Just under 80 pounds later... - My story

For most of my life, I was considered the fat kid. I was always the overweight child. I always went back for seconds and found childlike comfort in candy bars and junk food. When I was 11 I weighed 130lbs. I decided I wanted to be slender in my teenage years, so my mother helped me to diet my way down to 95lbs. Once I reached this weight, I started to become slightly anorexic before my mother quickly snapped me out of it. The thinness lasted for a few months. Old habits re-emerged, and I began a process of creeping weight gain that continued throughout my high school career until I reached my heaviest weight (that I know of) in my senior year: 220lbs. I was a size 20/22, and only 18. I became a very emotional eater during high school, and one could almost always find my rear end hanging out of an open fridge while I gorged myself on crap food. I lost 10lbs and stalled at about 210. Then, when I broke up with my mentally abusive boyfriend, I stopped eating and was down to 190lbs. I was so excited to fit into a size 18, and didn't even realize how I had done it. Eventually I gained the weight back and maintained at 210lbs for quite some time.

Fast forward to 2011 -
In 2011 I entered a holistic massage school (Spa Tech Institute) with a friend of mine, not realizing that this would be something that would change my life in ways that I could not possibly imagine. Upon doing the holistic portion of the program and learning polarity therapy, I found that certain emotional issues began to fall away. I stopped needing my anti-depressants, and stopped taking them in December 2011. I was still able to maintain my emotions without overeating. Right before halting my pill taking, I did the Master Cleanse for the first time on the suggestion of a friend. I felt better than I ever had before, and once off the cleanse, I stopped desiring certain artificial foods that I had eaten all of my life.

Early 2012 -
After taking the massage program, I decided that I enjoyed polarity so much that I would go into the advanced polarity practitioner program. It began in January and taught me a great deal about nutrition. I learned the importance of organic and natural foods (more so than I had already learned working for a holistic chiropractor) and why processed foods are so terrible for the body. I cleared away a lot of past emotional damage, and felt better than ever. Finally, in April, I decided to begin my weight loss journey.


April 2012 -
A friend had told me about MFP and I decided to give it a try. I thought that it was worth a shot, and if it didn't work, who cares? What did I have to lose? I purchased some healthy food and began logging. To my utter shock, the app worked! I was dropping weight like I couldn't believe, and after a couple months I was fitting into clothes that I had saved with hope from high school. I felt better than I had in years and couldn't believe the difference.


October 2012 -
Around Halloween, I finally began to feel like an attractive woman. I no longer felt like the misunderstood heavy chick, but I felt like a real curvy (by original definition) woman. I felt confident wearing my Orion slave girl costume.


January 2013 -
I still had about 20lbs to lose before reaching my goal. My boyfriend and I had plans to go on the road traveling with different Renaissance festivals. I would be living in a tent for the next four months, and for some of that time, I would be living out of a cooler. Restaurant and fast food was certainly at easy access, but I chose to continue to eat properly and count calories. Even with this style of living, I made the weight loss work. I bought foods that could last in a cooler, and healthy (mainly organic or natural) non-perishables. I had brought my food scales and measuring cups with me, and I was determined to lose the remaining weight. Living the outdoor life was very good to me, and I lost an average of 1lb per week.


June 2013 -
I have just arrived home from living on the road (and will actually be leaving intermittently this month to be in other states for weeks at a time). I weigh 18lbs less than when I started on the road. I feel amazing. Although I have a few pounds to lose and need to tone my muscles, I feel extremely accomplished in what I have done. I was able to lose weight while being on the road where junk food is at much easier access. I didn't use being away from home (as a fellow MFPer pointed out) as an excuse to eat junk and eat heavily.


Now, here, so close to my goal, I am in awe. For me to have made a complete 180 is almost unbelievable, but that is exactly what happened. The girl who emotionally ate has turned into the woman who eats to live and (while she still enjoys her food) no longer eats for emotional satisfaction. I feel like a caterpillar who has transformed into a butterfly and is extremely close to being free of her cocoon, and it feels wonderful.

Getting here has not come without sweat and tears. There have been many nights where I have cried about my appearance, and "Why am I not there yet?! This is too hard?!". However, the support of my family, boyfriend, friends, and friends of MFP have helped me to get to a goal that I never thought was possible. Never give up on your dreams. Never stop believing that it is possible because it truly is always darkest before the dawn. If I could do this, so can you!!!