I’ve been a vegetarian for 30 years, but my success story with fitness is a long one. I grew up as an obese child. I weighed 199 pounds by the time I was 12 years old. I had to have clothes made for me because nothing fit. It was humiliating and I was incredibly self-conscious. The summer of my 8th grade year, I decided to start exercising at home and bike riding daily as well as dieting. I lost over 50 pounds. I started high school, stopped exercising, started indulging again, and the weight slowly started creeping back on. I was the chubby kid all through high school.
I joined a gym when I was in college and became addicted to exercise. I was going twice a day for hours at a time. It was then that my eating disorder took hold. I decided to speed up my results by not eating. I became too thin, weak, and even stopped menstruating because of what I was doing to my body. Luckily, all I needed to hear from my doctor was “You need to eat or you’re going to die.” I became a vegetarian and lived a healthy life going forward–this is the abridged version. 😉
I got married, had 3 kids, was able to lose the baby weight each time, and then peri-menopause and chronic illnesses took ahold of me. I packed on the pounds. I was convinced that my thyroid was bad so I had it checked. The results were normal. WHAT?! HOW?! My doctor proceeded to tell me that this fat me was the “new” me and for me to get used to her! NO WAY!! I would not, I simply could NOT accept this!
That night, I decided to think outside of the box, took a chance, made a change, and the rest is history! I now am in better shape than the day I got married (and YES, my wedding dress fits once again)! Fifty pounds are gone, my chronic pain–while ever-present is more manageable, I no longer suffer from migraines, and my high cholesterol is now normal and I no longer take medication for it! SUCCESS!!!! I’d say I proved that doctor wrong and then some! I’m in such a happy and healthy place right now and I LOVE inspiring others to make positive changes in their lives, too. I’m not special. ANYONE can do this! You just have to want it badly enough, have the proper tools and support, and make it your lifestyle!