The Adventures of a Fat Girl

I've always been the fat kid.  Always. In fact, for most of my life, the word "fat" was something I considered a curse word as if it were a racial slur.  I could not handle someone using that word to describe myself or others.  There-in lies the problem:  I was not willing to accept the truth that I was, indeed, fat.

They always say the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem.  Yes, I had a problem.  All 260 lbs worth of a problem.  I am roughly (there have been discrepancies) 5' tall and when paired with 260 lbs that's a whole lot of woman.  I would eat bowls of ice cream every night after dinner, snack on candy all through the day, get fast food on a regular basis, etc. It seemed as though my pant size increased as my age did...I was 22 and wearing a size 22.

The real kicker came shortly after turning 23.  I had gone to the doctor for various reasons and found out that my thyroid levels were off balance and I was on the verge of being prediabetic. As a 23 year old woman, that is not something you expect or want to hear. The doctor gave me six weeks and told me it was do or die;  I had to lose weight.  So, being the smarty pants that I was, I thought I was eating better but really did not give it much effort.  Six weeks later when I returned to the doctor feeling I had made progress, I weighed in 10 lbs heavier.  I could not believe my eyes!  The situation was worse than ever.

Not long after that disappointing doctor appointment, events in my life spurred an awakening that allowed me the mindset to control my health.  I joined a gym and made a promise to myself that I would not be wearing a size 24 on my 24th birthday.  In roughly six months and two months from said birthday, I have lost 60 lbs and now wear a size 16.

I hope to share my struggles (and believe me there are many...did someone say chili cheese fries?!) in hopes that it will inspire someone else to make positive changes in his/her life.  It is not as hard as it looks.  I used to think it was impossible and would tell myself I could never make it happen.  Six months sounds like a long time ago, but it seems like yesterday that I was full of self pity and stuffing myself with a McChicken and large fries. Sometimes it takes a push, but once you start you have to keep going, and I have a long way to go.