curious where she was for an hour and I saw that they were Weight Watcher books. Now, I know my mom wasn’t pressuring me to lose weight, because she did my entire life, and eventually gave up. I didn’t like knowing that people wanted me to lose weight…it actually made me eat more! So anyway, I picked up the books, and started to look through them. That’s when I saw that Weight Watchers was based on a points system. Everything you eat has a points value and you have a daily target. You use a tracker to track your points each day. When I saw that PIZZA and FRENCH FRIES had points values…and I could still eat them if I tracked my points…I knew I needed to do it! I think my mom had a heart attack when I told her I wanted to join!

That Saturday morning, my mom and I got into the car and headed to weight watchers! We got myself all signed up (with a doctors note of course) and then it was time to face the scale! I didn’t know how much I weighed. I never weighed myself and I wouldn’t even let the doctors tell me. So, I stepped onto the scale. The receptionist was so sweet and so supportive. She made the process a lot easier. They keep the scale very private so I didn’t see what I weighed until I went into the meeting room. When I saw 240…I was shocked! I knew I was heavy, but I didn’t know I was that heavy.

That was the first day of the rest of my life! I was completely changed that morning. Something just came over me and I knew good things were going to happen! My leader was incredible. My mom was by my side. I knew it would work. There were weeks of gains and weeks of binging like I used to. But I took it step by step and day by day. I never said I need to lose exactly 105 pounds. I took it 5 pounds at a time! Thinking of the end result was just too overwhelming!

SO…my advice to you…If you are ready for a change. Do it. Walk into Weight Watchers. Throw out the bad food. Start to research healthy eating. I promise it will become second nature to you and worth it! Its going to be hard. Its going to take a lot out of you. There will be tears. And there will be haters. But the end result will be wonderful. Your life will be changed.

If a normal girl like me can do it…ANYONE CAN! Feel free to ask questions in the comment box!